Photographer shares tips on how to deal with online criticism

By Gannon Burgett May 31, 2016

How to deal with internet criticism (also a Sony RX100iv test)

If there’s one thing this writer has learned during his time as an online writer and newspaper photographer, it’s that it’s never a matter of if your work will get criticized, it’s when. The fact of the matter is, when you put your work out there for the world to see, it will get criticized.

In the words of Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, “It’s easy to attach and destroy an act of creation. It’s a lot more difficult to perform one.”

In an effort to help new photographers and other creatives who have started posting their work online, photographer Sean Tucker has created a wonderful video, titled “How to deal with Internet criticism.”

In the five-and-a-half-minute short, Tucker shares his personal experience with sharing his photography and video work online. As he elaborates, the thrill of posting and receiving positive feedback is almost always followed with the downfall that are critiques and trolls.

The best way you can deal that criticism, Tucker explains, is to realize that those writing the attacks are almost always people who are too afraid to step up and share their own work on a large platform.

Attacks oftentimes go above and beyond the work itself, and get personal. For times like these, Tucker explains the need to toughen your skin up a bit to look past the trolls and truly look for constructive criticism.

Whether it’s photos, videos, or text, Tucker’s advice should be taken to heart by anyone who shares work online. If you don’t have time now, save this video for watching at a later time. Better yet, share it with a friend or two who might struggle from taking online criticism.

And, as always, be kind online. It’s easy to find the flaws in the work of others. If you yourself don’t enjoy being unnecessarily criticized, don’t be a troll yourself.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Editor

Photography

Shooting stars: How to photograph the night sky, from star trails to the Milky Way

Photograph of Milky Way after editing in Adobe Lightroom

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to take great pictures of the night sky. Yes, you'll get cleaner and sharper images using the best mirrorlerss cameras or DSLRs, but you don't need professional equipment to get good results -- heck, even some phones can shoot astrophotography. Whatever camera you're using, learning how to photograph stars is all about technique, and beyond changing a few settings in your camera, it's not too difficult.

But since cameras are at their worst in the dark, photographing the night sky does require some patience and practice. Autofocus, while sometimes possible, is best avoided, while a tripod is a must. The best star photos also require quite a bit of postproduction work to really make them stand out, but there are some simple adjustments that will help make your photos pop. From set-up to edit, here's how to photograph the night sky, from capturing dreamy star trails to revealing detail in the Milky Way.
Step 1: Get the gear
Star photography doesn’t require the $5,000 camera body that NASA uses, but there are a few items that are musts when it comes to the night sky, starting with a tripod. A tripod stabilizes your camera so that you don't get a blurry image during a long-exposure shot (more on this later). Even a small table-top tripod can do the trick, although a full-size model will offer more flexibility.

Space

How to photograph April’s solar eclipse, according to NASA

A total solar eclipse.

How to Photograph a Total Solar Eclipse

Nikon recently shared some tips on photographing April’s total solar eclipse, and NASA is also offering its own ideas.

Computing

The best free photo-editing software for 2024

Side view of a laptop on a desk.

Professional photo-editing applications aren't cheap, nor are they easy to master without formal training. That's why we're taking a look at the best free photo-editing software on the market.
Our top pick is GIMP, an open-source photo editing software available for the big three operating systems. It offers a huge workspace and a wide variety of professional editing tools.
We provide thousands of how-to articles, news articles, and best-of lists to help you build your photography skills, choose the best gear for your photography needs, and make the most out of your photo equipment. And if our top pick isn’t for you, check out the other options on this list. There are great choices for conventional desktop software, mobile apps, and even web-based solutions that don't require installing software.

GIMP