So if i brush past another person in the street it is usually followed by an apology from both of us with each party acknowledging fault. If we were in cars our response would be seasoned with less grace and the fault would definitely be the other guys.

It’s a minor thing and we are far from a jekyll and hyde

For most of us the internet creates a good medium. We might say things a little more direct at times than we would face to face but we own the opinions we provide.

Trolls are usually people who want to be liked, desperately appreciated. They feel a lack of appreciation and they focus their anger at someone who gets the recognition they feel they deserve.

No way would they want someone to think they are as nasty as the person who wants to say the things they want to so they hide.

It truly is the biggest act of cowardice but under anonymity no one knows who the coward is and they can live with that as long as they can vent.

Great blog post Skip.

Let’s face it – most of the people who make it to the top of the online social media space are constantly attacked no matter what they do. Everyone from Scott Kelby to Seth Godin to Rober Scoble has their share of trolls. Bourne is in the same boat.

While I don’t always agree with him, I guarantee you I have learned more from him than anyone else in my life. He doesn’t charge a penny for his blog, podcast or social media content. And gets a great big bunch of grief in return. I am surprised the guy even bothers to try to help.

His points on pricing are right on and I back him up on this one.

Frankly, if you look at the list of people attacking Scott, they don’t have the combined credibility of Richard Nixon. Thanks Skip for sticking up for Scott’s efforts to keep prices real.

And it’s a deflection because they don’t like my opinion.

I find it interesting that you and others touting that story haven’t spoken out against the threats of violence against me.

In any event, as someone with a large audience, I realize there’s a large target on my back. There’s no way to defend myself against the lies so I won’t bother trying. My post speaks for itself. If people just don’t like me, my style, my approach, they’re free to move on. It’s a big world. According to what I’ve seen from many of them they are using their dislike of me personally to try to deflate the valid points I made on pricing – which is what they were originally (and actually) mad about.

There are so many people that have gone into photography since the “digital slr revolution”. Many of these may have the love and passion the job requires, but they don’t have the knowledge and skills to have such an important event as a wedding placed in their inexperienced hands.

To reply to Andrew, your best bet is to find your local network of professional photographers and offer your services as an assistant – carry bags and lenses if you must. Work your way in to being a second shooter on weddings and build your portfolio that way. Don’t be afraid to offer to assist portrait and commercial photographers also. You will learn skills vital for wedding photography from these professionals. There are many workshop opportunities that will also allow you to build portfolio images.

Having our industry brought to its knees by the these photographers who undercharge and shoot 2000 images to get 200 semi-decent ones is hurting the profession and the individual photographers. As pros, we have the responsibility to take these people under our wing and train them to see what a precious commodity we provide our clients and that it should be priced to reflect its true value.

This is a subject near and dear to me, and I could go on and on, but I hope this can steer just one aspiring photographer to learn what it takes to create value in your craft and price your work accordingly so that our clients see that value.

There’s also no point in being childish and blocking people because they disagree with you, when that person respected you as a photographer and look up to you for advice.

I understand the other side of the argument because I was there not too long ago. But to the $500 wedding photographer I will say this… You will only be worth what you charge. But in the meantime, you charging $500 for a wedding brings down the value of the very people you are aspiring to be. And once you feel like you are worth more than $500, what are you going to do when your next door neighbor buys a camera and a website?