Facebook picture sabotage...

batwister · Oct 18, 2012

Being of a certain age, I often upload my photographs to Facebook and I'll admit, it's all about shameless validation. Today I uploaded an image (linked below) and a friend made an edit, uploaded and tagged me in it. I could see the humour in what he did, but the 'maker' got a little sensitive. He superimposed my face above the hedge in the picture, implying I'm a peeping Tom. I played along in the comments, but untagged myself as not to ruin my credibility as a 'serious artist'. Silly, I know, but I'm sure you can understand that I didn't want anyone else to see his edit after I'd uploaded the original.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHR8s62g8sk/UIBCW2Je8DI/AAAAAAAAARY/bfSBM31ztgs/s1600/1.jpg

I've been taking my photography very seriously for a while now, perhaps too seriously, as this Facebook thing suggests. I recall something photographer David Ward wrote about an incident with one of his images - an art buyer quipped upon seeing his photograph "oh look, a turd on the beach" (picture in question - http://bp3.blogger.com/_aXtCQUvQNns/Rg6HKf_G0XI/AAAAAAAAABc/HtxeFt_hi64/s1600-h/Dalbeg+beach.jpg)

Has anybody else had nasty remarks about pictures you've presented? Particularly images you're proud of. Do you take it as a hard lesson, allowing it to influence the kind of pictures you make or simply shrug it off?

semi-ambivalent · Oct 18, 2012

batwister said:
Being of a certain age, I often upload my photographs to Facebook and I'll admit, it's all about shameless validation. Today I uploaded an image (linked below) and a friend made an edit, uploaded and tagged me in it. I could see the humour in what he did, but the 'maker' got a little sensitive. He superimposed my face above the hedge in the picture, implying I'm a peeping Tom. I played along in the comments, but untagged myself as not to ruin my credibility as a 'serious artist'. Silly, I know, but I'm sure you can understand that I didn't want anyone else to see his edit after I'd uploaded the original.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHR8s62g8sk/UIBCW2Je8DI/AAAAAAAAARY/bfSBM31ztgs/s1600/1.jpg

I've been taking my photography very seriously for a while now, perhaps too seriously, as this Facebook thing suggests. I recall something photographer David Ward wrote about an incident with one of his images - an art buyer quipped upon seeing his photograph "oh look, a turd on the beach" (picture in question - http://bp3.blogger.com/_aXtCQUvQNns/Rg6HKf_G0XI/AAAAAAAAABc/HtxeFt_hi64/s1600-h/Dalbeg+beach.jpg)

Has anybody else had nasty remarks or backhanded compliments about pictures you've presented? Particularly images you're proud of? Do you shrug it off or cry a little inside?

Remark from Photo teacher to me: "If you're going to grow as an artist you have to put your work out there. If you do that it helps to have a thick skin." As for FB, the next time you're "there" look around. Your answer is evident.

s-a

blansky · Oct 18, 2012

batwister said:
Being of a certain age, I often upload my photographs to Facebook and I'll admit, it's all about shameless validation. Today I uploaded an image (linked below) and a friend made an edit, uploaded and tagged me in it. I could see the humour in what he did, but the 'maker' got a little sensitive. He superimposed my face above the hedge in the picture, implying I'm a peeping Tom. I played along in the comments, but untagged myself as not to ruin my credibility as a 'serious artist'. Silly, I know, but I'm sure you can understand that I didn't want anyone else to see his edit after I'd uploaded the original.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHR8s62g8sk/UIBCW2Je8DI/AAAAAAAAARY/bfSBM31ztgs/s1600/1.jpg

I've been taking my photography very seriously for a while now, perhaps too seriously, as this Facebook thing suggests. I recall something photographer David Ward wrote about an incident with one of his images - an art buyer quipped upon seeing his photograph "oh look, a turd on the beach" (picture in question - http://bp3.blogger.com/_aXtCQUvQNns/Rg6HKf_G0XI/AAAAAAAAABc/HtxeFt_hi64/s1600-h/Dalbeg+beach.jpg)

Has anybody else had nasty remarks or backhanded compliments about pictures you've presented? Particularly images you're proud of? Do you shrug it off or cry a little inside?

Everybody cries a little on the inside. Everybody has an ego and everybody has feelings.

But life's a journey.

"acknowledge and move on dude..." " a sadder but wiser man".

