Daily "Samplings" of Wide-Angle, Sunset, Long Exposure, Seascape Photos

My gosh...after seeing so many photos of seascapes taken with wide angled

lenses and long exposures at sunset on the daily "samplings" I am starting to

conclude that such photos are quite unoriginal. According to the PN rating

system, unoriginal photos should get a low score for one of the two numbers.

 

If I continue to see these same types of photos featured so frequently, I

shall (reluctantly) have to consider whether I should start rating the

originality of these photographs in true fairness for originality in spite of

their aesthetic beauty. The 2 numbers for originality and aesthetics would be

substantially different. This is only fair, and if it is continually in our

faces as members and photo critiquers, I think some bad ratings will start to

come.

 

In short, enough of the sunset, seascape, time exposure wide angle shots on

the "sampling" on the front page---you are really doing this type of beautiful

photograph a disservice sort of like overbreeding a Gernan Shepard or

Laborador Retreiver.

 

Take a break with 'em.

then so are nudes and so are flowers.

 

mountains? cliche.

 

really anything with water is kinda overdone... waterfalls? come on - seen one, you've seen them all.

Wrinkled old men, flying birds, closeups of insects, creeks, fall foliage, kids....seen 'em all,

too, many times over. All get 2's. Let's see something original.

Joshua--note I am not just talking about one descriptor (eg. seascapes) there are 4 in the title of this post.

 

Stephen--right on.

To be truthful, I don't really see very much "unoriginality" on this site. Someone once

posted a question as to how to get a silky waterfall, as he was relatively new to

photography and did not know the technique. Someone replied that silky waterfalls had

been done a million times and that that he should instead do something new and more

creative. Well, it may have been done a million times by a million other photographers,

but it had never been done by the person posting the question, and I don't think he should

be criticized for wanting to learn a new technique (new to him, at least). One of the things

that I like best about photography is that I can go back repeatedly to the same place and

always come away with pictures that are, to me, original; conditions are always changing, I

think of new camera angles, I try a different format, etc. Everyone is on their own path,

everyone is at their own stage of development, everyone has their own experiences and

interests, and everyone trips the shutter for a reason. Those reasons often change over

time (thankfully), but that has to come from internal motivation and not outside criticism.

Suggestions yes, but criticism regarding lack of originality, no.

 

Over the last three weeks I've been going out to the Washington coast. One day I spent

from sunrise to after sunset within 150 yards on the same beach. I was trying 3-4 minute

exposures of the moving waves and receding tide. It's been done many times by others,

but this was my first experience, and it was exceedingly enjoyable. So, in one sense I was

not being very original, but in another sense 1) I had never done this before, and 2)

nobody has ever taken the shots that I got. Some may find them aesthetically pleasing,

and others may find them boring. For me, it was a great experience, I got some images

that I like, I learned a few more things, and I'll undoubtedly go back because I'm already

picturing new angles as the sun moves north. What unoriginal fun!

Please understand that my criticism is specified towards the sampling of daily photos, not towards those who want to learn, the collective body of work on photo.net, etc. The more they sample the sea shots the less likely someone is going to find such shots original because viewers will become desensitized. Yes, its the nuances that make your work original, my criticism is not towards those who want to learn or even those who post photos of the nature that I defined in this discussion-- but rather towards whoever it is who is responsible for IMHO overplaying this category of this type of shot in the daily sampling.

Chip, I now understand what you mean, and I did misinterpret your original post. I never

look at the daily sampling, so I didn't click with your intention right away. I imagine the daily

sampling is chosen to entice people, especially those who may be new to the site, to take a

closer look, and the PN moderators are tring to chose those photos that, in their minds, will

appeal to most people. Sunsets are an easy mark, I guess, and maybe active site participants

have a more discerning eye.

The moderators do not choose what makes the TRP; you do, we do. If cliched photos have high ratings that's because they have popular appeal. It's the same with music, film, literature, etc.

As has been pointed out, the photos are there because the users rated them highly. You choose to view this exposure as being put on a pedestal. I don't. All I see is a measure of the user base.

I also misunderstood your original post. Stephen summarized what was behind my original reply in a more succinct fashion than I am probably capable of.