A thread shut down

[c.cloudwalker]

Haven't seen the shut down thread and won't go look for it because I know we all have bad days. I certainly do and I'm sure surprised I haven't yet heard from the powers that be telling me to cool it or even ban me...

Bad days can be here on the forum or they can happen on a job day. So, yes, the photos you posted may not be up to par. In your defense I have to say that as an ex-pro and soon to be one again, I understand not having a good day every day. After all, that is why I left photography before.

I stopped liking what I was producing and I was lucky enough to be financially secure enough to just quit. But not everyone can do that so that some photographers will have ups and downs in their work. Amateurs, and let's be honest that is most members here, don't know what it's like to do photo day in, day out. It is easy to require constant perfection when you don't have to live with the idea.

It is also easy to forget something that has been said here a number of times. The business of photo is business first, photo second. Not to say that if your skill set leaves a lot to be desired, you will be in business long but, OMG, it happens often enough. I am not the best photog out there, far from it, but I'm good enough and I'm especially good at business...

Experienced photogs here are often treated as snobs, so be it. I find most of your advice valid and if only one person learns from it, that's not so bad. One person learning from mine makes me happy enough. The rest doesn't bother me much. I have been at the art and photo game long enough to know better than to let it get to me.

Take a few deep breaths, step away from the job if you need to and if you can, and come back refreshed. I would share my hippo skin with you but that is something you have to develop for yourself

 

[bennielou]

Haven't seen the shut down thread and won't go look for it because I know we all have bad days. I certainly do and I'm sure surprised I haven't yet heard from the powers that be telling me to cool it or even ban me...

Bad days can be here on the forum or they can happen on a job day. So, yes, the photos you posted may not be up to par. In your defense I have to say that as an ex-pro and soon to be one again, I understand not having a good day every day. After all, that is why I left photography before.

I stopped liking what I was producing and I was lucky enough to be financially secure enough to just quit. But not everyone can do that so that some photographers will have ups and downs in their work. Amateurs, and let's be honest that is most members here, don't know what it's like to do photo day in, day out. It is easy to require constant perfection when you don't have to live with the idea.

It is also easy to forget something that has been said here a number of times. The business of photo is business first, photo second. Not to say that if your skill set leaves a lot to be desired, you will be in business long but, OMG, it happens often enough. I am not the best photog out there, far from it, but I'm good enough and I'm especially good at business...

Experienced photogs here are often treated as snobs, so be it. I find most of your advice valid and if only one person learns from it, that's not so bad. One person learning from mine makes me happy enough. The rest doesn't bother me much. I have been at the art and photo game long enough to know better than to let it get to me.

Take a few deep breaths, step away from the job if you need to and if you can, and come back refreshed. I would share my hippo skin with you but that is something you have to develop for yourself

Cloud,
Can I say how much I love you right now? You have known me for years. You also totally "get me".

And your work is brilliant, so you keep it up. Promise me.

Yes, that gets to me sometimes. It seems that when you are successful, you become a punching bag. Everyone in the world can do better.

Not saying that I am in this caliber, but I've seen people totally rip Gary Fong, David Beckstead, Ray Prevost, and Yervont. Ripped to shreds. And why is that?

I mean, my God, yesterday, it was like I was the suckiest photographer ever to hit the planet. I mean, I cried my eyes out. I was ripped to shreds. By people who take photos of their cats and their kids. I was totally demoralized.

But I will admit that I was a bit too proud and defensive yesterday. I didn't need to go there.

And I shouldn't have.

 

[bennielou]

I would share my hippo skin with you

:heart: it!

It's so true though... people in any creative industry definitely need to develop that to survive.

But that is a downfall sometimes. If you defend your work, you are a jerk who can't take crit.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Being ripped to shreds is common in the business but that doesn't mean we can all take it the way we should. You're a pro and you reacted badly so, can you imagine what a newbie who hasn't yet developed the thick skin feels when ripped to shreds?

If there is one thing to learn from this it is to not just rip a photo to shreds but to explain why... Not that it won't hurt but at least there will be something to learn from.

