a small suggestion.

[Anbesol]

now im a big fan of these forums and the people on it - im glad i landed here, and i am very happy to be a part of the "team" so to speak. however, (knew that was coming didnt you ;)), something that is getting a bit irritating is how quickly people post up new stuff and get other stuff pushed down. The average number of responses to every post on the front page is 4, and in my opinion that is WAY too low. I think we need some more participation from members, maybe keep better ratio of images to critiques. like for myself - when i post up an image, i'd like to hear from more then just one or two people - id like to hear many varying opinions, I think I could learn better that way. Also - it seems that people are posting up "fun" pictures here as well. I also feel like I'm seeing several "fun" photo's being posted, meaning photo's that are fun but the author doesnt want any critique neccesarily, just to have fun.

i think, fundamentally we need better participation among authors and perhaps a wider use of other boards on the forum, like viewfinder when neccesary.

anyway - I really like this place and I hope I'm not being rude or anything, I like it just the way it is, but I'd just like to see those few changes. Im no mod so its certainly not my place to lay down the law or guidelines or anything - i just take the critiquing very seriously and id like to see it done a little bit more thuroughly, thats all!

[jbaldocchi]

You've got my vote. Yes, more critiquing.

Jim B.

[echoback]

you have my vote as well. i know ppl can't take time out to critique on every photo, but it always sucks when your photo is way down at the bottom of the page and only like 1 reply. i'm also guilty of this as well because i don't have that much time so I don't critique that many photos, only the ones that I really like. but anyway, good suggestion.

[julsoph]

Actually, I want to apologize for not putting out more critiques lately...I owe at least one for the photo I posted yesterday, and I usually try to do 3 or 4 per one that I post. I've been unable to keep up as of late, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of it pretty soon.

Emily

[Dylan8i]

i agree whole heartely, i don't keep track of how many i actually critique, but haven't posted nearly as many pics as i have posts so i should be good.

however i also do think posts of "i like it" "very pretty" etc are very helpful. you need to say why.

[Anbesol]

yes - i'm glad this was taken so well. I agree dylan - I like to use this forum to learn, and perfect my technique - dont like it, fine - say why. do? same thing. Also - I dont only learn from getting my photo's critiqued, seeing other photos and reading their critique, and even critiquing it myself is a great way to learn! in fact - i think ive learned more watching and critiquing other photo's than my own.

[TexDot]

I don't know enough to critique yet , I know what I like and don't like, but don't know enough to say what it is.
I have been learning a little by reading the critiques about the photos that are posted..

[Anbesol]

you dont need to be an expert to critique - just say wether you like it or dont, and what it is. you dont have to be experienced to have an opinion - i think youre cutting yourself short. like i saw in someones signature here (forgive me i forget whos it was), even if youve never picked up a camera before - youve had a lifetime of processing visual imagery.

[Anbesol]

bump. id like more people to see this.

[GB1]

Anbesol

I don't think it's necessarily the viewers' fault here. Some of the shots just don't inspire a comment either way... I think that many of the shots, if you could rate them on a 1-10 scale, are a 5 - not bad, not good. It leaves one with an indecisive feeling.

Another issue is that some folks seem to make the exact same (for lack of a better word) mistakes every time. Either they don't agree that it's a problem, or they're just not listening to the critique (what did Einstein say about the definition of insanity...? )

And I agree with the fun photo thing. Many are just summer snapshots. I do that too sometimes, but try to catch myself.

Oh well, not sure where we go from here!?

GB

[Dylan8i]

another thing i've noticed, is i don't seem to comment on "people pictures". just due to me not being interested in them as much as nature shots or others. I also don't know as much about them as nature shots.
some people automatically lean toward one or another type of pictures.

[LeeIs]

I gotta admit I usually stay away from kids and flowers.

When it comes to Kids, I don't think I've ever shot a kid, I even don't shoot many portraits (I'd love to shoot more portraits though) and I feel like I can't really comment on them since I just don't have anything to really add to suggestions, comments, a good technique, etc.

Flowers, same thing. I don't think I have a single flower shot.

So to those who shoot flowers/ kids/ portraits, I'm sorry I don't comment on your work.

[Alison]

I don't know enough to critique yet , I know what I like and don't like, but don't know enough to say what it is.
I have been learning a little by reading the critiques about the photos that are posted..

I know exactly what you mean TexDot. My comfort zone is portraits and there are only a handful of portraits being posted.
I know nothing about landscapes, flowers or macros but I still have a go at taking them. I never seem to get things right though.
I would love to be able to get my compositions etc right.
I've tried to combine the two, portraits with landscapes in one image but can't even get that right!
I don't feel I have any room to comment in these areas.

And as for Emily, your number one priority at the moment is looking after yourself and that beautiful new baby of yours. So you shouldn't be apologising for your lack of presence.

I have 8 children and have trouble getting on the computer in the summer holidays. When I finally get on here, there are soooo many posts they are hard to catch up with.

I think these are all things that need to be taken into consideration. But I will try very hard to ppost more CC's if I can. :thumbsup:

[Anbesol]

Some of the shots just don't inspire a comment either way...

definitely. still, im sure that out of every post someone creates tehy should be able to comment on at least 3 others, easily. there are lots of photos posted.

