Down With Good Titles!

[yairh20]

This is an official complaint to the critique forum managers! You guys do an amazing job running , in my opinion, the best critique forum out there and the people there are amazing giving positive feedback, or advise when needed; Bu I'm tired of my photos first impression, the clinching element which decides whether a person will go in and look at my picture, is the title. I have had many pictures almost completely ignored because the title wasn't eye-catching, and in my opinion, this should end! A person who will come up with a good title should not get anymore feedback then one who didn't, or at least a chance at feedback! Therefore, IMHO, we should move to a photo stream type view, or have thumbnails next to each picture!

with all the gratitude in the world,
Yair.

[Lori11]

I dont pay that much attention to titles, which is how I keep ending up looking at reptile photo's LOL

[mwfanelli2]

This is an official complaint to the critique forum managers! You guys do an amazing job running , in my opinion, the best critique forum out there and the people there are amazing giving positive feedback, or advise when needed; Bu I'm tired of my photos first impression, the clinching element which decides whether a person will go in and look at my picture, is the title. I have had many pictures almost completely ignored because the title wasn't eye-catching, and in my opinion, this should end! A person who will come up with a good title should not get anymore feedback then one who didn't, or at least a chance at feedback! Therefore, IMHO, we should move to a photo stream type view, or have thumbnails next to each picture!

The problem I have, and many do, is that there is just so much to look at, we don't have the time to see eveything. A catchy title, related to the photo of course, makes one's eyes slow down and usually take a look. Quite frankly, if I see the same picture, one with the title "Frog" and the other "Portrait of a Frog in Mud", I'll choose the latter every time. It's human nature!

Also, there are many times I look but just have nothing to say. I'm old! I've seen almost every sunset shot, every cat or dog shot, babies of all types and sizes... If I have nothing valuable to contribute, I won't. That doesn't mean that the photo isn't fine.

[Xia_Ke]

Also, there are many times I look but just have nothing to say. ...

My thoughts exactly. I look at 99% of Photo Critique threads. I go though phases it seems where sometimes I reply a lot but, lately I haven't been. I did look at your portraits threads but, I just didn't feel like I had anything of substance to add. It has nothing to do with title as far as I'm concerned.

[Frog]

I look at everything in critique but don't comment all the time either. Sometimes I think there's a problem but can't put my finger on it.

[yairh20]

my comment here had nothing to do with my pictures and unfortunately not all people look at all the photos in the critique section. Furthermore my complaint is not that people see the pictures and don't comment it's that people don't see the picture at all! the picture is not "exposed"(really bad pun, i know, but I just had to!). also, you all say you look at most of the pictures but if that were the case for everyone the amount of "views" for each picture would be the same! just reading off a couple of pictures views from the top you can tell (42, 103 124, 87, 229, 60, 27) that it just isn't porpotionate! and MW i agree that there are so many things to look at but if there were thumnails it would just take a glance and to scroll some to see all the pictures and those you feel you have somthing to comment on you can enlarge and critique it just as you did before hand!

[SmartWombat]

if there were thumnails it would just take a glance and to scroll some to see all the pictures

Have you looked at the critique Gallery instead?
Some people use the forums, some prefer to use the Gallery and its sections.
So you won't see what's posted in the Critique forum in the Critique gallery - and vice versa.
But you may prefer to work with the gallery.

[Greg McCary]

I have to agree with you Yair. The critique forums work. The quality of photographers here at PR is really amazing. Even though I look at most pictures posted there are some either I don't have any advise or someone else has already commented. But some photographers get a lot of views just because their work is so good. Others have just made friends over the years as well. The longer you hang out the more comments you will get. But hang out long in the critique forum and it will pay bid dividends over time.

[mtbbrian]

I hear what you're saying, but a good title does not make a good photograph.
Yes, in a forum such as this a witty or interesting title is likely to catch a potential viewer/critiquers eye at first, but after that it's all about the photograph and whether or not the viewer feels compelled enough to comment.
The suggestion you make is a good one, but I am not so sure that it could be done in the forums, but it is more or less how the galleries work.
As the others have mentioned, spending time in the Critique forum or Gallery will pay off exponentially. In forums like this, it's all about relationships and giving constructive comments to others, who will in turn return the effort.
I hope mine and the others comments help.
Brian
:thumbsup:

[AgingEyes]

Believe it or not, sometimes I do go pick out those that have been posted for a while but only have 0 or 1, 2 replies to look at and comment, provided I know what to say.

