The Anti-Photographer Thread
So Ive been compelled to get something off my chest. Something I see everytime I log into this forum and venture into the Car Pics/ Photo sections of this site. Now, dont get me wrong, this isnt a personal attack towards any one on this site, nor do I consider myself gods gift to photography. I just have a very strong opinion towards what I see and Ive been published with a few national publications so I think im doing something right. In the past 4 years Ive been on here and posting photos Ive noticed some things. One major thing being, that "taking photos" seems a good way to get "popular" on here. Back in the day, it used to be Jaime, Walker, Matt (ap), Jason , Robby (Estis), myself, and maybe a couple others. But in the past couple years there has been a flooding of XXXX Photography photographers. Dont get me wrong, I personally think that there are two new guys in the past two years that take amazing photos and do great post processing. Im not going to mention names since I chose to not single anyone out, good or bad. I personally do not have a problem with people wanting to take photos. Hell we all started somewhere, right? But I do have a problem with unoriginality, blatent lack of imagination, and cookie-cutter photos. I could go on and on about what I hate to see but im going to narrow it down to a certain few topics and you can tell me if you agree with them or not:
1. The "I just bought a DSLR and have formed XXXX Photography"
Just because you bought a DSLR doesnt mean you all of a sudden own a Photography business. If you shoot freelance, use your name. If you shoot for your own company, then use the name of your business. If you still want to have something with Photography in it, dont name it something stupid (i.e Big Nut Sack Photography); its stupid and doesnt help you in your credibility as a photographer.
2. Copy Cats
Oh, so borders on your photos make you a top notch photographer amongst your peers or bumps them up to a certain level of professionalism. So im going to take my photos and put a huge ass 4 inch border on it. Or maybe a border within a border. Or maybe a time attack schemed border since Im posting on a car forum! Then ill be liked even more! Right... from borders to watermarks to ultra wide angle jdm photos, just because some else does it doesnt mean you should either.
3. The "AWESOME PICS" morons
Just STFU already. Seriously, the blown out, overly sharpened, noise filled, over saturated, hunk of pixel barf is not AWESOME. You wouldnt know what an awesome photo was if it slapped you in the face. If you think a photo is nice because of its subject matter , then say Nice X (x being the subject matter). An AWESOME photo consists of both the photo quality and subject matter. I can take a picture of my morning **** and itll be absolutely clear , crisp, and lifelike. That doesnt make the photo AWESOME, so why would the other be either.
4. THIS IS NOT A WIDE ANGLE PHOTO
If you want a wide angle photo, dont use those cheap ebay "tube kits" that make you look like your taking photos through a toilet paper roll. For example,
It hurts my eyes... and that brings me to my next topic.
5. USE COMMON SENSE
What on earth made you think that these are photos worth posting?
6. QUIT TRYING TO BE TRENDY WITH HDR
HDR does not equal awesome photo. Theres times to use it and times not to and just properly expose your photo. Taking a multiple exposures of your Accord in your parents driveway then tossing into photomatix is a perfect example of a time not to use HDR. Nothing pisses me off more than people trying to look cool by "shooting an HDR".
7. Stop with the ****ing angles
Now I do see a lot more people calling each other out on this...but the below photo is NOT "COOL" or constitute an " AWESOME PIC".
8. Quit using your flash at night
GET A ****ING TRIPOD AND STOP USING THE FLASH AT NIGHT. The harsh light from a direct flash brings out the worst in any car. From swirl marks , dirty wheel wells, to busted up radiators. If you didnt already know this, refer to rant number FIVE.
I could go on and on forever about WHAT NOT TO DO, but since Im at work, Ill leave the rest to common sense. Im sure I wasted my time even typing this out, but oh well at least I said something.Like I said before, if I included your photo in this thread, dont take it personal. Improve upon your skills and craft. Dont shoot photos because you think youll be in a magazine someday, dont shoot photos to be cool and recognized around your friends for doing so. Take photos to showcase the world around you in the right way. Come up with your own original style, step out of the box, dont take photos of something, toss it photoshop , run a few sharpen filters, slap a border and water mark on it and call it a day. Take your photos and use them as a painter would a canvas. Work with your photos in post processing to make them look spectacular. In the same breath, no matter how many times you polish a turd, its still a turd, so make your photos count.
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Originally Posted by Sinfix_15
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