Hi Scott and Randy.
I'm asking you two - Scott and Randy. Please- leave me alone. I'm serious. I don't have it in me do endure mocking, or being the object of hostilty. We don't like it either.
This is my real life. This is yours. I don't want to have any good moments stolen away. For you either.
Randy- Would you do this to your clients? I'm asking you to switch back to nice Randy.
This has nothing to do with work. You really don't have a clue what I do, or you wouldn't have said this. I will be honest and polite for the rest of this correspondance.
I know I threw out some sarcastic comments lately. I'm sorry that I fueled the flames.
I have no one to listen to me, It's hard to sit on hurt feelings.
You chose to sit on them rather than just get them out in the air. So you mock us both, rather than actually be a freind? How is that anything close to being a better person than you started the day as? Apology accepted.
I guess I you think I deserve to be knocked down a few pegs cause I think I am such a hot photographer. You take some great pics, but are not the best I have seen.
Or, I really think that Scott just wants to be the Alpha male all over the Great Salt Lake photography.
I just want you to both to just walk away from me and leave me alone. This is serious. I don't want to be hurt.
Can you just do me that favor?
I don't like you guys, and I'm a sucky person OK?
That's all I know.
Funny thing is I still like you and would still jump at the chance to be friends. You're NOT a sucky person, you have been hurt, and I'm willing to bet you do still like me as well. You have a great personality, funny as hell, brilliant, motivated, and willing to share your enthusiasim with those who choose to try and get to know you.
This has been going on for months and months
I had no Idea it had been going on so long for you.
I start a Great Salt Lake Flickr Group, Scott starts a Great Salt Lake Flickr Group
If I walk miles to a bridge, You have to hike miles to the bridge.
It was a cool bridge, and we wanted to shoot it as well to see it in OUR way. You don't have to hold our hand and take us everywhere. If we like something, in your photos or someone elses we'll try to find it and get a chance to see it for ourselves. Isn't that part of what you do too? It is exactly the same thing.
Because I named this one spot it a "secret spot", by god then you just have to take someone there. Here's the thing about that, the joy of a new and rather amazing place was, and to some extent for me, is still, a bit overwhelming. The decision to take the guy from Scott's work was all his decision, I called you to let you know when pics showed up on Flickr as I knew they would I did not have anything to do with that. It had NOTHING to do with rubbing your nose in it.
And what did I say when you tell everyone but me you are taking Michael Slade to the spot I discoverd and selling it as your own?
I said nothing. Were my feelings hurt? You bet. I was willing to let that go, as I consider you a friend, and trusted your judgmet with what you were doing. I had asked the same of that spot from you, as you of me with yours. "keep it seceret, keep it safe". I figured if you were taking someone there you had a good reason to trust that person, and I trusted that.
Then call me and tell me. I just named it on the fly "secret spot" for dramatic effect. Cause I thought it would be fun for you guys. It was, is, and will continue to be fun. Thanks for sharing. Really.
If I go to lakeside one weekend, you go to lakeside the next weekend.
If I go to the spiral jetty the next weekend, you go to the spiral jetty the next weekend.
Scott & I had the Jetty trip planed for about a month. You went before we could. By the way HOLY BLACK WIDOWS!! I saw like 20 and killed 2 one I almost picked up on accident while setting up the tent. Scorpions under the tent in the morning and flies were bad too!!
If I go shoot wild horses, you must go shoot the horses.
I was walking (the sky was too clear and boring) and just stumbled on them. I work with horses every day and they are real easy to get close to because they are used to seeing people. I wanted to see how "wild" or "feral" or "free range" horses reacted. It took the better part of an hour to get close and then the Alpha Stalllion was the only one who got close, I believe he was trying to send me a strong message. I got it and we left.
I can't take this. I must break out of this dysfunctional feedback mode.
I quietly deleted you from my contacts. I just need to be alone. No hostility intended.
Hours later, you must copycat Flickr Block me.
Honest to pete. Wasn't it enough to just let me slip away quietly?
If you didn't want me as a friend well then same to you buddy was my thought on this situation. Rather than try to work things out you just quietly (and weakly in my opinion) take action against me as if I am a stranger who merits no thought at all. That hurt my feelings bud. It had NOTHING to do with copying you. This was eye for an eye action.
Then I call scott trash. You guys tell me you won't be talking to me ever again.
Isn't that exactly what just I meant by the "trash" word? Do you think that was an invitation to the movies?
