Photoman74 Loc: Conroe Tx

On 06/05/2012 I presented to the forum the question - Do we need a section for the truth about images submitted for critique - the results of the votes are No 15 -- Yes 12, with the No's winning.
So I will not be pursuing this any farther. Thank You all for your opinion.

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

so there 's agreement we should lie?

Victor S Loc: SouthCoast MA

Sounds like it. Can't hurt anyone's feelings or step on toes.

cudakite Loc: San Antonio

Must be part of the emerging polically correct world view. I think a special site for honest hard hitting advice is a great idea. That way those who want gentle critique could submit their pics to the existing forum and those who want tough love would know going in what to expect. just sayin.

hlmichel Loc: New Hope, Minnesota

I forget where I sent it, but there is a place where you can send your digital images. If they are crap, they tell you they are crap, but explain why. If they are great, they tell you why they are great. I believe you can submit one image per month and they may or may not choose your image.

Have to check my sent messages to see where I sent my image--and when....

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

i don't think being sensitive to a poster and giving an acurate critique are mutualy exlusive concepts.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

I agree, sinatraman. Just because we're being honest does not mean we have to be brutal. Alternatively, being kind does not mean being dishonest. Just because we think we're civilized...maybe we are!

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

let's try it - let's ask admin to set up a forum for honest, kind, necessary, and no BS feedback

jekbeck60

I would rather be told why my photo is bad and what to do to make it better, than for someone to say it's good, or nice, just because they don't want to hurt my feelings - I'd never learn anything from that.

lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland

I thought the "Photo Analysis" section was for those people who want honest appraisals of their photos, while "Photo Gallery" is for those who want to hear what a great job they did pushing down the shutter button. Posters toss around words like "awesome" and "incredible" to describe images that are at best mediocre; and while some will claim beauty is subjective, often it is not. What I find even more frustrating than the people who don't know any better, or who are in the process of learning to distinguish what is better, is the people with obvious talent who find it necessary to go fishing for compliments.
While I try to be civil and constructive in my evaluations, I think it serves no purpose to compliment something that is lacking in most if not all of the components of a good photograph.

bawlmer Loc: Baltimore, MD

Being a part time photography student, I quite often must submit photos to my instructor for evaluation. Do you think he's going to blow smoke up my dress just to make me feel good? He's a professional photographer in New York. He doesn't cut me any slack. If my photo is bad or wrong, he tells me so and he tells me why. But he also tells me what to do to make it right. Do I get upset? At first, I did. I thought I had done something right. And I did. But I did alot of things wrong. My last evaluation? He still pointed out the things I had done wrong, or could have done differently. And he was right. But he also told me my photo skills have improved dramatically since my first submissions. People need to get over themselves. If you want someone to make you feel good, go post on Facebook. You'll get all the oohs and aahs you want. If you want to learn and want some honest critique, post on here in the analysis section and be prepared to get an honest evaluation.
Just my 2¢ fwiw.

LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

If you need to hear a lie about your photo's then there is a daily challenge which is full of people who don't know how to take pictures and tell each other what a great photo they took. Including the OP. It's hilarious stuff. I check it everyday just to get a good laugh. It's really more of a chat room for the P&S and auto focus people.

So as far as a lied goes, many people on the UH usually are looking for that. A lie makes them feel good about there photography. They are not interested in hearing or learning about how to improve, because then they would have to come to term about how dismal there photography really is. And coming to terms with your work of art can really hurt ones ego.

Harsh, but true.

hlmichel Loc: New Hope, Minnesota

Yup. When I first started posting here, one of my shots got rave reviews. I said that I was looking for honesty but they fed my ego. When someone came forward and told me the truth it felt like a slap in the face.

I got over it.

There are a few folks here that always give it to you straight and sometimes it comes out a bit rough. MWAC, Captain C, MTshooter to name a few.
If any one of them(and a few others that I haven't named) were to pay me a compliment for an image I posted, I would be pleased. Heck, if any of them give me a bad review I am thankful that they took the time to help me improve.

I do post my pictures to facebook too....

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

When I post an image here I'm not looking for comments on the focus or the exposure, the dof, or god forbid - the bokeh. I know what i am doing in all those respects and I do not post any image here or on my website that does not meet my current understanding and level of craft and creativity.

So, what I am looking for when I ask for critique is - does the image (s)
evoke anything? Pleasure? Curiousity? Imagination? Disgust?

Does it elicit anything from the viewer? A memory, a story - a sense of wonder? a smile of delight? A groan of resignation? A visceral "Yuck" or "akkkk."

Does it garner more than a passing glance? Does it pull you in? Does it turn you off?

I don't want to hear " :thumbup: :thumbup: its a wall hanger." By that standard I have lots of images that are wall hangers.

is this possible? Maybe if others who have also expressed an interest in more critical feedback were to give voice to the type or range of feedback they would like, we could come up with some decent guidelines for a forum of that type................hmmm where is the english wolf when he is needed??

2 Dog Don Loc: Virginia Beach VA

New rules for life. Not everyone gets a trophy!