The Background

Superfluous · Sep 9, 2018

A few years ago on a different forum (that I no longer peruse), a young guy posted a photo of himself wearing a very expensive leather jacket (thousands of dollars). In the photo, the guy was standing in front of a run down, low quality, rickety apartment building. The text of the post revealed that the guy lived in the dilapidated apartment building. Subsequent posters opined that, based on the condition of the apartment building, the guy appeared to be spending a disproportionate amount of his earnings on clothing as opposed to his residence. The ensuing discussion – all of which arose from the background of the photo – became quite heated. On that same forum, there were other comments arising from interior photos where the background of the photo depicted something about the poster. People would occasionally comment on artwork, interesting collectables, or the general appearance of the residence (e.g., the poster’s residence is a mess). I have seen similar observations here as well, albeit non-judgmental. “Is that a Stratocaster behind you” type comments.

When you view photos posted here on TFL (or on other forums), do you look at the background? If the background is the poster’s home, what types of observations have you made based on the background? What caught your attention? Stating the obviously, lets leave names out of the discussion.

When you post photographs taken inside or outside your home, do you consider the background? How so? Do you avoid revealing certain things in the background of your photos? What in particular? Do you not post photos taken in or around your home? Why?

mihai · Sep 9, 2018

I look at the background but won't judge the poster based on it. I'm rather fascinated about different cultures: how people live in different countries/places. For example being from Europe I find interesting glancing into American, Asian people's lifestyle: how they live, places they go to...

Yes I consider the background. I try to anonymize the pics as much as possible. With so many things/crimes going on nowadays some protection is required.

zebedee · Sep 9, 2018

Well, apartments in HK (which look like nothing much) are often very expensive indeed. Rented places in Bristol are often nowhere near as expensive, but can look much more pricey. If people want to comment, they're within their rights, but who wants to be unpleasant about it? I make backgrounds as nondescript as possible in pictures, but these days, you should.

Superfluous · Sep 9, 2018

mihai said:
Yes I consider the background. I try to anonymize the pics as much as possible. With so many things/crimes going on nowadays some protection is required.

Valid consideration. Several years ago, a watch collector's home was burglarized and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of watches were stolen. The watch collector had regularly posted photos of his watches taken with his cell phone from inside his home. The collector was unaware that his posted photos included GPS longitude and latitude metadata revealing the precise location of his home where the photos were taken. Following the theft, many opined that the thief learned about the collection and its location from the posted photos (this theory was never validated). For this reason, I disengage location services on my cell phone camera and thereby remove GPS metadata from my photographs.

Bobby Peru · Sep 9, 2018

My myopic attention span limits it to the things that bring me to this site in the first place. I don’t look at backgrounds to see what I can find. If nothing ‘pops’ at me, it may as well be all a blur behind that jacket I’m leering at.

I also learned long ago to not assume anything about the poster, including wealth (or lack of) based on backgrounds in images.

Mich486 · Sep 9, 2018

Yep I definitely look at the background and even if I try not to I tend to form an opinion about who is posting if the photos show his home. It’s difficult not to notice a badly kept place.

As for the second part of the question, I haven’t posted much pictures here myself but when I do I don’t feel the need to avoid posting them while I’m at home. I would like to have the time and skill to post some more artistic pictures in beautiful sceneries like some folks here do. I really appreciate the time and effort in doing that.

Interesting question @Superfluous!

Finally, diverging a bit from the op question, I would add that I also struggle not to notice the rest of what someone is wearing and I can’t help to notice when someone is wearing a fine leather jacket with running shoes for instance.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AllanP · Sep 9, 2018

I think it's human nature to look at other interesting details in the background.

I think if you were to take a picture in your room to show off your jacket, you should at least keep it tidy, or the background free of clutter simply because it's distracting to the viewers.

I can see how someone can make judgement about people's homes, i mean I would consider a lot of high end leather jackets on here a more or less a luxury product simply by price. But then again unless you know how much someone really earns and how much they put towards the jacket, I think it's better to keep those comments to yourself.

Everyone allocates their wealth in different ways, especially those who are single. I had a university professor who pulls in 160k a year renting a crummy bachelor apartment for 40 years because of proximity to the university. Some people like big houses, other simply could not care less and would rather spend money on clothes, hobbies, travel etc, that in no way makes them financially irresponsible. That add to the fact that some 1 bed room condos cost as much as a house in the Suburbs, so it's hard to really make a judgement based on a picture.

ton312 · Sep 9, 2018

I feel strange standing outside my home and taking a picture of myself! Generally I try to get close to an indoor window that has the best light. Sometimes it's my first floor bathroom (sorry Nick, although not as often these days), living room or my daughters playroom. Often times the background is boring but not cluttered (usually).
I do notice backgrounds but don't think much of them unless something really stands out (which is almost never the case). I wish I had a giant plain white wall in a room with great light but my wife is a painter and my daughter is well...an 8 year old, so that ain't happening. For me it's all about the light:
Bathroom: (at least you can't see the toilet!)

