"Basically Ive encountered a little bit of hostility in regards to the fact ive used photo references in my work." Your work is beautiful, though if I'm being honest I wouldn't call it photorealistic. It's too stylised for that. My impression - and I may be completely wrong - is that the hostility isn't so much because you've used photos for reference. It's because you appear to be incorporating photographs into the images and 'passing it off' as a Poser render. It's a perception of dishonesty on your part. Just so I'm clear, I am not suggesting you have been dishonest. I'm saying that's the way this is being perceived by others, because you haven't described your creative process when you post. There's no reason you should, of course. Frankly, it doesn't matter much either way. If you're being harrassed by IM, report it. If it's just unwarranted criticism of your work, take on board anything that seems right to you and ignore the rest.