Author Topic: Bad Taste vs Profitability (Creating burning skylines) (Read 9056 times)

Brasilnut · « **on:** April 19, 2019, 10:18 »

Further to the fire at Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral, I recently had an idea to create a series of apocalyptic scenarios using Photoshop to license as stock.

However, where should one draw the line between bad taste vs profitability? I discuss some of these dilemmas on the following blog post:

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2019/04/19/creating-apocalyptic-cityscapes-controversial-post/

Do you have any similar situations where you hesitate to upload some images due to negative connotations and potential backlashes?

Look forward to a positive discussion, despite the subject matter not being so positive!

Chichikov · « **Reply #1 on:** April 19, 2019, 10:30 »

I like the idea. Why not? Why always hide behind good thinking (most of the time only hypocrisy…)
But I would like to see some reflection of the "wheel of fire" in the water…

Brasilnut · « **Reply #2 on:** April 19, 2019, 10:44 »

Quote from: Chichikov on April 19, 2019, 10:30

I like the idea. Why not? Why always hide behind good thinking (most of the time only hypocrisy…)
But I would like to see some reflection of the "wheel of fire" in the water…

Thanks, good tip about the ring of fire. I agree that it's probably overthinking.

Would you upload the burning Jerusalem series if you were me?

dpimborough · « **Reply #3 on:** April 19, 2019, 10:57 »

If you ask a question like the one above then you descend into self censorship.

Art is a mirror of the world

obj owl · « **Reply #4 on:** April 19, 2019, 11:25 »

I think you overstepped the line by using an egg custard to represent the ring of fire, oh bugger I think that I just over stepped the forum etiquette line.

One man's line is another man's skipping rope.

georgep7 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 19, 2019, 11:44 »

Notre Dame in flames, what's next? A research in London fire security systems.

Sold!

Here is an editor's opinion: we execute it the best possible way with any skills and fantasy we can put the given time. Use whatever you have or you can think of and you can create it. People might judge if composition is well framed, elements are in a natural order, color matching, even the physics, is it possible the wheel to fall this way? Is it even possible to set Jerusalem on fire? who? Why? Perhaps you must add some solders shooting the arsonists!

I remember an image of yours in your blog, a drone in an airport, photoshopped i think. Well, the axis of the drone vs of the landscape image was not... You know... "So what?" You don't care as long as the final (possible) customer is willing to pay for it. As long as almost everything exist in photos and videos shot from any possible angle, a creative manipupation of existing images sounds a nice idea. In fact, that sounds as an excellent idea!

Brasilnut · « **Reply #6 on:** April 19, 2019, 11:59 »

Seems like the consensus here is that:

"If you build it, I'll destroy it"

obj owl · « **Reply #7 on:** April 19, 2019, 12:07 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 19, 2019, 11:59

Seems like the consensus here is that:

"If you build it, I'll destroy it"

Can you have a consensus with only four comments? My comment was about perspective, we all have one and the lines look different to everybody.

cobalt · « **Reply #8 on:** April 19, 2019, 12:23 »

Catastrophic images of fire, flood, earthquakes, climate change...think of all the images with New York drowning in thew sea etc...of course, why not.

Anyone who wants to discuss risk factors will need images for the discussion.

I really see no problem with that.

It is not like you are endorsing disasters, you are offering materiaL to help prevent them.

And some people will use it for raves and parties as well...let'ts burn down the house with our groove kind of event. Why not??

We all watch fantasy stories, play cruel computer games and people still now it is fiction.

StanRohrer · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2019, 12:26 »

Put up some of your "benign" or "less controversial" work and maybe people will contact you for commissioned images for their projects. Perhaps you would feel better suited for fiction use as opposed to political commentary. You would have more control with a commissioned work than just anybody that could by from a stock agency. If your work is controversial, then commissioned work is against the project and maybe not so much your personal boundaries.

Not Today · « **Reply #10 on:** April 19, 2019, 12:39 »

Given that some agencies do not accept images of specific flags on fire due to laws around them... they might reject landscapes in similar situations (if fictional).

noodle · « **Reply #11 on:** April 19, 2019, 12:56 »

Hollywood makes lots of money on disasters/apocalyptic scenes in movies.

I don’t see anything inherently wrong with creating disaster scenarios.
But you will always have people who will Find some way to get offended to just about anything these days

Edit: I wish I had the skill set to post process stuff like this

georgep7 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 19, 2019, 13:06 »

Quote

Can you have a consensus with only four comments?

Here is a short story, when I was learning AE, i was astonished of the capabilities. I had a simple idea of a pigeon flying out of the font in a Christening highlights clip. I show it to some relevant people, they said that it was from bad taste to total disrespect to the ceremony itself. Dropped the idea. Four or five years later, a random photographer who didn't knew about the pigeon clip, asked me if I could "pull" a pigeon out of a font in a tilting clip.

And that is the beauty of the non perfectionist fantasy! No consesus needed. Not even a self one. Yes it needs lots of study and knowledge, eg fire with minor explosion will detonate from windows and doors starting from inside and not overlay the building, colors, amount of light and reflections must match the scene, bright the proper areas, dark mask everything else as long as fire... blah...blah.. Blah...

