Navigating the criticism of Photographic Art
So just how do you understand and deal with comments made about your photography, either to your face or on social media accounts you post on?
Here are a few of the comments I have had.
Why are you adding things to your photograph?
Have you changed the colour of that tree?
What is that object you’ve put into that image?
Have you touched that up?
Why have you done that to a perfectly good photograph?
That’s not real?
Have you added that house in?
Was that bird really there?
We can’t take away from the fact that most people believe that a photo should represent the facts exactly as they were seen by the naked eye. That’s after all what cameras were originally designed for. To record an event exactly, for a visual memory of what has gone before.
Along came editing.
Oh the joy of having some control over what the camera has captured. When I discovered editing it was so exhilarating I tried all sorts of colours and techniques
One particular day I was showing my images to some friends. One man looked at a particular photograph, (the surfing image below) and said, “Have you touched that up?” to which I replied, “Only a little.”
He said, “I don’t like that.” and handed my photograph back very quickly not looking at it a moment longer than he had too. He had a most disdainful look on his face.
I was deeply insulted, but found, as time went by, a similar reaction from a few other well meaning humans!
I found myself regularly trying to explain that I was a photographic artist and not a newspaper reporter.
Times have changed and now photography is more accepted as an art form.
However somehow their negative comments influenced my editing process. I would hear their words in my head and try to make my images what people wanted.
Let me tell you “That’s not a good habit.”
How I dealt with these comments:
1. I now edit exactly as I want and I try to understand that the person firing the comments at me does not not know what I am doing or how I am doing it. (If it is a comment on social media, I delete it.)
2. I try to portray a feeling in my photographs. I am not offended any longer. If I have to …. I just simply say, “I’m an artist and it’s a wonderful privilege to be able to do with my images whatever I dream about.”
3. Discover who you are and what makes your heart sing and be proud of that. Hold your head up high, speak with authority on your subject and if you feel not to respond at all, simply smile and say nothing.
4. Do a little research and discover how to respond to well meaning humans.
5. The bible is full of wonderful quotes about speech and how to treat others. It also teaches us to rise to our full potential and not to allow others to destroy our journey with the abilities, gifts and talents we have.
Proverbs 15.1. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15.2. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
The above image is the photograph that I proudly showed to some friends when I first began my journey in the photography world.
The above two images are the same view but YES I have added an object in to the top image, namely the little white house. On the second image I have darkened the hills and added extra mist in the valleys.
With both tree images I have lightened and darkened far beyond the original image. In the top tree image I have used Silver Efex and left dark brown in the lower half of the image.
Motion blur applied to this image of a surfer. Slower shutter speed and higher aperture.
It is obvious that the tree above is fake, but I dont mind because I liked it that way. It’s about what you enjoy and like, not all art is real! It was an actual snowy hill but I darkened it in a programme called Silver Efex.
A thought……. I wonder how AI will change art?
The yacht above had no sails up, so I copied some red sails and edited them in using photoshop. Then added a vintage preset.
All the images above have been altered for my enjoyment. It may seem quite obvious what the alterations are but that is how I like the photo to look. Ummm maybe not the line of umbrellas on the cliff edge. I am working on that image…
Can I reiterate, please create photographic art how you want, put aside negative thoughts and fill your mind with what it is you see with your heart. Your mind is a powerful tool and you have control of it, not someone else.
