bosshogg

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A lot depends on what you want to do. I use a D200 with the 18-200 lens. It is an extremely versatile lens. On occasion I find my Sigma 10-20 to be the cat's meow. I do have the 105 macro, and it is a hell of a lens, but I'd have to say it doesn't get much use.

This is a fine book and project. I've seen some of the prints big, and they are impressive. As a matter of fact, I ordered the book and should receive it in a day or so and I'm going to go visit Oxford quite soon, just to see for myself. Thanks for making the comment.

Thank you Bob.

I have a grant to put together a book of our community. It will have pictures of parades and participants, street

scenes, deliberate portraits, city council meetings (and other public meetings) as well as architecture and other

community elements. My question is whether or not I have to have a model release for every identifiable person. I

know this subject has been addressed before, but I've not found exactly the information I need.

 

BTW, I don't think it makes any difference, but the proceeds of the book sale go to a non profit corporation.

For what it is worth, there is nothing wrong with critiquing and rating only images you like. More appropriate IMHO would be to evaluate any image to which you find yourself reacting strongly, either negatively or positively. For me, flowers, animals, weddings and sunset/sunrises don't make the grade. There are always a few that compel me to say something, but by and large I ignore them. On a few occasions I have been repulsed by an image, and I've mentioned it to the artist in as nice a way as I know how. It's not up to me to judge, but if I have a strong negative reaction to something, I assume the artist would like to know. Incidentally, I believe it is possible to dislike an image and to give it a good rating and conversely to love an image and give it less than six.

 

Don't sell yourself short. If you find something elicits a strong response, then tell the person who did it, and thing about and express what it was that caused that reaction.

I am going from memory, but as I recall, I found some of your images very interesting and told you so and told you why. I also think that marked you in my interesting list. But, after several critiques and rates, and no reciprocation, I dropped you as interesting. That was done not because you are not interesting, as I happen to think you are a damn good photographer (again going from memory), but because you chose not to respond. I am selfish enough that if I am going to invest time in looking at someone else's work, then I wish them to give me some of their time to give me feedback. It does not even have to be praise. I'm on this site to exchange ideas and views. If I express myself to someone and they do not respond, then I stop expressing myself to that person and attempt to find someone who does like an interchange. Incidentally, I have no problem with your not liking my work if that is the case. As a matter of fact, I even assume that to be the case when someone does not respond. But there must be some out there that you do like, and my suggestion is to comment on some of their images (at least three images) and see if they express any interest in establishing a line of communication.

Ah, Barry, I'd have never figured you for a ratings whore. lol

Lex, man, you said it all. I'm with you all the way.

That may be so Josh, but that does not change my perception of what I'm seeing. And that is that most of the people who comment on my photos do not accept ratings nor give them. I've got about three or four regulars who do rate. The rest feel that it is a funky and unworthy system and refuse to participate. As to limiting the critique forum, I don't have much of a problem with that, and know that it is already limited.

 

In regard to your comment about the takers that don't give back, I couldn't agree more. I will comment on someone's image a couple of times and if they do not acknowledge the comment and do not appear to comment much on others' work, I drop them. In a few cases, I have made a comment on their portfolio and suggested that they have some excellent work and it would be seen by many more folks if the individual would only make an effort to be a part of the community. Most the time they do not even bother to answer that. In some cases its a real shame because there are some talented folks out there. But they don't wish to be part of the community, so I assure that they are not part of my community. When I post to the critique forum, I generally make a point to scan through it and comment on a couple of images as a payback for their viewing mine. I'm also partial to commenting on the work of people who have paid their dues. Without income Pnet will not survive for long. If someone is genuinely impoverished and cannot afford to pay, that would be understandable, but I fear most of those folks are just users and abusers.

Mr. Safak, with all due respect that is a poor idea. I do not wish to have an artificial limitation on my uploads. To you it may be junk. To someone else it is a gem. To each his own.

 

Robert, you are right. Rating has become offensive to many. I get a fair number of comments on my images, mostly from "friends" and occasionally from strangers. Most of the commentors on my images are totally against rates. They neither give them nor accept them on their own photos. Personally I like ratings. Yeah I get pissed off sometimes, but however imperfect the system is (and it is very imperfect IMHO) I enjoy it as a kind of game. I think of figure skating or gymnastics, for instance. How would that work out if there were no rates? And to the howls of protest, I do understand that photography is not a competitive sport. Bottom line is "to each his own."

Logic would have you put two trophies (or however many) up, and linked to the image.

Hey, it would sure be neat if when I'm looking at those icon credentials and I

see one with a trophy that indicates the owner had a Photo of the Week, if I

could click on the icon and see that photo. Really neat.

