When the weather is nice, it's a good time for can collecting on the Upper East Side. I forget where I shot this, but somewhere way uptown where aluminum cans and plastic bottles are plentiful.
It's amazing that people think just because you take a picture of someone that could possibly be less fortunate that you are making fun of them. These are your biases, not mine.
There is a long history of documentary photography going back nearly 100 years (Dorothea Lange, etc.) of photographers documenting and humanizing the Great Depression and other tragedies and conditions of life. None of these people were making fun either.
ive made my way thru this blog and ur ignorant , insensitive commentary is what makes this different... and u aint no diane arbus , dorothea lange, richard avedon or any other photographer/documentor that u may come up with ... id rhyme off some more creative minds but i dont think ud have any idea who they r as u have no idea how discompassionate ur words r..........ur denial is annoying---take some time to learn empathy------
I am utterly thrilled to meet someone as compassionate and empathetic as yourself. The great thing about a blog is that you can write and post whatever you want and anyone or no one can choose to read it. That being said, I am so glad that you have taken the time to go through my blog in great detail and spend your precious time critiquing it. What an absolute honor. That being said if my words are, in your opinion, discompassionate (this isn't actually a word, by the way) you can choose not to read my blog,
I'd write more, but there's really no need to condescend down to your 'anonymous' level.
I highly recommend you take your great empathy, which I am obviously lacking, and put it into your own creative endeavors rather than the pointless criticism of mine.
To be honest when I first saw the picture and before I saw this question, I thought to myself "Oh Gosh, he's going to make a really ignorant snarky remark about this girl who's just trying to get by," but luckily you didn't.
I think with the context of your blog, which can be a bit pretentious, the anonymous person thought that maybe there was something a little extra you were trying to say or mock about the girl, so maybe that's why the poster thought your post was otherwise rude. Note, that I'm not saying that this is your true intent for the photo or that I agree with the aforesaid poster.
Do some of your posts lack empathy? A bit. This is my first time visiting your blog so while some of your posts are cheeky (i.e. the celebrity graffiti ones) others can be a bit questionable. Because we're not sure if you're joking or being serious. It's weird to show consistent pictures of you making off-handed remarks about people, and then all of sudden showing a sweet genuine picture. It just throws people off, and makes them think, "hold up, is he being genuine or is he trying to make another remark sort of thing?"
You said, "it's amazing that people think just because you take a picture of someone that could possibly be less fortunate that you are making fun of them," but then later posts show you taking a photo of two over-weight people talking to each other, and essentially you're making fun of them, because you're using sarcasm and saying "..training for the New York marathon." I'm pointing this specific post out, just because it weakens your argument. You're amazed that you can't just simply post a picture without there having to be joke about it, but then you take a photo of two people which resulted in you making fun of them. Oh wait, or are you going to turn this around and say that it's just my own bias? And that you're serious about them training for the New York marathon?
I'm just trying to show you that the context of your blog can be a bit confusing at times (especially when someone is visiting your blog for the first time and has no idea that most of your posts are like that), which can make commentators like "anonymous" confused about your intent.
You can continue writing however the hell you like, I'm not trying to shame you or say you can't write that. This is your blog. I was just trying to show you maybe that's how others can perceive your posts. Personally, I'm going to have a guess and say that all-around you're probably just joking and being cheeky.
But nonetheless, I wouldn't be surprised if your retort back to my comment is not only condescending, but spliced with little jabs intended to belittle my intelligence or grammar in order for you to feel good about yourself, instead of just taking some constructive criticism. And lastly, great photos!
P.S. When taking pictures for your blog, do you often ask the people you are taking a picture of, that you're doing so? And if you do, do you also tell them that you intend to speak about them in a disparaging manner?
Finally, a thoughtful comment. I actually just like the image of her with the cans. You can think whatever you want. I am mostly joking all the time, but my comment here wasn't snarky at all. When the weather IS nice, it IS a good time for can collecting. Sucks to collect cans when it is cold. Simple as that. I wasn't making fun at all. As for the two overweight people eating on the street, for all I know they are training for the marathon. More power to them. I don't like running, but I ride my bike everywhere. I love a good debate, sometimes.
When the weather is nice, it's a good time for can collecting on the Upper East Side. I forget where I shot this, but somewhere way uptown where aluminum cans and plastic bottles are plentiful.
Fascinating character shot. I like it a lot.
