[jenna504]

Brown Eyed Girl, I really didn’t mean that as a dig at you. You have beautiful work, in my opinion. I was only backing up the point that the OP was making. Your work is technically sound and you take pretty photos. But does it stand out against the masses? Probably not. Will anyone remember it? Probably only the people who are emotionally invested into it. That is art. You give emotional pieces to those connected to the piece. Your work means everything to you because you leave a piece of yourself at every shoot. I am sure that all artists feel this way. When we try to pigeon hole a medium as subjective as photography we remove any traces of art from it.

[jenna504]

I don’t think saying “I don’t get it” is an accurate assessment of what I meant. I am trying to convey the subjectivity of art and beauty. I am not condoning a lack of technical skills. But I refuse to berate someone because my interpretation of their artistic work is not the same as theirs.

Also you just said Brown Eyed Girl has some learningto do, but then you called her a professional. What makes her different from every other photographer who is earning a living while learning their craft? There are so many double standards on this site. Furthermore, if I want to go on a kitten forum and say that I hate cats that is my right. People do not always have to share your opinions IHF

[jenna504]

Civo your points are not only spot on, they so so eloquently put! It’s about time someone said it. Brown Eyed Girl has posted nothing but mediocre cookie cutter portraiture and continues to bash others. Art is supposed to be subjective.  Out of focus, over exposed, etc. may be visually pleasing to some. Can you honestly say that you look at the works of Robert Capa, Jay Maisel, and Gyula Halasz and say that they are all technically similar. They can’t be. If we all followed the same rules then art could not exist.  Compare the works of MC Escher and Andy Warhol.  Does one stand out to you? Both are world renowned artists, but their art is exponentially different.  How do you decide that one photographer is art and one is not?

[jenna504]

Wowza I was out shooting weddings all weekend. I did not realize that I started such a war on here. Brown Eyed Girl I did not mean to cause such a storm. There is way too much stuff to respond to everything, so all I will say is….Some of the people on here have been very harsh. Others have been very direct. Although I do not agree with the method used by some people I have to say that they are all right….even cicely (I think you could have been a little nicer about it).  Listen to what they are saying because they are all 100% correct in their critiques of not only your work but also your personality.  Also take this as a lesson. Art is way too subjective for us to judge so freely, and as you can see it is difficult to have your passion scrutinized by strangers for everyone to see.  I really did not mean for it to be this way when I commented on Friday, but if you can take something positive from this I hope it taught you a lesson in humility. Please take it from a seasoned photographer, you will soar if you stay out of the forums and pick up your camera. Take time to perfect your art instead of trashing everyone else’s.

[jenna504]

Intuition, everybody needs a backup plan!! I come from a family of artists so I picked up some pointers on the way. I obtained my bachelors degree and got a job working as a geophysicist. Because of the flexibility of my schedule I was able to complete my apprenticeship with a master photographer and go to grad school for my Master’s Degree in my spare time. So basically I picked something that allowed for the time and financial stability to put in the time necessary to become what I am today. I did 2 years of grad school, 2 years as an assistant( unpaid), and 2 years as a backup shooter( also unpaid). You are right, it is a very random combination.

[jenna504]

Out of respect for my clients, and my partners I will not be posting my portfolio on this site.  I have seen the comments made about people’s appearances, outfit choices, weight, etc. I will not subject my clients to abuse. But I can give you my credentials.  I have a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts along with a bachelors degree in Geophysics. I am part owner of an upscale studio in the New Orleans area. We specialize in weddings and fashion editorials. We have 4 assistants and 3 photographers. The studio has been open for 14 years now and we have seen an increase in business each year.  We are currently booked through the middle of 2014. We also own a fine art gallery to showcase our landscape, nature, and still life photography. Our reputation and product speak for themselves.

And yes I am aware that this post makes me a hypocrite for “hiding behind anonymity”. Like I said we all have faults and  I am not an exception to that rule.

[jenna504]

@ Mykelhelene she seams to be in denial, and very forgetful of what she posts. Thanks for being brave enough to point out the obvious with me. It makes me incredibly sad to see the outright bullying that goes on on this site.  Remember where you started, people. And as I have proven here tonight it is difficult to take criticism publicly, especially when you are blind to your own faults, so be gentle the next time you tears someone’s art to shreds.  There is a line between constructive criticism and just plain being mean; people on this website cross that line all to often.

