What excites me about photography is that there are so many niches, so many styles, so many experience levels, and on and on. It’s a huge bubble of creativity. A cool challenge for me and my photography friends would be to take a picture one item – a glass of water – and we’ll see that we have 5 unique images.
What goes into my photography is my experience, my background, and my interests. I think a lot of people can say the same thing. So when I hear that a friend has been told that her photography is bad and that she should stop uploading her images online, I get a little pissy. Partly because she’s my friend and partly because I think her work is really good.
Then I climb down from my high horse, because a couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a portrait photographer and my first reaction was “wow, someone paid her for this.” Yeah, I know – catty, much? Someone DID pay her for her work, because someone liked it; people who don’t like her work, will click on to the next website.
So how do we decide which photography is good and which is just not to our taste. Someone looking at the below image may see an out of focus crowd shot, I see Pike Place Market and I love it. I don’t expect everyone to love it, but I love it. Doesn’t that alone give it some quality?
I looked through my own photography and this one I would label as bad photography simply because I didn’t put any effort into it; I just focused and clicked. I chopped off the top and I focused on the horns. This was Hour 9 of my 12 Photos in 12 Hours challenge – I got lazy.
Now this photo is one that I don’t think I a lot of people “got,” because it’s a model shoot, but I was focusing on the golf ball instead of the model. I loved the golf ball, because it’s pink (favorite color) and I had a beautiful woman holding it who is slightly out of focus and this seemed mysterious.
What would be bad photography and what would be photography that you just don’t get?
To answer this question, my blogging and photography friend, Lynda Giddens, did a fantastic write up on her blog. And I came across this post on Going Pro, There’s No Room for Hate in Professional Photography that can be applied to amateur photography too.
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06/14/2011 at 3:46 am
I agree completely. Photography (like all art) is subjective. Sometimes I’ll upload something to Flickr that I think is wonderful, and it gets harsh critique. I’ve learned to listen to what others are saying, but accept that my opinion is just as valid.
06/14/2011 at 5:25 pm
Exactly, Pam – and I’ve almost deleted an image, thinking it wasn’t that good, and people really like it. It’s so funny. Thanks for stopping by!
06/14/2011 at 10:11 am
Great post! I’ll have a response written on my blog tomorrow!
06/14/2011 at 5:25 pm
Fantastic, Lynda – I can’t wait to read it!
06/14/2011 at 7:24 pm
This is such a great point! Your Pike Place shot is great to me, even though its not crisp. The stuffed animal shot is kind of whimsical and says love to me because he is so well used. And the pink golf ball is totally a shot that I would take, I think focusing on unexpected things can make a great photo.
06/14/2011 at 11:01 pm
Thanks thanks thanks, Kalen!
12/20/2011 at 7:38 am
To be honest, the first one I don’t like or ‘get’. But I wouldn’t say that to someone, unless they asked. I like the second and third. The second I like because it looks random. I am a big fan of ‘random’ stuff, like that’s just where it ended up or was left. The third one the focus is not where you expect it, but that’s cool. I like the pink golf ball because it is not something you see all the time. I think everyone has a right to capture their world, their way. And unless your friend ask for honest opinions about her photography, the person should just mind their own business. It helps to encourage others, give them tips. But I don’t think it is right to try to discourage someone else. If you don’t like their pictures, don’t look at them. I totally enjoyed this post.
12/20/2011 at 8:08 am
Thanks for your comment, Robin – I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts!