Why are photographers sometimes people who might consider themselves as shy?

[FallisPhoto]

When paulfish4570 posted his comment about his experiences of apparently shyer or maybe seemingly introverted or quieter personality types often doing well as journalists or photographers, it would seem that their 'shyness' was not apparent to the people they interviewed or photographed, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to do the job well. It might have been at the beginning of their careers, but the empowerment from this newly found ability and usefulness (maybe after years of self-consciousness) would only encourage them to do better. I can see this, can't you?

Sure, but can't you see that, once they have overcome it, they are no longer shy?

 

[jgw]

Did you notice that the whole article is about overcoming shyness? Once that's done, they are not really shy anymore.

Sure, but can't you see that, once they have overcome it, they are no longer shy?

Sure. What's wrong with that? I'm not trying to say that everyone should be shy. Just an awareness that we're all different and we all have something different to offer because of this. We all have different abilities because of who and what we are. Isn't that one of the main reasons we do photography anyway? Because we like to explore what's different to us; what's intriguing; what's interesting? And that we do our photography in our own way because of who we are.

We had/have a bit if a debate going there and i enjoyed trying to work out your point of view. I've learnt something from it too. In that some people interpret shyness in very different ways than I thought. So thanks for that. I hope you've realised different things too, and might now see shyer people a little differently. I'd much rather people challenge my observations directly than say nothing, and if you want to pursue this further, I don't mind. I'm also interested that some people have agreed, and told me of their experiences. Any more?

I'm now off to meet, and hopefully eventually photograph, a character who lives in a horse box in a field, and keeps sheep! I'll let you know if he's shy! I don't suppose he will be!

 

[FallisPhoto]

Sure. What's wrong with that?

Not a thing, except that the thread is about shy people and they are not shy.

 

[jgw]

Not a thing, except that the thread is about shy people and they are not shy.

Who are not shy?

 

[FallisPhoto]

Who are not shy?

People who have overcome their shyness.

 

[jgw]

People who have overcome their shyness.

I don't understand any relevance here. I gave you this link to look at because your train of thought regarding shy people is that shyness is always socially debilitating. You therefore did not accept that there could possibly be Shy Strengths. The people with these shy strengths are shy. Yes, it's a site to help people with shyness, and that's what there's nothing wrong with. My thread is called, Why are photographers sometimes people who might consider themselves as shy? Shy people might discover and recognise that some of these shy strengths they have might help them with their people photography. I would accept this as one answer to the title of this thread.

 

[newspaperguy]

Jesus H. Christ!

Can't you take these silly semantics off line?

It's a fact that many of us have been accused of "hiding behind a camera."

That detachment is what keeps you sane in the face of recording trauma.

Trust me when I say life is too short to waste in such B.S.

 

[paulfish4570]

thanks, jgw. this really is not that deep a subject ...

 

[jgw]

Jesus H. Christ!

Can't you take these silly semantics off line?

It's a fact that many of us have been accused of "hiding behind a camera."

That detachment is what keeps you sane in the face of recording trauma.

Trust me when I say life is too short to waste in such B.S.

Okay, calm down! I just thought this was a philosophy of photography site. Some got it even if you didn't.

It was very interesting and revealing at times; if not going off topic and slightly irritating towards the end.

 

[paulfish4570]

blasphemy is not called for, certainly ... 🙂

 

[FallisPhoto]

Jesus H. Christ!

Can't you take these silly semantics off line?

It's a fact that many of us have been accused of "hiding behind a camera."

That detachment is what keeps you sane in the face of recording trauma.

Trust me when I say life is too short to waste in such B.S.

Uh... Take a look at the category this thread is in: "Philosophy of Photography." This is not a general photography discussion category. No, we can't take the semantics out of it -- because semantics are an integral part of philosophy. It would be like taking grammar and spelling out of English.

