Flickr Set of The Month

Posted by The Murketing Organization on December 2, 2008
Posted Under: Flickr Artifacts,Q&A

The Murketing Organization has been receiving some valuable assistance lately from Tom Hosford, of Washington & Lee University. Among other things, Tom has made possible something I’ve long wanted to add to the Flickr Interludes mix: A mini-portfolio and short Q&A, relating to a particular set discovered on Flickr that has some relationship to this site’s subject matter.

Example? A set of images that makes a Dave & Buster’s location, of all places, look carnivalesque and exciting and maybe even seductive. Or that’s what I think of the first Flickr Set of The Month: Dave and Busters. Over to you, Tom…

The Midway, originally uploaded by SA_Steve.

The Flickr Interludes displayed on this site are of a pretty all-inclusive nature: “Anything about consumer culture, defined as broadly as possible.” But you can go beyond just the photo, and look at “sets” of similar themes, which can often say a lot more. The photo is just one track; the set is the whole album.

So for the first Set of the Month, we decided to look at Flickr user SA_Steve, who shot every bright light and strange sign he saw inside the restaurant/video arcade Dave and Buster’s. What resulted was a great set, capturing a truly electric environment. — Tom Hosford

Jumpin’ Jackpot, originally uploaded by SA_Steve.

Q: How did you ever get the idea to invade a Dave & Buster’s

A: I went on a team outing with my former employer to Dave & Buster’s; I of course had my camera since I carry it everywhere. I took some photos while we were playing games and such, after they left for various reasons, I figured it would be a great place to go wild shooting (and it helped I was out of money by that point.:))

Neon Fandango, originally uploaded by SA_Steve.

Why do you choose to omit all signs of people from the photos? The bright lights and all of the neon seem to create a sense of life, but in your photos there is none.

I try not to photograph people, I don’t want to invade anyone’s privacy or anything. I rotate and change around what I shoot and/or add to my photostream on an almost daily basis, the urge to shoot people hasn’t struck me yet. Also when I look at other people’s photostreams I don’t usually like ones with people I don’t know in them unless they are excellent photos, a level I am not at. Yet.

Feel The Rythym…, originally uploaded by SA_Steve.

You seem to be really into this sort of “consumer culture” photography. You’ve produced some really wacky sets like “Unusual Food, Drink, Medicine, and More“, “Diet Coke / Coke Light“, and “1970s Era Ads Targeting African American Consumers“. Why do you devote so much time to documenting these types of things? And where do you find these items?

I enjoy taking photos (every day) of everyday things: things I find odd, interesting, unusual, and/or funny, things that others likely overlook, and before I got into photography I likely overlooked also. I realize on a daily basis what a silly world we live in; from misspelled signs, to odd and unusual products. (One of my latest finds was an at home DNA Paternity test at Walgreen’s). My classic finds were a Bull Semen Tonic for Men, Pickled Pork Skins, and of course cans of Budweiser with Clamato Lime and Salt.