Playroom:

Living room:

steve u · Sep 9, 2018

I look at the whole pic. As far as judging the jackets or background..I'm 61 with younger children, so the focus is on them now. I don't know your (comforts or priority's). I just know what works for me. And that's taken time. Good question.....steve

jacketjunkie · Sep 9, 2018

I do take notice of backgrounds but I don't make any assumptions or judgements based on what I see. For one thing, it would be naive to make assumptions based on a few pictures, the seeming and the real are rarely the same, especially on the internet where self-staging has turned into quite a big deal in recent years with instagram etc and secondly and most importantly, it doesn't matter to me how wealthy another member is, it's completly irrelevant for why I'm spending time here.

Things that catch my attention are usually the things that I share an interest in; for example antique furniture, wrist watches or pianos. These things of beauty I'll marvel at and if I see it fit, comment on, but not because of their value, but because of my enthusiasm about these fields of art.

When I take pictures, I only think as far as the background not being a complete mess, but I'm a student so it's a long way until I consider something "a complete mess".

The only things I try to avoid revealing are these which are not mine to share; e.g. faces of family members, or valuables at my parents place.

jerez · Sep 9, 2018

It is the same with other hobbies. I play flamenco guitar and many times players would film or take picture of themselves playing at home which most of the time are modest places. People love the guitar and are willing to live more frugal to afford an 8k guitar. The same with telescopes, I would see these 20k telescopes owned by folks which had humble places/cars, but they provided for their families without getting into debt.

Monitor · Sep 9, 2018

I could just quote @Bobby Peru's and @jerez comments - In general, if nothing particularly interesting in the background catches my attention, like a beautiful scenery or something of a sort, I won't notice it. Which rarely is the case as people here tend to focus and zoom in on jackets or boots or whatever, which leaves very little background to work with.

And no, I would never judge anyone based on the background in their selfies. I'm here for the clothes, same as the rest of us and clothes is what I want to see on TFL.
Also, yeah, this is a hobby. Most of us here buy old jackets (or boots, suits, hats or trousers) that while being priceless, don't really cost that much to begin with. Definitely not enough to have any effect on ones perceived social status.

A friend of mine who is into collecting old guns lives in what could for all intents and purposes be considered a garage. Yet, he has what is probably more than a million dollars worth of ancient firearms haphazardly thrown around the place.

El Marro · Sep 9, 2018

I definitely notice the background when I look at the photos here. As a matter of fact, I once commented on how much I liked the contrast between the glass tile backsplash and the stone countertops in your kitchen Superfluous. I felt a little awkward doing so at the time, since the subject of the photo was one of your perfect jackets (Himel or Goodwear, can’t remember which) but I had noticed the tile work in earlier pictures and thought it was worthy of a compliment.

handymike · Sep 9, 2018

I have a white stucco wall that I use a lot. I have to move the trashcans for a clear shot, though.

Benny Holiday · Sep 9, 2018

I tend not to pay a lot of attention to backgrounds. With a just-turned five year old human hurricane for a son in my house and a 14-year-old daughter who makes the word messy seem like a euphemism, I do try to take photos to post here in some area of the house or garden that is reasonably uncluttered. I just spent the weekend Spring cleaning the place, actually, but I can guarantee the joint will look like a tornado has ripped through it by Wednesday evening. Just as well I love 'em.

Seb Lucas · Sep 9, 2018

I tend to look at the backgrounds (if you can make them out) first. They are often far more interesting to me than the umpteenth, near identical jacket. Mess is just one point of interest. Taste is another. The books on the shelves, also. I'm interested in how people live in other countries - you get a flavour of that too.

handymike · Sep 10, 2018

I like @casechopper's yard, and how he arranges the toys.

But my favorites are the ones shot out-n-about. I love seeing your jackets in settings around town or on vacation, etc.

GHT · Sep 10, 2018

AllanP said:
I think it's human nature to look at other interesting details in the background.

I couldn't agree more. But if I have something in the background that I don't want I will photoshop the image, usually by simply cropping the photo.

handymike · Sep 10, 2018

Cheeky Monkey!

Bfd70 · Sep 10, 2018

I do look at backgrounds. I typically try to restrain myself from commenting so I don’t seem like a creeper. Many people seem to have one place where they show fit picks. That consistancy certainly helps if you are potentialy in the market and you know that the author has similar measurements to you. That said, i like to see jackets having adventures.

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