"And there's a million of us just like me
who cuss like me
who just don't give a FUCK like me
who dress like me
walk, talk and act like me
and just might be
the next best thing
but not quite me..."
~Eminem
Sorry, I have that song in my head. I've realized that the older I've gotten, I don't try to please people. I'm just me - take it or leave it. And most times I don't give a fuck. I've never been a people pleaser. But I used to be one who would do what she could to NOT rock the boat and keep the peace so to speak. Now? I just don't care as much as what other people think. Life's too freakin' short, people.
The pic doesn't really go with the lyrics...but whatevs. The photo I had planned actually involved me sticking up my middle finger but I thought that might be a little vulgar. Aaaand this place is sometimes too vanilla for my taste.
But here it is. My 300th photo. Gonna keep at this for the next 65 days. Stick along for the ride, if you'd like.
@islandk8 thanks, Kate! Something about eminem was so hot back then. Maybe it was the reckless use of the word fuck and how he delivered his lyrics. Sexy.
50mm at f/1.2 with the only thing in focus being your finger. And I do agree with your "vanilla" comment - it's why the PP only contacts pics of flowers, bugs and reflecting water. I don't buy Ross' explanation of how the PP page works. My stuff tends to get a little extreme, but I don't post it on 365. ;)
@thomastoth thanks, Thomas! I enjoy your comments. Rock star vibe? I'll take it ;). As for Ross' explanation about PP and top twenty. I buy it. And what I basically also got out of it was that stuff is based on quantity not quality. This community is great but there is a fair amount of "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" in terms of faving and commenting. Not a good or bad thing, in my opinion...just not an accurate evaluative measure of truly good shots, technically or artistically.
lol sometimes I'll take Vanilla, Rocky Road can be too much and there is enough of it in my life right now so Vanilla is fine. But I am old school Rock & Roll, and Fuck is a word I use frequently, and since my voice has not come back my middle finger is getting quite a bit of use. Soooo, go head, do your thing! I am sure you will put your super sexy spin on it and it will be a great shot!
@sunshinephoto5 you know - you're right - variety is the spice of life, right? Sometimes vanilla, sometimes rocky road. Maybe I'll do the finger thing lol. :)
I got the rock star vibe off of this too. I think it's from the toned-down ness and the dark tank/long hair combo. It's the I-don't give-a-fuck selfie. Has the attitude, take it or leave it.
Also yay on 300, sorry we only get you for 65 more days.
@fauxtography365 I've never had a shot on the PP. And, I'm regularly blown away (as in not impressed and frustrated) with some of the shots that do show up there. "That made it" is a frequent outburst in my office...
Will be there until the end, another cool selfie Ms T. always inspiring, and an interesting read :) maybe the middle finger shot should be number 365, as a less than vanilla sign off ?!? :)
@thomastoth@fauxtography365 - Diggin' the conversation here, and seeing both sides of the story. Ms T you should be pushing the boundaries here, we have had some amazing people on this site who have tried to be a little less Vanilla but many have left because of the problems they have stirred up. The masses have just been too sweet with flowers, rainbows, and kittys.
But commercial radio and commercial television and commercial internet exists. It is what the kitty lovin' rainbow lovin' flower lovin' public want.
However, this site, the PP and the TT can be manipulated in your own favour. I have successfully done this in the past and I have turned sugary sweet shots onto the PP and I have had some pretty angry (controversial) shots make the PP. I got the impression here that while some thought I was brave to broach the subject of suicide and some thought I was tasteless, I still managed the shot of me hanging from the rafters to reach the PP.
But you are right in saying there is a lot of scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, you just need to know how to make sure it is in your advantage.
Now back to this shot. Very cool and I do believe there is a conspiracy on this site for beautiful women to want to hide behind their cameras in selfies and I read your reason why... it's working for you. I too am disappointed to hear only 65 days left for Ms T. And I personally think a finger shot would be cool, but not for the last shot. Too predictable.
@siport the 300 days went quicker than I thought. After 365 I won't be posting daily and will probably return to showing my work on my Flickr and pop in here every once and again. :)
@bobfoto ahh I love your comments and input! This is one of the reasons why I enjoy this site - that you get to "meet" people you normally wouldn't be able to meet and hear all sorts of different and awesome perspectives, visit parts of the world we don't get to travel to.
As for PP and TT. I've only made the PP for a few of my shots - one which was one in my underwear. I didn't think it would make the pop page (albeit two minutes lol) but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that half naked woman is probably going to get a lot of site views.
I've never been concerned with PP although it can feel flattering. I've done this project on Flickr when no one but me was looking at my 365. All that aside, I never finished it in years past and hope to finish it this year. I'd be lying if I said the community wasn't helping.