 

[FallisPhoto]

I don't understand any relevance here. I gave you this link to look at because your train of thought regarding shy people is that shyness is always socially debilitating. You therefore did not accept that there could possibly be Shy Strengths. The people with these shy strengths are shy. Yes, it's a site to help people with shyness, and that's what there's nothing wrong with. My thread is called, Why are photographers sometimes people who might consider themselves as shy? Shy people might discover and recognise that some of these shy strengths they have might help them with their people photography. I would accept this as one answer to the title of this thread.

You directed me to a site where they attempt to give shy people with very low self-esteem issues some little thing they can feel good about, even though most of the stuff on the site is a crock of s. A "good listener," for instance, is not any kind of a conversationalist. "Conversations" go two ways. If you're sitting, cringing, in a corner, as far away from people as you can get without actually hiding, and listening to some stange person who is assaulting you with words, you are not exhibiting a social skill -- you're enduring the verbal equavalent of a mugging. The aim of the website is to get people over their shyness, so they are not socially crippled anymore, by any means necessary, and that includes lying to them about how their socially crippling condition may have some good aspects (while they are still young and unsophisticated enough that they might halfway believe it). In actuality, telling a shy person what great social skills he has, because he can listen, is like telling a quadraplegic what a good baseball player he is, because he makes such a good first base.

 

[jgw]

thanks, jgw. this really is not that deep a subject ...

I'm not saying anything is deep here. It's just an interesting observation that's interesting because it's unexpected.

You directed me to a site where they attempt to give shy people with very low self-esteem issues some little thing they can feel good about, even though most of the stuff on the site is a crock of s. A "good listener," for instance, is not any kind of a conversationalist. "Conversations" go two ways. If you're sitting, cringing, in a corner, as far away from people as you can get without actually hiding, and listening to some stange person who is assaulting you with words, you are not exhibiting a social skill -- you're enduring the verbal equavalent of a mugging. The aim of the website is to get people over their shyness, so they are not socially crippled anymore, by any means necessary, and that includes lying to them about how their socially crippling condition may have some good aspects (while they are still young and unsophisticated enough that they might halfway believe it). In actuality, telling a shy person what great social skills he has, because he can listen, is like telling a quadraplegic what a good baseball player he is, because he makes such a good first base.

Yes, that site is for people who probably have real difficulties with their lives because of it being severely subdued by their shyness. I've never thought that some shy people don't need some sort of encouragement and help. Some will be the sort of people you are meaning. But not all shy people are going to sit and cringe in a corner; everyone's different. As I've said before, not all 'shy' people are affected so severely. Do you really think that everyone who could be called shy is as severely affected as that? You can't really make sweeping generalisations like that.

Lying to them? Oh come on! There have been people replying to this thread who call themselves shy. These people do do photography and can relate their photography experiences and abilities to their shyness. I'll repeat, I'm not saying that all shy people would make good photographers, (because of the differing severeness' of the condition) and I'm not saying that only shy people would be good at photography; or indeed, that they'd be better than anyone who wasn't shy! All this would be stupid. It's simply an observation relating to personality types. Please answer these two questions: do you really think that everyone who could be called shy would be a social cripple? Can't you see that different personality types can lean towards having different strengths; different abilities?

(This fact is well known to psychologists. If you really want to, I'm sure you'll find a page on the web or Wikipedia about personality psychology, and self-esteem comes into this. Also, some severe shyness' can start to overlap into aspects of autism, and it's common knowledge that some autistic people can be in the territory of the genius at some things, yet completely in need of full-term care in everyday life. I'm including these contrasts because it sometimes helps when understanding or explaining a theory hypothesis. Also, this is a very interesting area, but outside the bounds of 'Philosophy of Photography'!)

Hey FallisPhoto, you realise that by pursuing this we might be endangering the health of that newspaperguy. I wouldn't like him to have a stroke!

I'm going to be away for a few weeks or so now, and for most of that time without use of my computer. I'll catch up later. Also, I'm afraid that baseball analogy was lost on me as I'm in the UK! Do you mean rounders?😉