While drafting my next post, I remembered a little anecdote from a few years ago at a friend’s wedding. They’ve been friends since high school, and there were a few people that I knew but hadn’t seen since graduation.

Anyway, I was chatting with this group when the first drinks started rolling during the reception. One of the girls (who I believe is a graphic designer) asked me where I got the photos I uploaded to Instagram.

Since I am sometimes oblivious, I took her quite literally and thought this was a workflow question. She’s a designer, after all. So, I explained that I usually pick a few after processing the RAWs, crop if needed, and resize so Instagram won’t destroy the image quality.

She clearly didn’t mean that, which prompted her to repeat the question. So, I went again to explain the workflow in a little more detail, including how I then upload using the phone app instead of the browser and that I get the files from the computer to the phone using Nextcloud (if you don’t know what that is, think a self-hosted Dropbox or Google Drive thing).

Again, this is not what she meant, and she repeated the question once more. Confused, I paused while my stupid brain processed her meaning, and it finally clicked. She asked where the actual photos came from. The implication was that they were not mine.

I’m not tactful at all, so I just replied (paraphrasing here), “They’re mine, but thanks, you probably like them if you think otherwise.” Obviously, the conversation ended right there.

I don’t know if they meant it as an insult or if it is one of those awkward things people say without realizing it. Or maybe it was one of those “your camera takes nice pictures” moments we’re all familiar with, where no harm is intended.

But remembering little exchanges like these makes me wonder if sometimes I’m too self-deprecating when judging my photos. After all, I have yet to capture something I’m genuinely fond of. But that’s okay because it gives me an excuse to keep searching for what I want. And that means going out and taking photos. And having fun.

PS: Remember you can find the crap I take on my free time on my Instagram account.