Need to change terminology
Jun 14, 2023 10:05:54 #
Over the years photograhers have adopted a wealth of slang and strange terminology. When I was coming up in the industry in New York City we had some colloquialisms that may have been native to that locale.
Some examples:
Photographers that did baby and child portraits at the Cleints' homes, on a mass production scale, were called "KIDNAPPERS" Imagine doing that work and trying to explain to your grandmother what you do for a living.
The sales folks who presented PROOFS at studios were called "PROOF-PASSERS (sounds nefarious).
The darkroom technician and photograhers who made proofs and prints did not MAKE or PRODUCE prints they "PULLED PROOFS OR PRINTS".
We did not DEVELOP or PROCESS film and prints, we "SOUPED THEM"!
The problem was that all this lingo was OK if used internally by the studio's staff but unfortunately, much of it leaked into the language used in speaking to clients. Imagine telling a potential client "I'm gonna SHOOT your kid, soup the negs, pull some proofs, the proof-passer will show them to you, and then we'll pull the finished PICTURES. It's extra for retouching the diaper rash! I don't have to imagine this- I have seen and heard it.
Then "PROOFS" became a dirty word. Proofs were considered rough prints used only to select poses and expressions. Studios wanted to sell them as add-ons after the orders were taken, so to give proofs more perceived value they had to be called "PREVIEWS". Some photograhers went a stretch further and l called them "DEBUT" prints and set appointments for a, you guest it, "A DEBUT" of your images. It became so complicated that customers did not know what anyone was talking about. And...they are NOT "pictures" they are "PHOTOGRAPHS"? NO- now they have fancy names, "the Victorian Series" "The Classic" whatever! Nix all that- now the are IMAGES, just lie X-Rays, and psychotic delusions or visions of monsters! Maybe too many euphemisms are worse or more confusing than straight talk.
I am a bad boy- I still use the word "shoot"- sometimes. They are still used in it "Hollywood" and all over the world in cinematography and motion picture production. I do, however, detest the term "HEAD-SHOT". First, let me explain whereit came from. Model agences would issue a "HEAD SHEET" a kind of poster with a closeup image of each of their available models. These are distributed to photographers, art directors, ad agencies, and fashion coordinators. Just the face of each person. The client can scan the sheet, select a few candidates and ask for an audition or a composite with more variety and full-length images. So, new modes came in for a headshot or experienced models need updates.
Here's my issue. A headshot is not really a properly composed head and shoulder portrait- for many reasons. Now here is the bad stuff- really bad! (UGH) It goes back to my days in boot camp- Advanced Infantry Training. The firearms instructor was talking (barking) about the difference between "shoot to kill" and "shoot to disable". There were terms like "body mass shots" and you guest it again "A HEAD SHOT". Well, sadly enough, if you shoot someone in the head, it is unlikely they will survive. I will not talk about my little 2-year vacation in Viet Nam, but suffice it to say when I hear the" term "headshot", I wanna regurgitate! It seems I hear it every day and I have to schedule my launch hour accordingly!
A local politician get into PR trouble when he called the crowd of press photogehrs that "stalked" the halls of Parliament the Paparazzi and "a FIRING SQUAD"! So what's the drill?...ready... aim...PHOTOGRAPH!
Nowadays the epitome of "NOT GOOD" is telling someone "I SHOOT SCHOOLS" I'm sure that the S.W.A.T. team will visit your home in an armored truck or a tank. That will really mess up your lawn and not go over well with the neighbors.
How can I stop using the word "shoot"? I guess can use my 3rd-grade teacher, Miss Indish, remedy for bad habits. I can still hear her stern voice now "EDWARD, you are to write "I will not carve my initials in my desk
anymore"- 500 times"!
Funny- A few months ago one of my clients, a National Museum, call me in to do some art reproduction of a traveling collection of a priceless masterpiece. They had secured permission to create a compilation printing of several "old Masters" work. I was greeted at the door by the chief curator who said "Wait 'till you see these PICTURES"! Plain talk!
Legal note: I do not mean any of this to make light of gun violence, especially in schools. Up here n Canada there are extremely restrictive firearms laws. No open carry, no automatic weapons, no concealed firearms, and the penalties are severe. Yet, mass shootings have occurred here and lately, there have been many threats, lock-downs, and actual mass shooting incidents in local schools and shoppg centers, and houses of worship.
