To continue this thread: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-7675-1.html

I'm still trying to formulate the purpose and the set of rules for the new pictures section.

The core difference between the two sections as I see it should be entertainment vs. education.

- The existing pictures section should be mostly for showing off one's shots.

- The new pictures section should be mostly for learning how to improve and for show-and-tell posts. Either asking why something specific in the photo didn't come out right, or explaining how something specific in the photo was achieved.

There will be some overlap, but the difference between the two sections should be clearly defined.

The main reason for creating the new pictures section is to make sure that posts with pictures of users seeking help with specifics of a shot don't get lost among the multitude of other pictures which get posted on the forum on a general basis.

Just to clarity. The difference between the two sections will not be (as was suggested elsewhere):
- Only positive comments vs. all honest critique.
- Editing vs. non-editing.
- Post-processing questions vs. shooting questions.

Initially, the set of rules for the new section was as follows:


I'm going to relax this and drop the absolute requirement for describing the settings. It was pointed out that sometimes it's hard to recall them much later, and I agree. So we'll go with "should" instead of "must".

The core of the rules for the new section would be something like this.

You must either:
- Ask a specific question about fixing something specific you don't like about your photo.
- Post a description of a technique you used to achieve something specific in the photo.

I'm stressing specificity over and over because I would like to avoid vague posts like: "Here is a picture of my puppy. Please tell me what I could improve." So posts with general questions like "What do you think about this photo?" should be placed in the existing pictures section. The existing pictures section is for general questions and general critique.

By contrast, the new section should contain posts like (and I'm just making stuff up here to illustrate the point):
- Why is the background too bright while the subject is too dark?
- Why is the wrong subject/background in focus instead of the main subject?
- How to make sure the highlights in the "such and such" aren't clipped?
- Why is there bluish cast on the faces?
Or something like that.

The purpose of the new section is the educational component -- to help people improve on specifics (lighting, gear, techniques, framing).

Keeping all this in mind, I'm struggling with the name for the new section.

We need a name that clearly states the purpose of the new section, so that people don't confuse the two pictures sections.

Any suggestions?

One solution I see is having a restrictive set of rules for the advice section.
Something like:
- Must state the settings used for taking the picture (ISO, aperture, shutter speed, any body presets).
- Must describe the lighting (sources, intensity, locations, weather, etc.).
- Must list the gear (body, lenses, etc.)
- Must ask specific questions about either improving the existing picture in post or about retaking the shot.

Any topic that is placed in the advice section without the required info/questions gets moved into the pictures section.

I like it! Thanks for the suggestion.

Photo Gallery
Photo Analysis


To address some of the other posts in this thread:

Both sections will be open for critique. The gallery section is for general feedback, while the analysis section is for dealing with specific issues/questions.

Edits and re-uploads will be covered by the existing rules. Nothing changes: unless explicitly stated otherwise by the OP, assume you can't edit and re-upload someone else's photos. No checkboxes, buttons, etc. at this time.

Automatic extraction of the EXIF data (for shutter speed, ISO, aperture) is in the works. Not sure when it will be implemented though.

I like it! Thanks for the suggestion.

Photo Gallery
Photo Analysis


To address some of the other posts in this thread:

Both sections will be open for critique. The gallery section is for general feedback, while the analysis section is for dealing with specific issues/questions.

Edits and re-uploads will be covered by the existing rules. Nothing changes: unless explicitly stated otherwise by the OP, assume you can't edit and re-upload someone else's photos. No checkboxes, buttons, etc. at this time.

Automatic extraction of the EXIF data (for shutter speed, ISO, aperture) is in the works. Not sure when it will be implemented though.