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I wanted to post about a comic I saw suddenly go across my screen a bunch. Some of the people who I know posted it have since deleted it. I guess they got pushback? Anyway, since this was all over my feeds and now people have deleted my need to rant is slightly less, but I am going to do it anyway.
I guess I need to describe the comic since everyone who I can remember posting has deleted and I can't grab a copy of the image. A newbie asks someone how to get started. The person says "just do the thing". The newbie is like 'but how do I start?' The person makes like wide crazy eyes, shoves a pencil in their hand, pushes the hand onto paper and is like 'just do it and keep doing it, that's it'.
This is terrible advice. If you are an established creator on social media I get being annoyed at people asking for help. Telling people to 'just grind more' when they are trying to improve is toxic bullshit. Don't act like they are doing it wrong by even asking. That is my problem with the comic. It implies that trying to figure out how to have a strong start isn't the right move. It implies that you just need to grind. Some of the people I saw repost that comic have a formal education in their artistic field. I don't want to hear people with degrees saying 'grind more'.
Obviously, I am peeved at more just this comic. There is this 'rugged individualism' approach to becoming a creator that a lot of people put out there even if it's at odds with their personal path to where they are.
I hate it when people with BFA degrees or who got personally mentored by a professional in the field is like 'Put in your ten thousand hours. That's it. That's what people don't get.' Yes, you need to put in the time but that's not all there is to it. They are refusing to acknowledge the help they got and are acting like it's all them, they created themselves. Having started out in writing by collabing with a full time working author didn't help them or anything. They didn't have a step up due to social connections, that's crazy talk.
I've been asked how to get serious/better at photography a few times. It's only happened extremely rarely, but it has happened. My usual answer is that "Oof, that's too open ended can you narrow it down?" The one time I did give detailed constructive critique of someone's work they didn't take any of it on board and told me all about the compliments they've gotten from friends and family. I basically wasted a bunch of my energy. They didn't want help, they wanted attention and compliments. I get it, trying to engage and help someone often isn't worth the time. But they can just ignore the asks or have a stock reply that points to a good resource.
Also, to be brutally honest, most of the times I've had people ask why their photos aren't turning out the way they expect the answer is one they really don't want to hear. Their lens is dirty. Even dust not visible in the shot fucks with the focus and sensor. No one wants to be told it's a cleaning problem, trust me. So yeah, asks can be awkward.
That was only partially a tangent. That I can diagnose focus problems as a cleaning issue like that at a glance has to do with my level of experience. Obviously, getting good at anything involves a massive time commitment, but you need to make sure you use that time well.
* People need to make massive time commitments to progress at any art form
* People need to know how to start or level up their game or they will wind up spinning their wheels
^ Both of the above statements are true and not in conflict with each other.
So much stuff can trip up beginners. Advertising can be a big one. Some people have unrealistic ideas of what their gear can do. In camera ads there is no rule that says that the picture in the ad has to be taken with that camera. glares in Samsung's direction. One reason why my cell phone shots are good is that I can sit here and ramble about the sensor, lens and software differences between a cell phone and IC camera. Also, I know that Samsung and Huawei are lying liars that lie when it comes to advertising what their gear can do. Apple may be honest as far as I know, but their ads only shows the camera's strengths and not it's weaknesses. I will never think it's a ME problem that I can't do amazing portraits on a phone. I know certain companies are licensing dSLR photos for their ads. (Caught red handed, BTW, this isn't just me being an armchair expert.) Due to my knowledge and experience I know how to maximize what my camera phone can do and I don't waste my time or fruitlessly grind trying to do what it can't. Grinding photography with a camera phone and literally impossible expectations created by ads would be terrible, lead to wasted time and feeling inept.
