This space was invented several years ago with the function of serving as a personal blog. It was given the name “Photodork” because I disliked the idea of using my name as the site’s address and, well, I am a photodork. I have been enamored with all things photographic for approximately 13 years. Yet I have never actually posted a photograph here. Ever. That will change starting tomorrow, and I’m fairly excited (and apprehensive) about it.

In case you haven’t followed my incredibly sporadic posts over the years, here’s the deal: I teach art, predominantly Digital Photography, at a rural high school. My training is in traditional darkroom photography and I’m still warming up to this whole digital movement, mostly because I have to feed my photography addiction somehow. I hope to someday have a darkroom of my very own, but in the meantime am trying to explore and enjoy the opportunities the digital medium offers.

Recently (as in two days ago) it was suggested that I turn my scarcely used blog into a place to display my photographs. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Between the everyday push, pull, drag and sometimes shoving that comprises my everyday life since I started teaching, it is a rare occurrence for me to even pick up my camera. Did I really teach 73 students the fundamentals of photography for 9 months and take barely 10 pictures myself? You bet. Did I look at and grade over 10,000 photographs this year without practicing my own art? Mmmm..yup. And that bothers me. Of course it bothers me. I found time to do plenty of other completely necessary things like play the new Super Mario Bros. game for Wii, spend hours web-stalking people on Facebook, watch Cake Boss and Say Yes to the Dress marathons on TLC, and…well, you get the idea. So, as many good excuses as I try to offer for my lack of photographic activity, I don’t have a leg to stand on. And some of my students work is good. Like capital “g”, stretch out the “oo” sound several times so it sounds like you’re saying “G-oo-oo-oo-d!” good. It can make you feel a bit like a talentless hack at times, or at the very least, sufficiently humbled.

Bottom line: I need to photograph more both because it makes me happy and keeping in practice is smart. That’s where the redesign of Photodork comes in. Each day I will post a “Photo of the Day” and hopefully a bit of text. This gives me an excuse, and hopefully the motivation, to take pictures everyday. This new format starts tomorrow, as the OCD part of me cries out against starting something new on the last day of the month, so please, stay tuned.