White Male Privilege in Photography - from a white man
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Lets talk about white privilege in the profession of photography.
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This is one of many useful links www.the-aop.org/information/f22-women
I should also add that I have not always been perfect or anywhere near that with any of this stuff, it is however something I constantly work on to be more aware of and to become a better person.
Grew up below the poverty line, worked in the fields as a migrant farm worker sun-up to sun-down as a little kid. Didn't know who my father was until I was 15, mother prostituted herself to put food on the table and went to prison for murder.
Put into foster care. Graduated high school with honors, served 21 yrs in a military Special Operations community and retired, served 15 yrs as a police officer then a high school teacher. Blessed life. Oh, and I'm white, so I guess that's how I made it because I was so privileged.
Thats a tough life mate. White privilege though is not having it easy, it's not having the addition of not being a white male. So a non white male can have an easier life than you 100%. It isn't saying white men don't have hardships. You have clearly had more than your fair share, as I have I. The difference being that on top of it, the colour of our skin and gender isn't an additional consideration. The same with upper class privilege. just because you were born upper class doesn't mean you can't have a harder life than a working class person, but you wont be judged for your class as well as any hardships you may face.
Hope that helps clarify.
@@TinHouseStudioUK So, you're presupposition, that is completely based on skin color and race, is that I made it but it was much easier for me because I'm white. If I had been black or any other darker malanin toned skin, I'd have found it more difficult or not made it out of my cirmustances at all. I appreciate your candor but there's no way not to find the conclusions you draw racist. Be well and enjoy not being repressed I guess.
@@navvetcoperator973 no not at all. If two individuals in photography had the exact same life, but one wasn’t white and male, that person would have additional barriers that myself as a white man doesn’t face. Hope that helps clarify
@@navvetcoperator973 nobody said that you had an easy time, they’re just saying that your whiteness isn’t the reason why your life was hard.
@@MissAngie25 No embelishment, just truth. Your statement is wrong along with your preconceived notions based on skin color.
In those migrant camps I was jumped, attacked, beaten up and once choked unconscious by black and latino kids much older than me. Why? They said so, I can still hear it; "That's what you git white boy!" as they beat me and spit on me.
Growing up in primarily black and latino neighborhoods as I grew up, I'd get jumped in school or black and latino kids would come up in groups of 2, 3 or more, kick me in the back as I walked down the hall, take my lunch, pens, papers or any small amount of change I may have by force or punch me in the face and dare me to do something about it. That's how it was up until my sophomore - senior year in high school.
I could have and maybe should have grown up with well-founded racist thoughts against people of color but I didn't.
Bottom-line, I refused to play the victim for the rest of my life do in the largest part because God saved my soul when I was 15 and that changed everything for me.
Look, I was victimized by my own family members, shot, stabbed, burned, neglected and nearly intenionally drown three times by them, then victimized by people of color for no other reason than I was white.
You're hanging on to victimhood like a drowning man holds onto a life-ring when the best thing to do is learn how to swim and make your way to safety.
Hey Scott. Thanks for making this video. This is one of the best talks on privilege I've seen in any space or industry.
I appreciate that!
I was a filipino kid who started my career at 19. I understood that it can help to be white but in America it made more of a difference to get my act together. I was glad for all the wonderful Jews that hired me as well as the women who hired me. My career started as the assistant to Susan Einstein and my first job was at the Getty Museum. In the USA at least, whatever race you are, keep focusing on making great work and you have a chance. I appreciate this video you made.
As a black woman, thank you for this. There are still too many people who don't get this, as seen in some of the comments here even. If I may, you shouldn't be ashamed of your chav accent or try to get rid of it. I know so many council estate kids (of all colours but all with the same accent) who won't allow themselves to dream about being in a position such as yours one day, because they think that their lives are reduced to their estate and that it's impossible to break the class ceiling sounding like they do. Seeing people with the same background as theirs making it out there in the world, and being represented is important. So don't fight the accent, it's a beautiful one owned by a many beautiful people.
It's a privilege to blame the skin colors of other people for your problems
Honestly this is not true true. This is just the pressure of political correctness bro. . Photography and the arts are probably the most wide-open professions to women and people of color. Some of the biggest names in photography are women.
It's a shame that this video is even needed, but you nailed it perfectly.
As a black woman in America, I agree with everything you said. That is not to say that I never get opportunities. However, I have more hurtles to jump over than most.
🎻
Brilliant video! And as a white male who grew up without a lot of money and had to work hard just to be where I am, I totally agree. Saying I had opportunities other might not have had because I’m a white male isn’t the same as saying I’ve never struggled.
I would say one of the postives with photography is the neurodiversity. Having ADHD or autism doesn’t have to affect your opportunities.
Different countries are different countries. If you move to China or Japan, the locals will prefer the Chinese or Japanese over you. Most people prefer the "familiar and traditional" over something else. You went "further" not because you are white, but because you are white *in the UK.* Try the same in most African countries, and your whiteness will become a gigantic disadvantage.
As far as being a male, try getting hired as a straight male in the fashion industry. In my industry (translation industry), 95% of project managers are female, and none (0%) of them were ever translators or ever gotten any specialization in the field, educational or otherwise. You are trying to judge societies with your material being: a) a tiny geographic area and b) a tiny profession in terms of numbers. And finally, most women I know make good money because they are *not* photographers. Why would you want to push women into an industry where 60% can't even pay their rent?
White woman with disability here. And yes, I’m a photographer. I just wanted to say thank you. I appreciate white guys who aren’t all defense a lot.
Thank you for being the first in our field to recognize this and actually say something. Truly appreciate. Love you videos.
More BTS using phase one cameras 🙏🏽
Thanks for this Scott. 💯 Great video and your viewpoint is accurate from my experience. Those that feel bad when privilege is discussed are often the same people who want to deny they have it because they benefit from it in some way; and recognition destroys the feeling of achievement via meritocracy. I am a mixed black/white male and I have long understood the challenges I will continue to face, but I also recognise that helping to educate/support the learning of others can reduce the impact of unconscious bias (which is often a key factor in our held beliefs). Acknowledgement of the issues/challenges faced by ourselves/others is the first step toward working toward resolving them. To recognise privilege is to begin to understand the complexities of many factors that negatively impact those who do not and/or cannot have access to the benefits of said privileges. I take my hat off to you Sir; as you are the first white male photography based RUclipsr that I have seen address this. ❤️😊
Bravo!!! I’m a Mexican professional working in Japan and I found best jobs and salaries are always for white native English speakers.
Thank you from a Black photographer living in the states.
Being a person who has lived both experiences; most of my life as a white male and more recently transitioning to female. I can say through my experience, that I have had far more perceived advantages being seen as female than I ever did as being seen as a male. I believe there are advantages and disadvantages to any perception in this world. So I am often confused as to why society does not see the advantages of other races and genders and similarly refer to them as a "privilege."
This guy is just being brutally honest. If it stings just let it inspire you to push further and become better than the competition.
so true. photography has a lot of gatekeeping going on. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but here in germany it is nearly impossible to build a career in advertising photography without a “wealthy” background from your family. In germany there is no upfront payment “culture”, to realize a production you first need to afford it. the better, bigger clients the worst it gets. one example, you might finish your universtity and get your first job and because you are not a geared up rich kid you need to rent light, cameras, grip - you have to make a deposit for it, normally at the msrp - good look with this. rent a 2 profoto packs with heads and a phaseone - 60k deposit or more .... this was keeping out all the kids coming from working class families.
this is also the reason why the last maybe 5 years with godox and the shift to mirrorless is more than groundbreaking.
when most of the even best paid pros working with godox on set and sony so similar, clients are not demanding this hughe show off with clumsy gear anymore. this was so different when I startet in the 2000s. I had this working class background without a wealthy home and it was a struggle - I had jobs I had to give away because I couldn't afford them. And this has also a lot to do with the "white male privilege". I would even call it rich white male.
I'm a white male about to turn 68. I have lived in Texas for almost 47 years but grew up in New England in a city that had two Black families. My town was ethnically divided between Italians and French (Canadian) and while they segregated themselves and never sought conflict, they didn't necessarily like each other either. Then Puerto Ricans moved0 in to town and they became the focus of ridicule and derision. When I first moved to Texas locals were really down on Yankees, yet no one wanted to segregate me or refused to give me a chance. After all, I am still white and male. The white majority/minority here is still finding ways to make life harder for Hispanics and Blacks. New laws are passed here against women, transexuals and gays every time the legislature has the chance. I don't like it. If I could move, I would, but much like everyone else, my issues would move with me. It would not be a cure. Here's how I view my biases because I do have them. Regardless of any of the slots we seem to use for categorizing people, If I like someone I do. If I don't like someone then I don't. I try to work life on a case-by-case basis. It's too easy and lazy to rail against groups. My so called system works for me. I do know I've had it easier in a lot of cases because I am white.
Thanks Scott, let's not forget to include non-binary and trans folks in our discourse.
I’m an American of Mexican descent with a dark brown skin complexion. I work in Camera retail, and I have noticed certain customers will disregard me and go to my white male coworkers. Even when I’m fully capable of describing the various products we sale.
I really appreciate this. It’s not easy for someone who is privileged to realize the impacts of it. I’ve seen so many awful white photographers have huge success and are celebrated, while talented photographers of color aren’t given any praise.
There are countless studies that have proven things like that white men with criminal records are just as or more likely to get jobs than black men with absolutely no criminal records (when submitting the exact same resume!)
In all industries, being white dramatically increases your chances of success regardless of your skills. It makes me sad to see people upset and thinking it’s unfair that there are internships and contests that are exclusive to underprivileged groups when it’s the least that they deserve
That was super long oops sorry but I appreciate you speaking about these things 🤠
What you're saying is important. And it is important that we keep delivering this message in a multitude of ways because there are so many who become needlessly defensive and have a hard time really hearing the true message. So hopefully each attempt will say something that resonates with someone in a way that lowers those defenses and sows the seeds of empathy in their place. There is this misconception, that you addressed beautifully, that there is something inherently wrong with those who are born into that privileged status or like those born into that status are without their own trials and tribulations. Neither are true; but what is wrong is pretending like it does not exist or does not make a difference. And it is so important that those of us born into that privilege use our voices to point out the disparities in the world and do what we can to mitigate and when possible eliminate those disparities.
I like how you say things in such a simple and direct way. I agree on the "Nikon ambassador " part...I cannot believe only WM are good enough to be representing the brand...I do know and follow many photographers on social media...but i let their work attract me...not their race or skin color.
Again....thanks for your input!
Privilege a word used so loosely nowadays. Consider for a moment beauty, brains, genetics, health, location, stature, family, network, education, etc. Falling anywhere on the upper end of the bell curve is going to be a "privilege". Ironically, focusing on just skin color or sex is being "narrow minded" as you put it. Play your cards right and you will have a high chance of (relative) success irrespective of the hand you were dealt at birth.
Way to deny to deny the extend to which racism and sexism create inequality in our society Andrew. Don't compare it to being pretty vs not please. That's disgraceful.
Great video, brave topic, so happy that you're willing to have the conversation. 👍
I think you nailed it! We can not apologize or change who we are, nor should we, as some would suggest! We can only try to make things better around us. BTW, a British accent does indeed add a level of poshness, elegance, and credibility! I remember asking my wife, who recorded the answer message at her firm? It was a female British colleague. 😊 Also, at one point, I worked with a consultant who was raised in Britain. When a presentation was needed , we all agreed that he should do the honors! It always sounded more on point when delivered by him. Thanks for the insight! Cheers from 🇨🇦
I appreciate you taking the time to even address this topic. Welcome to my world.
In 1974 when I was 3, my Dad would come home drunk and rough up my Mom. I would hide under the bed. The next day my Mom would put on sunglasses to hide her busted up eyes and go to work at the hair salon. When I was 4 she remarried an "artist". He turned out to be bisexual and was cheating on my Mom with a man. At 9 I went to live with my grandmother in another state. It was difficult because the public school was more advanced and I was way behind from going to school in Mississippi. I didn't really see my parents much going forward. My Grandma had a pension check from when my Grandpa died working for the Norfolk and Southern railroad. That was enough money to keep the bills paid. I barely graduated highschool because I was busy doing other stuff and didn't have anyone telling me what to do. It was a safer better environment than what I had before. My grandmother provided that! I'm lucky! When I was a little older I took out loans and went to community college. It was really hard, but I studied and used the school after hours tutors to get through the classes. Fast forward a few years later and with a bunch of student loans I got a 4 degree in electrical engineering. Fast forward 2 decades later and I'm doing well l, own a house, have a job. I worked really hard and it wasn't easy. I lost in job interviews due to my skin color and I kept moving forward and trying as hard as I could. I'm grateful for what I have and my grandma. BTW, I'm white. Did I experience white privilege? I don't think it's so much about white and black as it is about rich and poor. I was poor and had lousy parents. I don't know where the white privilege is in that? Do you?
That sounds like a really rough upbringing. The white male privilege in that though would be that you also didn't have to deal with the shit non white men do. It DOESN'T mean that you can't also have to put up with far more than your fair share of crap.
@@TinHouseStudioUK yes I'm not black, so I can't fully relate or understand. I'm not sure black dis-privilege is the same as white privilege. I guess it could be argued that it is. I was in a situation in my career where I was told by upper management to give the black candidate applying for a job a better review than the white candidates so he can get the job. That was back in '97 that happened. I've also applied for jobs and lost them to females and minorities. I still don't see where white privilege has helped me. I truly believe if I was a minority and even better a minority and female, I would be making more money than I'm currently making. I base this on what I've observed in a 27-year career. I've worked hard and done well, so I can't complain. However, I don't see where being white has afforded me any special privileges.
@@TinHouseStudioUK White privilege isn't real. It's just used to humiliate white people.
What a relief it is to watch this video! I was dreading the opposite opinion -- especially based on some of the comments here. Hopefully, despite those comments, some other people out there will be able to see the issue more clearly after your simple and straightforward explanation.
The world needs more understanding people like you.
Such is the nature of the world, there will be always the struggle between the majority and minority, the privileged and the underprivileged, mainstream and the alternative & unequal access to resources, regardless of what you are & where you are in any part of the world.
That’s where having an understanding about the situation and the environment guides the moral & ethical principles and responsibilities on an individual level.
This video might not be related with photography in technical or creative aspect but it’s still informative & educational in terms of moral & ethical studies.
We Appreciate that you talk about these with your valued viewers.
Spot on, this shows a good understanding of how things really are. Once you go further down the rabbit hole and realise choice and freewill don't exist things get even crazier...
Thanks for the video. I’m an architectural photographer. It’s a particular niche that is dominated by white males especially on higher profile projects. I think they were able to get to that position because they had more opportunity early in their careers. I accepted that fact that this is something I can’t change. All I can do is focus on improving my work in hopes that others see the value in my craft and not by my name/race.
" I think they were able to get to that position because they had more opportunity early in their careers." - but you don't know for sure do you but you're happy to throw our that speculation anyway. What if I make assumptions about you as you have made assumptions about them?
As a white male you don't have the privilege of playing the victim card whenever you dont get what you want.😅
For anyone who thinks white privilege is actually a thing, please read the Redneck manifesto by Jim Goad. It'll set you straight real quick. 😊
Absolutely nailed it with that. Very empathetic. You deserve every day of your success. Stay safe.
Thank you for this video! Important subject and a bit of an eye opener for me 😮 - please keep making videos like these 👌🙏🏻💪
Yesterday during a photo shoot in Miami I caught a black woman sneaking into my car and jacking my stuff while I was standing 10 feet away getting ready for a shoot. I don't think it is a white privilege thing. It appears to be a disproportionate number of black people build a bad wrap screwing over the rest of them. I wish it wasn't the case. *My camera gear and laptop are safe but I'm out $100 bill from my center counsel. It just sucks, this literally happened yesterday.
Good talk. Quite factual, in my white male understanding and world view. Glad you had the balls to put it out there.
Promoting and perpetuating victim status in a society that nurtures and incentivizes victim hood won't help anyone. Especially the people you want to "help".
They need to learn that life is not "fair" (and will never be). Not everyone likes you, your work, your personality, food, habits, gender, religion, skin colour, race, accent, your hight, hairstyle, weight, etc... and that is perfectly fine.
Nobody is special and everyone will encounter their "fair" share of problems in life even the "white male privileged billionaire class". I would even say that, that lifestyle with all its trapping of fame, fortune and pride is probably much harder. I would never trade my life with theirs for any amount of money, power, "privilege" or "success".
I love your work and I am learning a lot. I hope people will focus on developing their skills and quality of their work, which you teach so well in your other videos.
Thank you. I think everything you talked about applies to pretty much every industry, not just photography.
I think we can agree that "White Male Privilege" is a good thing. There's no point in having more discrimination than is necessary.
Thank you for this. I always appreciate your technical ability but I definitely appreciate your transparency.
No worries!
Let's see, female photographers dominate the newborn photography and many more examples!!
Every person has a chance, I personally, don't judge the person in front of me like a lower rank, i don't care if he is homosexual, Buddhist, black, etc. or is a she or he, the person in front of me is equal!!!
All the time behind a man is a powerful woman!!!
P.S. I HATE people that are skipping steps in learning curve
On your point about Nikon its actually a major reason why I chose Sony as a brand. Their Imaging Ambassadors and Alpha Collective are very diverse so as a black enthusiast photographer who spends a lot of money I wanted to spend with a company that produces excellent gear but also is aware of social issues such as this.
Also on your take on having a poorer background, as a fellow Brit that’s another issue as a country we really need to fix is the one of class. So much potential is being lost from children regardless of ethnicity but because they are working class their pathways into creative industries are far tougher than they should be.
The world needs more people like you Scott. Thank you for making this video.
