arrogance

For some reason, it's easy to get the ego out of balance on things photographic.

My hypothesis is that it's partly because it's so easy to be abused as a photographer... the guys doing weddings and things like that are routinely taken for granted and manipulated by clients. So a certain amount of assertiveness goes a long way toward being treated with respect. There's a tipping point, cross that line and respect becomes the norm. There's not much in between, people are on one side of that line or the other.

Shoot the right genres though, and it's a little too easy to let that ego grow. For example, working with models. It's easy to start believing your own propaganda when attractive young women start dropping their clothes for you, often without even being asked.

It comes up because I've just ripped somebody a new one on a forum, something I rarely do. But he'd just responded in a less than respectful way to someone who had asked a valid question, and when I looked at his profile, it was the usual story. He's an unknown, and he can't even use a light meter. Almost every one of his photos is technical garbage. Yet he's so puffed up and full of himself, it's evident in everything he writes. I'm assuming it's overcompensation, that he's trying to convince himself. But he's got almost nothing to back it up.

I'll tolerate it to a point when the ego and the ability are in balance. There's another guy posting a lot lately who is more than a little arrogant. The difference is that he's got a long list of gallery and publication credits, meaning he's not the only one who thinks he's good. And he really is good. Maybe not as good as he thinks he is, but he's undeniably good.

Still, Don Rumsfeld had a lot of ability to go with his even bigger ego. And eventually, it was his downfall. So it's best to do a reality check every now and then.