BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

It would be rare for anyone to simply state a posted picture is awful. C&C is almost always preceded by compliments. I've seen some awful pictures posted, and they are seldom called awful by anyone. For the most part no comments at all or if any, praise, which is what the OP of this thread is talking about.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't post a lot of pictures here because I recognize my photo's just aren't all that great. What prevents me personally from posting more pictures is people like billnikon who's photo's are spectacular. There are a handful of others just as good and that's what I think keeps most from posting lots of pictures. FEAR of someone offering help is not likely a reason not to post up one of their masterpieces.

Bill_de Loc: US

Good thinkin' Jerry

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AWVroamer Loc: West Virginia/Ohio/Illinois/North Carolina

I joined UHH just a few months and have posted just one photo. It was well received by the community and garnered a number of favorable comments. I do not recall the section in which it was posted, but I do recall the difficulty I encountered trying to decide. Someone mentioned the average age of members being in their seventies and eighties. Perhaps the membership age has something to do with the very STRUCTURED format of the “allowed” categories for posting. With the advent of phones with cameras, it has been much easier to take really good photographs. (I don’t own one.) Why can’t members just post their photos to broad categories and have the members feel free to comment as they see fit? BTW…I am 84 years old and my camera goes where I go!!!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

UHH started with about 10 categories, some broad (Photo Gallery) and some specific (gear for sale).

The next 40+ categories came about from member interest and the willingness of someone to step up and manage the section. At the time that each new section was formed, there seemed to be a lot of interest in a genre-specific ("street" or "landscape" or "food") or composition-specific ("close-up"), style specific ("black and white"), gear-specific ("smartphone") or topic-specific (printers, or travel tips etc).

"Feeling free to comment" is the divisive issue that has been discussed in this thread for 24 pages now (and will be again, I promise). As stands, we don't pay to be here, so Admin/owner sets the rules for Photo Gallery, and we follow them.

Welcome to the family

10MPlayer Loc: California

I see there's already 24 pages of replies so I'll keep it brief.

1. I'd suggest you don't offer critique unless it's asked for. Most photos are just snapshots, something taken without much thought to preserve a moment.

2. You missed the fact that there is a Critique Section where we can post our best work and get constructive critique from members. The section doesn't get much traffic anymore. The original founders of the section tried to enforce a fairly strict set of rules, requiring real critique not just "great set" or a smiley emoji etc. You had to say something about the photo and what you think the artist should do to improve it. Plus, you weren't allowed to post your own take on how it could be improved without the creator's permission. Because the originators of the section tried to strictly enforce their own rules there was some dissension among the ranks and eventually the traffic died off.

3. Photo Analysis has always been more about the technical aspects of a photo rather than the artistic choices one makes. At least that's how it was in the past. I don't spend as much time here as I did in the past so it may have changed. The Critique Section was specifically dedicated to artistic critique, as one would do in a writer's group. More on that in #4.

4. Anyway, my rule is if I don't like a photo I move on without comment. If I like it I will compliment it and try to say a few words about what I liked about it.

User ID

The Korg GT-3 is more rare than baby vultures. Birds reproduce, tuners do not.

BebuLamar

OK. They don't make the GT-3 any more.

Hip Coyote

Greetings..I was the one who started the photo critique section...I never received any messages about dissension so I am not sure where you got this. Had there been some dissension communicated, I would have certainly changed the forum rules if that is what people wanted. But, from my perspective, I grew weary of asking people to actually critique photos rather than then "nice shot" nonsense. That is not critique. The permission thing, I think, was simply courtesy. There was one member who seemed interested in posting obviously screwball pictures. I had to communicate directly to a few members who thought the section was another venue to continue their childish disputes with other members. It took time, thought and effort to be a member of the site. The final straw was simply that there were competing special interest sections and I had to move on with my life to other things rather than try to deal with the nice photo comments and police childlike behavior.

The other issues was I started the travel section around the same time. There was an effort to include issues such as having some (photography- related) cultural competence when visiting foreign lands. Meanwhile, the section had to compete with the regular main section that also allowed travel issues...I was hoping for a more dedicated discussion on photo related issues in travel, but could not compete with the general section. I am not in the businesses of creating clicks on a voluntary basis without support of the site owner. So, I simply moved on.

All of it was an effort to elevate the photography discussions towards the artistic and travel stuff. But the mojo of the UHH is tilted towards Canon v. Nikon v. Sony; raw vs. jpeg, etc. I come back once in a while to check on the technical issues where I might learn something and ignore the rest.

I am happier for it. Best regards and happy shooting.

HipCoyote

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

In April 2024, the only real photography discussion worth investing effort is why one must continue to use protective filters. Fools don't.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

Just curious, Linda, what are some of the sections that we used to have, but no longer exist? If a section loses its moderator, is the section closed or does it sit in some sort of "suspended animation" waiting for someone else to come along to manage it. Thanks Linda.

Bill_de Loc: US

At the bottom of the sections what you see is

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/all-section-list

right there for everyone to see.

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/all-section-list

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Critique Forum was started in 2013. You can go to page 162 of topics to see that. Managers were Nightski, Country's Mama and another who came along later (name I can't recall at the moment).

I well remember what 10MPlayer mentioned, specifically with new topics popping up in Post Processing Forum that were edits of Critique Forum's entries. There is historical evidence in both forums, if you're curious.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

No section has been erased from existence, even one that says closed when you open it ("Show Me What You Mean").

Suspended animation is a good description, and fits with Critique Forum. HipCoyote did not create it; that section began in 2013 under different management, all of whom eventually left UHH. I wrote a bit more to him in reply to his comments in this thread.

Admin makes it clear that volunteer-managed sections aren't advertised and must be specifically subscribed to by members (new and existing), unlike the original sections to which everyone is initially subscribed automatically. That's a big reason for the lack of participation; a lot of people don't know they exist!

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Does "CPO" mean "Chief Posting Officer"?

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

Thank you, Bill deLinda. I know about the all sections list. I was asking if there any sections that existed formerly and are no longer extant. It was merely a curiousity question.