Even though I do agree that there is such thing as white male privilege, I do also think that it is overstated quite often these days. I also think that especially in arts - such as photography - the impact is minimal in the western world. If white male privilege would have such high effect, it would also make one lazy. As a minority (which I am here in the Netherlands) that's exactly the kind of competition I would like to be up against: lazy white males. I don't think it's quite that simple. Jordan Peterson has interesting thoughts on these topics. Also nice to see that your audience is nice to each other in the comments.
the problem here is to understand that because the top of something presents as white male privileged, all the range from the top to the bottom also has to be white male privileged. And it's not. Lower ranges of all kinds of backgrounds are widely dominated by male people and, although women have it more difficult to reach the top (yes), it is very easy for men to fall down bottom.
So, looking at the top positions and assuming the world organizes according to them, is what is wrong. Not only because it doesn't work like that, but also because we only fixate on the top positions and it's where there's fewer people
Im Australian and I can understand where you are coming from completely, I have personally lost jobs to female photographers just due to a model feeling more comfortable with the same sex and that's cool I totally understand but if I were to say that's happening due to white woman privilege I would be absolutely scolded and branded the part of the problem every o e has struggles and that's apart of being human some more than other regardless of sex race of any other separation category. We just need to work as one and love one another, to me I don't ever look at skin sex or race of the person I always just take them how they are every human is beautiful and capable of anything
As a white adoptive dad to multiple ethnic backgrounds I think this was as pretty balanced. As white males we are always suited with the responsibility to give proper due to those who are from different walks of life.
I agree completely and believe that empathy, compassion and awareness of your surroundings is essential.
Ok, thanks for that. Don’t really see the problem there. This is just about reality and life. Things you can’t influence or change for being out of your control or range,you’re not to be blamed for. You managed to make a career out of difficulty. You did it, others don’t. That doesn’t mean they’re bad. Wrong place, wrong time? An old friend once told me: life is a bitch and once you marry one…. One seldom knows beforehand. Work is good, but you need some luck also!
Awesome job of getting your view point out. ☺
Well said. I live in Brazil, a country built by ethnical mixes, but with huge social and racial disparity. The sad thing is, most people still believe that this doesn't exist and things like racial quotas are "unfair to hardworking people". As you said, one thing does't cancel the other, we still have to deal with representation awareness.
Great video. It's also important to recognize how many different perspectives we're missing out on by having such an exclusive industry/world as a whole. The most interesting work I've bookmarked, watched on streaming services and read this year has all come from the perspectives of people who are different from me. The whit male gaze gets pretty boring.
So are you saying that if you were of some other race, you would have never made it as a commercial photographer in the UK?
No not at all, although I couldn't be certain. However, there would have been additional hurdles because of race or gender that I haven't had to face because I am a white man.
@@TinHouseStudioUK Thank you for being honest on this very delicate topic. Honesty is a rare find in this sea of thousands of photography vloggers, who wouldn’t dare to risk their subscribers by making brave statements about race or gender inequality.
I would only like to add to what you said, that this inequality situation is seen not only in the commercial photography world, but almost everywhere around us.
Look up 'luxury beliefs', sometimes propagating this message is a privilege flex in itself.
I recently put up a write up on Instagram Guides talking about what it's like being a Black man in a white creative world from my anecdotal experiences (particularly in the UK) so it's really nice to hear the privileged perspective without the defensiveness as when I talk to White Photographers I tend to get this fearful response and I have to say things in a way that doesn't upset them or they don't see it as a personal attack when I'm just stating what has happened within my reality.
Excellent commentary.
Thanks for doing this video Scott!
I think it is very important to acknowledge these issues in the photography business. I am a firm believer in raising awareness and also encouraging people to do the right thing.
Talent doesn't understand of skin colour, sexual orientation, country of origin, religion, gender identity, social status etc.
Hey Tim, thanks for your videos - I appreciate this one particularly. I am mixed race, latin-american born and I experience photography as something that gives me joy. Therefore, with dedication, you get to that point where you wanna make this activity profitable. I agree with Toox Talivai that images transcend cultural barriers; that's a different thing than trying to make a decent living with photography and it is frustrating when putting the hard work and good skills is not enough. Cheers!
Hi Scott. Good vid-I like your vids and so thank you for them all.
Thank you for your open-mindedness. I’ve lived in Europe but never Britain-never even been there-and so it’s interesting to hear a Brits perspective on the topic of Racial Bias and Perceptions, as well as to acknowledge how germane the issues you speak of in Britain are to what’s going on at present in the U.S.
Though I applaud your vid, the difficulty that you face in getting through to a lot of people, I think, rests in a statement you made at 5:29 in your vid: certain groups not getting success despite the “fact” that they are “working just as hard” as those (white males) that are getting success.