Some examples:
Photographers that did baby and child portraits at the Cleints' homes, on a mass production scale, were called "KIDNAPPERS" Imagine doing that work and trying to explain to your grandmother what you do for a living.
The sales folks who presented PROOFS at studios were called "PROOF-PASSERS (sounds nefarious).
The darkroom technician and photograhers who made proofs and prints did not MAKE or PRODUCE prints they "PULLED PROOFS OR PRINTS".
We did not DEVELOP or PROCESS film and prints, we "SOUPED THEM"!
The problem was that all this lingo was OK if used internally by the studio's staff but unfortunately, much of it leaked into the language used in speaking to clients. Imagine telling a potential client "I'm gonna SHOOT your kid, soup the negs, pull some proofs, the proof-passer will show them to you, and then we'll pull the finished PICTURES. It's extra for retouching the diaper rash! I don't have to imagine this- I have seen and heard it.
Then "PROOFS" became a dirty word. Proofs were considered rough prints used only to select poses and expressions. Studios wanted to sell them as add-ons after the orders were taken, so to give proofs more perceived value they had to be called "PREVIEWS". Some photograhers went a stretch further and l called them "DEBUT" prints and set appointments for a, you guest it, "A DEBUT" of your images. It became so complicated that customers did not know what anyone was talking about. And...they are NOT "pictures" they are "PHOTOGRAPHS"? NO- now they have fancy names, "the Victorian Series" "The Classic" whatever! Nix all that- now the are IMAGES, just lie X-Rays, and psychotic delusions or visions of monsters! Maybe too many euphemisms are worse or more confusing than straight talk.
I am a bad boy- I still use the word "shoot"- sometimes. They are still used in it "Hollywood" and all over the world in cinematography and motion picture production. I do, however, detest the term "HEAD-SHOT". First, let me explain whereit came from. Model agences would issue a "HEAD SHEET" a kind of poster with a closeup image of each of their available models. These are distributed to photographers, art directors, ad agencies, and fashion coordinators. Just the face of each person. The client can scan the sheet, select a few candidates and ask for an audition or a composite with more variety and full-length images. So, new modes came in for a headshot or experienced models need updates.
Here's my issue. A headshot is not really a properly composed head and shoulder portrait- for many reasons. Now here is the bad stuff- really bad! (UGH) It goes back to my days in boot camp- Advanced Infantry Training. The firearms instructor was talking (barking) about the difference between "shoot to kill" and "shoot to disable". There were terms like "body mass shots" and you guest it again "A HEAD SHOT". Well, sadly enough, if you shoot someone in the head, it is unlikely they will survive. I will not talk about my little 2-year vacation in Viet Nam, but suffice it to say when I hear the" term "headshot", I wanna regurgitate! It seems I hear it every day and I have to schedule my launch hour accordingly!
A local politician get into PR trouble when he called the crowd of press photogehrs that "stalked" the halls of Parliament the Paparazzi and "a FIRING SQUAD"! So what's the drill?...ready... aim...PHOTOGRAPH!
Nowadays the epitome of "NOT GOOD" is telling someone "I SHOOT SCHOOLS" I'm sure that the S.W.A.T. team will visit your home in an armored truck or a tank. That will really mess up your lawn and not go over well with the neighbors.
How can I stop using the word "shoot"? I guess can use my 3rd-grade teacher, Miss Indish, remedy for bad habits. I can still hear her stern voice now "EDWARD, you are to write "I will not carve my initials in my desk
anymore"- 500 times"!
Funny- A few months ago one of my clients, a National Museum, call me in to do some art reproduction of a traveling collection of a priceless masterpiece. They had secured permission to create a compilation printing of several "old Masters" work. I was greeted at the door by the chief curator who said "Wait 'till you see these PICTURES"! Plain talk!
Legal note: I do not mean any of this to make light of gun violence, especially in schools. Up here n Canada there are extremely restrictive firearms laws. No open carry, no automatic weapons, no concealed firearms, and the penalties are severe. Yet, mass shootings have occurred here and lately, there have been many threats, lock-downs, and actual mass shooting incidents in local schools and shoppg centers, and houses of worship.
