Good to Critique

[gabewalker]

I think it would be a good idea to go to the critique page once in a while, pick

5 -10 photos (I choose the ones that grab my attention, I try not to lie and

speak the 'sweet; truth' but sometimes there isn't much too say :/)and write

something about them. It will be appreciated and it's good for the soul. :)

[Charles_Webster]

May be good for the soul, but be warned some folks around here aren't too fond of hearing "the sweet truth" especially if it contradicts their view of their photos and talents.

 

I've been the victim of retaliatory attacks on my portfolio because I pointed out that "the emperor has no clothes"

 

I've decided that if I can't offer suggestions on how to improve a picture, I won't comment, no matter how awful the photo is. In fact, I now simply ignore the very worst snapshots because there often isn't anything I can offer that will help.

 

My $0.02 worth

 

<Chas>

[petemillis]

Surely it's easy to deal with retaliatory attacks - just delete the comments, and ignore ratings anyways as they don't mean anything. A retaliatory 3/3 is no worse than a supposedly bogus 3/3 or an unconsidered 3/3.

[Brian]

Gabe, you're right, we should do this if we can. Charles has a point, but I don't worry about retaliatory ratings or remarks. I know how good the pics are in my gallery (in most cases, not very good) so ratings are neither here nor there, but any comments at all, even from a disgruntled recipient of one of my comments, can be illuminating.

[gordonjb]

I guess I have been lucky so far. I have left critical comments and suggestions on most of the images I have critiqued, along with positive comments on the strong points, and so far have not noticed any retaliation. I find that most photos, mine included, can benefit from at least some small suggestion about what may have not worked as well as intended. On the other hand maybe all those 3/3s I am always getting are in fact retaliation for my big mouth ? hmmmm

[petemillis]

Snap - same as Gordon - never noticed any retaliation....just a load of 3/3s that I might have got anyway I supposed!

[Norma Desmond]

Gabe--

 

I also have never noticed retaliation and have had similar experiences as Gordon and Pete.

I think your idea is great.

 

Charles--

 

I know retaliatory attacks go on. As you know you've been the victim, seems to me the

best thing to do is keep it in that context and laugh at the perpetrator who is the real

loser, not you.

[alberta_pizzolato]

The other side of picking the photos that you have mostly nice things to comment on is the

unspoken Photo.net "philosophy" of I'll scratch your back . . . it seems expected that the

recipient critique/rate your work because you rated/critiqued theirs. That shouldn't be - we

shoud rate/critique because we want to give, not because we expect payback. How do you fix

that?

[iancoxleigh]

I tend to speak my mind fairly clearly and try to leave balanced comments pointing out room for improvement as wells as praise of what is good.

 

I've only been retaliated against once by a person who left many good ratings on my work and then when I left only a moderately good rating on one of his images he came back changed his previously high ratings to (very) low ratings. But, it only happened once, it only affected a few images and he is only one person. I haven't let it get to me.

 

I suspect you will rewarded for your time and honesty more than punished more it. I often have someone come and check out (and rate highly) images from my portfolio after I have left a fairly critical comment. In fact, just the other day I had someone come by my page after I left one of the lower ratings given for their work and leave some very nice comments. I think most people appreciate an honest hearing.

[ifti]

There are two feedback mechanisms on the posts by a photographer at the Photo.net

 

1: Ratings on aesthetics and originality. This number conveys the feelings of viewers on a scale of good to bad. It tells how your post is perceived but gives no clue as to proper corrective action to improve one?s skill.

 

2: Critique fills this gap of rating feedback and tells what is so good and what is bad in it and suggests actions to improve based upon the knowledge and experience of the critic.

 

A good critique requires time and should be respected by the recipient for its inherent time value. It should address technical issues of focus, color, composition and crop. It should acknowledge the strengths of the picture and then point to specific areas that need improvement.

 

One word critiques ?wonderful? , ?charming?, ?awesome? ? are no better that rating number and other than ego booster have no redeeming value.

 

To get a good critique the poster has to provide good data as to how the picture was made.

 

I discovered that EXIF data is striped as I posted a picture, Luckily I had put the data in the column.