Untitled

I saw this cat in a tree, watching the ducks below him in the water!

When I saw this and the scores it received I just can't remain silent. As of right now this has received the following

 

2 ea 5/5 ratings

3 ea 6/6 ratings

1 ea 6/7 rating

1 ea 7/6 rating

1 ea 7/7 rating

 

I do not mean to give offense and I hope that you take none. That said these are absurd ratings for this image. Its a rare image that deserves a 7 in either category. If its friends that are giving you those scores, they are not doing you any favors. And if they honestly believe that this deserves a 7, then I seriously question their knowledge of the art and craft of photography. The same goes for the givers of the 5 and 6 ratings as well.

 

Photography is subtractive in nature. Making good photos is about deciding what to exclude from the frame. More often than not less is more. Fewer limbs would go a long way to improving this image. As it is now they are chaotic and without structure. They contribute nothing to the image.

 

Photography is also about composition. Placing the subject dead center in the frame is not the best choice. To improve your images you would be wise to look up and start practicing the rule of thirds in composition. By the way placing the subject behind the limbs is also not good composition.

 

I hope I haven't offended you. That was certainly not my intent. I believe in being honest and helpful. I don't think giving wildly inflated and undeserved scores does either.

It may not win many contests but it is a nice photo. And show me a cat that is NOT interesting to watch.

 

Let's be real. This photo is a refreshing change from snapshooters calling themselves photographers who have no purpose in life other than to taunt their reproductive abilities by throwing hideous snapshots of the little brats on this site and hogging bandwidth that could be used for truly artistic subjects. The last thing I want to see on photo.net is some snotty-nosed little bastard going "goo-goo, gaa-gaa". Not cute. Not one bit. Yes, this kitty is a refreshing change and I am grateful. Please don't clog up photo.net or the world wide web because you don't have a life beyond procreation.

 

My advice: Keep shooting. Keep shooting. You have a good eye for interesting subjects. (So keep shooting!)

Thanks Justin!

great shot Ellen....personally I wouldn't pay any mind to the previous 2 comments...they both talked too much...nice capture...cheers

You just might want to take a look at the portfolios of the people who have commented. If that convinces you that they know more about photography than I do, then you really should ignore my advice.

 

By the way before you write me off completely let me state I like much of your work. You have many very good images in your portfolio. I have rated a number them anonymously and given them good marks. But as for this one, well I've already said my piece.

Thanks Larry for your time to give me some advice,I can always learn :)

God bless, Ellen.

ellen, first, thanks for stopping by my portfolio and leaving a few comments.

I came to your folder and looked through all your photos, and viewed "large" perhaps a half dozen of them, and this was one of them. The thumbnail image drew my interest, and i think you've done a very nice job, specifically since you broke some of those photographic rules (centering your subject and leaving him relatively small). I think this adds to the feeling of being lost inside a tangled mess, which i'm betting, was the whole point. a tighter zoom, a different crop wouldn't have accomplished that.

Ratings can be frustrating, and a 7/7 is a higher rating than i would award. But there are plenty of unexplained 2's and 3's to go around, too. I'd like to say more, but there's no use in stirring up a hornet's nest, that clearly (after 4 months) is still buzzing. Life is just too short to worry about such things.

BTW, the only problem I have with the photo is the one leaf that covers part of the cat's face. Not much you can do about that, though.

Thanks again, -daniel

Dear Ellen, This photograph attracted me maily because I have a cat that is almost identical to this one in appearance. It is interesting that this photo attracts such debate...both about the aesthetic photographic rules and the rating system here. I have encountered people who have been very offended by over-generous ratings before. While some of Larry's comments are valid, the photographers are not generally responsible for the ratings given to their photographs and I feel that one should not get too head up about ratings other people received, esp real high or real low ones...the rule of statistics is that there are bound to be over-generous as well as over-severe raters out there. Comments/dialogues are generally much more rewarding and helpful. Kindest regards.

Ellen, I like this image, I think the pose and expression of the cat is very good. I think the fact that he is in a tree surrounded by branches really adds a sense of place to the image. Its also quiet original in that most photographers would not show this image as the subject is behind a mass of branches but for me it works well great capture well done. Rich.

I like the eyes of the predator, Ellen.

I like the expression of the cat. She seems to be ready for an attac:P The title of this picture should be... "Somebody's watching you! Be careful !" ;)

Thank you very much Adina!