Water Traffic on River Limmatby
OichComment: comments like "nice shot" and "nice capture" seem almost like the kiss of death.
One of the reasons is because it's the classic response to a shot that looks nice, but doesn't give the viewer any real reason to say anymore. In the world of the 5 second view as you click a button to vote, "nice shot" is akin to flipping through a Sears Catalogue and commenting "cool shoes" on a pair of shoes you'd never actually buy.
As for why this didn't do so well, there are probably a few factors that I can pick out myself. (Probably not an extensive list):
1. Lighting. The overall feel of this photo is too dark, when what I want to see is a little more light and detail. 20 seconds was probably just not long enough for a shot of this nature in this case.
2. Point of focus. The composition is a little off-centered, leaving us with the view of the dark water first, and then the buildings as a secondary scene. Most shots of this nature that do well generally give us a very strong point of focus, such as a building or landmark, with the darker water/sky being secondary.
3. Clarity. There isn't a lot of sharpness and detail in the buildings that we do see. Having those two things on DPC seem to be of almost absolute paramount.
Especially in a scene like this which is seen over and over again.
4. Originality. This shot lacks some. With this kind of photo being so prominent, you'd better hope to bring something relatively new to the table to impress the voter. This shot really has nothing of the sort. Lacking that originality, you really need point #3 to become far more of a player.
5. Everything Above and More. A combination of all the points above, plus some I probably haven't touched on, need to come together to get the viewer to say a lot more than "nice shot". You need to make the viewer say "WOW!" That's why this placed where it did in all likelihood. It lacks the wow.
Photographer found comment helpful.
