Reply To: Instagrams

[IHF]

I don’t really play with instagram anymore.  I used to use it to update family and friends and share silliness, but now that most of my family has apple products I use Apple’s photo stream instead.  It’s more private.  Friends without apple?  I connect with them on Facebook or chat with IM or texts.  I’d share my instagram but I doubt any of you would be interested in what I ate months ago, my kids craziness, or how cute my dog sleeps lol  Sharing my photographs on insatgram and getting likes isn’t going to sell my work.  If you can convince me otherwise I might consider it… but, it’s going to take a lot of convincing lol

I usually don’t share my Facebook or 500px, flickr  or what have you here, unless I’ve asked for advice, or been told something like “Let me see your work, if mine is so bad” in the hopes seeing my photos will somehow make their photos and feedback they received here somehow better.  The times I have shared, I had to take it down, because I got a whole bunch of empty stupid “I liked your photography, now go like mine” crap going on.  I’m sure you will score some likes by posting this, just not from me.  This isn’t personal… It’s just I don’t know you, and I’m not really all that interested in your genre, and I don’t have a need for your services, and if you returned the favor and “like” my photography, What would be the point unless you were actually interested in what I do? and that’s very doubtful.

As far as your generous offer of your time to critique my photography… It’s pretty much a given that if anyone posts their work here they will get feedback, even yours if you have the time to give it.  (Go ahead and go through some “I’m I a faux tog” posts and add your two cents to them.  Didn’t you once make a post about disagreeing with some critiques that were given?  I could be mistaken, maybe it wasn’t you, but if so… Go back to them and correct what you feel was wrongly said if you are looking to give your time and advice) Yes, hasn’t been too active lately here, but give it time… it’ll happen.  Until then, by looking at your work I don’t think you would have much to offer me in my genre.  This is not to say that your photography sucks, just I’m not seeing anything that pertains to me or how or what I shoot.  No balloons or soft dreamy faux film looks going on on my end.  And I don’t think you would have much to offer as far as the business side of things go either.  I’ve been to all of your links, and I’m still not sure what your business is about.  I THINK it’s wedding photography, with quite a few side projects with hired models on the side to feed your creative side instead and not your bread and butter, but I’m not completely certain if that’s it or not.  In all honesty… I look and see someone who shoots solely for the love of it, or maybe as some sort of hobby and hires models, and has fun.  Not a serious professional like you say.

Why don’t I share for the sake of sharing, or do the whole “Hey!  Follow me and I’ll follow you” thing like you are asking?  Photographers most likely aren’t the people that are going to buy my finished work, and instead most inquire how I created shots instead, so they can attempt their own take, or just to shoot the shit.  What’s the point in collecting photographers or playing the “like” game?  They aren’t who I market my art to… lol   I don’t even really market my photographs.  I have a lot of photographer friends on my personal FB account because we are friends PERIOD.  I like their pages if I’m interested in seeing their shots, and they do the same if they are interested in seeing mine show up in their feed, but it rarely ever happens that way.  Put your stuff out there, share it and talk about it, but don’t be THAT GUY about it, it won’t get received well.  Here we feel free to speak our minds freely, but believe me when I say the other forums or groups you frequent are most likely thinking the same things we are, and just choosing not to be honest, or just to not reply at all… or they will do anything at all for another like or another follower 😉