Somebody asked me why photographers are so hateful online, and I think I finally figured it out.
It starts with the word ugly. I did not grow up hearing it used the way Southerners use it. Down here, ugly has nothing to do with how you look. It means mean-spirited. Hateful. And if I am being honest, I could have titled this one Photographers Are Ugly AND Hateful, because as a group, especially hiding behind anonymous account names, photographers can be as ugly as anybody out there.
Here is my theory on why. Put a paintbrush and canvas in front of a beginner and ask for a masterpiece. Forget about it. But put a camera in a beginner’s hands with a basic sense of composition, and they will make something pretty decent. Not far off from what people call great. That never happens with painting.
So the beginner looks at their work, thinks hey, this is not bad, and then cannot figure out why someone else gets more likes, more clicks, more followers. That is where the ugly comes from. That is why your Instagram photos and your YouTube videos collect hateful comments.
And it is not new. The Renaissance masters were the same way. Go read about Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini. The rivalries, the backstabbing. Artists have been sniping at each other for centuries.
So take the comments for what they are. Jealous people saying terrible things because they are not as happy with what they made as you are with what you made. Here is the irony though. The guy tearing you apart in the comments was probably the nicest guy on your last photo walk. Still waters run deep. Way deep.
Just my thoughts. Have a great day, thanks for watching, and I will see you next time.
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