Touché, George. To each his own I guess.
So glad to hear this article was useful for you, and you could relate with what I wrote about. Sometimes I fear that most people won’t get what I’m tryin got say. I’ve seen some of your work on here and I really enjoy how you don’t just go for the very obvious, classic scenes. I see you pushing your creativity by trying new things all the time, Igor! I understand your point about being heard by being loud, I guess those are the kinds of people that the mindless sheep follow, just like how pop music is what is most popular, and yet it contains the least amount of talent, usually being very contrived and not creative or risky since it is created with the intent of appealing to the masses. I never said this would help you appeal to everybody, it’s more about appealing deeply with a small amount of people rather than having a shallow connection with many. I appreciate your point! Take care man!
1 Like
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and leave a thoughtful comment, Michael! So glad you enjoyed it. I am grateful that you feel I am able to articulate these concepts well as you say, it’s definitely not easy.
Glad you liked that line. My buddy @Ron_Coscorrosa wrote an article, that is no longer on the web, that actually had the same title, back some years ago, that I was completely unaware of, but after I posted this he shared it with me. I liked how he stated that same point:
“If you are in a crowded room, and yell out “Mike!” a handful of people will turn around, and most of them will be named Mike. If you are in a crowded room and yell out “Asshole!” everyone will turn around. None of them will be named Asshole. The point is this: It is easy to get attention, but much harder to sustain it.”
2 Likes
Thanks Alex! Glad to hear your brain was able to handle all 13 paragraphs, I know that can seem long this day in age when everything is delivered to us in 5 second videos or in short sentences, or even just in headlines in our newsfeeds. They say the average adult’s attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish now! YIKES! Glad to see you aren’t a goldfish yet.
I love the point you made, and like we both agree on, the most important thing is just to do what speaks to you, never with a second intention in mind, ie. what will sell, what will be received well by others, what will go viral. Next time you are gonna share our intimate conversations publicly, let me know first! JK 
Totally man, when it is a scene that was felt deeply by the artist, it’s conveyed in the photo. And thats some special stuff right there! Thanks for your comment dude!
1 Like
I know we think similarly, which is why we are friends! Thanks for reading the article, Sarah and for dropping a kind comment! Hope to see you again soon so we can nerd out on some nature together! Take care.
1 Like
Hahaha. I actually wrote a shorter post with the same title and similar text a couple years back, but our conversations during our workshop reminded me of it, and I decided to go back and redo it and expound on the topic a bit more with what I have learned since then. I think we are more tempted to share the louder stuff because we know it will do better, and we all have that desire, no matter how small it may be, deep down inside us, to be recognized and accepted. Glad to hear you say that though, and that’s why I still make an effort to share just as many quiet scenes on sosh meed because I know there are people out there that appreciate them, even though it’s a smaller amount. I do it with those people in mind, also because it’s the work I am most proud of, so I share it to show what I am really all about, so people can see the real me as well. Thanks for reading and for the nice comment dude! NOW GO BANG YOUR F$%#ING HEAD!!!
1 Like
So glad to hear that, Orion! Thanks for sharing your comment. I completely agree with you and that is how you will remain the most satisfied with this artform.
Thanks a lot, Ron! I really enjoyed the same thought that you wrote about years back that you shared with me too! I know we see things similarly, which is why we are HOMIES! Stoked to link up again soon so we can chill around some burning twigs and leaves at the South CG! Ha <3
1 Like
Thanks so much James! Definitely a crazy scene, still not sure how I was able to make that image come together. The wind was so strong, blowing water off the lake all over the place, that at first I was reluctant to even get my camera out, thinking it was too nuts to even try to capture. I had to crouch down next to a big boulder to shoot this in order to not get blown over, as I was walking down the trail to the lake shore, I was knocked to the ground several times. Just insane. There was so much water being blown into the air that it created a big cloud behind me. Glad you like it!
Dude! Kill Em All is just the best. I don’t listen to anything after that anymore, but I still rock out to that 1st album all the time. Show No Mercy is the only slayer I bump as well, I just love those first albums from bands, they always seem to be the most raw and purely inspired. I’m still a die hard sabbath fan, and will gladly listen to any of the 8 Ozzy albums from beginning to end. I totally agree!
2 Likes
Totally agree! Glad you enjoyed the article, Ron! Thanks for the kind comment. Take care man!
Dude, totally. I think that happens to everyone. The more you see something, the more you become desensitized to it and it feels more normal. Just look at Americans and how we view mass shootings. It doesn’t even shock most of us anymore, and those stories disappear from the internet the very next day. We digest it much quicker the more we eat it. That’s a great idea to take a break, I limit my time browsing through instagram a lot, spending maybe 10 minutes total only on the days that I post. If I really want to look at some work and be inspired, then I go on websites. If you want to check out some of the people’s websites that inspire me, just go to the ‘INSPIRATION’ tab on my site. It’s a great way to get some new ideas without tiring yourself out, as all of those guys have very tasteful galleries with lots of visual variety.
Dropping in a moon could be like double bass. Haha. Just too much!
1 Like
I wasn’t trying to offend you and I definently agree with your thesis. I just thought it ran a little long.
1 Like
Nice man. Master of Puppets is my favorite for Metallica and Seasons in the Abyss for Slayer. Dave Lombardo’s drumming is really what made Slayer stand out. I’ve kind of gotten into Sabbath and Ozzy later in life.
No offense taken! You’re entitled to your opinion.
Great article, nice photos. The process you describe is called maturity.
Eric,
Thanks for an excellently written, informative, insightful article!
Tom Potter
Outstanding article Eric! I couldn’t agree more with your message and I appreciate you questioning the “mainstream” in a really thought-provoking way.
One thing I wanted to touch upon was this
This quote rings so true in today’s social media landscape. There are tons of “experts” who peddle the notion that each image in your feed (or portfolio) needs to have a consistant and noticable style. To me this always sounded weird, especially in the realm of landscape photography, and might just be an excuse to keep shooting the same image or sell presets.
I’m late to the party here but loved this article, @Eric_Bennett. It’s so difficult to walk the line between voicing an opinion like this and making broad generalizations but I think you did well to point out that, for some photographers, the loud imagery may truly be their personal preference but for many it’s likely just catering to the chase of likes, shout-outs, etc.
What really bothers me when scrolling through my feeds is how difficult it is to not just identify unique frames from the same individuals but across a broader group of photographers. I know my work isn’t always totally unique - heck, maybe there isn’t anyone that can look at one of my images and recognize it one of mine - but I like to think that, as much as possible, no one will come across one of my images and struggle to think which one of dozens of possible photographers captured and processed it because it’s the same type of composition and editing as the rest of the herd. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate and admire much of that work but it’s not the voice I want to use.
Also, Battery by Metallica would like a word with you about starting at 100 MPH. For some reason that song immediately came to mind when I read that statement in your article. 