Average Pictures. - DPChallenge Forums

08/26/2003 11:25:03 PM · #1

Don't know if this is consistent, but it seems the really high and really low scores get a lot of comments, but the average; middle of the line ones hardly get any.

maranelloboy

08/26/2003 11:31:12 PM · #2

Yeah, mine looks like it'll be a pretty average rating, and I'm not getting nearly as many comments on it as I would have hoped.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/26/2003 11:45:33 PM · #3

Originally posted by faidoi:

Don't know if this is consistent, but it seems the really high and really low scores get a lot of comments, but the average; middle of the line ones hardly get any.

Those 7 comments a challenge is still helpful, thanks people.

Message edited by author 2003-08-26 23:55:57.

joshua

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/27/2003 12:20:56 AM · #4

for example

200 votes, no comments

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

08/27/2003 12:22:02 AM · #5

remedied. :)

M

loz1

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

08/27/2003 12:23:33 AM · #6

A few weeks ago, I scored really low, and got almost no comments. lol

irockstars

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

08/27/2003 12:24:33 AM · #7

Well i agree, because this was the closest to 5 I've gotten, with the fewest number of comments.

frisca

Nikon D70

08/27/2003 12:26:48 AM · #8

I came across the same photo and was shocked, achiral! :) I'm glad two of us got to it. I hope it helps since it was a first submission!

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/27/2003 12:36:55 AM · #9

Originally posted by loz1:

A few weeks ago, I scored really low, and got almost no comments. lol

Which picture so we can comment.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

08/27/2003 12:46:58 AM · #10

Originally posted by faidoi:

Don't know if this is consistent, but it seems the really high and really low scores get a lot of comments, but the average; middle of the line ones hardly get any.

It is consistent, and frequently complained about. People don't have much to say about photos which are "OK but nothing special" (or rather, it takes too long to say anything which might actually be helpful), and like to say "great shot" more than they like offering criticism, especially when it's so seldom appreciated.

If people (including myself) spent as much time writing comments as they do writing about how people should write more coments we'd all have a lot more comments ....

Message edited by author 2003-08-27 00:47:25.

08/27/2003 03:31:54 AM · #11

Originally posted by GeneralE:

If people (including myself) spent as much time writing comments as they do writing about how people should write more coments we'd all have a lot more comments ....

SUV's , Whaling in Iceland , etc. ;)

Message edited by author 2003-08-27 03:33:21.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

08/27/2003 09:04:02 AM · #12

I think that the good shots prompt people to congratulate the photographer, or they are successful enough to move peole to have an opinion that they want to share.

The really bad pictures often motivate people to try to help, or the flaws are so obvious that they are maybe easy to point out for a novice or intermediate photographer (the majority of people here)

The uninspired, technically average pictures in the middle ground don't provoke much opinion, as they aren't obviously terribly bad so there isn't anything easy to pick up on that could be 'fixed', other than perhaps spending some more time really looking at the subject or often just picking a more interesting subject in the first place. Many could be improved hugely by more sensitivity to light, different times of day or a more unusual composition - none of these are easy to provide as a sound-bite comment on a dull picture - the comment would come out as 'find more talent' or 'get more experience' and wouldn't help much anyway.

So the middle ground suffers from not being easy enough to critique with a quick fix technical comment and not being interesting enough to cause people to spend the time to explain what they feel about it.

Message edited by author 2003-08-27 09:04:36.

08/27/2003 09:07:01 AM · #13

Originally posted by Gordon:

So the middle ground suffers from not being easy enough to critique with a quick fix technical comment and not being interesting enough to cause people to spend the time to explain what they feel about it.

The "Jan Syndrome". Always Marcia or Cindy but never Jan.

BLEE

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/27/2003 10:25:12 AM · #14

This shot of mine did really bad, my worst yet in terms of score and in terms of comments.

3 comments, bah!!

Therefore not all bad shots have a lot of comments.
While I am here i might ask anyone to comment please. How could I make it better.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

08/27/2003 10:29:54 AM · #15

Originally posted by faidoi:

Originally posted by GeneralE:

If people (including myself) spent as much time writing comments as they do writing about how people should write more coments we'd all have a lot more comments ....

