I am an odd-duck in the photography community. I use very strong bright blubs in my camera gear set to flood the room with light but not as a flash. I use an additional flash when needed, but in general my studio does not require that extra factor. I do this for two reasons, one personal and one medical, and neither really has baring on the outcome of the images. I also tend to shoot in my studio with a specific preset group of settings and use auto focus to remove that factor of human error unless is have an experienced model willing to hold the pose carefully.
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| Showing off a new diffuser I received for the holidays. |
I bring this up because recently I asked for feedback from fellow photographers for thoughts on some images while in the selection and editing process. While most were kind enough to state where they could think of tips for improvement, a few comments were less than kind. Only one could be really categorized as "trolling" as it told me to give up photography because I knew nothing.
At first I thought about what he said and wondered
if I should put down the camera and go back to working a day
job. At that point I took the time to look through the person's
own collections on his website and found nothing much in common in
our shooting styles, though he has a wonderful eye for color
combinations. So it got me thinking that perhaps the issue was how we
do not use the same style of camera, equipment, or shoot at all
similarly.
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| A selection from the shoot in question. |
I took time to get other responses and listen to what was suggested, and
find that in general his reaction was a rare moment of trolling even in
the eyes of those who were not raving fans of my work. So I thought about how
it was said, and this is where my topic seemed to hang... the person
was not offering advice of any kind, just going for a low blow. There
was no effort to advance the skills and this is where I think any answer
to a request for a "critique" should be aimed.
I spent several years of my professional life as studio and district trainer. I would spend hours looking over the portfolios of students and working with them on how to improve their work. Not every image was a winner, and I had some people who just seemed to let things go in one ear and out the other even when their job was on the line. But I made a conscious effort to never insult or belittle those that came to me for advice.
The comment I received was based on my asking if I
should follow through with a suggestion to buy an additional
reflector. I will share it here, and I have not edited the
comment in any way other than taking off the name because it would be
unfair to insult a fellow photographer.
"You don't need to spend more money on gear but
rather put down the camera until you learn to use it better plus a
better understanding of light would be a bonus & cost nothing"
Actually, I am not mad that this person answered as they did. I found it a teachable moment for my blog because
people of all art forms and business types should know what to say and
what not to say. Perhaps I can best rephrase this with an edge to
increase the useful information. That should always be the goal, and so I can think that with what little information he gave me, I would have said something like this:
"Rather than worry about new gear right away, save some money in the long run by doing some research on how to work with the lights you have. You might also focus on learning the specific controls on your camera for different settings. If you are going to make an investment, do it through education in place of gear. Take an advanced class and you will get more out of what you already have."
While I don't have the time to fix every mistake in a photo, or the energy to feed every troll to their heart's content... I am more than happy to spend my time making others stronger in their skills, even if it is through learning that those of us who intend good things get insulted too.
