namurray

<p>The add on download bar eventually came up and I'm now back in business thanks.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I am unable to upload photos to my portfolio. I get the message taht I need the aurigma upload software

and to click on the Information Bar. It does not show up. I am told to reload the page, again no

information bar. I amthen told the to change security settings. I'm a simple guy and don't know how. I went to the

aurigma site only to find you have to pay for the downloaed.<br>

How do I proceed? The old system worked fine for me. Why the change that requires outside software resources

not automatically installed as part of photo.net's service ?</p>

<

p>Neil</p>�

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep trying.

I've been trying to access the top photos section for the past few days. I

click on Browse Top Photos but it always comes up with server error. Is there a

problem at present or is it at my end?

Here is the clickable link to my website <a href="www.neilmurrayphotos.com">neilmurrayphotos</a>

I've come across this thread a bit late. In case anyone is still intested, my web site: www.neilmurrayphotos.com is devoted to horse racing photography. I have an article posted on the website with tips and techniques for horse racing action photography. It covers some of the issues raised here. Might be of help to someone.

I have been a member of photo.net since January 2006. After a lot of activity

on this site in the first year, I then experimented with some other photography

sites. After checking out quite a number I settled on three that I thought

might be worthwhile.

 

Two of those sites I gave away after participating for only a few months; one

for rampant mate rating, the other for difficulty in getting any response and

feedback at all. I still use one of the three sites; but to a lesser extent

than I do photo.net.

 

Despite the well known problems with rating and critique on photo.net, I still

reckon it's the best. On photo.net, I get a better idea of how other

photographers view and judge my photos.

Has anyone noticed a reduction in the number of ratings on their photos

compared to a year or two ago?

 

On my last ten submissions I averaged six ratings per photo. Only three photos

achieved ten or more ratings. Four photos got less than five ratings each.

 

As a comparison, ten of my photos submitted early 2006 got an average of nine

ratings per photo. Six got ten or more ratings and no photo got less than five

ratings.

 

Sorry about the statistics, and I don't claim that they prove the case -

indicative only. But I do think rating and commenting activity has decreased.

I have noticed the same thing happening on other photographic sites as well.

It's harder to get a response.

Overall, I think the site is worse than it was before. I regard the Amazon ad in the middle of comments on photos as an abomination, and can't understand how it would even be contemplated by any outfit remotely interested in serving its customers. The removal of the ability to edit our own comments is another serious flaw.

 

The look of the site has deteriorated. It now looks quite amateurish, like it has been designed into a cheap template system. A good example is the My Workspace page.

 

The fonts are worse, the lack of colour is unattractive and its hard to read. The old look was fine, indeed much better. I can't understand why the look of the site was changed without tackling other more important issues.

 

Very disappointing indeed.

I would include some of your shots also Diana.

Not impressed with any of them. Far superior stuff on this site in my opinion. Wilson Toi's photos for example.

Good points there Juha. It gets annoying when a photo gets quite good ratings but only five raters. I've had several of these recently that prompted me to raise this question. Thanks for your observations. Kind regards, Neil

I know it's pretty hard to get a lot of ratings or critiques on sports photos,

but it seems to me that the numbers have dropped right away to what they used

to be. I just did a quick sample through the sports critique forum and very

few photos got the ten ratings to make it into the TRP. Many get five or less

ratings. Is it because of the season, or am I imagining it?

I too received Farshad's message on one of my photos. I wasn't too concerned about it until I clicked on his link and it took me to my list of people I am interested in. Somehow he had added himself to my list. I promptly removed him. Got to hand it to him for enterprise. Pity though, as I thought his photos were very good.

Still not working. Must have to wait for working hours East Coast time.

Thanks very much again for your tips Neal. I had been searching the internet for information before posting here, but hadn't found much information, so yours is very helpful. I'll head down to the travel agent this week and see if I can get a cheap deal to Hawaii. I'll probably go for a week somewhere between the 8th and 20th of December and hope that the swells up. Anyway, I daresay there will be plenty of other things to photograph.Regards, Neil

Thanks very much for the information Neal; very helpful. I photographed the Bell's Beach Rip Curl Pro earlier this year, here in Australia, and was able to get a few good shots with my 20D and Canon 100-400 f4.5-5.6 IS L. No real problem getting a clear spot on the beach to photograph from. I hadn't considered that it might be a battle to get a spot at the Pipeline. If it's too crowded, I would be happy to get some shots at one of the other breaks; Waimea? I just hope to get huge waves. Kind regards, Neil

I am thinking of heading to Hawaii to photograph the Pipeline Masters Pro surf

event. My main question: is the break close enough to the beach for

photography with a 400mm f5.6 L on its own, or fitted with a 1.4 extender? I

prefer to take my 1D MKIIN but also have a 20D which would get a bit more

focal length if necessary.

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I've had one photo that got onto the first page of the TRP. It got the highest rating of any of my photos, as well as the highest number of views and comments I've ever had. I'm sure that its early appearance on the TRP gave it high visibility and more views. Whatever the shortcomings of the TRP , I reckon it's very satisfying to see your photo there and worth working for.

Jennifer, I too am now reluctant to give my gallery address to friends and relatives, at least without warning them that they will encounter material on this site that may offend them; or indeed that if they try and open the site at their work place it could be blocked. I think I will start a display gallery elsewhere and just use Photo.net for rating and critique of my own and others work.

A key point in the rating guidelines is the statement that photos should be rated "relative to other photos on Photo.net." It's very easy to forget this and slip into a mind set of rating against photos from other sources, whether on the web, in magazines or newspapers, or in photographic exhibitions, in other words against the best ever seen.

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I agree. An hour or so ago there was a thread about nudes and blocking to which I posted a response. For whatever reason the thread has disappeared. It was an important and legitamite feedback by the initiator; incomprehensible how it could be expunged. Unless it is some glitch in the system I think it represents a concerning trend by the new administration.

I agree Ben. Get rid of aesthetics and originality and make it simply 1 to 10.