ReplyDeletemaking fun of the less fortunate... isnt funny
ReplyDeleteWho is making fun?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that people think just because you take a picture of someone that could possibly be less fortunate that you are making fun of them. These are your biases, not mine.
There is a long history of documentary photography going back nearly 100 years (Dorothea Lange, etc.) of photographers documenting and humanizing the Great Depression and other tragedies and conditions of life. None of these people were making fun either.
ive made my way thru this blog and ur ignorant , insensitive commentary is what makes this different... and u aint no diane arbus , dorothea lange, richard avedon or any other photographer/documentor that u may come up with ... id rhyme off some more creative minds but i dont think ud have any idea who they r as u have no idea how discompassionate ur words r..........ur denial is annoying---take some time to learn empathy------
ReplyDeleteI am utterly thrilled to meet someone as compassionate and empathetic as yourself. The great thing about a blog is that you can write and post whatever you want and anyone or no one can choose to read it. That being said, I am so glad that you have taken the time to go through my blog in great detail and spend your precious time critiquing it. What an absolute honor. That being said if my words are, in your opinion, discompassionate (this isn't actually a word, by the way) you can choose not to read my blog,
ReplyDeleteI'd write more, but there's really no need to condescend down to your 'anonymous' level.
I highly recommend you take your great empathy, which I am obviously lacking, and put it into your own creative endeavors rather than the pointless criticism of mine.
Part 1 of 2.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest when I first saw the picture and before I saw this question, I thought to myself "Oh Gosh, he's going to make a really ignorant snarky remark about this girl who's just trying to get by," but luckily you didn't.
I think with the context of your blog, which can be a bit pretentious, the anonymous person thought that maybe there was something a little extra you were trying to say or mock about the girl, so maybe that's why the poster thought your post was otherwise rude. Note, that I'm not saying that this is your true intent for the photo or that I agree with the aforesaid poster.
Do some of your posts lack empathy? A bit. This is my first time visiting your blog so while some of your posts are cheeky (i.e. the celebrity graffiti ones)
others can be a bit questionable. Because we're not sure if you're joking or being serious. It's weird to show consistent pictures of you making off-handed remarks about people, and then all of sudden showing a sweet genuine picture. It just throws people off, and makes them think, "hold up, is he being genuine or is he trying to make another remark sort of thing?"
You said, "it's amazing that people think just because you take a picture of someone that could possibly be less fortunate that you are making fun of them," but then later posts show you taking a photo of two over-weight people talking to each other, and essentially you're making fun of them, because you're using sarcasm and saying "..training for the New York marathon." I'm pointing this specific post out, just because it weakens your argument. You're amazed that you can't just simply post a picture without there having to be joke about it, but then you take a photo of two people which resulted in you making fun of them. Oh wait, or are you going to turn this around and say that it's just my own bias? And that you're serious about them training for the New York marathon?
I'm just trying to show you that the context of your blog can be a bit confusing at times (especially when someone is visiting your blog for the first time and has no idea that most of your posts are like that), which can make commentators like "anonymous" confused about your intent.
You can continue writing however the hell you like, I'm not trying to shame you or say you can't write that. This is your blog. I was just trying to show you maybe that's how others can perceive your posts. Personally, I'm going to have a guess and say that all-around you're probably just joking and being cheeky.
But nonetheless, I wouldn't be surprised if your retort back to my comment is not only condescending, but spliced with little jabs intended to belittle my intelligence or grammar in order for you to feel good about yourself, instead of just taking some constructive criticism. And lastly, great photos!
P.S.
When taking pictures for your blog, do you often ask the people you are taking a picture of, that you're doing so? And if you do, do you also tell them that you intend to speak about them in a disparaging manner?
Finally, a thoughtful comment. I actually just like the image of her with the cans. You can think whatever you want. I am mostly joking all the time, but my comment here wasn't snarky at all. When the weather IS nice, it IS a good time for can collecting. Sucks to collect cans when it is cold. Simple as that. I wasn't making fun at all. As for the two overweight people eating on the street, for all I know they are training for the marathon. More power to them. I don't like running, but I ride my bike everywhere. I love a good debate, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes I do make snarky comments, but doesn't everyone to a certain extent, they just don't say it out loud maybe?
ReplyDeleteFrom now on I won't be funny or snarky at all. I'll just post the pictures. Make up your own damn commentary. You're all doing it already anyway.