Therein lies the Great Difficulty of today: the fact that there are great swaths of the population (apparently in Britain as well as America) that just don’t accept this as “fact”. Here in the States we have many, many Mythologies that the entitled grip on to as justifications for their self-serving beliefs: people that don’t look like me ALSO just tend to not work very hard; they’d rather wait for a Hand Out; they’re not as knowledgeable; they’re not as tough; they just don’t know how the workplace works, etc., etc., blah, blah blah.
Here in the U.S. it is becoming EXTREMELY difficult to get people to understand the difference between their Beliefs and Objective Facts. Experts, and their Studies and Statistics, are at this point lucky if they’re just scoffed at. Flat out excoriation of anyone who speaks up with a more overarching, informed view of what goes on in society is much, much more prevalent nowadays.
So, the thing is: I think your video is a great start for anyone-you or your viewers-who is truly trying to make life more equitable for all in society. But, if you guys over there in Britain have anything going on like what we have going on here in America: a full-on War against Facts, Expertise, and even Objective Reality, then I wanted to urge you to understand your work has just begun by releasing the vid.
You will be helped greatly by accepting that-for woefully large amounts of the population-it simply is NOT an accepted fact that there are those that are working just as hard as they are and yet being unfairly discriminated against.
I would suggest any attempt to sway those types must include more evidence beyond the statement “this is a fact”. To them, unfortunately, it simply is not.
Thank you Scott for raising awareness on this topic. I am a black still life photographer working in Paris. Here, more than skin color, what matters most is having a classical academic training. However, I remain aware that the privilege of being a white man does exist in the field of photography. That said, none of this alters my desire to produce the best work I can and to remain passionate. Thanks again for this :-)
Just be the BEST in your Niche and you will be successful and stop blame other for your failures...whit other words grow up...that all I have to say...🙂
This really opened my eyes and helped me to understand this issue in a whole new light! Thanks for that.
Glad it was helpful!
It must take a LOT of time for you to constantly monitor these comments for anything remotely adverse to your righteous POV, then proceed to wipe out all such diversity.
I agree with what you said, but I don't believe in a quota society, where we have to have X percent of women, or X percent of color people.
I can't see people by their color or by their religion, for me the important thing is if they are good professionals or not, if they are good people or not.
I would hate to be hired by my race or my gender.
but yes, I also believe that white men have some advantage and that this needs to be stoped, I just don't know if quotas will be the best way to do it.
you are going to need a 60 hour show to even make a start.
also you could add class to white male privilege in photography - just to make it even more "real".
Yes I think on the way up class is a huge thing, but at the top less so, but of course you can't get to that point...
@@TinHouseStudioUK hey that's a very cool statement, massive respect (and death to the patriarchy - viva equality)
Thank you for not being reactionary to how privilege affects you and others. Photography as an industry definitely has a gender issue.
Recently I started transition. Before, when I asserted something based on my experience (15 years with five as a professional photojournalist) I would be taken at face value and be given deference regarding my opinion. Once I started presenting as female in the photography forums, that deference and being taken at face value are gone, even though my portfolio is exactly the same. This behavior is not always individually present, as a wider group I think there is enough consistency of behavior to warrant the label on photography as an industry.
Your "truth" about yourself cannot be projected onto others as their truth. The sooner you compute that reality the happier you will be.
@@Fotozones dafuq is that supposed to mean?
@@inlocoparentis that you can't figure it out explains your dilemma perfectly.
@@Fotozones thank you for self identifying as a chauvinist and a petty tyrant.
@@inlocoparentis Now you see, there is another example of your projection issues. You have a long way to go, but I wish you well on your journey of trying to change the world’s view of you. Know this; your reality is yours alone. You have exactly no control over how other people act and behave, but it seems that you want, no… demand that the world conform to your reality. That is your problem to deal with, not anybody else’s.
Kudos for speaking up, sir. Sad to see comments in here still trying to “life is hard” it away. But that’s why the video is at the top lol.
This is well said. Thanks for putting it out there. And this is definitely a thing in the US (referring to a previous comment). It is pretty much the founding principle of the US, much as so many of us here in the US would like to ignore and deny that.
Female photographers have been at an advantage in e.g. NYC for years. Yet the exclusionary clubs and business opportunities they have still exist. The two aren't linked - there's no connection between actual prejudice and the new discrimination in the name of redressing supposed wrongs.
Fantastic video! It’s annoying that this is something that needs to be explained to some people, but I will save this video and show it to people when I need to. You explained it way better and more eloquently than I ever could.
