Has the site change or is it just me

[Grummpy1]

I might just be remembering wrong but I remember there being more comments left on people photos in the past. When a person posted a photo others would make post commenting on the composition, lighting, posing and such giving advice on how to improve. I know I used to get plenty of advice on any photos I posted and I appreciated every tidbit of advice I got. When I look at photos on here now they either have a NC and if not they still don't seem to get much critiquing. The few photos I have posted lately are not worthy of critiquing, all shot with my phone or my cheap little pocket camera, but it is still welcome, good or bad. To me it's the most valuable learning tool I have and it's FREE! I still like the site but it seems to have become more photobucket like than a site for people looking to share their knowledge and learn from others. I still get educated everytime I visit the site and want to thank everyone who has shared their photograghy knowledge with me.

[TheFantasticG]

Well, its a lot of sites that people have noticed this trend. There's a lot of knowledge already on the site in the archive. As far as active critiquing, maybe people just want to be "that guy" a.k.a. the a-hole because its hard not to come off that way when you are critiquing. The other side of the coin, how does one know one is qualified to give credible critiques?

[Grummpy1]

I can see not wanting to be the bad guy but I hope nobody worries about that with me. The way I look at it I can avoid getting my feelings hurt because no one would tell me how I screwed up the lighting or I wasn't paying attention to the shadows. Or I can take the critiquing for what it is, a tool to help me learn and improve. I very very rarely critique anyones photos because I don't feel qualified. The advantage of recieving a lot of critiques is if someone is just blowing smoke they will usually be exposed byt all the good critiquing and you learn to avoid the bad advice. Some nights when I'm bored and everyone in the house has gone to sleep I just browse the site looking at other members photos and reading all the comments left. I might not have taken the photo but reading the critiques other member have left for the photos help me improve also. Like I said it's still a great site and it's the main one I turn to for improvement. I just wish their was more critiquing and some of the members didn't have such thin skin.

[TheFantasticG]

Well, if you're on the internet, you should have thick skin...

[Outlander]

This site used to be mostly for Texas photographers. Many of them were freinds, aquaintences, neighbors, etc. and interacted with each other. That has changed and many of them have moved elsewhere, etc. It's hard to get motivated to critique someones photo when you have no personal involvement with the photographer. If you spend a lot of energy offering a valid critique you never know if it is received as helpful or as something from an Ahole. Small, locally oriented forums provide the best means for critique. IMHO.

[rockpics]

Grummpy, I'm sure the forum has changed since you were here several years ago. Several "characters" who could be entertaining but who also ran people off with snide and sarcastic commenting have been forced to leave themselves, and at least one such "character" has left through death. In the meantime other people have joined, and if they show signs of becoming "characters" I'm fairly certain they are shown where the door is. Yes, commenting in the people forum tends toward tepid. It could be people don't want to invest the time, or it could be something else.

[Grummpy1]

It's a shame because before there was so much talent and the members were more than happy to share. Some of them were a little harsh but thats just their personality. There us still a lot of you that I value advice from.

[auddii]

It does not help that some members feel that constructive criticism means that I have to like their photo. Mina

[packrat]

In reading this post I was wondering if there is a place on this forum where an image could/is rated for the Emotional or Artistic Value. I feel that a lot of images posted are posted by individuals who really would like to show off, and I mean this in a good way, their talent and not necessarily looking for a critique. When I look at an image, no matter the medium used, either I feel some kind of emotion or I don't. I would like to find a place where I could post an image and see if people like it or not. I believe photographers are artists and as such their work should be judged, someplace, for the artistic value. I don't know how many times I have looked at an image, whether a photograph or painting or whatever, and thought to myself what is that. Either I liked it or I didn't. The artist obviously liked it or he/she would not have shown it to the public. Art is Art and I feel it should generate, create a response, reaction of some kind of emotion in the viewer. I personally would not be offended if someone did not like my images. Maybe I would not like you anymore, but I would not be offended.Is there a place on this forum for this?

[arich]

I agree with Gordon but I also think there's such a wide spectrum of understanding of what "critique" is that we basically get a lot of nothing.