And, tbh, some people will never develop the thick skin. An uncle of mine resisted showing his work until he was in his 60s, finally agreed to be in a show in his small town, was ripped to shreds by a local critic (who although not all wrong wasn't very good) and, that was the end of his painting...

I like his work and I'm proud of the works of his that I have but he just couldn't take the criticism and should never have shown.

 

[burnws6]

Light Meter. Just saying.

 

[bennielou]

Being ripped to shreds is common in the business but that doesn't mean we can all take it the way we should. You're a pro and you reacted badly so, can you imagine what a newbie who hasn't yet developed the thick skin feels when ripped to shreds?

If there is one thing to learn from this it is to not just rip a photo to shreds but to explain why... Not that it won't hurt but at least there will be something to learn from.

And, tbh, some people will never develop the thick skin. An uncle of mine resisted showing his work until he was in his 60s, finally agreed to be in a show in his small town, was ripped to shreds by a local critic (who although not all wrong wasn't very good) and, that was the end of his painting...

I like his work and I'm proud of the works of his that I have but he just couldn't take the criticism and should never have shown.

Wow Cloud. Much to think about. But as always you are right.
I TRY to give good, workable CC.
I'm sorry about your Uncle. I would have liked to seen his work.

 

[bennielou]

Light Meter. Just saying.

Ok, you are on my last nerve. I have tried very hard to ignore you, but here you go:

I teach lighting.

Have a field day with that.

I also didn't fail to notice that you have no website. You continue to diss my work, but you have no work of your own. Can you give real CC or are you just on this forum to make yourself feel big.

If you want to give lighting CC, then give it. Give me your setups and specs. You are all about meters (and by the way I have one) and tell me all about your settings.

You are annoying to the enth degree.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

But that is a downfall sometimes. If you defend your work, you are a jerk who can't take crit.

Actually, I never defend my work. I've been turned down by plenty of potential customers and galleries, I just move on to the next one. The reason for me is very simple: do I want to work for someone or be represented by a gallery that doesn't like my work? No. Not really.

And, yes, I've heard plenty of time that I'm lucky if I can walk away from some jobs but there is no luck involved. A big part of it is the way I live which, is very simply. I don't have a house full of all the latest gadgets, etc so I don't need a huge income. It's a life choice.

I prefer to be able to not have to take every job or to worry about not getting some. It works for me but, to each his/her own.

 

[burnws6]

This thread is like an episode of Intervention I saw.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Light Meter. Just saying.

Ok, you are on my last nerve. I have tried very hard to ignore you, but here you go:

I teach lighting.

Have a field day with that.

I also didn't fail to notice that you have no website. You continue to diss my work, but you have no work of your own. Can you give real CC or are you just on this forum to make yourself feel big.

If you want to give lighting CC, then give it. Give me your setups and specs. You are all about meters (and by the way I have one) and tell me all about your settings.

You are annoying to the enth degree.

Take a deep breath and ignore...

 

[LBPhotog]

ALL of us in this industry have egos ... there's no two ways about that ... some are bigger than others (personally, mine is gigantic) - some of us deserve those big egos because our work is ACTUALLY good; some of us have big egos because we think our work is good and defend our belief by tearing apart work that IS GOOD (know what I am saying here) ... the images I've seen from Cindy lead me to believe that she IS good.

When we perceive our work, our heart and souls, is being attacked, torn apart, or other wise told isn't what we think it is we automatically get defensive. ALL criticism should be looked with merit - are we so good that we should ever stop learning? I think that there is an acceptable way, and a non-acceptable way to critique someone's work so that the creator doesn't feel attacked; because once put on the defensive our message will NEVER be heard by the receiver.

I read the thread, I think that there were many errors in the communication in that thread. I am not going to place blame on anyone ... I am going to say that I think that, within a forum setting, we all need to choose our words carefully as we don't have other clues (body language, inflection of voice, etc.) to pick up on to get the meaning of the sender's message.

 

[burnws6]

Light Meter. Just saying.

Ok, you are on my last nerve. I have tried very hard to ignore you, but here you go:

I teach lighting.

Have a field day with that.