[jenna504]

Oh the excuses keep rolling in.  You are hopeless.  I am not angry, or even belittling you.  I am offering you constructive criticism which seems to be what these forums are all about.  Take it or leave it (I know you will leave it because you are just too good in your own eyes).  Your arrogant attitude far out-shadows your photographic skills. I am not the first to say this and I am sure I won’t be the last.  Open your mind to the fact that you are not as good as you think you are. Then you can grow and learn from it to become infinitely better. Trust me, there is a ton of potential for you but as of now you are average at best. Stop being so defensive and learn to be humble.  Then maybe you can attain your goal of becoming a full time professional photographer.

[jenna504]

@ Brown Eyed Girl. I have not become “obsessed” with you at all. It takes less than a second to take a screen shot. I have seen you make excuses multiple times. I even stated that you would try to discredit my criticism and that is why I took the screenshots, so that if the time came to defend my critique with solid proof I could. I can see from your response to me, and also your responses in the past that you get extremely defensive when someone criticizes you. Imagine that?? You did not ask for my advice but here it is, public, for everyone to see. Not the best feeling in the world huh?

Your photos are average at best. However your attitude and arrogance make you extremely unprofessional. Based solely on the way you talk to people I would never hire you. I agree with above commenter. Put the computer away and go take some pictures. Stop “obsessing”  over the photogs in your area(you do that a lot as well) and work on your own faults. You will be a better person and better photographer for it. And for goodness sake please stop telling people about all of your friends who WANTED you to shoot their pictures but couldn’t  blah blah blah excuses blah blah. You could use a lesson in composition and in manners my dear.

[jenna504]

@Camera Clicker your point is valid and accurate. However we live in a free market society, which means that the economic market is defined by free competition.  The economic system in this country is founded on the basis of capitalism, an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.  And I also understand that it is the right of consumers, whether they be current or potential clients to state opinions based on the products.

I have read a lot of your critiques.  I have noticed that you and “I Hate Fauxtography” give intelligent feedback based on technical knowledge of photography and business. I guess I should have been more specific with exactly who I was speaking to in my comment. I apologize.

@Brown Eyed Girl…you seem to talk a lot. You seem to make a lot of excuses for yourself. You also seem to take things a bit too far when it comes to reaching out to strangers. Perhaps unsolicited advice is an annoyance. I have looked at your work. There is vast room for improvement, so how would you feel if you were sitting at home and all of a sudden received 50 new notifications telling you what a “joke” you are?  You have stated multiple times on this forum that you are not a professional photographer, but you also stated that you were going to teach a photography class. Are you a certified teacher? I doubt it since you state that you did not finish college due to financial restraints. You also have photos displayed in your portfolio that have most of the mistakes ridiculed on this site. I don’t understand how someone with that much room for improvement could be judgmental of others.  You stated that when you started out you were “bad” but only shot for friends and only charged them what you were worth at the time.  How dare you? And I am sure you will type a long winded rebuttal and say that this is all rubbish so allow me to tell you that I have screenshots from this website and your own to prove everything that I just said.

[jenna504]

Here is my 2 cents. Take it for what it is worth.

I think that this field in general has become so jaded with people who are afraid of seeing others succeed.  Whenever we produce a photograph or any other type of “art” we put our heart into it. Having people viewing our work is like putting our soul on the line to be judged. Art cannot be viewed objectively. What is aesthetically pleasing to one person may not be to another.  Please remember that we do this to convey emotion and capture memories. I am certainly not saying that technical aspects should be neglected, but you people seem to be forgetting the goal of photography: TO CREATE ART WHICH IS PLEASING TO THE CLIENT/YOURSELF.

You all say that inexperienced photographers (fauxtographers) are ruining the entire field of photography??? That is the saddest excuse that I have ever heard. Do bargain stores ruin the business of designer boutiques? Should an inexperienced hairdresser not be allowed to practice her skill? BTW hair stylists who are in school do charge for their services. Is that wrong as well??? No it is not and I highly doubt any of you will find your nearest vocational school tomorrow to protest on the travesty of inexperienced stylists charging. So why do you do it here?  Perhaps because here you can hide behind anonymity. It is easy to bully people whenever you don’t have to look them in the eye.  It is simple to “argue” with someone on a forum because you can log off and never give a second thought to the person’s day that you just ruined.  Do I think that some of these inexperienced photographers need to work hard to improve…of course, but we can all improve.  And if you feel strongly that these photographers are deserving of the constructive criticism that they did not ask for, then it is your right to say whatever things that them that you want regardless of how nasty those things may be.  Please keep in mind however, that you are not only hurting the photographer, but also the subjects in the pictures.  Who any of you be ok with seeing strangers pic apart your family photos? How would you like pictures of your children to be shredded apart by a group of bitter strangers? I think that you should think about how you would feel if the shoe was on the other foot.

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