Spending massive amounts of time is key. Look at my Photography tag. There is a lot there. (There would be more but I keep forgetting to tag my posts.) The amount of time I've spent shooting, editing, trying techniques, making up challenges for myself, organizing, reading, learning, researching shoot locations, etc ... it's a LOT. I did some math, and I don't have that allegedly magic 10,000 hours yet tho. In the 13 years since I got my Pen 1, I'd have had to spend 15 hours a week every single week. Yet people say 'hit your 10,000 hours, that's it.' The people I follow on social media who have creative careers, grinding 10,000 hours wasn't how they get there. Do I wish I'd spend 15 hours a week for the past 13 years? Yeah, of course. My folders would be far more bountiful. But no one gets anywhere by just grinding. If I'd had a stronger start rather than being made fun of for being an m43 shooter every time I posted on a photography forum I'd be much better off. I shot for years before I first read a textbook on composition or found a good non-bullshit youtuber to follow. The hours I put in where more effective once I had a handle on better self-teaching and also creating self-challenges.
For more context, here are some images from a folder I have labeled 'Photobucket Downloads'. These images are from a bygone era:
These are oooold pictures. Maybe circa 2008? I've been going out of my way to shoot weird shit for ages. I got a lot more serious and regular about doing photography a few years ago, but in these pictures I can clearly see the seeds of my current style: weird, creepy, nerdy, mossy, etc. I've been honing my eye for ages. I would not be where I am without all that experience. But I'd also be a thousand times better off if I'd had a resource like Robin Wong's videos starting out.
But I guess everyone I follow deleting that damn tweet validates my viewpoint. I wish I'd seen the threads, though.
(* I love talking photography. I know I sound very on my high horse in that paragraph. I don't mean to sound more leet than I really am. I've just gotten some totally cold 'how do I get better?' asks from people who want to be told one weird trick and not that they need to learn subject isolation. I am in a weird space with photography where I've done paid work ... but also had people flip out that a photog of my level has made money at it.
Speaking of which I need to get back to writing/pitching articles. Even if I can't sell them I can put them on my website as more content. On my last walk, I took some pictures for a found art article I've been meaning to write. Composition, interacting with the artists, ethical and legal considerations of someone else's work being the clear and present subject of your photo, etc. Are my found art photos art in and of themselves or am I a documentarian?)
I guess I need to describe the comic since everyone who I can remember posting has deleted and I can't grab a copy of the image. A newbie asks someone how to get started. The person says "just do the thing". The newbie is like 'but how do I start?' The person makes like wide crazy eyes, shoves a pencil in their hand, pushes the hand onto paper and is like 'just do it and keep doing it, that's it'.
This is terrible advice. If you are an established creator on social media I get being annoyed at people asking for help. Telling people to 'just grind more' when they are trying to improve is toxic bullshit. Don't act like they are doing it wrong by even asking. That is my problem with the comic. It implies that trying to figure out how to have a strong start isn't the right move. It implies that you just need to grind. Some of the people I saw repost that comic have a formal education in their artistic field. I don't want to hear people with degrees saying 'grind more'.
Obviously, I am peeved at more just this comic. There is this 'rugged individualism' approach to becoming a creator that a lot of people put out there even if it's at odds with their personal path to where they are.
I hate it when people with BFA degrees or who got personally mentored by a professional in the field is like 'Put in your ten thousand hours. That's it. That's what people don't get.' Yes, you need to put in the time but that's not all there is to it. They are refusing to acknowledge the help they got and are acting like it's all them, they created themselves. Having started out in writing by collabing with a full time working author didn't help them or anything. They didn't have a step up due to social connections, that's crazy talk.
I've been asked how to get serious/better at photography a few times. It's only happened extremely rarely, but it has happened. My usual answer is that "Oof, that's too open ended can you narrow it down?" The one time I did give detailed constructive critique of someone's work they didn't take any of it on board and told me all about the compliments they've gotten from friends and family. I basically wasted a bunch of my energy. They didn't want help, they wanted attention and compliments. I get it, trying to engage and help someone often isn't worth the time. But they can just ignore the asks or have a stock reply that points to a good resource.