[Photo-John]

I don't know enough to critique yet , I know what I like and don't like, but don't know enough to say what it is.
I have been learning a little by reading the critiques about the photos that are posted..

An important part of the critique system is learning from critiquing. In other words, you learn from criticisizing other people's work. So you owe it to yourself to take a bit of time to try and break down what you do and don't like about a photo and articulate it into a crtitique. That process is invaluable to a photographer or other artist. That's one of the reasons that group critiques are a part of art school. Everyone learns.

As for knowing enough - you know what you like, right? If you like a photo, try to break it down and figure out why you like it. Same goes for when you don't like something. And then try to tell us what you do and don't like. By doing that, you will come to better understand what goes into a photo you like and you can incorporate what you learn into your own photos. The actual communication part of the critique is very important. More important than most people realize. Language plays a big part in how we perceive and understand the world around us. Human beings can't really separate our perceptions from the language we use to describe it. So improving your ability to articulate your thoughts about photos will also improve your photography. At least that's the theory

So let's see some critiques! No need to feel like you need to know a lot. Just tell us what you like and what you don't like and why.

[jar_e]

I feel like I should comment on this. At one time, a ways back now, I made it a goal to comment on every photo that came in. And, I usually did (hence my high post count).

However, I no longer do that. It's for a few reasons...firstly, I just don't feel like sitting in front of the computer all day. I do it at work already and though I try to get back on here from work, time isn't always in my favor. Secondly, I found that I was just repeating myself in most of them where I wasn't the first or second poster. If there was something else I could contribute, sure, but I'm not going to add just for the sake of adding. Most critiquer's here will cover what I was going to say anyways so I feel like I'm not contributing much in that sense. Thirdly, and personally, I recently put up a series of 5 photos, all in seperate threads over a three day period. Out of those 5 threads, I got 3 replies. I apologize if this sounds selfish, but I'd like to see what I put in come back when I post a photo (which isn't very often anyways).

So, that's my reason for not critiquing.

[yogestee]

I agree with you Anbesol...I am as guilty as most of us...This is due to time...Lately I have been lurking around these forums without contributing too much...
I tend to comment on images that really catch my eye or have impact...If I see an image that has gone terribly wrong I rarely comment because I don't like putting anyone down..I know this is not a good thing to do but I would hate anyone to drop out of this forum because they get a feeling they are being hammered by other posters...

Photo-John,,you made a good point by learning from critiquing others..I totally agree...

One point I like to make and I have said this before,,,it is counterproductive to critique without submitting images yourself for critique..

Jurgen
Australia

[molaselake]

Yeah...I don't usually post just for posting's sake. The picture has to either scream "I could kick some serious ass if you just play around with me a little" or "I'm awesome, look at me". I don't bother with photos on here that I find mediocre or just plain bad because you really can't do anything with them. However, a huge part of whether or not I'll even open a post is the title. I'll admit it, I usually hate flowers, any kind of up close insect shot, and often inanimate objects. To me, they're incredibly boring. So, when I see ten posts all about flowers, still lives, and insects....I don't even bother. Another piece of what I open depends on the poster him/herself. If pictures from certain posters don't normally interest me, I won't open it unless it looks like a lot of other people have commented already and it might be good. I'd ramble more, but I have to go punch back in from lunch.

[Photo-John]

I look for the posts with the least comments. Those are the people who need attention. I want to make sure they get some attention and encouragement. Sometimes it only takes a little notice for someone to bloom. Also, taking the time to critique a photo of a subject you aren't interested in might teach you a thing or two about what goes into that type of photography. I have learned to be very open-minded. I've tried pretty much every kind of photography and I am obligated to look at everything on the site and treat it all with respect. I have discovered that most subjects are much more difficult than they look, and I've become much more interested in them all as I've become aware of the technical challenges.

Now, I'm not saying you have to approach other people's photos the same way I do. You don't and you probably shouldn't. After all, I'm getting paid to do it. But it is useful to put aside your judgements every once in a while and see what you can discover about photography and yourself. Plus, it's good for the forum, too

[Anbesol]

i think that some "mediocre" photo's need attention too, like photo-john sais. naturally, i wont make a post listing 100 things they need to do to fix it, but rather one of the more basic incremental steps that i think could help them.

Im glad this topic has gotten the good responses that it has, i was afraid of it causing conflict - im glad that everybody here is so understanding!

photo-john - VERY good ideas and posts!! Thanks!

[Photo-John]

This comes up periodically and it's always a good discussion. Everything is cyclical and this topic helps bring things back around and get people more actively commenting again. Plus, it gives me a chance to preach the gospel of the critique, something I think most people don't really understand

[Greg McCary]

I wish at least every photo from newbies should be told if there focus, exposure or color is off. I shoot film and am going to start taking notes of my pictures and try and figure out what works best. I need to know how to get colors that pop. HELP HELP HELP!!!! Even if my picture is to simple or plain boring, tell me the basics.....

[mtbbrian]

I have been watching this thread for some time now and the one thing I would recommend is, don't give up.
I know how frustrating it can be being new to photography, and if it is as important to your life as it sounds don't give up.
Be a sponge, take in every constructive comment you can and ignore the truly negative ones.
This is your photography, remember that ulitimately you are making the photographs you are making for you.

Brian