But a customer needing an 100% realistic final product will not buy random work, rather custom order it I guess...

Chichikov · « **Reply #13 on:** April 20, 2019, 02:18 »

Quote from: cobalt on April 19, 2019, 12:23

[…]
It is not like you are endorsing disasters, you are offering materiaL to help prevent them.

[…]

Good point, Madame Cobalt!

dpimborough · « **Reply #14 on:** April 20, 2019, 05:02 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 19, 2019, 10:44

Quote from: Chichikov on April 19, 2019, 10:30
I like the idea. Why not? Why always hide behind good thinking (most of the time only hypocrisy…)
But I would like to see some reflection of the "wheel of fire" in the water…

Thanks, good tip about the ring of fire. I agree that it's probably overthinking.

Would you upload the burning Jerusalem series if you were me?

Post them but only if you want to be a target of Mossad & Hezbollah

Not Today · « **Reply #15 on:** April 20, 2019, 05:05 »

I don't think it's worth the time uploading them to Microstock, there won't be enough buyers - the niche is too specific and people who want to illustrate articles will go for editorial as they want something real, but they might do well on POD websites like FAA for instance.

ShadySue · « **Reply #16 on:** April 20, 2019, 05:13 »

Quote from: Not Today on April 20, 2019, 05:05

I don't think it's worth the time uploading them to Microstock, there won't be enough buyers - the niche is too specific and people who want to illustrate articles will go for editorial as they want something real, but they might do well on POD websites like FAA for instance.

Because people want pictures of Jerusalem/other city burning on their walls?
Do you (meaning 'does one', not 'you' personally) really want to sell to/encourage that kind of person?

OTOH, it could count as evidence: the accused had a large image of X burning hanging in their living room.

Not Today · « **Reply #17 on:** April 20, 2019, 05:19 »

Quote from: ShadySue on April 20, 2019, 05:13

Quote from: Not Today on April 20, 2019, 05:05
I don't think it's worth the time uploading them to Microstock, there won't be enough buyers - the niche is too specific and people who want to illustrate articles will go for editorial as they want something real, but they might do well on POD websites like FAA for instance.
Because people want pictures of Jerusalem/other city burning on their walls?
Do you (meaning 'does one', not 'you' personally) really want to sell to/encourage that kind of person?

OTOH, it could count as evidence: the accused had a large image of X burning hanging in their living room.

I was thinking more about grungy t-shirts - or also props that could be used in fantasy movies/series

but yeah you might have a point.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #18 on:** April 20, 2019, 07:30 »

With all the comments above (thanks), I've decided to place the more contentious works as RM on Arcangel for niche book covers, although no guarantee they will take them.

For microstock, doesn't make sense and could easily fall into the wrong hands and/or people would be easily offended.

dpimborough · « **Reply #19 on:** April 20, 2019, 15:42 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 20, 2019, 07:30

With all the comments above (thanks), I've decided to place the more contentious works as RM on Arcangel for niche book covers, although no guarantee they will take them.

For microstock, doesn't make sense and could easily fall into the wrong hands and/or people would be easily offended.

Or they could be copied and re-uploaded by Shutterstocks pet image thiefs

ravens · « **Reply #20 on:** April 23, 2019, 04:26 »

Weighing the potential sales & potential trouble, I would not upload these images.

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 23, 2019, 07:43 »

You've done a nice job discussing the pros and cons in your blog post, and I think you've made the right decision to market those RM. I suspect the market may be limited but probably higher value, so perfect for RM. Personally I would stay away from Jerusalem or any other major holy sites - too much chance for someone to get offended, plus how would you feel if it was used on a terrorist recruiting site or pamphlet (or however they recruit people)?

Brasilnut · « **Reply #22 on:** April 23, 2019, 08:24 »

Thanks everybody for your comments. Yes Jerusalem is a tricky place at the best of times.

For the micros, can't go wrong with good old fashioned climate change!

Brasilnut · « **Reply #23 on:** April 27, 2019, 08:17 »

Ooops Arcangel not touching these Jerusalem disaster pics. Frustrating.

Too hot to handle in the Holy Land, literally!

dpimborough · « **Reply #24 on:** April 28, 2019, 19:06 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 27, 2019, 08:17

Ooops Arcangel not touching these Jerusalem disaster pics. Frustrating.

Too hot to handle in the Holy Land, literally!

Everybody is such a gang of feeble aholes these days so super sensitive about anything and everything

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Author Topic: Bad Taste vs Profitability (Creating burning skylines) (Read 9056 times)

Brasilnut

Chichikov

Brasilnut

dpimborough

obj owl

georgep7

Brasilnut

obj owl

cobalt

StanRohrer

Not Today

noodle

georgep7

Chichikov

dpimborough

Not Today

ShadySue

Not Today

Brasilnut

dpimborough

ravens

sgoodwin4813

Brasilnut

Brasilnut

dpimborough

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