Also, to be brutally honest, most of the times I've had people ask why their photos aren't turning out the way they expect the answer is one they really don't want to hear. Their lens is dirty. Even dust not visible in the shot fucks with the focus and sensor. No one wants to be told it's a cleaning problem, trust me. So yeah, asks can be awkward.
That was only partially a tangent. That I can diagnose focus problems as a cleaning issue like that at a glance has to do with my level of experience. Obviously, getting good at anything involves a massive time commitment, but you need to make sure you use that time well.
* People need to make massive time commitments to progress at any art form
* People need to know how to start or level up their game or they will wind up spinning their wheels
^ Both of the above statements are true and not in conflict with each other.
So much stuff can trip up beginners. Advertising can be a big one. Some people have unrealistic ideas of what their gear can do. In camera ads there is no rule that says that the picture in the ad has to be taken with that camera. glares in Samsung's direction. One reason why my cell phone shots are good is that I can sit here and ramble about the sensor, lens and software differences between a cell phone and IC camera. Also, I know that Samsung and Huawei are lying liars that lie when it comes to advertising what their gear can do. Apple may be honest as far as I know, but their ads only shows the camera's strengths and not it's weaknesses. I will never think it's a ME problem that I can't do amazing portraits on a phone. I know certain companies are licensing dSLR photos for their ads. (Caught red handed, BTW, this isn't just me being an armchair expert.) Due to my knowledge and experience I know how to maximize what my camera phone can do and I don't waste my time or fruitlessly grind trying to do what it can't. Grinding photography with a camera phone and literally impossible expectations created by ads would be terrible, lead to wasted time and feeling inept.
Spending massive amounts of time is key. Look at my Photography tag. There is a lot there. (There would be more but I keep forgetting to tag my posts.) The amount of time I've spent shooting, editing, trying techniques, making up challenges for myself, organizing, reading, learning, researching shoot locations, etc ... it's a LOT. I did some math, and I don't have that allegedly magic 10,000 hours yet tho. In the 13 years since I got my Pen 1, I'd have had to spend 15 hours a week every single week. Yet people say 'hit your 10,000 hours, that's it.' The people I follow on social media who have creative careers, grinding 10,000 hours wasn't how they get there. Do I wish I'd spend 15 hours a week for the past 13 years? Yeah, of course. My folders would be far more bountiful. But no one gets anywhere by just grinding. If I'd had a stronger start rather than being made fun of for being an m43 shooter every time I posted on a photography forum I'd be much better off. I shot for years before I first read a textbook on composition or found a good non-bullshit youtuber to follow. The hours I put in where more effective once I had a handle on better self-teaching and also creating self-challenges.
For more context, here are some images from a folder I have labeled 'Photobucket Downloads'. These images are from a bygone era:
These are oooold pictures. Maybe circa 2008? I've been going out of my way to shoot weird shit for ages. I got a lot more serious and regular about doing photography a few years ago, but in these pictures I can clearly see the seeds of my current style: weird, creepy, nerdy, mossy, etc. I've been honing my eye for ages. I would not be where I am without all that experience. But I'd also be a thousand times better off if I'd had a resource like Robin Wong's videos starting out.
But I guess everyone I follow deleting that damn tweet validates my viewpoint. I wish I'd seen the threads, though.
(* I love talking photography. I know I sound very on my high horse in that paragraph. I don't mean to sound more leet than I really am. I've just gotten some totally cold 'how do I get better?' asks from people who want to be told one weird trick and not that they need to learn subject isolation. I am in a weird space with photography where I've done paid work ... but also had people flip out that a photog of my level has made money at it.
Speaking of which I need to get back to writing/pitching articles. Even if I can't sell them I can put them on my website as more content. On my last walk, I took some pictures for a found art article I've been meaning to write. Composition, interacting with the artists, ethical and legal considerations of someone else's work being the clear and present subject of your photo, etc. Are my found art photos art in and of themselves or am I a documentarian?)
