Why post your photographs?

[realitystops]

Since about 1999 I have been variously using the net to post my work/hobby photographs.

When I was working the reasons where obvious (to make money).

Since retiring I have continued to post on various sites but for what reason?

If the image is liked, reasons are rarely given or questions asked (skill swap).

If not liked then little or no reasoned critique is posted other than reaction to over or under processed etc. without the final goal being referenced at all.

Personally, before giving any opinion or reaction to an image I would like to know the reason for the way it looks so that my thoughts are focussed on the target/result rather than like/dislike scenario.

I have not really put across my question properly I know.

Living a fairly insular life the web provides/should I think provide me with the feed back on my pictures that a club or group of like minds might do.

Basically I find it does not.

So do I continue to look for the holy grail of sights or just give up?

Site recommendations much appreciated and thoughts on keeping going with only self critique (depressing) or other ideas.

Comments on skin thickness and others rights to respond as they see fit also expected ;-)

 

[MCAsan]

Sites or sights?

 

[JDDavis]

My apoligies but I can't resist pointing out the irony of seeking feedback on an internet forum on why it's hard to get feedback on internet forums.

That being said, this forum is actually a pretty decent place to share info and get decent feedback. I think the key is likely the same for any forum and any subject matter and that is longevity and participation (perhaps much like being a newb in a club). If you stick around for a while and participate (provide info and feedback to others) then I think the quality of what you get back in return from the forum generally increases.

This forum has tried different vehicles for posting pics and critiquing them. Some have worked and some have fizzled out. I think the two longest lasting have been the Weekly Photo Contest and Photo of the Day. That being said, it's still the interwebs so you have to take the good with the bad if you want to use it.

 

[realitystops]

Yup - you got me

Sites or sights?

Sight is fading so site is prob. right

----------

My apoligies but I can't resist pointing out the irony of seeking feedback on an internet forum on why it's hard to get feedback on internet forums.

That being said, this forum is actually a pretty decent place to share info and get decent feedback. I think the key is likely the same for any forum and any subject matter and that is longevity and participation (perhaps much like being a newb in a club). If you stick around for a while and participate (provide info and feedback to others) then I think the quality of what you get back in return from the forum generally increases.

This forum has tried different vehicles for posting pics and critiquing them. Some have worked and some have fizzled out. I think the two longest lasting have been the Weekly Photo Contest and Photo of the Day. That being said, it's still the interwebs so you have to take the good with the bad if you want to use it.

Ironic or not your answer is thoughtful.

Thank you for that.

A bit sad sounding I know. The thoughtful answer is probably what I am missing. Speedy response seems the norm on the net. Odd; when typing would seem to be slower than speech and provide more time to change/edit as you go.

I will start to post here shortly (don't call me shortly). You never know ;-)

 

[MCAsan]

Sight is fading

Copy. I have just retired.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Oh I definitely get you. That's why I stopped using Flickr and all the other sites. I miss putting my work in art shows and getting feedback. That is really something I want to do again.

The internet is a nice place to showcase your work, but very few people manage to get anything out other than a "Wow, that's beautiful!" and pointing out the obvious. I have photos that people say a lot of nice things about, but in general they're not worthy of putting in a frame and are complete ****. A simple "like" is of no use to someone who is trying to learn good photography.

I have never used a DSLR, and that's the basic reason I don't hang around these parts. Right now I just use my iPhone and Camera+, and I have no desire to invest into better gear at this point. It's a hobby that I grow less and less fond of everyday.

Today's photography is far from what it was originally useful for, and that would be capturing history as it actually happens. Now we take and edit photography as if it were a work of art, and it becomes just that - Art.

 

[MCAsan]

We are members of two photo clubs that does competitions. One club does it every month on a different theme. Another does it twice a year.

Consider joining local clubs that do exhibitions and competitions. You can meet some great people and learn about new shooting locations.

 

[CharlieBrandt09]

I am (practically) brand new to the hobby. I have been a poster hear on MR for a while now on other forums, and I have the community to be very helpful and engaging.

For that reason alone, I have posted to the Digital Photography forum, and I find this sub-community even more helpful than the general community on this site.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Well to share my wonderful photos of course!

But seriously I post photos because I enjoy taking them, sharing them and receiving critique.
I have learnt a lot from the comments on this forum and still have much to learn. I also enjoy seeing other people's creative work as well. If nobody posted I wouldn't get to experience those pictures.

 

[Edge100]

Never, in the history of human discourse, has there been a more useless phrase than "Nice capture!"

I would rather you call my work a steaming pile of dog ******, than say "Nice capture!" It's banal and meaningless, and an excellent way to show your contempt for art.

Like the OP, I struggle with posting images on public sites; I honestly don't know why I bother.

 

[Cheese&Apple]

Well to share my wonderful photos of course!

Seriously, for many it isn't any more complicated than that.

We enjoy doing what we do and like to share what we do and at the same time see what others do when they're doing what they like to do. Please don't ask me to repeat that awful mouthful.

 

[Doylem]

Never, in the history of human discourse, has there been a more useless phrase than "Nice capture!"

I would rather you call my work a steaming pile of dog ******, than say "Nice capture!" It's banal and meaningless, and an excellent way to show your contempt for art.

Hmmm... in a list of useless phrases, "nice capture" isn't in the first thousand, IMO. It doesn't say much, except "that works... for me", but sometimes that's enough of a critique. Not everyone is willing (or able!) to offer constructive criticism, at length; they just want to voice a simple approval...

"Contempt for art"? Oof, get over yourself, please...

Like the OP, I struggle with posting images on public sites; I honestly don't know why I bother.

You "struggle"? You "bother"?? Then don't...

 

[Designer Dale]

Life is way too complicated a process for stuff like this. Take photos if you want to. Share them with this forum if you want to. That's all you need to know.

