Reconvic Loc: clermont Fl

Thank you Robert for taking the time to help illustrate what I was trying to say to my critics. The green heron and gallinule comparisons I posted I think were ignored by the gallery. Yeah every one can have an opinion but if it's a negative one I genuinely would have liked to have seen it....not any more. I can't make negative comments on the blog because of different experience levels, equipment, and perspective unless asked. Appreciate you taking the time to help me.

SeamusMac Loc: Walla Walla, WA

oorah, just tell the critics to git some!

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

LOL lets have some fun...

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The poor babies fell asleep in the park and some taggers with new spray cans of paint came along....

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Bill_de Loc: US

A number of years ago my sister bought me a book on exotic birds. She had come across it is a store a was impressed.

It was a cool book where somebody photoshopped a Blue Jay's head on a Cardinal and about a hundred more similar photos. She didn't understand why I was laughing harder as I turned each page.

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jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

MrAnalog

Hi ReconVic, is that better? I am friend, not foe. I complimented you work. You’re welcome. You stated you were OCD as I am. And yes, I’m in therapy. Your original post appears to be “a cry for help”. Everyone can benefit from a little help (therapy). I offered a friend (you) a little friendly advice. You rejected it. You don’t accept compliments or criticism. I’m not a analyst but it appears something more is going on here. Take my advice, if not for yourself, do it for those in your life that you love. We only have a few years left before our life flashes before us in a series of pictures. Let us both try to make them worth watching.
You’re welcome.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Been here four weeks and are telling us how to do what we do? Apparently your OCD is getting the best of you.

MrAnalog

Hi again. I told you how to do nothing of the sort. You’re not in combat anymore. But since you insist, I concede. You win. Hope you feel better now.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Thank you for your service. I always like to help out fellow vets with their photography.

Critiquing is one of the most powerful and effective teaching and learning tools in photographic education. Requesting, receiving, offering and giving critiques is healthy and productive. Thing is, giving and taking critiques, like photography itself, are a craft and an art form in itself and it needs to be done in the right way and in the right spirit. Good, well-expressed critiques are constructive and helpful whereas harsh and thoughtless criticisms are counterproductive and discouraging.

There are no hard and fast rules but there are certain criteria that can apply to all kinds and styles of photography Technical elements like exposure, contrast, focus. detail, color saturation, tonal scale, etc., are good starting points. Then there are the aesthetics such as composition, viewer impact, use of light or lighting, and perspective. Of course, there are psychological elements such as mood, drama, emotional content, and how the image appeals to the viewer's perception.

So...personally, I am not a wildlife or bird photographer, but I can legitimately access an image based on the aforementioned aspects. I try to do this in a clinical manner and not reflect upon my personal tastes or styles. If I were an ornithologist or an editor with an Audubon Society publication, I might opine on the accuracy of the coloration of a bird's plumage, otherwise, I strictly go by the artistic impression and expression of the maker.

If there are technical or aesthetic issues, I will offer a remedial or preventative option for the maker to consider. I might offer a diagram, a formula or an illustration if I have one or, with permission, I might do a quick edit to illustrate my points.

Receiving a critique and making good use of it also requires some savvy. My basic rule of thumb is "take it from who it comes"! If you feel the critic knows what he or she is talking about, consider the suggestions and apply them to your own working methods. If you feel the critique is frivolous, without substance, or unkind, just skip it! Getting into an argument, aggravating yourself, getting into a bad back and forth is an unmitigated waste of time and energy. Save your energy for creative and scientific thinking about your photographic technique. If you receive a negative critique that is given in good faith and you think it has merit, question the critic and see what suggestions he or she has to contribute. As you learn the "ropes" you will soon be able to more easily differentiate between the "wheat and the chaff" or more frankly, between the good stuff and the B.S.!

Photography is my profession but it is also my hobby. If you want to enjoy your photography, get into experimenting with different renditions of your work- try different levels of color saturation- brash, hard, natural, subtle- muted and see what you like best. Artists who paint a draw can use oils, watercolors, inks, charcoal, and crayons- each with their own effect. You can do the same with your camera and post-processing. You can take a documentary approach or go with fantasies- you are the artist and the technician- it's all up to you!

Do not refrain from giving and taking critiques. Stay with the productive and constructive conversations and skip the trolls.

Didn't joint the USMC- Just the Army! Served with 101st Airborne Division- two tours in Country! Makes me appreciate peace!

Kindest regards, Ed

Reconvic Loc: clermont Fl

If you had bothered to read all of this topic you would have seen that I both apologized and said that I WAS new here and didn't know the protocol. The best that I can do here is accept the OPINIONS that I think merit
and forget the others...it's CDO because I have to alphabetize it!

Reconvic Loc: clermont Fl

My first 6 or 7 topics I asked for critiques openly. Part of my success in making Sergeant Major in the Marines was taking the advice of my subordinates It bothers me not to take advice or criticism but it does bother me if it's curt and negative....I'm over it but I think there's others who want to jump on the band wagon...on with the important stuff...spent more than a few days with the 101st...the best (oops can I say best here?) the Army has...thank you and welcome home brother

Reconvic Loc: clermont Fl

you're reading someone elses comments brother...yup every day's a holiday and every meal a feast now that I am not in combat any more but from all of your snarky little comments especially this one I can ascertain that you could give a hill of beans about all of us that made it possible for you to have your freedom...Thank you Reconvic...Sergeant Major of Marines

Bill_de Loc: US

I could argue your assessment of the 101st. I served with the 199th and the 1st Cav.
I 101st was better than one of them, but maybe not the other.

To avoid any further conflict I won't say which was which. The best thing is that we are all still here today.

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