This is a good place for it!
Explaining the difficulties of photography to people who refuse to get it
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- Thread starter TheGreatGasMaskMan
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Years ago, I worked in an automobile parts department. We had two counters, one for the public, and another for the dealership mechanics who worked on the customer's cars. One day, on my lunch break, I was doing some math homework on the counter, one of the only flat spaces around.
One of the mechanics, a young guy, about my age, came in and when he saw what I was doing, started insulting me, saying I was wasting my time, etc. Now, years later, I know that his demeaning language was probably learned from someone talking that way to him. My opportunities were modest, but they were more than his, and I imagine he resented that.
When someone scorns you for learning, it's more about them than you. Thank them for their advice and say, "This is what I want to do."
One of the mechanics, a young guy, about my age, came in and when he saw what I was doing, started insulting me, saying I was wasting my time, etc. Now, years later, I know that his demeaning language was probably learned from someone talking that way to him. My opportunities were modest, but they were more than his, and I imagine he resented that.
When someone scorns you for learning, it's more about them than you. Thank them for their advice and say, "This is what I want to do."
OP
OP
I'd say technical difficulties since I haven't gotten myself to the business side of things yet.
I'll be honest and say that I haven't read all the posts, as the situation was beginning to make me angry. But, I've learnt over the years just to ignore people as the best way of stopping someones comments / picking on you. They'll get bored in the end when they get no response and leave you alone.
Enjoy what you do and worry not about this (putting it politely now) idiot.
Have a good life.
Terry S
Enjoy what you do and worry not about this (putting it politely now) idiot.
Have a good life.
Terry S
They probably have got a phone full of photos they like and so don't see the difficulty. Photography is not that difficult; it is easy in fact. Developing a vision is the hard part. Good luck trying to explain and convince anyone of that.
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EXACTLY !
TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
Just keep plugging away and do your thing and don't let the turkeys get you down, there are a lot of turkeys out there, you really haven't seen nothin' yet LOL. ..
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You won't be able to. I've dealt with guys like this before. They pick on you because they're jealous. They're jealous that you have a potential way out of the dead-end job that they feel their stuck in. They used to have potential to be more, and they squandered it. Your ambition reminds them of what they lack.
It's best to move on. Find a different job. If it's more than just one guy doing it, it's likely the culture, and the culture isn't worth fighting. Usually, the only way that gets fixed in these situations is through litigation, which trust me, you don't want to go through. Been there. Done that. Not fun. Even if you win, you lose. Some guys just seem to hate everyone and everything and are never pleasant to be around. And these guys usually congregate in a company and force out decent human beings until everyone there is a hateful jerk. Find yourself a job at a company with nice people who are a pleasure to be around, even if it means you lose a little bit of paycheck. It'll be worth it in the long run.
You spend too much of your life at your job to hate it. It you hate your job, you'll eventually hate your life. And if you hate your life, you'll eventually hate yourself. It's not worth it.
It's best to move on. Find a different job. If it's more than just one guy doing it, it's likely the culture, and the culture isn't worth fighting. Usually, the only way that gets fixed in these situations is through litigation, which trust me, you don't want to go through. Been there. Done that. Not fun. Even if you win, you lose. Some guys just seem to hate everyone and everything and are never pleasant to be around. And these guys usually congregate in a company and force out decent human beings until everyone there is a hateful jerk. Find yourself a job at a company with nice people who are a pleasure to be around, even if it means you lose a little bit of paycheck. It'll be worth it in the long run.
You spend too much of your life at your job to hate it. It you hate your job, you'll eventually hate your life. And if you hate your life, you'll eventually hate yourself. It's not worth it.
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- jtk
- Deleted
- Reason: Off topic and responses thereto
OP
OP
Don't worry, I have plans to leave in August due to my enrollment at a university.
I've learned to deal with a lot at my job, it's just photography is more of a personal thing to me right now.
you don't really have to justify anything, as others have said, but try this: When folks ask "Why do you do that?" say "Well, there's a lot to making an image that goes way beyond automatic exposure and I enjoy figuring that stuff out. It's a game I like to play and gives me a great deal of satisfaction."
You can also point out that whatever hobby they have doesn't make much sense either, but that's liable to put them on the defensive. If you just say "It's what I do for fun, sort of like working a crossword puzzle or building a model ship," that should be enough. This is what I tell people and if they don't like it, well, that's their problem.
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- Eric Rose
- Deleted
- Reason: Off topic and responses thereto
It's like a flint knapper trying to explain to a modern machinist why he prefers the work he does.
Grab a camera, and take a few photographs.
You'll feel so much better, about yourself, about your life, about your environment . . .
It's extremely therapeutic !
MattKing
Moderator
I wouldn't waste much effort on the coworker who is bugging you, but for these sorts of technical difficulties it can really help if you can find a community that understands your circumstances.
Photrio can provide some of that, but real people that you can talk to in real life are better.
There are a lot of people out there who have film in their background, even if they may be using digital now. Seek out the generous in spirit ones.
Students working dead-end jobs to get through school frequently have issues with older workers for whom this is their career. It has nothing to do with photography. If you had other interests, you would likely be ribbed just the same.
Now that’s a conversation I’d love to hear!
You could offer to do his portrait and show him the process.
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Keep your work life your work life and your private life your private life. No reason to tell anyone you work with what your private life is. If they ask, just tell them you don't do anything interesting, then switch the conversation back to them. People love talking about themselves. There is no reason you need to talk about yourself though. Keep it private. Use your current situation to learn this lesson and don't repeat your mistakes in the future.
I'm going to be brutally honest here - the problem is with you. One of the benefits of getting older is that you have more self confidence, and don't tend to give a monkeys what people who don't matter to you think.
You're still young and don't have the self confidence. Do these people matter to you ? Do you really care what they think ? Just shrug your shoulders and move on.
Self confidence is an essential skill for being a photographer.
The talk of the young does not impress us oldies -- prove it by doing it. 
Make some killer images of your workplace and give them to you co-workers..
Make some killer images of your workplace and give them to you co-workers..
Numerous times when I have been 'looking','composing',seeing, making final adjustments while under the darkcloth, I have had some 'passerby's stand close, get out their handy-dandy digital device (be it a camera... or a phone and try to make an image as close as possible to what I have
'ready to go' on the GG.
On a few occasions I have over-heard the "What does he see in that.... don't get it
.... And I just grin 'all to myself' without saying a word
Ken
I know flint knappers...they're not importantly different from machinists. The "we-they" thing about film vs digital is stupid and neurotic.
OP
OP
To be fair, I've had my share of curious passerbys ask me about my cameras with genuine interest (more often a film camera vs my digital). I've even had some non photography classmates be interested in some of my photographs.
It's just my job is the worst place to be myself.
The "situation and discussion" degenerated quickly to we-vs-they, digitalnothoingers Vs analoggers pleading martyrdom.
The flint knappers that I know hunt with stone points on their arrows...practical: they're heavy and ultra sharp. The machinists I know are mostly retired due to the demise of most machine shops. .
If they refuse, then there's not much you can do.
Never Complain.
Never Explain.
~ Benjamin Disraeli,
Never Explain.
~ Benjamin Disraeli,
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