Currently, I take photos of race cars. This isn't much of a race car forum so I don't post them here. I visit every day because I like to look. It's simple.

Dale

 

[themumu]

The reason one chooses to post (or not to post) their photos online is tied very closely with the reason they take those photos in the first place. Which will also determine where they end up posting them.

This particular forum, in my opinion, is great at nurturing a beginner into a more intermediate level of photography, but most of the time I just like the variety of styles, places and approaches I encounter on the Photo of the Day and other threads. Personally, I find it more entertaining than educational, and if I wanted to elevate my photography to the level of Phrasikleia, for example, (who hasn't posted in a while), I'd have to look much further and deeper.

My own photography is more of a travel kind, and as such, I post more of it on specific forums focused around traveling (on 2 wheels: http://www.advrider.com). I have recently made an attempt to go over my earlier, previously unpublished stuff and see if any of it can be put in cohesive journal-style posts. To me, it's a bit like proof that it happened. I suppose we all have our slightly different reasons.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Life is way too complicated a process for stuff like this. Take photos if you want to. Share them with this forum if you want to. That's all you need to know.

Currently, I take photos of race cars. This isn't much of a race car forum so I don't post them here. I visit every day because I like to look. It's simple.

Dale

I'd like to see your race cars.

 

[NeGRit0]

Life is way too complicated a process for stuff like this. Take photos if you want to. Share them with this forum if you want to. That's all you need to know.

Currently, I take photos of race cars. This isn't much of a race car forum so I don't post them here. I visit every day because I like to look. It's simple.

Dale

I'd like to see your race cars.

Seconded!!

 

[Ish]

You can join in the Photo of the Day thread and just enjoy the sharing and occasional feedback, both giving and receiving, but if you want some feedback on a particular photo, or a few photos, you might be better off opening a new thread and asking for feedback. POTD is a good place to look and share, and offer the occasional feedback, but it would be onerous to offer detailed feedback on each photo.

---

Do you remember the Fortnightly Challenge? I enjoyed that. Everyone who posted was asked to critique the previous photo in the thread but it took a lot of setting up and Designer Dale did most of it.

 

[JDDavis]

Do you remember the Fortnightly Challenge? I enjoyed that. Everyone who posted was asked to critique the previous photo in the thread but it took a lot of setting up and Designer Dale did most of it.

The Fortnightly Challenge was one of my favorite MR activities. It was always hard to keep it going though. It would go in and out of favor depending on the tastes of the board. When it was going good there was a lot of good critiques being shared.

I've visited this forum for a few years now and find it pretty useful. I'd say it's helped me progress in skill. Feedback (both positive and negative) has been useful but I'd say the most useful thing has come from simply participating in the contests and challenges. It's forced me to try to get better in order to compete with these folks and I steal a lot of ideas from images others post

 

[kallisti]

Oh I definitely get you. That's why I stopped using Flickr and all the other sites. I miss putting my work in art shows and getting feedback. That is really something I want to do again.

The internet is a nice place to showcase your work, but very few people manage to get anything out other than a "Wow, that's beautiful!" and pointing out the obvious. I have photos that people say a lot of nice things about, but in general they're not worthy of putting in a frame and are complete ****. A simple "like" is of no use to someone who is trying to learn good photography.

I have never used a DSLR, and that's the basic reason I don't hang around these parts. Right now I just use my iPhone and Camera+, and I have no desire to invest into better gear at this point. It's a hobby that I grow less and less fond of everyday.

Today's photography is far from what it was originally useful for, and that would be capturing history as it actually happens. Now we take and edit photography as if it were a work of art, and it becomes just that - Art.

This forum isn't strictly limited to digital photography. While there are many threads specifically related to digital photography (gear threads or post-processing threads), the most interesting threads tend to relate to images and image creation. Feel free to post your film images. Either to inspire others or to seek advice/criticism.

I especially like the responses from themumu and Ish above.

The POTD thread is a nice place to post images and sometimes get feedback. Also a nice place to see what others are doing. I've seen images there that got me thinking about trying new things.

If you are specifically looking for feedback on images to help you improve, start a thread. I've universally received very helpful responses when posting a thread asking for critique on images and asking specific questions.

I was a bit perplexed by your last paragraph. Saying that photography should only be about capturing history is a bit like saying writing should only be about documenting the mundane details of necessary societal interactions relating to law, custom, and commerce--all this crazy fiction and poetry is far from what writing was initially intended for. You aren't really saying that are you? While the ease of digital photography may tend to make everyone think they are an artist, I strongly disagree that photography can't or shouldn't be used for artistic purposes.

 

[Micky Do]

I don't post photos to be critiqued as works of art, technical skill or whatever.

I do post photos to illustrate things on websites / social networks, and forums, or as part of reports of sports events and the like. As such, the better the photo is in terms of framing, composition and content (to suit the audience), and technical aspects, the more effective it will be.

Likes come from the content, more than any technical or artistic merit. Some pictures generate a lot of comment / discussion.

Sometimes people who like my pictures ask me to take shots of specific things….. getting a sponsor's name in the frame for instance, or picking up on some piece of action.

Most of my photos are candid, though not unplanned, and tend to involve some action. I generally know what I am looking for, and aim to capture "the moment".

I do have quite a few photos of sports events used by the local press, even when they have had their own photographer there. There are two reasons for that. First and foremost is that I understand what is going on so can anticipate and capture the action better than someone who knows little about the sport. Secondly, I have learned the requirements of the press, and those involved in writing reports.

Making money from photos has never been a motive, and likely never will be.

 

[steveash]

If you are looking for a good critique try 1x.com The curation is a law onto itself, sometimes rejecting great images and accepting average ones but the forums and critiques are actually quite good with generally knowledgable people.