And if you see that asshole that done you wrong on a dark street one night, remember to fuck him up.

In hockey we call that "taking a number". As you're laying in the corner and the guy that creamed you skates away, you get his number. It may take a few minutes, a few games, a few seasons or a few years but one of these days that son of a bitch is gonna pay.

removed account4 · Oct 18, 2012

batwister said:
Has anybody else had nasty remarks about pictures you've presented? Particularly images you're proud of. Do you feel it might be an indication of how strong your image actually is?

yes

years ago i showed some of my work to aaron siskind at the request of a teacher i had ...
he told me to throw away my camera and i was wasting my time.
then he gave me a poster, wagged his finger at me told me never to make photographs like him, EVER

its been 24 years. i never threw away my camera and i have made it a point never to copy him .... EVER.

he was kind of a jerk ..

batwister · Oct 18, 2012

jnanian said:
yes

years ago i showed some of my work to aaron siskind at the request of a teacher i had ...
he told me to throw away my camera and i was wasting my time.
then he gave me a poster, wagged his finger at me told me never to make photographs like him, EVER

its been 24 years. i never threw away my camera and i have made it a point never to copy him .... EVER.

he was kind of a jerk ..

Ouch! I believe Weston had a hard time when showing his prints to Stieglitz. Thank God he didn't drop the camera. If it's any consolation, I think Siskind is the poor man's Callahan.

tkamiya · Oct 18, 2012

When you upload any image to anywhere, copyrighted or not, it becomes a target for anyone to do anything they want and say anything they want - legal, ethical, beneficial, hurtful, or otherwise. You can challenge them, sue them, or ignore them, but you can't stop them from doing things to your image.

With that in mind, I rarely post my images except the few I have here on APUG.

As to your particular issue, all you can do is to express your displeasure to your friend.

Klainmeister · Oct 18, 2012

blansky said:
Everybody cries a little on the inside. Everybody has an ego and everybody has feelings.

But life's a journey.

"acknowledge and move on dude..." " a sadder but wiser man".

And if you see that asshole that done you wrong on a dark street one night, remember to fuck him up.

In hockey we call that "taking a number". As you're laying in the corner and the guy that creamed you skates away, you get his number. It may take a few minutes, a few games, a few seasons or a few years but one of these days that son of a bitch is gonna pay.

Excellent.

PKM-25 · Oct 18, 2012

No, I have never had comment like that on Facebook. But then I only post personal and snapshots on Facebook for the most part.
But what I have gotten and have been pretty annoyed by is gushing praise for a snapshot, you know, the kind everybody gets because no one can be honest anymore about if something is good or not.

I would rather be critqued than constantly praised like most of Facebook and Flickr does.

Jeff Searust · Oct 18, 2012

About critics--- the minute someone pays me for an image my ears are all open to their criticism, until then closed.

Kevin Kehler · Oct 18, 2012

I used to have similar experiences from my mother, who was a semi-professional photographer herself, where she would edit my pictures and suggest crops. She never meant harm, she just thought her vision of what my picture should be trumped my vision. I don't do FB or any of those other sites, just because often (but not always), the people most active are the people you should listen to the least.

The question really is, did you like the picture? Does it convey what you want it to say? If the answer is not yes, then you have work to do. As soon as you stop caring what others think of your photos, you take the first big step to developing yourself as an artist. Asking for advice from the crowd gives you pictures that look like the crowd, which is exactly what the artist is not. I have no problem asking for technical advice or equipment advice but I will never ask for advice on artistic vision. If I need to ask others what I should say or convey, then I am no longer speaking and my pictures will reflect that.

cliveh · Oct 18, 2012

Nasty remarks like that are not necessary and I endorse Blanskys response. However, criticism should be constructive and not knock the persons confidence. It is the easiest thing in the world to pick up a photograph and criticize it. It is another thing entirely too actually take that photograph, print it and present it. This X Factor mentality that some members of the public seem to have, by wanting to be judged by so called experts can be detrimental to their creative development.

Ken Nadvornick · Oct 18, 2012

Real men don't door more importantly, needFacebook.

My life is quite complete, thank you, without the constant need for validation by the masses of every breath I take. Nor do I wish to hear, in breathless detail, all about everyone else's breathing. While they might like to think so, I do not hang on their every thought and deed. Nor will I allow them to do so with mine.

