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Something Twisted on MM
We gotta face it people--there is an exaggerated interest in sexually oriented photographs on MM. I placed a question about my nude avatar and got more looks at that photo in 2 hours than my other photos got in 5 months. I know--the jokers will say because the others are just bad, but I don't think so. Because I had "nude" in the title the "hawks of sex" zooomed in. Now, I enjoy a beautiful photograph of a beautiful woman. But the photos need to go beyond just showing a nice smile and some T&A. In the shot I am referring to in my port, I think I took the T&A shot to a different place. I don't even think it is in the T&A genre that most of the photos I see on MM. I was testing the limits of exposure/nudity. Mental sensuality as opposed to "here it is, let me sock it to you". What does everyone else think? Jun 26 06 12:05 pm Link Have you stopped to think maybe it got more views in 2 hours because you posted a thread asking if it was "too nude" to use as an avatar? Just an observation. EDIT: Let me elaborate. If I go to the critique forum and ask for an opinion on a certain image it will get more views. It has nothing to do with nudity and everything to do with you drawing attention to a particular image. Jun 26 06 12:15 pm Link kind of like goading the witness? Jun 26 06 12:17 pm Link Envy wrote: I agree!! He was asking people to look at the image. Jun 26 06 12:21 pm Link Envy wrote: That is just my point. Becasue I said nude I got a great number of hits. If I had said "is my photo Too red", do you think I would get a lot of hits? Jun 26 06 12:22 pm Link Ironically, I think there's an exaggerated interest in images of clothed models. Who wants to look at clothing? Jun 26 06 12:24 pm Link But if I post a photo of a non-nude model and ask people to look at it (specifically stating it's non-nude), I expect I will get considerably fewer hits than if I do the same for a nude image. I've noticed the same thing on other ports - the nude images are the ones that tend to get the most views as well as the most comments. I just look at them to back up my opinion  Jun 26 06 12:25 pm Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: Jerry see following post--I am going to test this whole thing with another image. Jun 26 06 12:26 pm Link There is definitely an undercurrent of men who want to play photographer to get close to women... and there is definitelyl an undercurrent of exhibitionist women. You should see the bizarre requests that I get from "models." It is somewhat depressing, really. A kind of codependency between these two groups. ~T~ Jun 26 06 12:27 pm Link Studio Yeah-Yeah wrote: People looked at the image because you asked for help. You might have got a lot of hits even if you asked if the photo was "Too red" I think you drew the wrong conclusion. Jun 26 06 12:27 pm Link Studio Yeah-Yeah wrote: I edited my original post to be more specific. Jun 26 06 12:29 pm Link Envy wrote: STOP using logic.... it confuses the masses.. Jun 26 06 12:29 pm Link Take a look at the pictures I have on my site. Some are nude, some are fully clothed. Then take a look at the number of views they are generating and you will notice something strange in relation to the OP's comment. This picture has over five hundred views, clearly more than all the rest combined. I think if people believe a picture is interesting they will look at it.  Jun 26 06 12:29 pm Link Studio Yeah-Yeah wrote: When you get it all scienced out, let me know. I'll be the one in the studio taking pictures instead of worrying about who should be looking at what. Jun 26 06 12:32 pm Link Bob Randall Photography wrote: I agree. I love the image you posted! Jun 26 06 12:32 pm Link All right, I'm prepared to get blasted for saying this...but I don't really care. Despite the fact that there are some very talented photographers on here, (and I am purposely excluding models and MUAs from this generalization), this is a site that is overrun with amateurs. My guess is that 20% of the "talent" on here is legitimate and that the other 80% are here becasue they are either serious wanna-bes, or straight out GWCs. When this happens, is it really any surprise that references to nudity are huge draws? Take a look at the comments left on any model's portfolio that that features 18+ shots. Show a nipple and the comments abound. Create a spectacular image with only modest sensul overtone and you're lucky to get half as many views. For many this is simply a voyeuristic site...which is perfectly fine so long as that is understood. Just so that we're clear, and I'm not seen as an overly pretentious snob, I count myself as a Robert Sanders wanna-be with a huge, HUGE gap to close. Jun 26 06 12:32 pm Link Thomasio wrote: Um... these are the primal forces that have driven humanity since the beginning. Men want to see naked women. Women flaunt their nekkidness to get a man. Perhaps you find the nature of humanity depressing. You would not be the first to think so. Jun 26 06 12:33 pm Link There are hundreds of millions of people on the internet, and there are many non-photographers and non-models that come here to look at nudity and skin, so I would beg to differ, they may not really be MM members that are so wrapped up in the nudity thing. There are a lot of lurkers here as well. Everyone should use this disclaimer before posting questions and comments that puzzle you: "This is the internet!" Happy Monday!! Jun 26 06 12:38 pm Link > Perhaps you find the nature of humanity depressing. You would not be the first to think so. ----------------- While there certainly are things about human nature that I find depressing, what bothers me *here* is that there are far too many women whose unrealistic expectations are taken advantage of by voyeuristic "photographers." Luckily, there are enough exceptions that I feel my time spent here is worthwhile. I'd love to see a rating system for photographers here. ~T~ Jun 26 06 12:41 pm Link P.S. What does "GWC" mean? I didn't get the memo. [Edit] "Guy With Camera?" ~T~ Jun 26 06 12:42 pm Link That's a good point Envy. Here's proof in the pudding. There was a MM model who announced on main page, 'I have nudes come look at them'. Anyways, I talked with her via MM email because I found it funny and was curious to what the big announcement was all about. She wanted my and others opnions because she had some other plans. Her question to me was, if she was standing naked in front of me, how would I photograph her and she wanted me to be honest, hardcore and no holding back. I told the model how and what, but I also like to see where another is coming from or going with this type of topic. I gave my honest point of