But, I've come to the realization that:

1) most of the viewers will have nothing to say, either because they don't know what to say or simply don't want to say anything.
2) good photos tend to get more responses.
3) if you have lot of friends here, you get more responses, too, even though sometimes you can pretty much guess what they are It's just a fact of life and happens everywhere.
4) the format we have here, if there happens to be several people posting after you have, or threads that are very popular, then your photo could get pushed down to the bottom and easily be ignored though not intentionally and you actually posted first. I know that in some forum, new reponses won't bump a thread up.
5) the more you participate, the more responses you may get. At least I was told somewhere else that is how some people respond to photos posted.

Personally, I have been wondering if some kind of rating system would be better, such as allowing people to just type in or click a button to rate it a 5 for "excellent" or 1 for "garbage" or something like that. I just think it's easier for the viewers to respond and may be more willing to respond. After all, we are here to see how our photos do.

[mtbbrian]

As much as I like to see discussion on this topic, I don't think anything new has been added to it.
I maybe wrong on that, but the bottom line is people need to know that no matter what their thoughts on a particilar photograph, as long as it's constructive it's all good.
If you want to learn and improve upon something be it your photography or something else, step up and be courageous and say something!
:thumbsup:
Brian

[yairh20]

if you want people to rate your photos we could all just put up polls with our picture with options ranging from garbage to amazing (or from 1 to 10) and that way people can rate.

[SmartWombat]

Personally, I have been wondering if some kind of rating system would be better

In my opinion, no.
Just rating a photo gives no useful feedback.
Apart from warm and fuzzies when a few people rate it high.

But that doesn't get you comments like "light looks like honey sprinkled with gold dust"

[mtbbrian]

In my opinion, no.
Just rating a photo gives no useful feedback.
Apart from warm and fuzzies when a few people rate it high.

But that doesn't get you comments like "light looks like honey sprinkled with gold dust"

I'll second that!
Warm fuzzies do nothing to improve your photography. Honest, constructive feedback will.
It's hard I know, but it's worth it.
Brian

[AgingEyes]

But, I'm not talking about a "rating only" format. I'm thinking of allowing people to rate as an option, something easier to give as a feedback.

[Xia_Ke]

A rating system could be interesting though it would have to be broken down into several different ratings in order for the feedback to begin to be useful. Ratings for composition, exposure, overall effectiveness of the photo, etc, etc, etc.

[mtbbrian]

A rating system could be interesting though it would have to be broken down into several different ratings in order for the feedback to begin to be useful. Ratings for composition, exposure, overall effectiveness of the photo, etc, etc, etc.

A "rating system" has been talked about before, and I don't think it will happen here for a number of reasons.
I feel that a "rating system" will just give warm fuzzies.
In order to improve your photography you need to be able to talk about what you're doing and be able to give constructive comments on someone elses work.
Trust me on this! Take a chance and comment on someone elses photograph, they'll tahnk you and so will your photography.
Brian

[shootme]

I’d agree that a rating system isn’t the solution. I often review the critique section just to read what people say about the photos and what I can learn from what they say, I try and add my 2 cents worth every now and then. I’d agree that the name whether for a photo or thread influences peoples attention to it, but in the end if the photo was just a nice name, I’d doubt I’d comment. What amazes me is that there are sometimes contrary opinions to comments posted and I think this is healthy critique at least for me as a beginner who aspires one day to be able to take some of those emotionally moving shots that you see every now and then. What I also like with some of the discord and ranting in some threads is the camaraderie and friendships that you can see and feel have formed and that drive the discussions. Over time like everything else, if you participate in commenting and contributing to reviews, threads, critiques, etc the favors will be returned…and people will look for your name is I do today with many people who have helped me.