Recently my camera Club won a national competition run by the PAGB, the standard required to win this as as high as it can be nationally. So I should be justifiably elated, satisfied, proud – but I don’t feel that way and that doesn’t seem quite right. But why?

The reason is, unfortunately, other Photographers, largely ranting semi-anonymously on social media. The images from the successful clubs were posted online and they included some fantastic pieces of work across many genres. Including in this work was a reasonable amount of creative and/or composite Photography and it is this style that has got under the skin of the haters. Apparently those of us who like to use Photoshop to enhance our images or even to create something that isn’t a ‘record shot’ aren’t real Photographers, don’t know how to use their camera, can’t get it right in camera or have to rely on Photoshop to recover their poor initial images . Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Below are my four images that were used in the final which are all obviously photoshop created composites, except some of them aren’t.

And then there was the Facebook post accusing the winning Club of only winning because they knew the judges and because they organised the event. Just like all posts on social media they tend to attract comments by similar thinking individuals and it soon escalated into a cesspit of untruths, rumours, accusations and just downright nastiness just because “somebody told me something”.
It really is about time that some Photographers got a grip of themselves, we don’t all have to do the same thing, surely we can all do what we enjoy, and do it without recriminations from the self-appointed arbiters of Photography. I do find it quite amusing though that these photographers who are targeted with this abuse are the most popular ones on the club circuit, the speakers that clubs really want to invite to their meetings to inspire and encourage their membership.

I’ve never seen a ‘creative photographer’ tell a ‘traditionalist’ that their style of photography shouldn’t be allowed.

Anyway, enough of this, I’m gonna get back to doing what I enjoy doing, after all it is my hobby.
Have fun everybody.