Unofficial Critique Club/Comment Bureau?

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

05/08/2010 08:33:52 AM · #1

On and on, and 'round and 'round it goes......not enough comments, no help in the way they're done, need the input/feedback......

I challenge the people who perpetuate the issue to come up with an Unofficial Critique Club and/or Comment Bureau.

There are enough people who clamor for more, and constructive, comments that this shouldn't be difficult to do.

There have been a zillion themed side challenges, there are a half dozen unofficial awards, the Posthumous ones having become elevated to a quite prestigous level, and surely this is something that instead of hoping that SC/D&L will put into their workload.......I challenge you who want this so badly to do it for yourselves and the community!

Go on, I double-dog dare ya! LOL!!!

one2one

Olympus E-5

05/08/2010 09:41:45 AM · #2

Here's a DPC first Jeb.

I'm satisfied with the amount of comments I receive. I do not need more to make me understand that I suck at DPC photography. :)

05/09/2010 12:33:38 AM · #3

Originally posted by Jac:

Here's a DPC first Jeb.

I'm satisfied with the amount of comments I receive. I do not need more to make me understand that I suck at DPC photography. :)

That was actually where I was coming from. I have no beef, yet there's thread after thread bemoaning this and that are wrong with the voters/commenters since they don't meet the needs of the people who want them.

I guess the thing that surprises me the most is that people actually expect an explanation when they get a bad vote. Why? If someone just flat doesn't like the image, and votes it low, why would anyone think that they're going to put forth the effort to explain it?

Anyhow......seeing the massive outbreak of apathy in this thread definitely sheds a light on some attitudes. People want comments, but they don't want to do anything to work towards anty kind of system or anything to promote the idea.

Sort of tells a story, doesn't it?

desertsnail

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

05/09/2010 01:35:58 AM · #4

You got it Jeb!

I like the do it yourself approach!

If people are looking for more comments, there are other options than demanding in-challenge commentary from people who are already taking significant time out of their day to vote on hundreds of photos in each challenge. It's just too much mental energy to provide truly thoughtful constructive criticism to every shot, challenge after challenge. Don't get me wrong- I do my best to comment when something stands out to me, but you just get worn out.

Personally, I like the idea of the threads I've seen where people are posting their images for constructive review after the challenge is over. That way voters don't have to blindly comment on every photo hoping that the person is actually receptive to criticism (and not actually trying for the brown ribbon!). Posting your image and asking for help shows that you are open, receptive and gives the commenter more time outside of the voting session to really consider what could have been done to help your image. Plus- since it's in a public forum and not just your image page,others can learn from the suggestions as well. Positive for all IMO.

Maybe those eager for more feedback could post such threads and also do their best to comment on them- sort of a give and take?

anyway, just my 2 cents :)

posthumous

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/09/2010 01:44:35 AM · #5

Jeb, you're the only rhetorician I know who turns himself into a straw man and then sucks up some Diet Coke.

(big smiley)

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

05/09/2010 09:46:42 AM · #6

Originally posted by desertsnail:

Yeah.....what she said!!!.....8>)

I would be willing to be a member of a panel of people who would comment on images from the aspect of impression.

I have *zero* qualifications as a technical advisor because everything I know about photography is empirical, and truth be told, strictly from here, so my perspective is skewed........8>)

So all I can tell you is that I like it, or not, that I find it interesting.....or not....and I can tell you what feelings and impressions it conveys to me.

Personally, that's what I like to hear, were it asked what I'd want in the way of commentary. For the most part, I'd like to hear how the image makes you feel, what emotion it evokes, or if it does nothing at all for you. I don't want you to tell me what you'd do if it was yours, 'cause it's not, and that detracts from the message anyway......if you're trying to tell someone how to make it reach you, then the original intent is then lost.

Is there any interest in a panel of self-proclaimed non-experts who would be willing to give people comments strictly from a subjective stance on what the image says?

FourPointX

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/09/2010 01:27:49 PM · #7

i'm not a particular whiner about lack of comments, but i am a non-expert. i'm in.

why not, as opposed to the intimidating 100% comments, have a club commitment to 20% comments per challenge?

i nominate

NikonJeb as chairman

Joe

KristinaG

Canon EOS-7D

05/09/2010 01:30:17 PM · #8

Haha, I have never been able to understand the whiners.
Mainly this is because before I found this site, I was using the likes of deviant art, where I was lucky to get even 1 comment on one of my images.
So to come here and get 3 or 4 for an average image, and 7 to 8 for a good one, is amazing to me.

Citadel

Nikon D7500

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

05/09/2010 02:16:40 PM · #9

One thing I'd like to point out (more as a rant than anything) is that quite often the people who complain about a lack of comments don't comment. A lot of times they'll say they don't feel qualified or they don't have time...yada yada yada. The funny thing is they expect everyone else on the site to have the time and so called expertise to comment. I just wish people would at least try to do one for one. One comment received = One comment given. It would also be nice if people who beg for comments actually clicked that little checkbox to mark the comment as helpful. Its not much but its all the feedback that commenters usually get.

I also wish that the option to ask for a critique was only available AFTER the challenge is over. A lot of people (including myself unfortunately) just click it hoping for a critique rather than truly wanting one. If people had to go back and select that after voting was over then we'd get cases where people genuinely want feedback. To be honest, a lot of times people will requests for feedback based on the score they received during voting anyways.

I guess short term, if there was a thread like the outtakes thread for each challenge but just for commenting, it might be worth a try. (If it was automated too that might be useful).

That's my 2 cents.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/09/2010 02:21:00 PM · #10

Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Is there any interest in a panel of self-proclaimed non-experts who would be willing to give people comments strictly from a subjective stance on what the image says?

That actually already exists/existed, though I suspect it's moribund now. I *think* it did/does, anyway. But we're about to take off for the day and I don't have time to look. Does anyone remember this long thread where people gave *impressions* of images, *responses* to images, instead of technical critique? I thought it was a lovely idea then, and now.

R.

bassbone

Nikon Z8

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120 f/4 S

05/09/2010 02:32:11 PM · #11

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Is there any interest in a panel of self-proclaimed non-experts who would be willing to give people comments strictly from a subjective stance on what the image says?

That actually already exists/existed, though I suspect it's moribund now. I *think* it did/does, anyway. But we're about to take off for the day and I don't have time to look. Does anyone remember this long thread where people gave *impressions* of images, *responses* to images, instead of technical critique? I thought it was a lovely idea then, and now.

R.

I believe you are referring to The Reaction Club

tehben

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

05/09/2010 02:32:41 PM · #12

I say that if people are "afraid" to comment then... I don't see tons of threads complaining about receiving comments, and I thought/believe that one of the purposes of this community is to learn and interact, so it seems to me that people should feel free to comment on anything they want and if the photographer has a problem with receiving them then why are they even on this site... I dunno, is that to harsh of a notion?

I agree with

citadel 1 comment received should = 1 comment given. I think I will try and practice that :D