I am gonna do a finger shot of sorts soon. I have a few fun things planned for the next 65 days. Including contests and giveaways and videos and all sorts of shit.
Interestingly, I didn't comment when I first saw this image or read the narrative. But it haunted me (am I too vanilla?) and I came back, and I read through the comments. I agree with @mara19500 -- your narrative projects a sense of boredom, yet you are very engaged with your commenters and respond with interest. I agree with you on PP/TT in that of course it's nice to be noted anywhere, but most of all, isn't all this about engaging with what interests us in ways that keep us involved? I never respond unless I'm interested :) So thanks for making me think. @bobfoto, you know how much I love your posts! I never feel you are "aiming to please" an audience;' rather, you share yourself in totally engaging ways!
@jyokota - I once upon a time, pissed off a whole load of people yet exploited the fun and enjoyment of this site by posting a discussion thread where I was concerned that one of my incredibly popular shots, was not popular enough. I asked for people's compassion in helping me get to sleep because it was late at night and my shot only had 49 faves. I asked just for one more so I could sleep peacefully.
I got my one extra fave and I went to bed.
By the next morning, I awoke to find the photo reach 115 faves and counting. People loved the fun of seeing how many faves it would reach and others (those that don't have the balls to try something as cheeky as I did, hated me and told me that I was not worthy for this site, and some even asked to have me removed and my photo because I was mocking the seriousness of photography... I was only intending to share some fun).
Anywho, the photo was #1 in the TT and ended up #2 in the next week's TT and it went on to create a phenomena. There have been nearly 50 shots were people have tried to recreate my shot and it has gotten to the stage that some new people are trying to recreate the shot and they have not even known the history behind it.
Just a bit of fun, but I knew it was going to polarise people. Meh!
@fauxtography365 - type in "frogmato" into the search bar, click on photos or discussion and you'll find it somewhere. Personally, I thought the shot was cute, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but 365 history will tell me that it was a load of fun. There were t-shirts made FFS!
@jyokota I'm engaged with my commenters, yes. And I want to be a part of a community that gives me something to think about as well. But just like any community...majority rules and there are a lot of people in this community who seem to validate themselves even in small ways on PP or TT. I don't think that way nor enjoy witnessing it because it reminds me of high school mentality. I think people can lose the joy of this project if they're too concerned with it. But I do like being a part of the community. After my year I will scale back on my participation.
As for the site being vanilla... I don't think it's 100% June cleaver and leave it to beaver. But I know it is a generous and kind community and there are fewer people who do things or shots that are done for the shock value as opposed for those shots that normally make PP or TT - flowers, landscapes, and other benign content. I kind of find it amusing when people use the word "brave" to describe someone's nerve to do a pretty tame shot. Is this a site where we need courage to do something that other people are doing quite easily everywhere else?
@fauxtography365 - sometimes the vanilla ain't in the photographer but the viewee. There are many here who don't wish to offend so they leave comments like 'brave' and 'nice use of dof' as a way of commenting by numbers.
Just back from watching an absurd Shostakovich opera about a nose that departs its owner's face and runs around following its dreams until being reunited with its owner. Interesting projections and visual design by William Kentridge. Definitely not vanilla. (But followed with vanilla ice cream custard because you can add anything to it, and today it was peanut butter.)
@fauxtography365@bobfoto -- Enjoyed reading your posts! For me, it's about feeling comfortable posting whatever strikes my interest that day, laughing while reading stories that @bobfoto tells, missing people who finish their 365 and leave, being completely unpredictable in commenting for months while traveling crazily and then finding my way back, and generally doing what I want, when I can, but not feeling bad when I can't, I like learning from what others are doing, and being challenged to learn new things myself. Maybe change the term"popular" to some other kind of term that simply says, "might be of interest to take a look"! I do like the feature where you get to pick your personal favorite for the week, because only you can make the choice of what you liked best for whatever reason!
Oh, and Jason -- "frogman" brought so many hits that it's become a phenomenon for sure! It led me to a discussion on "stupidest photo I've ever taken" post and that gave me lots of giggles for the night.
@jyokota@bobfoto I really have enjoyed being able to interact with you both regarding this. It's awesome to be able to exchange ideas with someone who you most likely would not encounter otherwise. Also @jyokota I also respond to something when it strikes me as interesting for whatever reasons-- be it personal, the photo is really great, or the story the photo and words tell. I'm glad I saw your pic of the quilt and commented on it. Would not have brought about this dialogue if I hadn't! :)
@fauxtography365 -- so glad you commented on my quilt, too! What I've been mulling over is how important that photo is to me, because it represents so many hours of my work over three years (I rarely quilt anymore so projects sit for a long time), whereas my get-a-shot-it's-almost-midnight ones take 2 minutes at most and no prep. Oh, well. I like that in this project, nobody makes you feel that you have to apologize for what you do or don't do.
