Watch out for what you wish for......

I always wondered how it would feel to be a great photographer where thousands of people get to enjoy your photo. Heck, I didn't wonder, i wanted it.

What i did not take in consideration was the negative aspects of owning something that is popular or being popular yourself. With the above picture, i have personally experienced a very small view of what it feels like to have the public judge you, praise you and condemn you for something that was meant to be a positive experience. I took the above picture because I loved it, not for praise, not for pat on the back and surely not for ridicule.

In the last few days, Nature's Night Light has received over 16,000 hits. My formal best was 600 for the Mormon Temple night shot. I have received over 100 orders for prints of this picture ranging from 8x10's to large 16x20's. This is the good side, the bad side is the way too many negative comments. I have actually received hate email saying i am a fake, cheat and somehow immoral for posting such a picture. What????

This is where I am starting to realize that there are many angry people out there that have nothing better to do then concentrate their anger towards people they do not even know. I cannot imagine the mental torture that someone like Brittney Spears or Micheal Jackson goes through since they really drift from the normal moral public celebrity. My goodness, I have a whole new understanding and empathy towards these public figures that receive daily bashings deservingly or not.

My experience is so minor and short lived compared to them and i felt a tremendous amount of anxiety over it. I took those negative comments and hate email very personally until I had a chance to talk to family and friends about the situation. They helped me put it into a perspective that I can understand and finally not take it so seriously.

I have to really think about if I want to continue to pursue this as a hobby or pursue it as a profession. As of right now, I am keeping it as a hobby. I do not think I can handle such negativity towards my pictures especially if someone doesn't like the pictures that they paid for. ;-)