I also didn't fail to notice that you have no website. You continue to diss my work, but you have no work of your own. Can you give real CC or are you just on this forum to make yourself feel big.

If you want to give lighting CC, then give it. Give me your setups and specs. You are all about meters (and by the way I have one) and tell me all about your settings.

You are annoying to the enth degree.

I'm 20 and I'm published. I'm no professional by far, but photography is my main source of income. I give such sophomoric post because I feel that you went way over the line, even if you had a bad day. It doesn't matter. I'm not all about meters, if you know how to properly expose you don't need one. So just take your medicine. I'll forget soon.

Here: Fernando Gonzalez Photography

Light Meter. Just saying.

Ok, you are on my last nerve. I have tried very hard to ignore you, but here you go:

I teach lighting.

Have a field day with that.

I also didn't fail to notice that you have no website. You continue to diss my work, but you have no work of your own. Can you give real CC or are you just on this forum to make yourself feel big.

If you want to give lighting CC, then give it. Give me your setups and specs. You are all about meters (and by the way I have one) and tell me all about your settings.

You are annoying to the enth degree.

Take a deep breath and ignore...

+1 You are giving great advice sir.

 

[bennielou]

This thread is like an episode of Intervention I saw.

Deleted some really aweful comments.

But anyway, carry on. Be free to share all your lighting suggestions to me any moment. Tell me how it's done my friend. I know you have the solution. Tell me how I could have done things better lighting wise. I really want to know. Please share.

All you have to do is to tell me how you could have handled it better. Specs would be nice too.

 

[bennielou]

Light Meter. Just saying.

Ok, you are on my last nerve. I have tried very hard to ignore you, but here you go:

I teach lighting.

Have a field day with that.

I also didn't fail to notice that you have no website. You continue to diss my work, but you have no work of your own. Can you give real CC or are you just on this forum to make yourself feel big.

If you want to give lighting CC, then give it. Give me your setups and specs. You are all about meters (and by the way I have one) and tell me all about your settings.

You are annoying to the enth degree.

I'm 20 and I'm published. I'm no professional by far, but photography is my main source of income. I give such sophomoric post because I feel that you went way over the line, even if you had a bad day. It doesn't matter. I'm not all about meters, if you know how to properly expose you don't need one. So just take your medicine. I'll forget soon.

Here: Fernando Gonzalez Photography

Ok, you are on my last nerve. I have tried very hard to ignore you, but here you go:

I teach lighting.

Have a field day with that.

I also didn't fail to notice that you have no website. You continue to diss my work, but you have no work of your own. Can you give real CC or are you just on this forum to make yourself feel big.

If you want to give lighting CC, then give it. Give me your setups and specs. You are all about meters (and by the way I have one) and tell me all about your settings.

You are annoying to the enth degree.

Take a deep breath and ignore...

+1 You are giving great advice sir.

Wow, just wow. Would you mind sharing your work? I'd just love to know this often published master while we are talking.

 

[benhasajeep]

But that is a downfall sometimes. If you defend your work, you are a jerk who can't take crit.

Not taking one side or another on the issue previously. Just a suggestion or two. Probably not even worth a penny.

Use the Ignore feature of this site. Works wonders! Probably a few have me blocked as well, as a while ago I fell into the same trap and tried to argue with a person (wasn't even over my work but an opinion I expressed). Eventually that person was banned but I still got it from both sides becasue I keep replying to defend my position. So got it from the individual and his supporters. And from the people who supported me but just wanted it to stop. In the end it didn't matter anyway.

Doesn't matter what 1,000 people behind a computer screen thinks. What matters is if your doing it as a profession and its paying the bills consistantly. And YOUR clients are happy. Doesn't matter if I or anyone else on here is happy with them. Everyone has their own style or someone's they are trying to emulate because they like it. Why worry about their style? If you don't like their comments but still just want to say something. Just say "thank you for your imput, I will take it under advisement". Basically it gets the same message across and your not wasting time trying to make your point that really wont solve anything!

Getting worked up over a forum is not worth it.

Sit back, relax, grab the B&H catalog, and have one on me.

Cheers