Lex,

 

As great as you are, I respectfully suggest that you are mistaken. STUPIDITY wins hands down. As you said,"we" elected those idiots, and as you can see from our colleagues that see no wrong with a little constitutional violation here and there, we are probably not going to get any better in the future.

Mr. Laur,

 

I'm not sure how you made the determination that the gentleman who started this thread was rude, intruding or generally menacing. I'm also not sure how you managed to label me with the same brush. As a matter of fact, I'm one of the shiest most reticent people around, and rarely even like to take pictures when being watched. I would not say I need a lesson in common courtesy, and I'm reasonably certain that if you asked most of the population in my small town, they would agree with that. So as far as I'm concerned, you've taken this whole thing on a tangent that is not applicable.

 

Mr. Cahn, were you rude? Were you threatening? Did you cause the arousal of suspicion. My guess is you did not, and that is why you are angered by your treatment.

 

Mr. Laur, I don't think most of us "normal" folks on Pnet are so devoid of common sense as to not know the consequences of threatening or rude behavior. The simple fact is that our constitutional rights have been under siege for a decade. They are being eroded, and once erosion commences, whether it be in soil, or human rights, it is difficult to stop.

 

Furthermore, I allude to the fact that we have become a nation of spineless and fearful people. Call a school and laughingly say there is a bomb. Instant day off for all the students. In my area this has happened four or five times this year. How many school explosions have we had in this country? Absentmindedly leave a briefcase on the bus and watch all hell break loose. Go to a ball game and get searched and have your belongings gone through. You see, the people who created this fear must be laughing very hard, since they have destroyed what they envied us for. That is our freedom and our basic belief that people don't need big brother watching over them.

This is just one more example of what a sad collection of frightened and silly people now comprise this nation. Don't really want to make a political statement out of this, but this sort of thing, makes me wonder what the future holds for such a place. Brown shirts and Gestapo cannot be far off. One should not have to show proof that they are a legitimate photographer when engaged in one's constitutionally guaranteed activity. Those who suggest otherwise are simply assisting the destruction of the foundations of freedom that this country has enjoyed since its inception (unless, of course you are Japanese, 1941-1945, or black, or brown, etc. etc.).

I have a Nikon S600. Ten meg, 4 times zoom, quick to start up and very compact so I always have it in my pocket. I'm very pleased (even amazed) with it. Most places not sell them in the $250 range.

Ton, I did not mean that as an insult. I admire your approach.

Nope. Most of the time I cannot access my workspace, and still no way to use followup.

I may have to eat my words. After the first few tries to leave this page to my workspace, all I got were timeouts, just like last night, but after repeated attempts by getting to the home page and searching my name in the member directory, I was able to get to my page, and eventually to my workspace. I have since navigated away from the workspace a few time and gotten back without a hitch at a fairly fast pace. So maybe, just maybe things are on the mend. I do hope so.

Pnina, we are most often in agreement, but it would be unnatural if we agreed on everything. So I have no problem with your position, and I reckon we shall just agree to disagree. When you come for your visit we can discuss this over a glass of wine. :)

Josh, I know I probably need to give it some time, but I cannot even get to my workspace now without a timeout. Before I could at least do that. And followup is not usable at all. I have tried it now probably three dozen times and not once would it give me followup, just timeouts. So, effectively I cannot use Pnet. I'm very disappointed as I thought it was going to be improved.

The only way I can even access is to type in www.photo.net, and go to the startup page, then search my name, then click on it. Only a few times have I been able to access my workspace. Most times I cannot.

Okay, but what prompted me to make the comment/question is that it would seem unethical to take the ratings and use them to your advantage and to not give out ratings. Would not consistency say that, " I'm not rating anybody else, and I don't want my photos rated?"

 

I don't want to get into that whole ratings thing, and the imperfection of the system. Ton seems to want everything to be rational and formalized. I think we have some disagreement there. I'm reminded of the way several of you guys did not like the work I did in "In a Perfect World." I was okay with that. And many liked it (including you Pnina). Good or bad image, I thought we had a pretty good discussion. And Fred, on your latest post some did not like the blurred face and others did. I don't think in these case there has to be a tie to technical competence. It's the art that counts and the vision of the creator. I would have thought that good art is almost always open to multiple interpretations.

 

If I enjoy the work of Arbus or Maplethorpe, and Ansel Adams posted one of his images, I might very well be inclined to give it low rates. But for good reason in my opinion. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion.

 

Without a doubt thoughtful comments, and not, "Nice pic," and "Lovely," etc. are the way to go. But there is nothing evil about rates. But I still say you should not accept them in you are not giving them. Anonymously or otherwise.