You are NOT a Photographer

[David Whatley]

You Are Not a Photographer

[auddii]

WHY DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP POSTING THIS WHILE I'M AT WORK. This leads to lots of blog reading and very little work being accomplished!

[texxter]

David, this comment below has nothing to do with you, but I feel compelled to respond to this post.

<rant>
I am disappointed that photographers spend time and energy poking fun of other photographers' work. It stops being funny (for me) quickly as I see the cruelty and snobiness of it. Even the title of the website ("You are Not a Photographer") rubs me so much the wrong way... who are you to say that? So what if others take pictures you find bad? Should we all now poke fun of the images that members of his forum post just because we can? Why not?

I may be in the minority here, but I find joy in creating images and encouraging others to do their best, not in making fun of other people's work. I have my own share of bad pictures.

</rant>

[Jake]

Originally Posted by texxter

David, this comment below has nothing to do with you, but I feel compelled to respond to this post.

<rant>
I am disappointed that photographers spend time and energy poking fun of other photographers' work. It stops being funny (for me) quickly as I see the cruelty and snobiness of it. Even the title of the website ("You are Not a Photographer") rubs me so much the wrong way... who are you to say that? So what if others take pictures you find bad? Should we all now poke fun of the images that members of his forum post just because we can? Why not?

I may be in the minority here, but I find joy in creating images and encouraging others to do their best, not in making fun of them of other people's work. I have my own share of bad pictures.

</rant>

Well said.

[Snarfy]

While this person is trying to make a point about the frustrations that can be found in the photography industry, the are forgetting that a major appeal in a creative field is the appearance of being open to anyone. Ironically (and important to me, a Graphic Designer) they have missed the core basics of branding aesthetics and are doing horrible things to my eyes, graphically.

Oh the ironic parallels of amateurism in a professional industry. They are deeply saturated, and oh so rich.

[kenw]

sure I like it but I reluctantly realize that it may be a bit mean....forgive me, but let me look just once more....

years ago there was a site that had pics of really bad modified import cars, can't recall the name but it was equally cynical and received tons of hate mail. The main page was a Neon with a busted, drooping bumper and the "Hi" that was used in Chrysler's advertising. And that was the tame part...Miatas with Ferarri kits, wings from Hades, we've all seen them and laughed. Oh, the shame. or not.

[David Whatley]

No offense taken Paco. And as someone that does this more as a hobby now and no longer as a professional, I can feel for the professionals that lose work to less than professional photographers. If you look through some of the images, some of them are, shall we say, less than stellar. And even for the sake of art, most people tend to prefer images that are at least in focus. If out of focus, over/under exposed, cluttered images are art, then I am an artist

[texxter]

David, thanks. I am aware that some of these images are pretty pathetic, professional or otherwise, but I find it dismaying, and in the same mean spirit as "The People of Wal-mart", that someone will actually go collecting this work to show it on a website ridiculing their creators. It doesn't matter whether amateur photographers are making "professional" photographers lose business... there are better ways to deal with that, in my opinion.

Also, I am not against humor. And some of those pictures are funny. I understand the drive to look at them and laugh. But, at the same time, boy, this site appeals to our lowest sent of humor, to what some call the "superiority" type of humor. It makes us feel good to see how bad some people are.

It's not a big deal, people do all kinds of things on the internet, and it's my choice to waste my time there or not. But, in general, I sense a "photographer against photographer" climate of which this is a symptom. Or maybe I am just a sensitive guy!

[Pametz]

The accessibility of media and technology has brought this issue to the forefront in many creative areas You could just as easily say not every Admin is a PowerPoint designer, not everyone with Rock Band can play guitar, not everyone with a blog is a writer and on and on. What does not change is the value of quality, service, experience and talent. In my experience, in the long term the cream will rise to the top and the quality clients see the benefit of an experienced professional.

As far as this web site is concerned, the web is full of stuff. Good, bad and awful. My time is limited and I am careful where I invest it. If the experience doesn't provide value I move on so fast that I don't even make the effort to form an opinion. Is this site worth the expenditure of a great deal of thought and debate? Not for me. YMMV

[SCone]

Ferrari, Mercedes, & Bentley, to name a few, are not trying to compete with KIA or Hyundai. Each has their marketplace and neither expects to steal any of the other's.

[arich]

Originally Posted by SCone

Ferrari, Mercedes, & Bentley, to name a few, are not trying to compete with KIA or Hyundai. Each has their marketplace and neither expects to steal any of the other's.

Exactly, the people who pay for the kind of photos posted on there are never going to pay for my services anyway.

I think it should be pointed out that the owner of the site states in multiple places that he only posts images submitted by the photographer themselves and verifies the copyright before re-posting to his blog. Whether this is true or not I have no idea.

[Rson]

Originally Posted by kenw

sure I like it but I reluctantly realize that it may be a bit mean....forgive me, but let me look just once more....

years ago there was a site that had pics of really bad modified import cars, can't recall the name but it was equally cynical and received tons of hate mail. The main page was a Neon with a busted, drooping bumper and the "Hi" that was used in Chrysler's advertising. And that was the tame part...Miatas with Ferarri kits, wings from Hades, we've all seen them and laughed. Oh, the shame. or not.

Beaterz.com

It is gone now.

[PHOTO-DA]

Well they do say that all of the pics come from sites/pages/facebook/etc of shooters that call themselves professionals.
(I'm glad that I have never done and never plan to do spot color on a sepia toned shot)

[mrsrice22]

The comments and captions are what irritate me. After 3 yrs I'm still annoyed with the ongoing saga of pro vs mom-tog/uncle bob-ographer. EVERYONE starts somewhere, in any field, and their work is horrendous in the beginning but in time they learn and for some, it's good enough for them and "their" client.

People these days, in general, can be such stuck up assholes or so full of themselves that they forget that the person they're tormenting and bullying is a human being. Just because you have experience and/or education, doesn't give you the right to put another person down for trying.

I look at the stuff I posted 3 yrs ago and it's pretty ****ty, lol. I'm guilty of selective coloring and bad photoshop too, but I love this photo for all it's flaws even though I'll most likely never do it again, lol!


haha, man that is some SERIOUSLY horrible photoshop! I could have sworn he was in focus...

[Tom]

EVERYONE starts somewhere, in any field, and their work is horrendous in the beginning but in time they learn and for some, it's good enough for them and "their" client.

Everyone does start somewhere. But it seems like photographers tend to pretend to be professionals with ZERO experience or ability more than others.

We were all beginners once, but some beginners put up a blog and a smugmug account and go into business as a way to learn. Some learn how to shoot then go into business.

Just because you have experience and/or education, doesn't give you the right to put another person down for trying.

I think it is one thing to try and another thing to not have a clue what you are doing, but are selling yourself as a professional to people that don't know better. I don't think I am a very good landscape photographer. I'd never try to sell myself as one. But I still enjoy doing it and there is no harm in that. If I eff it up, the mountain will still be there tomorrow. But that baby will only be a week old once. That wedding will only happen once. I don't get why it is so hard to learn how to shoot first, then become a professional. It makes us all look bad when you are learning how to shoot on the job. Could you imagine if your lawyer was acting like Joe Pesci in the beginning of My Cousin Vinny? It doesn't happen in other professions.

People need to be respectful and not jackholes to other people, but that includes the new photographers as well as the old ones.

haha, man that is some SERIOUSLY horrible photoshop! I could have sworn he was in focus...

Haha, that was a big problem with a lot of my early work. Why was it so hard to tell if a pic was in focus when I was a beginner? That seems like the easiest thing in the world.