Why do you have to copycat re-do what I just did every time?This sentance is redundant. :)
I really thought you were more intelligent than having to resort to childish name calling. We're all adults, but being called "trash" is still hurtful, and it was done out of meanness. Nothing we did was directed at you in such a personal and hateful manner. Did we make short-sighted decision thinking errors? Yes. Did we taunt you and call you names? Not until you threw the first SEVERAL blobs of mud youreslf Charles. I don't go to the movies anyway.....
I named some of my photos on flickr after the situation I was was in.
Now you are doing it back at me.
Fair is fair if you can't handle that well then you shouldn't have picked a fight when there wasn't a reason to in the first place.
This relentless copycatting out-doing me doing what I do is driving me crazy.
I just want to slip away quietly without causing a reaction.
Too late you have caused a reaction. The thing is, only you have the power to change that reaction. That is you can decide to be hurt, and continue that path, decide to reconcile, and form a stronger friendship, and become a better person in the process. Or just slip away and continue to be a self proclamed "weak" person. Your choice.
Trash:
Randy Listen. Was I upset when you took Jill out to the Secret spot? No. I even drove all the way out there again and helped you find it.
Could anyone be nicer?
To be honest I was amazed at how kind you were. I was also bummed you left because I wanted Jill to get a chance to know you, my new friend it was why I asked her to come, she isn't into taking pics anyway.
If I ask you not to sleep with my girlfriend and you do anyway, that's one thing. That's the law of the jungle I guess.
But if you call me up and keep telling me that you're sleeping with her, and so is the other guy, that's different.
That's not standing up for your right to do what you want, that's being a dick. And that's where Scott comes in, I'm sorry.
I am upset about people who lie to me, then are big fat dicks to me.
I have NEVER LIED TO YOU! Get that through your head. I am not sure why or what you belive I lied to you about but that just isn't the case. It's not what I am about or who I am.
This is not about keeping the secret spot secret. I was willing to throw out that spot to see what kind of friends you were.
Turns out we find out what kind of friend you are when the shit hits the fan. I believe this has exposed more of your moral fiber than mine. Who I am is who I present to people. You were the one hiding a lot of you behind a curtain.
Scott you were not motivated by "i love the lake" when you recruited these people, then called me to tell me they'd been there.
You are just motivated by alpha male Scott, as you are in all the other cases I've listed above where i do something, then you re-do it or un-do it. Kind of like visiting fire hydrants.
You made a bee-line to do that, and made sure I knew it, then even followed up with a phone call to Tara to see if I was really upset.
The only thing I can speak to of this is the phone call. He called because he was HONESTLY struggling with the fact that you were upset. He didn't want you to be and niether di dor do I. I was sitting next to him when the call was going on, so I know first hand the tone and content of it.
You don't ever otherwise just call me on the phone to be friends, Scott.
This has been Scott's motivation all along. To take what I do and stamp it "Scott".
This has been going on for months and months. I get it.
Again again again again again.
And now the mocking me on flickr. You started that bud.
More alpha male out stuff. I get it. Nope, eye for an eye. I have silently borne the brunt of a LOT of jokes and hostility. I will be a target no more. I assure you this, I will be a loyal friend, or the worst fucking enemy you could have ever deramed of. I would prefer greatly to be your friend. The anger of being an enemy comes too naturally for me. I would like to take the more difficult path, it stands to teach me more about myself and others.
I take my sad pathetic self and and prop it up in front of you guys, I don't know how to be a photo rock star, You can tell that I am full of shit.
I just want to get away.
But please That's my motivation for being so hurt and pulling away.
I don't want to be tracked all over god's creation.
I've never asked anything from you guys. I'm not trying to take anything away from you.
You have and did ask, as we asked of you, "accept me" "be my friend", not ever spoken aloud but there in every conversation. You are trying to take something away, yourself, and the friendship that goes with you. I am not willing to just let go without a fight. I think the friendship we have is worth at least that.
Forgive me please for not just trying to clear the air earlier. I've never encountered this before. FORGIVEN. Now, let's go out somewhere and shoot some pics, ya' goof....
I'm a big fat jerk. You've revealed the real me. Let me just go away.
You are not a jerk, you're just struggling with the fact that you have created a group of people who are very passionite about something that a short while ago only you were doing. Sad but real fact is, that by revealing your passion for the lake to the world, you did two things. You hightend peoples awareness of it's beauty, and the issues that threaten to compromise or destroy that beauty, but kindled theirs. Now they want to find the joy that you have found as well.
Please, keep sharing that passion with me my friend.
Randy
--
Charles Uibel
http://GreatSaltLakephotos.com
