Why I'm here

[IHF]

“Everyone has to start somewhere”

“No one woke up with a camera in their hand and started instantly shooting like a pro, like some photographers make it seem”

 

We’ve all heard these statements (and a million more) when a faux has been called out, or critiqued, I’m sure.

 

Since when did starting out in photography mean, you have to work your butt off for peanuts or for free for some indefinite amount of time?

Why do people feel they have to go into debt investing in their photography?

and why does everyone the photographer knows have to be invested as well?

What happened to shooting for yourself, and giving yourself time to develop as a photographer, before going into “business”?

Since when did being an amateur, or enthusiast become taboo, and “you aren’t a photographer unless you shoot for money” become the mindset of millions?

and since when were photographers bottom dwellers that will work just for the sake of working without proper compensation?

 

Fauxtography isn’t a victimless crime, and we all feel for the clients, but to me the real victims are the togs themselves (If they really care about photography that is, and aren’t just going with a new fad, and have some self worth).  Why do they have such a hard time seeing that they are a victim?  Is it because they are marketed to so vigilantly and forcefully?  Is there some sort of high that I am unaware of?  Is it because their FB friends and family rather make things easier, click like and say “wonderful” rather than be truthful?  Do they actually believe it, is that easy, and somehow they were born with some gift, and never question it?

A friend of mine announced she was going pro on FB and all our mutual friends contacted me and laughed “look! she’s made it to pro status before you did!”, or “I can’t wait to see how this develops.  This is gonna be good.”  They and myself were laughing behind her back, rubbing our hands together waiting for the entertainment to begin.  Meanwhile we were only commenting when we had something nice to say.  “Oh!  She’s grown so much!”  or “This is a gorgeous park.  What a wonderful location for photos!”

 

How MEAN and ruthless!!!!  Why?  It didn’t take long before I had a talk with her, because it felt so very wrong not to.  Then, I was made out to be the big meany pants, even though everyone agreed with what I had to say.  When she made it public that someone told her she wasn’t ready, everyone knew it was me.  “I can’t believe you DID that!  OMG!”

 

I’m confused as to what’s going on here.  I’m pretty darn sure I’m right that honesty, and caring, and actively trying to help, are the way to go

 

This is why I am here, I’m hoping by speaking up, and being honest, I (along with all of you), can change things somehow.  I figure if a tog has enough guts to post in “Am I a Fauxtog?”, and ask for critique, they care about what they are doing.  This in turn makes me care.  I’m honestly in this to help photography, not crush dreams, to make fun, or take out my bad day out on the innocent, and if that’s why YOU are here, (not that it matters to you) I most likely won’t like you very much.

[IHF]

OH!  and I’m here to listen and learn!  I’m a brain picker, and I’ll be asking questions.  That you can count on

[WhyOhWhy]

I too am a listener and a learner, I’m here becausehonestly it upsets me when I see people pick up a camera and the next week they are a pro.  Friends are always telling me to start charging, that I am good enough…. Well I don’t want to be good enough, I want to kick arse before I hang a single and charge people.  $50 a disk for 50+ images isn’t my goal, if I’m going to do thiI, I will not be short changingmyself, until the time I can feel comfortable charging a session feel and prints are extra this will be a hobby.

[dicksforeyes]

I think it’s important not surround yourself with people who have issues with reality.

[IHF]

 

 

“I think it’s important not to suround yourself with people who have issues with reality”

Lmao the best advice anyone has given in this forum so far!  I think I may stay away for a while…. But it’s like a car wreck and I just can’t help but look and try to help some how.

[HennyM]

i’ve been taking photos as long as i can remember, and i did take one or two good ones, but i think i am in touch with reality enough, that i could not go pro, even if i wanted to, and even though our household has all the equipment needed.

And yes, i do the same thing, i tell my husband – the semi-pro-photographer with pro-equipment – if a shot is not worthy to be put in his portfolio or on our website – which is more my thing, even though i haven’t had too much time for this lately.

 

so yeah, go ahead and tell them, give them your piece of mind and if they can’t take criticism well, screw them.

 

did this make sense? i’m a bit sleep deprived…

[kbee]

I think you did the right thing, though others are hypocritical and too afraid to speak up and give their honest opinion to your friend. My own FB friends are very ‘supportive’ when I post shots, but I try to take it all with a grain of salt. These guys are, after all, raving about Instagram and posting oversaturated blurry pics of their painted toenails. What I posted 6 months ago, I now wince at. Bad white  balance, blurry, bad cropping. I have a private Discards folder for my photos, and there’s more in there than my public folder.

As for the rest, this is why I am here. I’m still in the learning stage, understanding the ins and outs of my camera, looking at new lenses, trying new settings and subjects. I could never dream of charging someone while I am still learning the basics; the thought of doing so goes against sense of decency. I could start calling myself a pro photographer like those featured on YANAP; I feel I have better grasp than those, but am I up to par with a true pro? Hell no. I spent four digits on my equipment, I’m going to make sure I know how to use it, and make it pay for itself in quality before I make clients pay for it with mediocre crap.

I wish I had someone I knew in real life to talk photos with in an open and honest fashion, but I don’t. As of yet, I don’t have anything I think would stand up to honest criticism from folks here. In the meantime, I’m a lurker, so to speak, learning from everybody else’s input. Guess I’ll put off the ‘pro photographer’ title for a while yet. 😉

[IHF]

:). I think we all are gonna get along just fine, thanks everybody, for living in the same reality that I do.

[RalucaS]

I completely agree you know….the number of times I’ve seen awful shots with comments such as “lovely” and “great shot” and so on…and loads of people would agree it’s awful but only in secret….if someone would dare give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism openly they’d pretty much get stoned to death over the internet.

 

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