If you are being true to yourself, through your art or anything else, why would you care in the slightest what anyone who needs to be on Facebook thinks about you, or it? Life is far too short for those kinds of unaddressable insecurities.

Shrug it off. Dump Facebook. Then don't repeat the mistake.

Ken

cliveh · Oct 18, 2012

Ken Nadvornick said:
Real men don't door more importantly, needFacebook.

My life is quite complete, thank you, without the constant need for validation by the masses of every breath I take. Nor do I wish to hear, in breathless detail, all about everyone else's breathing. While they might like to think so, I do not hang on their every thought and deed. Nor will I allow them to do so with mine.

If you are being true to yourself, through your art or anything else, why would you care in the slightest what anyone who needs to be on Facebook thinks about you, or it? Life is far too short for those kinds of unaddressable insecurities.

Shrug it off. Dump Facebook. Then don't repeat the mistake.

Ken

+1

zenrhino · Oct 18, 2012

Haters gonna hate.

winger · Oct 18, 2012

Has anybody else had nasty remarks about pictures you've presented? Particularly images you're proud of. Do you take it as a hard lesson, allowing it to influence the kind of pictures you make or simply shrug it off?

I haven't really had nasty remarks, but my mom looked at a bunch of my photos (mostly hand colored flowers and landscapes) and said, "I guess I just really don't know what you're going for." She also commented once that she thought I was more interested in the process of photography than the composition of the shots. I think criticism is taken more harshly when it comes from people from whom you expect nice things. When I post here, I expect whatever others see - I'm not looking for just reinforcement. From a family member or close friend, I sorta expect more niceties.
In your case, your friend probably thought he was being funny and had the shield of the computer to protect him from your feelings.

EdSawyer · Oct 18, 2012

+2 on Ken's idea. Dump farcebook. It's a huge useless time-suck.

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 18, 2012

blansky said:
Everybody cries a little on the inside. Everybody has an ego and everybody has feelings.

But life's a journey.

"acknowledge and move on dude..." " a sadder but wiser man".

And if you see that asshole that done you wrong on a dark street one night, remember to fuck him up.

In hockey we call that "taking a number". As you're laying in the corner and the guy that creamed you skates away, you get his number. It may take a few minutes, a few games, a few seasons or a few years but one of these days that son of a bitch is gonna pay.

Ha. I've done that. A few times. Vindication feels good after having your nerve endings violated.

But I also agree that if one puts work out in a public space, be prepared for anything in response.

removed account4 · Oct 18, 2012

batwister said:
Ouch! I believe Weston had a hard time when showing his prints to Stieglitz. Thank God he didn't drop the camera. If it's any consolation, I think Siskind is the poor man's Callahan.

we all take hard knocks it helps us move forward and stay grounded.

not sure about siskind and callahan ... they were humming different tunes ...

cliveh · Oct 18, 2012

batwister said:
Ouch! I believe Weston had a hard time when showing his prints to Stieglitz. Thank God he didn't drop the camera. If it's any consolation, I think Siskind is the poor man's Callahan.

I have read that when Berenice Abbott showed Stieglitz some pictures by Atget he was not impressed.

lecarp · Oct 18, 2012

EdSawyer said:
+2 on Ken's idea. Dump farcebook. It's a huge useless time-suck.

Agreed! Never used it, never will. I find it the equivalent of a cultural plague.

Steve Smith · Oct 18, 2012

lecarp said:
Never used it, never will. I find it the equivalent of a cultural plague.

And you know this from not using it?

It's as good or bad and as useful or useless as you want to make it.

Steve.

Gerald C Koch · Oct 18, 2012

Facebook is where the children play, a virtual sandbox.

PKM-25 · Oct 18, 2012

Facebook is like wine, use it moderation and it can be a great experience. I have quite a few friends on there that I am not about to get into name dropping who's lives are whimsically intertwined among childhood friends...

It's easy to just stick a label on something for its well known annoyances, it's another to be cultured and mature enough to embrace its strengths...

semi-ambivalent · Oct 18, 2012

cliveh said:
I have read that when Berenice Abbott showed Stieglitz some pictures by Atget he was not impressed.

Stieglitz was a Leo Castelli of his time and place.

cliveh · Oct 18, 2012

semi-ambivalent said:
Stieglitz was a Leo Castelli of his time and place.

Can you please explain your point?

Facebook picture sabotage...

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