Comments on Pictures posted, lies or truths?

[Deadpoet]

A question to all fellow CS members, when you post pictures, not in the Critique Corner forum, do you want comments and criticisms?

I think if you do not want any comments and criticisms, especially criticisms, you should say so, “criticism not welcome”, then the critics would probably shut up. However, if you do not specifically stated criticism not welcome, we should be able to comment and criticize truthfully.

I have noticed a very disturbing trend, and it’s getting worse. Many viewers, give praises to the most undeserved. The picture sucks and it’s still nice to them. There is this overly polite politically correct tendency to sugar coat criticisms. I found these kind of criticisms most ineffective, inefficient, and insulting at times. If the picture is really that bad, say it. If the hair is messy, the pose is unnatural, the facial expression is that horrible, the set does not make sense, say it truthfully so that the poster can learn and improve.

On the other hand, many posters do not want viewers’ true opinions. As long as the comments are positive, they are great comments. Whenever the viewers criticize, all sort of excuses come out. Messy hair inevitably gets the wind is strong excuse, goofy/horrible expressions will be rebutted by “It’s natural …”, and messed up sets become whimsical/it’s intended to be that way etc etc etc.

This phenomenon of “good comments only” applies not only to newbies, but to established professional photographers too.

With the posters and viewers playing hypocrites, how can we learn from our mistakes, how can we improve and build on our accomplishments.

 

[ndroo]

Agree with your observation. Sometimes you see a horrible pic of a girl, and some go 'great shot!' ... you start to wonder if it's the girl or photo the guy/gal is commenting on. Duh!

 

[streetlite]

The picture sucks and it’s still nice to them.

Sucks for you but not neccessarily for them.
As you have the right to think the image captured sucks, they too have the right to think it is nice.

 

[ndroo]

Sucks for you but not neccessarily for them.
As you have the right to think the image captured sucks, they too have the right to think it is nice.

But sometimes they are really mega ultra sucks :bsmilie: ;p

 

[ellery]

Not new here happens every where there is a option to post. However in here there is seldom any really good comments anymore - why ? Those that do have been bitten at too many times. Although it is known that appreciation of any artform depends on your own standards at the moment and that what is outside your current scope of appreciation will not register at all - it is often the less experience that the most vocal in defence of their work. The blind leading the blind is often on descriptive of most forum with post and comments. No solutions for this its like a fact of life.

 

[streetlite]

Not to mention, the very obvious clique mentality present here in CS.

From harry potter last night - "It takes courage to stand up against your enemies but it takes even greater courage to stand up against your friends."

 

[marky]

I don't think that many here are professional photographers.. mostly i guess are just photographers wanting to share their work here.. some pics may look good to them where else some do not.. or maybe some just wanna just add some post count.

Comments are good in a way but not overdoing it..

 

[streetlite]

Sometimes you see a horrible pic of a girl, and some go 'great shot!' ... you start to wonder if it's the girl or photo the guy/gal is commenting on. Duh!

The most technically correct photo can also be the most boring.

 

[Koelsch]

I don't think that many here are professional photographers.. mostly i guess are just photographers wanting to share their work here.. some pics may look good to them where else some do not.. or maybe some just wanna just add some post count.

Comments are good in a way but not overdoing it..

they are rather quite a number of commercial photographers and FL. hmmm it's rather hard to judge from a point of a newbie. someone gotta set the standard where a photo can be called nice if not, every photos will have some saying it's great and some other think it totally sucks. it's subjective and its varies.

 

[ParkertR]

finally thnx deadpoet for this post... i've actually been shying away from cs because of this... it's been getting rather irritating to see all those comments. Getting them is nice, but getting them for the sake of getting them gets rather pointless... especially when a picture doesn't deserve any praise... unless it's just to boost your personal ego of course. Nevertheless, it is an issue that is relevant.

 

[ndroo]

The most technically correct photo can also be the most boring.

Oh, sorry but I am not the type who go for the most technically correct stuff. Don't get me wrong. But ... nevermind ... :sweat:

 

[streetlite]

Oh, sorry but I am not the type who go for the most technically correct stuff. Don't get me wrong. But ... nevermind ... :sweat:

Yes, I didn't get you wrong, I hope I didn't come across that way.
It is just a reminder to all of us, myself included.

 

[Wai]

i guess....different pple got differnet standard in judging the pic. some pple may judge based on the equipment used, while some pple may be more bais towards sharpness or color. There are pple who just look at the composition or expression...unfortunately i notice that most pple (esp those who comment in portrait sub-forum), only look at the model if they pretty or not.

 

[surge]

agree!!! recently seem some leave photos that ppl are saying :thumbsup: :thumbsup: , nice great etc but those photos are the ones that i won even take a 2nd look!!!

then again, sometimes it may be the subj matter, i dont really like leaves though i love nature photos that encompass the entire tranquil mood.

beauty lies in hte eyes of the beholder i guess.....

 

[Long Thai Bean]

Not to mention, the very obvious clique mentality present here in CS.

From harry potter last night - "It takes courage to stand up against your enemies but it takes even greater courage to stand up against your friends."

Totally agree on the above statement about the clique mentality ... :thumbsup:

There is way too much "back patting" on some of the post ... And people who joined the same organised shoot usually go about praising each others shot ... even though there is nothing to shout about ...


RGDs

 

[Castlesinthesky]

it's definitely clique behaviour, same group of people always post the positive, "see you one up" comments in those threads anyway.

 

[Deadpoet]

agree!!! recently seem some leave photos that ppl are saying :thumbsup: :thumbsup: , nice great etc but those photos are the ones that i won even take a 2nd look!!!
...
beauty lies in hte eyes of the beholder i guess.....

Absolutely, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. What I find exquisite other may see as ho hum. That is absolutely ok. But there are some fairly well subscribed standards in posing, compositionl, lighting and exposure etc etc. That does not means these are rules that cannot be crossed, they are good guidelines, and should be crossed if the siutuation calls for it.

Sucks for you but not neccessarily for them. As you have the right to think the image captured sucks, they too have the right to think it is nice.

Of course. However, if I say a picture "sucks", it is also my responsibility to the photographer to explain why I think it sucks. Conversely, those saying the picture is nice, should also tell why they think this way.

 

[Long Thai Bean]

Sucks for you but not neccessarily for them.
As you have the right to think the image captured sucks, they too have the right to think it is nice.

Of course. However, if I say a picture "sucks", it is also my responsibility to the photographer to explain why I think it sucks. Conversely, those saying the picture is nice, should also tell why they think this way.

Its ok to think the image is nice and also to post "Nice Pics" ... But i think it would be better if they can say why it is good and nice ... It would at least help the photographer know what he/she has done correctly ... Many times this is missing ... and it makes the "comment" totally pointless and unconstructive.

 

[espn]

Wah!! Your pictures very sharp!! Good pictures! :thumbsup:

 

[Deadpoet]

Wah!! Your pictures very sharp!! Good pictures! :thumbsup:

espn, thanks for illustrating exactly what I am trying to say.