view, on how I would photograph her in my own unique way. But I think that it went over her head because I didn't express it in the typical manner that many might expect. My point? I say what I say and do what I do for different reasons. Some will like to test you to see who and what you are, others are testing the field to see what types of clients that they can possibly get in a field can work for them. While others, who want feedback on their butt naked shots get offended when the majority of the comments are on their naked ports. Frankly, I don't take them too serious at all because while many want the the feedback and attention, there is always going to be some complaints. It's as if they're starving for attention but will never be statisfied. My advice to the photographer is if this is a issue, get rid of the nude images and move on to other things that you feel will get you the respect that you are looking for. You know what kind of feedback that you are going to get, both negative ad positive. Now if the feed back is vulgar then you hae very good reason to complain. Jun 26 06 12:45 pm Link I don't think that all images of nudes attract the most attention, if anyone cares to look at my port you'll see quite a lot of nudes but the images with the most comments are not nudes at all. I really don't think it matters whether the members are pro, ameteur or wannabe's as long as they're not idiots, perverts or complete wan*ers. live and let live...... Jun 26 06 12:50 pm Link Surreal Eye Studio wrote: Have to disagree. I haven't shoot any nudes and I get plenty of feedback on my work from both male and female. It boils down to how and who you are photographing the subject. It's like a painter trying to express something on his canvas. the painting can grab yourr attention if you do it right. Jun 26 06 12:51 pm Link the picture of my kitten has had the most number of hits!! granted, she is adorable and i am in love with her, so it doesnt bother me. Jun 26 06 01:05 pm Link ohh yea...i also forgot.... people are attracted to nakie women. its not suprising, or twisted. we are perverted. Jun 26 06 01:06 pm Link Thomasio wrote: Actually we are all taken advantage of in one way or another. This too is the nature of the mass of humanity. Wealth and power concentrates in few hands. The rest of us bend over in order to eat. Jun 26 06 01:07 pm Link Lexi Evans wrote: Perversion is a value judgement. We merely are as we are. Your statement was complete and accurate without the perversion comment. Jun 26 06 01:09 pm Link Is this thread designed to attract more attention to your critique thread and your portfolio in general? Jun 26 06 01:12 pm Link DarioImpiniPhotography wrote: that was meant as a light-hearted joke. i had already stated it wasn't twisted. Jun 26 06 01:27 pm Link Oh well if its designed to get a few eyeballs in on ones port then please"don't" - as I hear people say all the time - look at mine after all its overflowing with skin and there is even a shot of an 84 year old model and the shot is 75-80% skin. No but seriously I know many awesome photogs on here who get allot of views and comments on their work and they have no nudes. Personally I am in business to make money and while its interesting to see what people think of my work on here it will not make or break my business. Additionally the huge volume or lack of comments doesn't prove or disprove my value as a photographer. Jun 26 06 01:28 pm Link Envy wrote: Than You!! I find her eyes very interesting. I was photographing her for 1/2 hour before I realized their unique quality. It took me that long to "put a finger" on what was the REAL hook of the photograph. Jun 26 06 02:40 pm Link Bob Randall Photography wrote: Compelling photograph!! Jun 26 06 02:42 pm Link Looknsee Photography wrote: I agree. Nude is the new Black anyway. Jun 26 06 02:44 pm Link Studio Yeah-Yeah wrote: Wow you must be great, all those photographers and artists T&A merchants and suddenly you move the genre forward. I bow to your superior artistic integrity. Get some humility man that's just T and A with photoshop. Jun 26 06 02:45 pm Link Brian Diaz wrote: Half and half. It was just a test, but is an issue that is perplexing. I am on another site which is quite enjoyable and they filter out most nudes--have a look: Jun 26 06 02:47 pm Link Come on folks, you can figure out what he's doing, right? Jun 26 06 02:53 pm Link gdsandy wrote: First--I think you looked at the wrong photograph. I was refererring not to my current avatar, but one in my portfolio. There is very, very minimal Photoshop in that photograph. Jun 26 06 02:54 pm Link Jeff Marsh wrote: No, tell me? Jun 26 06 02:55 pm Link Lexi Evans wrote: Yeah, you never know what people are going to look at. As a newbie i have no nudes, but the pic that everyone looks at is soooo candid and called geocaching....I don't get it? I would think my skates or bikini pic would get more hits.....sorry I am rambling.....but i think as red-blooded human beings it is not so strange that the nude pictures get more attention... Jun 26 06 02:57 pm Link My 2 cents. As a photographer, when creating a image, you are trying to create a theme. The question is, what is that theme that you are trying to create. Once you know what you want, you have to know how to simplify it. what you want in the image and what you don't want in the image. This is very important because your goal is to give a universal theme to the viewers that you are trying to show it to. My opinion about your image. When I look at your image, the first place that my eyes go to is your model's nipples that are peeking out of the image. Why? Well because that is the most dominant part of your image. When a photographer makes one part of his image the more dominant part, he or she wants that to be the part that gets the most attention. And even if it's not what you had in mind, that is going to happen because this is how the human mind and eyes work. If you don't want the type of feedback that you are getting, make another part of the model's body the more dominant. When I look at the image, I don't see the connection between your title and the nature of the subject. Example, in my latest image of a model that I had recently photographed on a grafitti mural, I made sure that she just didn't blend in with the grafitti wall. what I did was made her more dominate by giving more exposure on her and the grafitti wall more subtle. This worked because the model is more towards the right of the wall. When you look at the image, you eyes go directly to to model. If I didn't give her more exposure, she would blend in and your eyes would go to the wall first, which would make the image unsucessful. Jun 26 06 03:03 pm Link |
