Why?

Since most submissions leave the critique forum,having received 0 tovery few low ratings and usually not even one comment,I repeat:

WHY BOTHER?

My dilema exactly...tried voicing the same argument in PN survey 2008, but....who knows. Frustrating though...ugh. So, for what it's worth I love the color contrast, White is a little hot. the only thing i don't like is the bottom. Cropping just below the bottom of the curve in the right hand corner might bring more balance between right angles and curves. Just my opinion, but that's what we're looking for right??!!! Beautiful Job!

Yes why to even bother about your words? sorry for this

I agree with you about ratings. Most beautiful pics recieve 3 ratings, then why to bother? but critiques are the important thing which brings some good moments to the shooter. Even a simple words like good, beautiful, makes one to feel so happy and if the commnets are for ones improvement then it will be great. These word came out of my mind.

Pic is too bright at the edges I think. Regards

Anand

 

I could sure use some more cropping,but that would leave bigger areas of blanked whites,as the light is too harsh at noon in Cyclades,especially in summer.

Your comment only is enough to show that at least there's someone out there that is interested on what's happening recently here.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Hey File!!!

 

Don't take these forums to seriously! Those of us who know to appreciate beauty and good work do so but don't always have time to respond. There are lots of good people on this site and they will eventually give you some trully useful tips.

 

By the way, nice shot! 1991? What was it shot with?

 

Xeretismata, Nick

Thank you for commenting.Please don't even think that I believe anything I post here is a work of art.I have already received 2 ratings of 4/5,but I'm more concerned for the future and the disappointment many old members are experiencing recently.

Harsh light is always a big problem and usually results in blinding whites.

Thanks for you time.

Thanks for the reply. As Nick said time is the hurdle for most of us. I decided to write 10 comment per day and trying hard to maintain this.

I dont believe in ratings. Keep it up.

Anand

I'm glad you had studied Plato and reside hereabouts after you had started your new life.I have great PN friends in Croatia,though I've never been there.

Life here is quite different than before and many old members are quitting because of boredom and a few new members' irrational behaviour.

Thanks for you time spent.

PS.You'll find technical info if you left click on Details.

I hear ya. Unfortunately a lot of good people appeared to have left or are not active anymore - it's sad.

Signs of the times.There should be something like New "Winds of Change"!

Very good contrast between blue sky and the white old house, excellent presentation, forms and light!

 

Best regards, Gabi

Many thanks for your comment and ratings.I have just received a 3/3,which means that someone doesn't like this conversation at all!

I feel your pain!

Regards...Mike

Layers is a better exercise than critique forum!

File Foti, having read the conversation I agree fully with you. But let us also ask this question: QUI BONO? Who profits from the situation? Is also indicative of our times that more is better...ouk en to pollo to eu, though. I suggested to the administration that every anonymous rate should be accompanied with an anonymous comment. The promt answer was that while this option was under consideration,the worry was that the abuse mail would increase...

There is a simple answer to that: Instead of 4 submission per day we limit that amount to 4 per week. Is obvious what this could achieve. Nice shot by the way!!

Anonymous ratings won't stop here.We've had that discussion many times with admin and they won't do it.Ever.4 submissions a day has proved fatal for many.My mind is with you when you say that the lesser the better,but look what has happened here today with people I first met.There are a lot who care,but boredom and anonym.will kill the site and all the nice friendships done with labour.Best regards.

Tha ta poume apo konta, elpizo syntoma, Photi. Tha sou grapso.

Meanwhile I was thinking to slow down my presence here and upload without asking for critique.I'm sure this is better for the time being.Best regards.

This is turning into a Critique Forum Critique isn?t it?

 

Well I posted my thoughts to the administrator a few days back and here is the sum of it.

 

Assuming that all critiques are written in good faith and with honorable intentions we still face a problem.

 

Aesthetics. Volumes and volumes have been written over the past millenniums about the subject and they all finally come down to Plato?s remark: ?The value of beauty is in the eye of the beholder?.

To value aesthetics on a scale of: Ugly ? Beautiful is bound to draw controversy. A grade of 3 would mean: mediocre work with a tendency towards ugly! I think that all of us have at some time been disturbed by such notions. I mean how can a technically well executed photo of a butterfly have a tendency towards ugly? Personally unappealing perhaps, but never ugly.

 

Originality. Think, if Annie Liebovitz posted one of her portraits in this forum would she get a low grade due to lack of originality? And finally what is original? The fact that someone has never seen a certain subject or angle only means that he didn?t search enough.

 

 

My suggestions:

Critique forums should first of all be split into themes and photos should appear ONLY under a certain subject. That way they would stay on the site longer and would be visited by people interested in a specific subject. There is little benefit of a panel of pop-performers evaluating a Jazz musician?s performance, is there?

 

There should be no negative grades for aesthetics. The grade should start form nice and go to lets say spectacular or whatever. Whoever feels that a work isn?t worth of a nice grading should not grade at all but should contribute a descriptive critique instead.

 

Evaluations should definitely include a category of Technical Performance which is measurable and most of all improvable.

 

An originality grade should be a supplementary bonus for quality, not the basic one.

 

 

Nick

Suuuuper, nothing else i can say, a classic beauty!

I love this photo! Excellent control in a very difficult high contrast subject. About ratings WE know and THEY know. Regards.

Why bother? Because, my friend, you are an artist, and this is another fine example of your vision and your work. The ratings are counterfeit money. The image is what remains when the false currency is rejected. No numbers can express or measure the joy that such an image brings to a viewer with a heart open to beauty. Warm regards...

... on my laptop screen I see the photo and the question "Why?" so I figure you are asking why the belfry tower is placed in the odd spot that it is and spent a couple of minutes trying to figure it out. Then I scroll down and see your REAL question.

 

All I have to say is this... we don't post for ratings on any single picture. Ratings work when they are examined cumulatively on an image, over time. If you look at the top photos (all of whom of received some bad ratings, it seems), you see that they are all pretty much worthy of being rated highly. But often those good ratings come over time as people look at and gravitate to an image. But none of that happens when they post on the Critique Forum, the time they reside there is too short to be of any value. So any Top Photo category that comes only from the anonymous ratings is pretty much useless. I know they did it to correct abuses, but nothing is perfect. So, my friend, who cares? Certainly not you, who I cannot imagine needs validation from anonymous hands and eyes. You didn't have that validation when you took this shot 17 years ago, and this is a beauty.

 

You are so good at isolating the white Greek architecture against that blue Aegean sky. We can still see all the detail, where the wall of the church seems to be carved from living rock.

Anonimus 3/3 raters avoid the strong sunlight, as in your fine photo, for all thier shortcomings would be seen..

This image stands as it is. Please do not crop any further. The relationship between blue and white is perfect, as are the spacial relationships. It is actually a very good image. ( I am not a great fan of heavy frames)

As to the rating system: I do not understand why so many people get so up-tight about it. It simply is what it is and we have to accept the good and the bad, just like the weather. If somebody likes my picture and says so, I am pleased. If they don't like it and say so, I may learn. If they just rate 3/3 I totally ignore them, since, as I have stated before and in another place, people who rate 3/3 and do not have the guts to say why, are people with obviously very small brains, who probably also like to torture flies.

So please everybody: "forgetaboutit"..... Bert