@bobfoto -- and I really did type in "frogmato" into the search box here but my auto spell correct insists there is no such word and changes it into "frogman."
Over and out, on to other photos, other conversations, and all that! Fun chatting with you two!
October 31st, 2013
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Vanilla isn't bad... Just boring sometimes ;)
Also yay on 300, sorry we only get you for 65 more days.
@thomastoth I hear ya...
Nice shot.
@snaphappy1 I knew you'd finish the lyric. :)
@thirdjoe thanks, Joe!
@04haze I like to keep anonymous for many reasons. One is professional. The other is just for privacy.
@area2 thank you!
But commercial radio and commercial television and commercial internet exists. It is what the kitty lovin' rainbow lovin' flower lovin' public want.
However, this site, the PP and the TT can be manipulated in your own favour. I have successfully done this in the past and I have turned sugary sweet shots onto the PP and I have had some pretty angry (controversial) shots make the PP. I got the impression here that while some thought I was brave to broach the subject of suicide and some thought I was tasteless, I still managed the shot of me hanging from the rafters to reach the PP.
But you are right in saying there is a lot of scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, you just need to know how to make sure it is in your advantage.
Now back to this shot. Very cool and I do believe there is a conspiracy on this site for beautiful women to want to hide behind their cameras in selfies and I read your reason why... it's working for you. I too am disappointed to hear only 65 days left for Ms T. And I personally think a finger shot would be cool, but not for the last shot. Too predictable.
As for PP and TT. I've only made the PP for a few of my shots - one which was one in my underwear. I didn't think it would make the pop page (albeit two minutes lol) but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that half naked woman is probably going to get a lot of site views.
I've never been concerned with PP although it can feel flattering. I've done this project on Flickr when no one but me was looking at my 365. All that aside, I never finished it in years past and hope to finish it this year. I'd be lying if I said the community wasn't helping.
I am gonna do a finger shot of sorts soon. I have a few fun things planned for the next 65 days. Including contests and giveaways and videos and all sorts of shit.
Kidding about the contest stuff lol.
I have some ideas for your finger shot.... but I'll wait to see if I am either prophetic or pathetic.
I got my one extra fave and I went to bed.
By the next morning, I awoke to find the photo reach 115 faves and counting. People loved the fun of seeing how many faves it would reach and others (those that don't have the balls to try something as cheeky as I did, hated me and told me that I was not worthy for this site, and some even asked to have me removed and my photo because I was mocking the seriousness of photography... I was only intending to share some fun).
Anywho, the photo was #1 in the TT and ended up #2 in the next week's TT and it went on to create a phenomena. There have been nearly 50 shots were people have tried to recreate my shot and it has gotten to the stage that some new people are trying to recreate the shot and they have not even known the history behind it.
Just a bit of fun, but I knew it was going to polarise people. Meh!
As for the site being vanilla... I don't think it's 100% June cleaver and leave it to beaver. But I know it is a generous and kind community and there are fewer people who do things or shots that are done for the shock value as opposed for those shots that normally make PP or TT - flowers, landscapes, and other benign content. I kind of find it amusing when people use the word "brave" to describe someone's nerve to do a pretty tame shot. Is this a site where we need courage to do something that other people are doing quite easily everywhere else?
You can't help bad taste now can you?
@fauxtography365 @bobfoto -- Enjoyed reading your posts! For me, it's about feeling comfortable posting whatever strikes my interest that day, laughing while reading stories that @bobfoto tells, missing people who finish their 365 and leave, being completely unpredictable in commenting for months while traveling crazily and then finding my way back, and generally doing what I want, when I can, but not feeling bad when I can't, I like learning from what others are doing, and being challenged to learn new things myself. Maybe change the term"popular" to some other kind of term that simply says, "might be of interest to take a look"! I do like the feature where you get to pick your personal favorite for the week, because only you can make the choice of what you liked best for whatever reason!
Oh, and Jason -- "frogman" brought so many hits that it's become a phenomenon for sure! It led me to a discussion on "stupidest photo I've ever taken" post and that gave me lots of giggles for the night.
@bobfoto -- and I really did type in "frogmato" into the search box here but my auto spell correct insists there is no such word and changes it into "frogman."
Over and out, on to other photos, other conversations, and all that! Fun chatting with you two!