Jun 14, 2023 10:58:36 #
Longshadow wrote:
Does that mean we can't say "Oh, shoot!" instead of "Oh shit!" anymore?
(Gonna need a larger bandwagon.)
Does that mean we can't say "Oh, shoot!" instead of "Oh shit!" anymore?
(Gonna need a larger bandwagon.)
We could say, “Ahh! Fudge Cookies.” But, I’m retrospect we really should be considerate of others. In that regard the Admin won’t need to grab our ankles and drag us up the 39 stairs to The Attic, banging the back of our head all the way!
Jun 14, 2023 12:19:15 #
Scruples wrote:
We could say, “Ahh! Fudge Cookies.” But, I’m retrospect we really should be considerate of others. In that regard the Admin won’t need to grab our ankles and drag us up the 39 stairs to The Attic, banging the back of our head all the way!
That could be considered offensive to overweight people...........
Best just not to speak anymore.
Jun 14, 2023 12:28:49 #
Longshadow wrote:
Does that mean we can't say "Oh, shoot!" instead of "Oh shit!" anymore?
(Gonna need a larger bandwagon.)
Does that mean we can't say "Oh, shoot!" instead of "Oh shit!" anymore?
(Gonna need a larger bandwagon.)
Frankly, "Oh CRAP," works just as well as either...
Jun 14, 2023 12:33:53 #
burkphoto wrote:
Frankly, "Oh CRAP," works just as well as either...
Amazing how six synonyms can be used, but one is considered "offensive".....
Jun 14, 2023 12:41:25 #
Longshadow wrote:
……Best just not to speak anymore….
……Best just not to speak anymore….
I am at a point in my life that if I say anything to anyone it will be in Klingonese so that only a limited few will understand and the rest of you Earthlings think I am speaking jibberish!
Jun 14, 2023 12:42:46 #
Longshadow wrote:
That could be considered offensive to overweight people...........
Hey, I resemble that remark!
Jun 14, 2023 13:08:01 #
Scruples wrote:
I am at a point in my life that if I say anything to anyone it will be in Klingonese so that only a limited few will understand and the rest of you Earthlings think I am speaking jibberish!
Jun 14, 2023 13:08:41 #
Scruples wrote:
Hey, I resemble that remark!
Oops.....
See what I mean?
Jun 14, 2023 13:12:05 #
No matter which term you use, in today's toxic social media atmosphere someone, somewhere, at some time is going to complain about what you say. To their complaints, I say "Stuff it!".
Trapper1
Trapper1
Jun 14, 2023 13:29:19 #
trapper1 wrote:
No matter which term you use, in today's toxic social media atmosphere someone, somewhere, at some time is going to complain about what you say. To their complaints, I say "Stuff it!".
Trapper1
Trapper1
♫ ♪ Suck it up buttercup,
don't break my heart... ♪♫
Jun 14, 2023 14:30:29 #
I would like to offer all who have a problem with my opinion. Gee, I’m not sorry because my opinion is mine. But if you are having a problem, here is a non environmentally friendly plastic straw. Now you can go suck it up!
Jun 14, 2023 15:16:18 #
Scruples wrote:
I would like to offer all who have a problem with my opinion. Gee, I’m not sorry because my opinion is mine. But if you are having a problem, here is a non environmentally friendly plastic straw. Now you can go suck it up!
I don't have a problem with your opinion,
I just don't agree with it.
Big difference........
Jun 14, 2023 15:25:54 #
Longshadow wrote:
I don't have a problem with your opinion,
I just don't agree with it.
Big difference........
I just don't agree with it.
Big difference........
That’s okay. You are fine to disagree with me. As for me I can’t like everyone.
I can only say, thank you and be well.
Jun 14, 2023 15:42:09 #
Scruples wrote:
As my main career is as a pharmacist, I would not want to harm others. It is a sacred trust to do my best to help all.
That is how we have always looked at things on the farm. Full disclosure, total honesty, always be available, answer all questions, treat everyone with dignity and respect, safety first in all things. We always said that no one goes hungry in the county so long as we are farming, and we will always be the employer of last resort for folks who need a second chance or a fresh start.
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