Pretentious – Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed...There are many good things that have come with the internet. Possibly quite low on the big list of developments that could be described as amazing is the ability to research information about cameras and read or watch reviews.
One of my favourite places to look for these is YouTube, but when did it get choked with so called reviews that are just an overview of the camera? Why not call it what it is, an overview?
There also seems to be a huge number of videos by photographers explaining why they changed from one camera brand to another. This can be interesting, but does it really need to be a 15-30 minute video? I think not. Each to their own, but I lose interest after 5 minutes because they are too drawn out. However, there are videos that I think are genuinely interesting, and not because they are more technical. One example that springs to mind is DigitalRev. Occasionally you get the personal slightly arrogant opinion sneaking in, but it is not rammed down your throat with a footnote saying 'I am right and you are wrong. No, actually, you do not matter'.
I never fully appreciated how pretentious some photographers are until they started to have a presence on the net. I had noticed it in forums before, but that tended to be people slagging each other off or their respective work. This was probably an early form of trolling. Maybe that would that be called trollism? Either way, the act of being a troll.
I originally thought the drive for attention was for hits associated with affiliate links, but it seems more complex than just earning a revenue. I think that was the case in the early days. In more recent years the obsession for followers and likes seems to have become crucial to some, possibly in the pursuit of some form of acceptance or credibility. The world of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter has taken things to a different level.
While researching this subject a little further before writing this post, I found some interesting links online. The one that stuck out to me and has made it onto my personal reading list for sites is Psychology for Photographers. The author is called Jenika and she has done a far better job than I can of explaining this subject. You can click the link to view her post and also take a look at her site if you would like to read more. Of course, I have not taken anything from her post, so what you will see there will be fresh.
I am not surprised to find someone had already tackled this subject online, but in my unexpected need for justification or validation of my observations, I am pleased to see the posts and articles do exist.
