We’re still buzzing along at the Airstream, working with clients, and planning for next month as well. Another client might be in the near future, and that’s great. Of course, we’re also still working toward rounding up the National Monuments here in AZ, so that project push is still going on as well. If we start a few weeks later, so be it.
The National Monuments Book isn’t about a vacation.
I do have to say I have been very pleased that most people have understood what we’re planning on for the National Monuments. The attempt to create the first real guides for the National Monuments in the Southwest is a serious project that I have wanted to do for years. And documenting so many is anything but a vacation. Fortunately until a few days ago nobody has ever groused that they thought we were trying to fund a vacation. What happened a few days ago? The first disparaging comment on Twitter.
What was interesting was what happened next. The person who sent along the negative Tweet took it down…..unfortunately my iPhone kept the notification so I saw the comment. And then the “tweeter” followed me. Yup, started following me. So I thought to myself, “Ah well, maybe they read the whole project idea and figured I’m not trying to fund a vacation.”
Quite honestly if I was trying to fund a vacation I’d head over to GoFundMe where you don’t have to offer incentives or products. You can just post a request for some money. As we are serious about creating a series on the National Monuments that’s not the route I chose.
I’m lucky enough to know some extremely talented people. Friends who have published incredible guide books (Bert, I’m talking to you), amazing graphic designers (that would be you Ryan), and internationally known artists (hey Bret & Don). And you know what? While some people think they’re just doing what they love, goofing off, and doing jobs you’d “kill” to do, there’s a lot of work behind it. I can say for a fact that when Bert sets out to do a new guide book it is anything but a vacation. And when Bret (heh, Bert and Bret) sets pen to paper it isn’t him doodling his day away, he is creating iconic figures that we all know and love (DC & Marvel sure take Bret seriously).
So, if we’re setting out to create a guide that could be of use to travelers who visit the Southwest, how exactly is that a vacation?
Trolls will be trolls
After seeing the comment taken down and getting a new follow I figured I’d watch and wait. And it didn’t take long.
Yesterday I posted a very old, very over cooked HDR of the Airstream from back in the day when I was experimenting with HDR. It was a picture for fun, nothing more. Interestingly enough when I first did the shot it generated a ton of interest and many print sales as well. I knew it was over cooked, and an example of taking HDR too far. But ah well, many folks dug it!
Of course, my new follower popped something up today on the image being an example of bad HDR. I knew it wouldn’t take long to see negative comments from him (read through his threads and that told me enough), and fortunately there is a block button on Twitter. There’s actually “block” for just about everything on the net. So it’s pretty easy to put trolls where they belong back under their bridges.
This is Shaux Faux. If you see her coming your way you might want to log off for the evening.
If you really need to troll, play a video game
For those moments when I am personally at the end of my rope with humanity I too will allow myself to become a troll. No I don’t run around bad mouthing other creatives who are working at their craft. I don’t take pot shots at surrealist painters who do what they do, compose angry notes about writers who write post-modernist rants, or look around for photographers to pick at…… None of that. So what kind of troll am I?
A super cute one!
Shaux Faux is my alter ego when I need to troll the world. Actually I don’t troll the world, I troll a made up world in GW2. It’s a fun game, although I barely get to play it these days as we’re just too busy. But when a free moment comes up in the evening Shaux goes out trolling in a place called “World vs World.”
The whole point of WvW is pretty simple. The server you live on versus 2 other servers in the game. 3 servers clashing for a week at a time, and then you get new opponents. Many groups will run out together and try to take enemy server held territory. They’ll build catapults, arrow carts, ballistas, and giant battle suits. They work cooperatively to push the enemy servers back.
Shaux’s Flame Outfit. On really bad days you’ll see her with a flaming pumpkin head helmet on. If you’re solo you’re gonna get rolled!
9 times out of 10 that’s not what Shaux is for. She’s for a whole different type of mission. Solo Roaming. Seeking out small groups of enemies, torturing them by winning 4v1 engagements (me being 1, them being 4), and then having a giggle when they’ll finally send 20 guys just to take her down.
In short, I troll small groups with Shaux in order to hone my skills in fighting outnumbered. Well, it’s not even about honing the skills. It’s about trouncing the enemies so badly that they want to log off for the night. Now that’s true trolling!
So, to all the trolls out there. If you really want to pick away at me, my project, photography style, where I live, what I do for work, my friends, my family, and what I consider to be fun I have a simple suggestion. Buy a copy of Guild Wars 2, pick any server but HoD, and come find me. When you are defeated a hologram of a laughing pumpkin head will float above your toon for a few seconds, and you’ll know what real trolling is all about!