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How To Deal With Negative Comments
About Your Photography

You can ignore most criticisms,
but you should pay attention to some

Perhaps you've heard of the 80/20 rule. It is a rough rule of thumb that often is correct such as: 20% of the world's population receives 80% of the income -- which is true. Or in a business 80% of sales might come from 20% of customers.
I have found that the same very rough rule holds true for criticism: 80% of the criticisms you get will be worthless -- negative or otherwise -- and 20% will have some real value for you.

WORTHLESS COMMENTS AND CRITICISMS
As we all know, i.e., those of us who post our thoughts on the Internet or who write articles for PIXIQ, there are a number of negative people out there who just like to be negative or may not even realize they are negative but have set opinions or who do not tolerate work that is very different from what they like.
To weed through the worthless criticisms you can probably disregard 80% of the comments you get for the following reasons:
== the person simply does not like your brand of photography, so nothing you can say or do will ever get their approval
== the person came to your work with a set of expectations which your work does not fit -- and therefore criticizes it for not being what was expected
== the person has his/her own agenda and is using your work as a trigger to further that agenda; in other words what they say may have little to do with your work
== the person wants to show off how much they know by slamming your work, often quoting obscure sources and data
== the person gives off an attitude of superior knowledge (and often superiority) and yet speaks in vague terms that often sound good or erudite, but cannot be substantiated
== the person is jealous of your work and/or your status -- something which they may not be aware of
== the person feels a sense of rivalry and competitiveness with your work

I do not comment on most of these types of comments except trolls (see below) when they continue to harass me and ad hominem arguments (see next) because they have no place in a discussion of my work. I believe responding to negative comments often is a no-win situation -- as the original commenter may just ratchet up the rhetoric in response to your comment and involve you in a war of words. Best to leave it alone.

AD HOMINEM ARGUMENTS
What should you do when a critic attacks you using ad hominem (Latin for "to the man") arguments? This means that they attack you personally and then say something like: since you are obviously worthless, your work is also worthless. All criticisms should be about the work, the essay, the photograph, the writing itself and not something personal about the author.
This kind of argument is often used on the Internet as a hot button way to get a writer or photographer angry. But don't take the bait. Instead I suggest you reply with something like this (as I did some time ago in one of my articles):
When you use 'ad hominem' arguments and attack me personally instead of discussing the strengths and weaknesses of my work, you have lost the argument. And I will not respond further to any more of your comments.

"To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves."
Will Durant

TROLLS
Last but not least and at the very bottom of the negative criticism pile is the troll.
A troll is defined by Flickr in these guidelines for Flickr groups as:
"Trolls. Trolls are people who are just being rude and obnoxious, and are generally trying to offend, shock, harass, abuse or otherwise annoy people. Dealing with such people can often be difficult, but they should not go unwarned, unremoved or unbanned. Trolls can destroy a community, and often this is their goal."
The best way to deal with a troll is to ignore them since what they are after is attention. But if they continue, I will respond as I do not tolerate harassment.

ARTISTS CAN OVERREACT TO CRITICISMS
I write this article in part because artists, in particular, can be badly hurt by negative criticisms -- and they need to read between the lines. Artists are artists often because they are more sensitive than others. They tend to see and feel more than most people. Yet that same sensitivity, that allows them to be creative and make good and original photography,  often comes back to bite them when they get a number of bad comments.
The painter Nicolas de Stael was so upset by a critic's scathing appraisal of his work, that he jumped out an eleventh story window to his death at the age of 41. And he did this in spite of the fact that he had won almost universal worldwide praise for his paintings from galleries, museums and other critics. Today he is considered one of the greatest painters of the mid-20th century.
So it helps to learn how to judge criticisms somewhat objectively (which is never fully possible when your own work is the target) -- so that you don't have to feel the sharp barbs of negative criticism when it is unfair or off base.

WORTHWHILE CRITICISMS
What about criticisms that are worthwhile? These are usually written in a reasoned and careful manner with specific points. These are the comments you will learn and grow from -- even though you may disagree. In addition be alert to people who see things in your work that you do not see -- you may be able to gain a new understanding from their perceptions. People often show me things in my work that I had not thought of -- which to me is the ultimate compliment.
Yet even thoughtful reasonable criticisms can be quite upsetting, so weigh them together with the positive thoughtful criticisms you have received. Remember: You can't please everyone, nor should you try. And I have learned that the more original your work, the more likely it is that someone will be bothered by it.

NOTE:See a list of my other articles here at PIXIQ. www.pixiq.com/contributors/rick-doble

For more about my approach to photography see my book: Experimental Digital Photography.

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