*steps on soap box*

Despite efforts to define "good critique" this wide range still exists. I almost wonder if we should have a "professional critique" section where you can post if you want legitimate nit-picking of your image for the sake of improvement and a "general critique" section where you can just put up stuff you want people to say "nice picture/moment/expression/colors/aaaw!!" to.

We've had an awful lot of people over the past year receive critique on an image and then get defensive about the critique, even if it wasn't mean or disparaging or anything (see the link in Audrey's post). People are so emotionally attached to their images that instead of hearing critique and accepting it as opinion and trying to glean something useful they feel the need to come back and "explain" why the person "didn't understand what they were going for". Well if you don't care about how people respond to your photos then never share them and keep them all to yourself. i think the majority of the useful commentators have been scared away because it doesn't feel worth the trouble of potentially dealing with someone who just wants to be told how fantastic their shot is and if you disagree well then that's your problem. One of my journalism professors use to say that if the reader doesn't understand the story then the fault is always with the writer and I feel that that is pretty true about photography too.

*steps off soap box*

[shutterfire]

Originally Posted by auddii

It does not help that some members feel that constructive criticism means that I have to like their photo. Mina

Audrey, I did not say you had to like it! It just makes the comment have a lot more merit if you have something positive to say! and that's exactly what I said.

Its very easy to be negative about anything. even according to the guidelines for critique Able has said find something positive. that was my point. I really didnt mean to step on your toes. But obviously it did make you think.

Its always good to have a positive and a negative. It gives it more merit.

I apologize if I hurt your feelings.

[texkam]

Yes, it has changed quite a bit IMHO. As mentioned above, the tweaking and emphasis Able has put on rules, guidelines, behavior etc. has resulted in many no longer being allowed on this site or choosing not to participate as much. This can be bad or good depending how you choose to look at it. End of the day, it's Able's call and one either respects it or moves on.

[arich]

Originally Posted by shutterfire

Audrey, I did not say you had to like it! It just makes the comment have a lot more merit if you have something positive to say! and that's exactly what I said.

Its very easy to be negative about anything. even according to the guidelines for critique Able has said find something positive. that was my point. I really didnt mean to step on your toes. But obviously it did make you think.

Its always good to have a positive and a negative. It gives it more merit.

I apologize if I hurt your feelings.

I guess my issue is what if I don't have anything positive to say about your image? (the universal "you" not you in particular) That doesn't mean I'm going to be rude but if there are way more negatives about your shots then positives would you rather I stroke your ego or offer areas of improvement so you can get better.

I wouldn't be getting photos published by Sports Illustrated if Tom hadn't rather bluntly pointed out all of the shortcomings of some of my early sports work on this very site. I was really proud of those photos too but I decided I wanted to be better. I guess that's why I think an amateur critique section and a pro critique section might be more beneficial in the long run than simple CC/NC.

[shutterfire]

Well of course the answer is no. However, even if you hate the photo surely you can find one thing positive. It just gives the critique more merit. If you are just pointing out all of the negative aspects then there is no way for the person to know what they are doing correctly and that is the true purpose of CC. I really think that a pasted form would help with this issue its not like its a new one. People place photos up for CC because they want to know good and bad. If you just want positive comments then they would put it up as NC. People are naturally drawn to be negative its much more difficult to be positive. So If you want negative comments just ask for a critique is that what you are saying? I am not saying that you have to stroke anyone's ego. I am just saying that it comes off a lot more professional if you find one thing positive. My question is how many people dont post photos because of this?

[contributor_M]

Have thicker skin.

Not everyone will like our work. Take note if a person(s) state the "WHY" if they don't like it.

Even if that person doesn't list a "Why", what does it matter? It's all a matter of opinion. Don't become too emotionally attached to your work. Chances are, you'll make another one.

I'd rather people tell me they don't like my work so that I can improve it, than people just shouting "Good Job" or "I like" all the time. But that's just me.

As for the OP. I don't think this place changed at all. It's just there are a lot of people who take things too personal.