Reporting from Auckland, I’m sitting next to Courtney Johnston, Web Editor at the National Library of New Zealand. One of the very first enquiries we received about joining The Commons on Flickr back in January was from Courtney and her team, so it’s a real thrill to be together in person to celebrate their launch today, our sixteenth member!

They’re sharing with us a taste of life in New Zealand between 1880 to 1930, including some beautiful panoramas of the magnificent NZ landscape:

But, really… who better to introduce you to the collection than Courtney herself?

There’s lots more to see in their Commons account: William Price’s Whakarewarewa, James Ring’s West Coast, Shipping in the South Island, and also some lovely shots taken in London in 1918, at the Armistice Day celebrations. (The Library has been doing great stuff with their other Flickr account for almost 18 months now.

In other Commons news, the George Eastman House has released 50 shots of street photography from 1960s New York City by James Jowers, who donated copyright of those works to them in 2007.

And, the Powerhouse Museum team has made a fascinating video that shows amazing detail in one of the photos they shared in The Commons, ‘The Bandstand, Hyde Park.’ Definitely worth a watch.

Yay!

“Good health.” “My sister’s new marriage.” “Having everything I need.” “My camera.” These are a few of the things that keribeth is thankful for.

As 2008 draws to a close, what are the blessings that you would count?

Photo from keribeth.

Photos from EllenJo, emdot, and Ana Santos.

We’re back with another installment of 5 Questions. Please welcome karton kutuda shot zımbırtısı (perhaps our most prickliest interviewee to date, if the note on her profile is anything to go by).

1. karton, (you don’t mind if we call you karton do you? karton kutuda shot zımbırtısı is a bit of a mouthful) we know it’s a tough question, but if you had to pick just one camera to shoot with from now until the end of time, what would that be?

karton: I hope to be able to use the most powerful camera I’ve ever used until now: my eyes. Without noticing we do photography 24/7. The way we see things is the way we look at things. Like, if you look with pleasure, you will see beauty. When your intention is negative, you won’t get anything more but disgrace. It is, I think, not only important to look at things, but to see things [without using a "plastic" camera]. Anyway, enough nonsense :) My ‘plastic’ camera would be an analog camera. I would prefer my Canon A1. A few different hardcore lenses would be recommended.

2. Another (possibly) tough question… Tell us your favourite photos on Flickr, and why you like them. First, a favourite from your photostream?

karton: Well I do really too much photography. Sometimes while sitting in the bus or walking around I realize that I look into the environment as if I have a 55 mm or a 24 mm lens in front of my eyes. That’s not a very healthy way of living, it shows a little my sick affinity for the “plastic” photo camera. Anyhow; tough questions deserve tough answers. All my photos are my favourite :) Pick the one you like.

Heather: Well… that’s certainly turning the tables on me. I’ve selected the portrait above. And from another Flickr member?

kartom: mharmanlikli. There’s so much good stuff on flickr, but also so many nonsense. When I aimlessly surf on flickr, I come across good stuff, so good that I sometimes feel useless shooting photos.

3. What’s one tip that you would share with someone who’s just picking up a camera?

karton: Come on! Almost everyone’s a photographer. Just try something else.

4. When we interview peeps for employment here at Team Flickr, we always ask: “Kittens, babies, sunsets or flowers? Pick one.”

karton: Baby kittens pissing on flowers at sunset. Yea, that would be a good image.

5. Which Flickr member should we ask these 5 questions of next?

karton: I want to mention F a t e. In my opinion, Fate’s photography is a very honest form of making images of the world around us. A style between, on the one hand “casual life” and “documentary” on the other.

Heather: karton kutuda shot zımbırtısı, thank you. We’ll be back soon with the next installment of 5 Question when we interview F a t e.

Photos from karton kutuda shot zımbırtısı and F a t e.

Photos from Bo van Veen, fitzhughfella, and Natalia Gladysheva.
View more in Horizon, tu! oh, tu! NEW AND IMPROVED! and ★ Horizon Kompakt & Perfekt ★.

I think it’s safe to say that Soleil has a thing about sticks.

Photos and video from Lucy Crabapple.

Photos from sx70manipulator, Nathiya, and espressoDOM.

File under covet. Photos from sgoralnick and SOFTSERVEGIRL.
View more in the Arrow Ring Chronicles.

Photos from davieunited. View more in her gorgeous Infrared set.

At a loss for something to shoot? Here are a few Thursday thoughts: Inspire Me Thursday, Thursday’s Child, Gorgeous Green Thursday, Self Portrait Thursday, Thrift Thursday, Happy Aloha Thursday – HAT, Quinta Flower / Flower Thursday, and Narcissism Thursdays. View more Thursday related groups.

Photos from Claudecf, Leo Reynolds, urbanmkr, labworks and Eva the Weaver.
Created with Spell with Flickr.