6 Years Hipstography

It was on 29th of December 2012 - precisely 6 years ago - that Hipstography first saw the light of day, so it’s anniversary day here! It’s a rather atypical anniversary, though, as it marks a bit of a turning point in the site’s life. As for me, I have dedicated every spare moment of my free time – and more – over the past six years to Hipstography. All from a place of pure passion for a phone application that radically changed my, and a few million others’, perception of photography: Hipstamatic. However, despite that passion still being alive and kicking, I have to slow down the pace… I’m sure many of you know that life won’t hesitate to throw you a curve ball, when given half a chance. Here’s a little background…

I became a vegetarian over 20 years ago and have been vegan since 2017, simply out of the love I feel for other animal species. I have always been quite vocal about the vegetarian lifestyle and advocating the end of the daily massacre of millions of sentient beings. The past few years have led me to become more of an activist for the animal cause. I, loudly and proudly, claim my antispeciesism and my activism has become a fundamental part of my life. I can’t possibly look back and I’m often left feeling that I could do so much more. I’ve been a member of "Anonymous for the Voiceless" (A.V.) for over a year now. Anonymous for the Voiceless is an international organization that strongly advocates antispeciesism and that requires - and deserves - focused energy and commitment. Along the same lines… I’m also venturing into the world of vegan cuisine, with a few projects weaving their way around my brain… this also needs my attention and time.

So, I really can’t spend all of my free time on Hipstography anymore; I’ll just tone it down a bit. The site will of course still be there, albeit with fewer articles than I used to publish. If you have series (combos or portfolios) you’d like to throw out there, don’t hesitate to submit your work. You just need to publish them somewhere (an album of Facebook or Flickr, for example) and send us the link in a message. The most straightforward way is still a message via the Hipstography Facebook page. You’ll find all you need to know on the FAQ page.

You might have noticed that there have, indeed, been fewer articles over the past few months and, in light of my rather hefty schedule, I am letting go of the Hipstography Awards. I have to admit that I’m doing it with a heavy heart but I really don’t feel like I have a choice in the matter. I’m sorry but I’m sure many of you will understand, being passionate people yourselves…

If you’d like to find out more about the reality of other animal species in the real world, I’d like to invite you to watch a few documentaries that have led millions of people into changing their dietary habits.

Earthlings - Dominion - Conspiracy - The Food Choice  

So… that was my very personal clarification of the situation and being I’m the only captain at the helm of Hipstography, I felt like I owed it to you all to explain the lull in recent activity. Maybe we should get back to the original subject of this article…

Hipstography’s 6th Anniversary

Hipstography’s anniversary coincides with the new year and it has become a tradition to have a retrospective of the past 12 months.

In 2018, Hipstography celebrated the most iconic element of the entire Hipstamatic catalogue: John S. You could say that John S. is the key representative of the Hipstamatic spirit. It’s also the first lens we all used and the pictures are recognizable amongst thousands. The name is a tribute to John O Smith, professor of Design to many of the Hipstamatic team while they were at college. It’s also one the favorite lenses, if not THE favorite, among black-and-white photographers. Its versatility makes it one of the most indispensible lenses in the Hipstamatic catalogue and despite being the "old man" of the lot, it remains one of the most used lenses to date. Hipstography dedicated an entire section of the site to John S.: "My name is S… John S."

After having spotlighted Florian Bilges, Berlewen Jolixor, Lee Atwell and Polina Sarri, 2018 put Parisienne Anita Elle in the spotlight. Paris remains Anita’s favorite subject and she has an uncanny ability to portray her hometown as few others can; her sensitivity and creativity become apparent in everyday scenes, on the streets, on terraces or in the metro. Welcome to La Vie en Rose!

And that’s not all… over 40 Combos and 30 Portfolios were published over the past twelve months and 2018 brought forth two more Hipstography collections: The Nostalgic Collection and The Hellenic Collection.

For The Nostalgic Collection, we wanted to get back to the very essence of Hipstamatic, to what made us ‘stand up and take notice’ from the get-go: the exaltation of the vintage effect. It’s a bit of a tribute to our parents and grandparents who left us their dust-covered old pictures, found at the bottom of a box, often tarnished by time with faded colors but also undeniably charming. These three new combos were concocted by a team of dedicated and talented Hipstographers: Polina Sarri, Lara Khatchikian, Kathleen Magner Rios, Lori Hillsberg and Stavros Dimakopoulos. Welcome to Eleanor, Norma and Lizzy.

The Hellenic Collection was borne from a different dynamic and process compared to the other Hipstography combo collections. I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in Athens, in August 2018, in the wonderful company of Polina Sarri, Stavros Dimakopoulos and Mario Estrada. I have them carte blanche, with only one requirement: come up with a combo that captures the summer of 2018. The result is four fabulous combos: Empedocles, Pythagoras, Thales and Gorgias.

And lastly - credit given where credit is due – a massive thank you to the entire team at Hipstamatic for the delight they’ve been spreading for the past nine years. Most of all… thank YOU for your genuine support since 2012! I repeat myself but I will continue to say it: Hipstography would never have become what it is without you!

Hipstography wishes everyone a wonderful new year, 2019! A Hipsta New Year to all of you!
Eric Rozen

This post is also available in: French

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