Common Taters

Once again, here's the amazing Mandy. She posted this photo over on her Deviant Art page, along with a few others of mine. She was even bold enough to post one racy image meant for The Dirty Show that I've been undecided about posting here. I was a little surprised at the number of comments she's received over there, and just how complimentary they are. Dozens of people have tagged the images as "favorites" too. Obviously, she merits heaps of compliments, but in general people don't always take the time to do so. Way to go, Mandy.

The "currency" of most portfolio websites is the comment. A photographer or model posts an image, and members of the site can leave comments, which are almost always praise for the image and the people involved. Image commenting is pretty universal, from the more "serious" work on Deviant Art and Model Mayhem, to MySpace and Flickr, which run the gamut from cameraphone snapshots to fine art.

Some might maintain that these sorts of compliments are irrelevant to a true artist, but deep down, I believe every artist wants to be seen and appreciated. I enjoy receiving comments and compliments on my work, and knowing that it's being seen by people looking for quality. Making art is its own reward, but there is tremendous satisfaction in finding an audience to share with, and in knowing a shot has prompted someone to at least take the time to post a comment.