When reading comment sections on photography blogs or on photography groups, I often get the feeling people always think they are better than everyone else. People go on rants with heinously bad comments about photos they don't like and degrade anyone who is creating art that they might not even understand. Many times photographers feel like they give constructive criticism when the opposite is often more true.
When I watched this video it reminded me pretty much any comment section on the internet. Rants like this are something that have become very common on the internet (always easier to say nasty stuff behind the keyboard and not face to face), but when you see it like this in real life, you understand how absurd it can sound. Watch this video and any time you're about to write a comment about a photo, about a photographer or about a project. Remember: you don't want to be that person.
Be nice to others, even if it's from behind the keyboard.
Your comments were spot on and I agree with most of it. I will consider joining Lynda.com, as it seems like a nice resource to have.
As far as the "instant photographers" are concerned, it took me 6 years of reading, trial and error to be confident enough in my photography to let anyone outside of my family see my work. Some of these people buy cameras on Friday and have "pro" websites by the next Monday.
The one area that you mentioned that I am guilty in is the genre crisis. I love and am good and landscape work, nature and fine art photography, I shoot interiors and real estate for my Mother in Law and I photograph our family and have been asked by friends and others to do portrait work for them. So I think I'm pretty good at all 3, and I try to balance them all. It isn't easy. The reason I don't stick to one is because of timing and demand. The end of the year, from October to December I sell lots of landscape and fine art prints in craft shows and trade fairs, during the summer through fall I get lots of requests for portrait work when my fine art/landscape photography is on the low end of sales, and the Real Estate bounces through busy and slow times. It is how I stay busy as a photographer and expand my knowledge of the camera and the craft.
As far as comments go, I always tell people to be honest with me on my work. If they don't like it I want to know. Not everyone can handle criticism. I have troubles with it, but you can't learn and grow as a photographer unless you can face reality from people, and your business relies on people liking you and your work for you to make money.
I appreciate your honesty. And whether or not you realized it, you gave some very good advice in your statements.
Lynda.com is an excellent source of educating one self. In my opinion it truly is THE BEST source we have today. It's online, it's convenient, you can watch it on any device, really can't beat it , and it is very professional unlike Kelby whose promoting all these "famous photographers" who most new folks cannot even come close to replicate. They directed themselves towards the rich folks who like to collect equipment, and who are not interested in becoming pro's. High end hobbyists is their market. I had a subscription, but I cancelled it because they are just not that professional IMO. You can watch the GRID and see how they talk.
On the flip side that $25 for Lynda.com is the best investment I ever made in my career as a photographer. I won't ever give that Lynda.com subscription up for anything. I value it so much because I get to stay current with everything new in our industry, and they also have various other classes like time management, business, marketing etc, which are extremely helpful.
Yeah, see I won't do that. I shoot interiors, and everything else I shoot is for myself. After having a few bad clients, I decided that I am not going to work with "everyone" anymore. If they can't respect my work, I don't need them as clients. I don't need to be busy, I rather have less clients but who are respectful than a bunch that don't appreciate any of my work, and take it for granted.
My suggestion if you want to continue what you're doing, is to separate your website. Have one for RE, one for prints etc. That way people don't get confused when they look at your work. If you use your own server and not a service like Zenfolio, Smugmug etc, you can easily have 4, 5 domains with their own website each, and their folders are stored easily on the same server. That way, you can have nice clean looking sites that are specific to a genre, rather than mix them all together and confuse potential clients.
"I appreciate your honesty. And whether or not you realized it, you gave some very good advice in your statements."
Thank you.
My point to the new/existing folks is to educate themselves before posting online, because most folks lurking online are those like the wedding folks we were talking about before, so they're not reliable sources. You won't see Joe McNally pop into a message board and replying with what settings one should use...so, I personally don't trust the replies mainly because simply enough you walk into a church and OMG...the light sucks, there are too many people, there's the videographer wanting his space, and all sorts of other things that can make all the advice received online obsolete! This is why you need to learn everything there is to know about your equipment through Lynda.com, and books, at your own pace and peace, so that you're prepared for any situation that might arise, and you can truly use your creativity undisturbed. You can't stop in the middle of the wedding to go online and tell them what is "really like", and ask for advice while the wedding is going on.
Your little article, missed the point. Your head is so far up your own arse, you missed it.
Thanks for proving my point! Great Job! Your personal entitlement, and aversion to education is embarrassing at best!
High and mighty, you sound like you need a therapist.
& you need a reality check! Thanks X2 for proving my point! Keep digging that hole!
poor sick individual.
Great commentary... 100% agreed!
Watching this just made me nauseous! That person obviously lives a miserable existence and wants to make everyone else miserable too! I'm sad now. :-(
or maybe this little guy is sick of hearing this untalented dude, day after day, and decided to take action.. shut a f...up and stop annoying everyone with Ur 'art'... just one of the option.
The worst critics are the ones that criticize "criticism."
I think we should all listen to her... she IS 'trained contemporaneously" after all.
Here:
http://pages.photoshelter.com/JaredBaumanShootDotEdit_ShootDotEditJaredB...
Suffice to say.. that guy just got TROLLED!!!!!
a warning about the language would have been nice