SUV's , Whaling in Iceland , etc. ;)

TouchÃ©. Although, I am more qualified by training and experience to comment on those subjects than photography ... unless you want advice on how to take average (or just below-average) photos which don't get too many comments ....

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

08/27/2003 10:34:25 AM · #16

Originally posted by faidoi:

Don't know if this is consistent, but it seems the really high and really low scores get a lot of comments, but the average; middle of the line ones hardly get any.

I think it's fairly consistent. After thinking about this, it actually makes sense. The 'mid range' photos simply don't inspire comments. They are difficult to comment on in many cases because they are just 'plain'. There is nothing really severely wrong with them but there is nothing extraordinary about them either.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/27/2003 10:41:18 AM · #17

Originally posted by BLEE:

A 4.5 doesn't count as "bad." Although your beach looks cold, there's nothing emblematic of Winter about it (like snow, Christmas lights, etc.), and your title didn't lead voters by the hand -- I might have called it "Winter Seascape" or "Surf Sans Snow" or something cleverer if I could think of it.

It has a very painterly look to it -- you might try running the Canvas or a brushstroke filter on it and accentuate the effect.

I'll copy this comment to the photo page as well.

Everyday Renee

Nikon D80

08/27/2003 10:46:05 AM · #18

Originally posted by BLEE:

[url=//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=34253]
While I am here i might ask anyone to comment please. How could I make it better.

I think going on what Gordon said, this photo didn't have anything to motivate people to say anything to you. The photo has no WOW factor. There is nothing really interesting about the photo to draw you in. It looks like a dreary night on a beach at dusk -- which is not an uncommon sight.

Furthermore, technically, the photo looks blurry. It doesn't look clear. People probably didn't tell you because it is obviously out-of-focus.

You can't tell what is on the beach because it is out of focus, yet the background appears out of focus as well. We don't have any idea what the lights are in the distance ... so it is perhaps a bit frustrating. One can't help but think: What am I look at (in the distance)? What is the main focal point of the picture? What are they trying to communicate? When frustration sets in and you aren't communicating something clearly through your photo, you do not score well.

The photos that win the ribbons are the ones that are WOW photos. They stop and make you think. They are exceptional in clarity and actually make a statement. They tell you something that most people can clearly see. For example, in the tools challenge, the one that provokes a lot of thought and is likely to do really well is "The Tool". It is a show-stopper -- why? Because you can relate to it. It envokes emotion. It is crystal clear, sharp and to-the-point. You don't have any doubts about it. I suspect I know who the great photographer is on this one.

So, while this is a photography contest, there is much, much more involved than taking a photo. You need creativity, thought provocation, emotion, an exceptional perspective, and technical skill. The actual subject sometimes doesn't matter if you can showcase it evocatively enough. It takes a combination of all of this to win...

Hope this helps.

Best and honestly,
Renee

And I say all of this and I have never won a ribbon LOL! Okay, I think I can develop the non-technical skills. I am still working on the technical skills. I just bought some recommended reading by Gordon! Thanks again, Gordon.

Message edited by author 2003-08-27 13:05:18.

BLEE

08/27/2003 10:47:40 AM · #19

LOOKS COLD. I was about 5 degrees. Thats cold here. Blowin a gale, pitch dark, could not keep steady hands. In and out of the car in less than a minute. Had the potential of a good shot...
Thanks for the tip...Ill give it a go. Im new to all this so appreciate the help.
If a 4.5 aint bad then why is it 40 off the bottom. Must have been a higher standard this time round. 'onya.

chalcone

Canon PowerShot S45

08/27/2003 10:48:39 AM · #20

Originally posted by BLEE:

Brendon, to me, the foto just doesn't *wake* me up. It falls neatly under the challenge, as it does evoke a season, but it fails to go beyond that. If there was a bright red ball, a jogger in a completely white get up, a family pushing a baby in a strange pram, ....anything to add interest to an otherwise bland environment, then people will notice. They'll be even forgiving about the grain and fuzz.

Everyday Renee

Nikon D80

08/27/2003 10:51:58 AM · #21

BLEE -- You have an incredible eye to capture this photo.
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=28939

I think you were just inspired by the intensity of that day, but somehow didn't capture it like you thought you did. We all do that from time-to-time.

Best,
Renee

Message edited by author 2003-08-27 10:52:14.

BLEE