The most successful photographers I personally know 6 are female and 1 is East European male and 1 is a British male.
hope that you are still responding to comments. In my opinion, what you are talking about is bias, and when it happens outside of your own culture, you would like to brand it as privilege cause you want to see it in everything, cause life is tough and you want to see it comes at you from one singular direction in order to explain your perceiving viewpoint, that life is just top and bottom, that there is just a higher point pouring down pressures to the world beneath, which happens to be full of minorities from your perspective. I say the world is about the same everywhere. People want to hire people they can related to, people who are more mainstream and have a sophisticated life, not bother with cultural custom and bring less foreign ideology to the table, less likely to have disagreement and more likely to comes up with the same habitual behavior. You would like to see this through the lens of race, but just across the world, it happens regional. You say that quality is above all and woman should not get overlooked because of their gender but this completely missing the point. Men are consider more "trustworthy" and a "safe bet" hire, cause men often deliver and comes through with there jobs, meaning they finish their work as required of them to do and making it till the end. You would like to see that it's an unfair characterization but employer don't want to take risk. Men take in more pressure from society so they are easier to control, easier to understand, easier to depict and so, easier to work with. Taking you for example, you care deeply over your job and had worked hard for it, you love photography and you take it very seriously as a profession. But what if other photographer from various background do it as hobby or second choice, their "personal touch" involving with their "background/cultural heritage" interfere in quality of their work would be a tough debate between employee and employer. You say that's "privilege" but it's actually just a trend in the already establish profession where expert continuing to get better and the immature eventually will turn away and diverge their attention to a less demanding business, more suitable to their skill set and continue to hone their craft at this direction. Men is also more willing to make sacrifice for their job, meaning they are selfless and more absorbent to criticism, while the "minorities" are more defensive of their identity which they put in and express through their work. Men are also likely to share their experience between each other cause they are always strive for the newest idea while woman often like to build upon what already exist. And so, there you go, you are not entirely wrong but very one-dimensional, that's probably how you want to approach your success, so when you find out you can't then the opposite is true, when it's not easy then it's must be so hard for no apparent reason other than oppression. Especially when you don't have a good life and don't know where else you can learn from and this narrative offer a one-stop shop explanation then you hold onto it as a constructive identity. You feel lost as a person but even more so just useless with your own "white" cultural heritage so leaning on the "minorities" oppression to feel the embrace from a more earnest and less sophisticated position and that's all there is to it. Just a moment of confident to feel like something "got your back", that you are supported naturally as a person and as an individual, and so everything on the outside must be the force of evil, but this is unfounded and is not connected to the truth.
In the world of commerce the predominant color is green. Cheers, OX.
While there is undoubtedly a hierarchy of access based on numerous factors, from geographical location, to accent, to skin colour, I don't think stressing those aspects to people who lack those advantages, is useful. I used to interact with young people from various backgrounds and ethnicities, and my origins are lower working class British. At no point was it advantageous to those individuals to remind them what they lack, except a work ethic. The first step to doing, is believing you can do it, and labouring under other people's expectations, or lack of them, is not a load anyone needs. You can't change the world, but you can change your approach to it.
Great video. I am not sure we need more intellectual comment so much as a well considered opinion; you have hit the target on that score. Many arguments these days are from a partisan point of view, should you represent reason or god forbid truth you are shot down.
On another point I can empathise with your start in life. I came good in the end but had to adopt the 'clothes' of the white middle class male. Always look forward to your content.
Spot on, man. Well done and well said. Signed, another white male photographer.
I am happy to hear this from you Scott. although, acknowledging the white privilege wouldn't decolonize the way that power dynamics and the politics of representation work today, raising this issue and talking about it is absolutely illuminating and educational. Most of the time this is not heard by whom should be listening or is simply ignored to maintain the status quo. and there is the beginning of why I personally find some of those exclusive events/calls/platforms that want to give voice to the POC, women or other minorities to have deeper problems. because they again reinstate the position of who gives voice to the voiceless! in other words, who many think is voiceless has a voice, they just need to be silent and listen to hear it! Am I very unclear? maybe. But thank you Scott for speaking it out loud. Many non-white and white people aren't aware of their predetermined positions.
Treat people fair and without bias. And don’t virtue signal about it. Also; privilege is very dependent on context
Thanks for covering the topic
Thank you for sharing. You got it right. ✊
Well said Sir!
Quotas for everyone but white men, show we start with a handicap behind everyone when we apply for jobs, job promotions, state help etc.
Women, Blacks, Ethnic Minorities, Muslims, Jews, Gays, Lesbians, Transpeople, Non-Binary, Disabled, then White men get a look in.
