The Only Reason I Keep Facebook Is To Watch Photographers Fight

I do not like Facebook. It feels like a haunted time capsule that insists on reminding me of who I was 14 years ago. It pops up with posts like a close-up of a dandelion paired with Death Cab for Cutie lyrics. Or it digs up photos from my first “portrait sessions” in 2009, when my friends graciously stood in front of my camera so I could figure out what aperture even meant. Every time I log in, it feels like an unwelcome nostalgia trip.

And yet, I have not deleted it. There is one very specific reason Facebook remains on my phone, and I think a lot of other photographers are in the same boat. I keep Facebook so I can watch photographers fight in Facebook groups.

Why Photography Facebook Group Fights Are So Addictive

I am not proud of this, but I am also not alone. I have industry friends who send me screenshots from the same groups we all lurk in. No context. No commentary. Just a wall of text and an eyeball emoji. It is our guilty pleasure.

Humans have always had a fascination with watching conflict. From Roman gladiators to medieval duels to modern-day UFC, there has always been an audience for competition. Even professional wrestling, with its scripted drama, draws a crowd. I am not buying pay-per-view fights, but I will scroll through a Facebook group thread for 15 straight minutes just to watch an argument unfold.

And let’s be honest: a heated comment section is our industry’s version of a coliseum.

Why Are Photographers Like This?

Photography is one of the few creative fields where “community over competition” seems to be more of a slogan than a reality. Painters rarely brawl in public forums over brushstroke technique. Musicians do not usually get into comment wars about microphone placement. But photographers? We will argue about anything.

An Insecurity in the Industry as Old as the Medium Itself

Some of this could potentially be traced back to the early days of photography, when the medium struggled for legitimacy as an art form. Traditional artists questioned whether it was even real art, and that insecurity never fully left the culture. Instead, it evolved into a sort of generational chip on the shoulder.

Combine that with the fact that photography is a skill with infinite approaches, and a client base that sometimes values trends over craft. With that, you have a recipe for constant disagreement. In a way, the fighting is baked into the culture.

The Anatomy of a Photographer Facebook Fight

Most of these fights start innocently enough. Someone will post a story about a difficult client situation, one where it is obvious the photographer is in the right. The comments roll in. Ninety percent are supportive, sympathetic, and aligned with the original poster.

Then it happens.

One person decides to play Devil’s Advocate. They suggest the photographer should have done something differently, or that the client maybe had a point. That lone comment is the match that lights the powder keg.

Full-On Breakdowns in the Comments Section on Facebook

Within minutes, replies start stacking. The original poster defends themselves. The Devil’s Advocate digs in. Other members jump in to set the record straight. And suddenly, we have a 120-comment thread with a 20-v-1 pile-on against one stubborn commenter who refuses to back down.

Eventually, the thread spirals so far that an admin steps in. Sometimes the post gets locked. Other times, the original poster storms out of the group with a dramatic “I’m done here” exit comment. If we are lucky, someone gets banned.

Why It's Just So Hard to Look Away

The truth is, these fights are rarely groundbreaking. They are often about contracts, copyright disputes, or client etiquette. And yet, they are irresistible to watch unfold. It is reality TV in text form, with characters we half-recognize from previous posts.

Finding Shreds of Community in the Midst of Chaos

Part of the fascination is that we see ourselves in these situations. We have all had difficult clients, questionable interactions, or fellow photographers who seemed a little too eager to offer unsolicited advice. Watching someone else navigate the conflict—and sometimes crash and burn in the process—scratches a very human itch.

It’s Not All Bad in Photography Facebook Groups

For all the drama, these groups can also be helpful. Sometimes, arguments reveal genuinely useful perspectives. A dissenting voice can spark a conversation that leads to better business practices or deeper understanding. Not every heated thread is a waste of time.

But the reality is, most of us are there for the entertainment. While Instagram is curated and polished, Facebook groups are raw. They show the unfiltered side of our industry, for better or worse.

So… What Are We Even Doing, Photographers?

Photographers, maybe we could tone it down a little. Or maybe not. Because as much as we might roll our eyes at the drama, we keep coming back for more.

These threads are our water cooler moments. They are where we collectively blow off steam, test our convictions, and sometimes waste an hour that could have been spent editing. But they are also a weirdly unifying experience. Even when we are arguing, we are still, in some way, in community with each other.

An Industry of Passionate (and Chaotic) Creatives

And maybe that is why I still keep Facebook around for now. Not for the memories it insists on resurfacing from 2009. Not for the business networking. Certainly not for the algorithm. But for the chaotic, messy, often ridiculous fights that remind me our industry is full of passionate, opinionated, sometimes combative people who care enough about what they do to argue about it publicly.

I guess it beats scrolling in silence.

Lead photo: NPS / Jacob W. Frank [Public Domain]