Everyone needs a JiBBR
JiBBR is a photographic quintet - five people from around the world brought together via Flickr by a passion for photography, whose friendship has developed way beyond the camera. We meet once or twice a year (maybe three if we're lucky) sharing time that's punctuated by laughter, chit chat and the clicking of the lens. Each of us is there for the others if the need ever exists. We're friends.
The strange name is an acronym - Jörg from Berlin, Barbara from Hannover (b1), Barbara from Zurich (b2) and Rita from Ferrara, with my T for Tom becoming an 'i' to fulfill a desperate need of a vowel. I'd gatecrashed the first meeting and was there just for a day so an i for 'interlude' seemed appropriate... Today's a special day in the JiBBR calendar because it's the Berliner's birthday. Happy birthday, Jorg!
Since we met we've had the privilege to visit a number of places, usually all together but occasionally as a three or foursome. Places such as Berlin, Ferrara, London, Milan, Rotterdam, Valencia, Zurich and most recently Paris, where these pictures were taken.
JiBBR has been a super reminder to me that there is life beyond the internet. Flickr has always been very important to me - it's through Flickr that I discovered my love for photography and it's where I've met some wonderful people. But, even so, it's easy to become totally consumed by social media networks. JiBBR reminds me that there is a wonderful life beyond the 'Fave', the 'Like', the self promotion and the monetisation of contact lists...
I hope everyone has their own JiBBR.
“Think where man’s glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.”