Well said👏
Scott, thank you for your words. Great video, really. Many middle-aged white men I know (mostly outside photography but into companies and businesses) are totally unaware of this fact... things have to change to let our children live in a better, fairer world
I totally agree with you. I’m black and I would rather order my camera equipment online than in store due to the way that am treated passively which is likely different from others.
I like that you bring up this topic, however, I do believe you're heavily undervaluing the impact of classism and how it hurts a person. Just because a white person on a council estate didn't face advertisement because of the color of their skin, doesn't mean their experience is any less traumatic or problematic. I know several working/benefit class people who have stayed away from the arts because they don't believe they belong there or have been ridiculed for the way they speak and express themselves. I think I understood that you paid to change the way you speak? That's fine, but for those who don't want to/can't do that, the classism is all too real. I appreciate your efforts with this video, and I don't think what you say is nessacarly wrong. I do feel, to move forward, that we need to stop this "because my experience was different it means it was worse" approach to the conversation. I also think we need way more conversation about how "lower-class" folks, regardless of gender/skin color etc. are often way more excluded than the all welcoming art world would like to admit.
Class discrimination does exist but to be fair to Scott, he was responding to some misunderstanding over his use of the term white privilege he used in another video, hence why class discrimination isn't mentioned here.
@@joetrent4753 Maybe I understood wrong, but to me he certainly did. He mentioned the hurdles and barriers associated with growing up on a council estate and illuded to having to change the way he spoke--he then said, but in no way did it compare to that of women and POC. He may have been speaking anecdotally, but to me, it came across as the lower class/council estate struggle isn't as bad as XYZ struggle.
Thank you for sharing this, Scott. Despite what some may like to believe, there is still plenty of implicit bias across industries for anyone who isn't a white male. Thank you for understanding this and trying to explain it.
You are so right my friend. This has been a buried topic currently seeing to light. Everyone has a privilege to some extent. Wether it’s nationality, belief, or genre. Even knowing someone or having favorable characteristics can create an extensive opportunity. It’s a doggy dog world but somebody has to eat the dirt. The harshness of any challenges is either going to make or break you.
Bloody well said, Scott.
Well said Scott
I am firmly against any form of discrimination, including against sexual orientation. I also happen to be white, male and reasonably wealthy. However, at least here in Canada, just over twice as many women are graduating University than men. Men are 16x as likely to be in prison, and 12X as likely to end up in rehab. Many more single men (about 1.6X) live below the poverty line than single women. So... I'm not sure... Where is the male privilege exactly? Is there is any male privileges' anymore. Women have surpassed men, and many men are left behind, useless.
Okay now explain how straight people or white people are oppressed
been seeing lately that women have more privilege in america, sometimes without any skill at all. and some companies hire minorities just to represent they are doing something good, but the best thing to do would be to hire people based on their skill and not their race or sex or whatever cause that would be actually racist. saying i hired him cause he meets the aesthetic of being socially just, instead of someone who is actually skilled.
Thanks!
Thanks for the support
Thank you for this!
I totally disagree with your 'white male privilege' statement, I've worked with some amazing commercial and social photographers, black and female, in fact a black photographer photographed my wedding because I chose him based on his merit not the colour of his skin, in fact colour never came into it. The problem we are looking for these issues and this woke agenda is verging on dangerous.
Hey man.. only typing this comment cause you said you re willing to take in information and change your mind sometimes.. I know this may sound rude.. but I'm just being real with you for your own sake... To keep it simple I'll simply say.. if any train of logic you have involves taking into account a certain races PRIVELAGE as a whole or lack there of.. or.. if at any point you find yourself grouping a race of people together into categories and attributing either victimhood . Or struggles to that group or race.. then whatever conclusion you derive from that logic train is wrong.. flat out. I know many whites who have had far harder lives then many black people.. I've known black people who lived the most privelaged easy lives ever.. I've known Asians that sucked at math.. and ive known Hispanics that strongly believed in having a strong border between the u.s. and Mexico.. race is not what you should judge anyone by.. and doing so is guaranteed to lead you to a stupid conclusion. I truly hope you absorb this info..
Yes just because you are not white or male doesn't mean you cant have privilege. But if you take two equally privilege people and make one a white man, then the other any other combination of gender or race, the white man currently has an advantage. Assuming everything else is the same. Thats what white male privilege is. It is not to say a white man can't have a bad life. Just that the fact of being a white man in most cases wont cause that.
In Portugal we are very inclusive. Yet, there are idiot racists here too, just not as much as in uk, us, fr, de,...
Thinking for speaking the truth!
Not the place for this. You are officially unfollowed