Wired Magazine recently published an article (editorial) titled 10 Photography Pet Peeves We’d Throw Down a Black Hole. Although the article is probably written from the angry professional photographer with superiority complex angle to get a reaction and stir up conversation, it seems to me the author did not take a few things into consideration.
- Trite Flickr Comments: Yes, there are many less than insightful comments on all the photo sharing websites. But who are the majority of the users of these sites? Professional photographers seeking critiques of their latest work? Or average point-and-shoot and cell phone camera users having fun with friends and family? If you want deep insights stick to photo.net, “A community of photographers” or something similar and not a photo sharing site for the average joe.
Watermarks: With the rise in popularity of sharing photos on the Internet on everything from Facebook to Photobucket “borrowing” photos and even claiming them as your own has become common practice. Not to mention outright taking them without compensation to the artist for other commercial use. For the amateur photographer who works hard at mastering photography their work is a sense of pride. I do not have delusions that my work is worth millions or even hundreds, but I want people to know it is mine and I worked hard to create it.
Rock Concert Strobage and Arm’s Length Self-Portrait: Ok, I can’t say I disagree with these two. But come on, in the grand scheme of things digital photography is a relatively new technology and it has brought photography to the masses. It is silly to be so critical of people enjoying photography for their personal use. No one is claiming the arm’s length self-portrait as a masterpiece of art. I’m sure there are quite a few Polaroid self-portraits from the early 60′s floating around out there.
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