Stalking ala Facebook

Hi!!

There is a situation in my life that has been brewing for some time now and it's time for it to be aired for all to ponder.  Okay.  We all know, if we've been reading this blog for any time, that my life is pretty much filled with mindless situations that I blather about for no apparent reason. Many of the situations really only bother me and frankly no one else even should hear, not to mention care about them.  However, this one may someday effect one or more of you people and it's my civic, if not friendly duty to warn you.  Prepare yourself people!  I'm about to alarm a lot of you!

FaceBook is a license to stalk people who don't want to be stalked!  There.  I've said it!  Whew. 

I feel better.  This has been bothering me for some time now and now I can talk about it out in the open.  Before I go on however, there is a little digression that has to take place...

As you all know by now, I'm a photographer.  I've done it for a lot of years and though I have a lot to learn about lighting and all that makes a better picture, I'm pretty proud of the results I've gotten, especially in my attempts at nature shots.  There is this person, whom shall remain nameless, (not because she will read this and be mad, but rather because I will get very angry if I hear the name over and over, and I'm typing this and want to finish), whom has taken up photography in the last year, as 'her life's passion.'  This woman had a good job which she left to 'follow her dream'.  She moved from South Florida to mid-Florida to go to a community college and take some photography classes in order to get better at this dream.  This in and of itself is not a bad thought, but what follows, (and I will eventually get there) is very disturbing to me, and would also be to anyone else.

This woman was dating a friend of mine.  They came to Orlando to see us and she brought her new camera and endlessly throughout the visit asked question after question on how to do everything thing from setting up a shot to focusing to development to PhotoShop, etc.  It got old fast.  I saw that the only way to get her to shut up was to give her a nugget of wisdom, (a photography 101 lesson, if you will) on getting a specific shot.  Since there was a waterfall nearby, I decided to show her where to stand, how to stand, what to look for and when to take the picture.  To her credit, (and she gets VERY LITTLE), she did as suggested.  She blathered on and on regarding the result, stating over and over how she couldn't wait to see the picture on her computer.  Now, you would think that this is the end of the story, right??  NO.

Weeks went by after that weekend and life was good.  I opened my E-mail one day and there was one from this woman, (and trust me fellow blog readers, it was a long one), about how she won a photo contest and she used the picture of the waterfall that I helped her get.  I should be proud, right?  NO!  The exact wordage was, "I won the photo contest with the picture I took of the waterfall when I was with you at "unnamed" park."  

Mad?  Mad!!!  No, furious!!  This bonehead did nothing to take the picture other than push the button!  After ranting and raving about this for a while, (God bless my poor wife who puts up with my childish attitudes.  Gosh I love her!), I resigned myself to the fact that, "even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while", and moved on with my life.  I thought, (and actually prayed), that the unpleasantness of having this woman in my life was over.  I was wrong.

Months went by, lulling me into a false sense of security.  Then it happened.  One morning, right before work I saw an E-mail from this person critiquing my website.  

Here is an excerpt:     

Here's my comments about your website:  simple, workable, black and white is nice. My favorites are the 2nd photo in Landscape, and the BW boy by water.  

I also like the portraits of the girls by the tree.  My advice for the Portrait category = have more variety--you have the same pose with both of the girls. (Unless you know them, and want Both of their photos on the website?)  

The BW photos of the man with lots of open space, it tells a story of loneliness.  What would it look like if you crop up close on his facial expression?  

Some photos the resolution seems off ( yellow sunflower), the Eagle photo must be a large file size --it took awhile to open, some people will not be patient and wait?

Your image gallery, it says it's a movie, and it should start automatically...

I was furious!!!!  Now, please understand that I not only haven't seen this person in almost two years, and don't ever want to see her again, but I especially don't want her to, nor should she feel the need to, critique my work!! 

Note:  I invite you faithful readers to visit my website, (www.esizlerphotography.com), to see just what she's talking about.  And, just so you know, she was informed during her visit that the website is not yet completed and is a work in progress.

Okay.  I got over this in a day or twelve and moved on.  One would think that this would be the end of this story, right??  Oh no!  It continues, (I hear you yelling, YAY!!!  I love my faithful readers!).  A couple of days later I opened a FaceBook page so that I could communicate with other photographers and perhaps meet some to shoot with here in central Florida.  It was going quite well, or so I thought.  Then it happened.

SHE FOUND ME!!!  I started getting requests to be her friend.  First one.  Then, after hitting, "ignore", (in the hopes that she'd get the context clue and go away), the next day I got two more!  Those were followed by three more the next day and then four and six!!  I started ignoring them by not responding and just deleting them, but they continue.  Today I got six more!  This woman is not only a clueless ditz, but also a stalker!   ARGH!!!!!!

So, good and faithful readers,  I'm pleading for your help.  I need a way, short of deleting my FaceBook entry and website, to inform her that this is unexceptable behavior and I want it to stop.  Before one of you thoughtful people request I just E-mail her requesting she stop sending them, please read my response to her critique of my website.  If after reading it you still don't have any inkling of what I'm dealing with, you will:

I did not request you critique my work/website, as your amateur opinion is neither wanted nor justified.  I found it offensive and frankly you have no business, not to mention credentials to do so, as clearly indicated by your website galleries.  Please feel free to not contact me again.

So.  I need suggestions.  Valid suggestions. I've thought of all the others.  Help me people!!

I'm outta here.

Byeeeeeee