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DPRF is a spin-off of dpreview. We are a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. From smartphone to Medium Format.

DPRF is a community for everybody, every brand and every sensor format. Digital and film.
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Do photographers posting here want honest feedback, or not?

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Some people just like to share. It doesn't have to be an eh, eh, fine art shot. It becomes a community of people that know each other and it doesn't have to be a competition, it's just fun for a lot of people.

Show me the perfect shot and I'll show you what's not perfect about it. Sad but a simple truth. A lot of people, in fact probably most, simply learn by looking at others shots. I certainly do anyway. I don't need things pointed out to me when I can already see it in other peoples shots. I've watched a lot of shooters grow over the years by simply looking.

For a lot of people it's just a hobby and in that way, it's just fun. There are forums where you can get exactly what you want, but trust me, you need to be ready for it.

Maybe the answer is to have a critique forum here, but that's up to admin. At least in there you would know that people are genuinely asking for critique. Been on plenty of heavy critiquing forums and it's all about how that is said and placed. It's not easy.

In the std forums here, I wouldn't do it, just like DPR it's more about sharing and having fun IMO. There is a place for it though for sure.

Danny.
 
nzmacro said:
Some people just like to share. It doesn't have to be an eh, eh, fine art shot. It becomes a community of people that know each other and it doesn't have to be a competition, it's just fun for a lot of people.

Show me the perfect shot and I'll show you what's not perfect about it. Sad but a simple truth. A lot of people, in fact probably most, simply learn by looking at others shots. I certainly do anyway. I don't need things pointed out to me when I can already see it in other peoples shots. I've watched a lot of shooters grow over the years by simply looking.

For a lot of people it's just a hobby and in that way, it's just fun. There are forums where you can get exactly what you want, but trust me, you need to be ready for it.

Maybe the answer is to have a critique forum here, but that's up to admin. At least in there you would know that people are genuinely asking for critique. Been on plenty of heavy critiquing forums and it's all about how that is said and placed. It's not easy.

In the std forums here, I wouldn't do it, just like DPR it's more about sharing and having fun IMO. There is a place for it though for sure.

Danny.
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I agree wholeheartedly, and that is where certain forums for that kind of thing would be appropriate.
 
nzmacro said:
Some people just like to share. It doesn't have to be an eh, eh, fine art shot. It becomes a community of people that know each other and it doesn't have to be a competition, it's just fun for a lot of people.

Show me the perfect shot and I'll show you what's not perfect about it. Sad but a simple truth. A lot of people, in fact probably most, simply learn by looking at others shots. I certainly do anyway. I don't need things pointed out to me when I can already see it in other peoples shots. I've watched a lot of shooters grow over the years by simply looking.

For a lot of people it's just a hobby and in that way, it's just fun. There are forums where you can get exactly what you want, but trust me, you need to be ready for it.

Maybe the answer is to have a critique forum here, but that's up to admin. At least in there you would know that people are genuinely asking for critique. Been on plenty of heavy critiquing forums and it's all about how that is said and placed. It's not easy.

In the std forums here, I wouldn't do it, just like DPR it's more about sharing and having fun IMO. There is a place for it though for sure.
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Totally agree with you, Danny.

stig said:
please explain why individuals post/share images on a site that has to do with photography. Are they just 'likes' peeps or thumbs up only instabrag types?
Putting it out there is assuming liability. Don't post if you can't take a bit of C&C...
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Stig - I think Danny has answered in the way I would have, i.e. people post for fun because it's a hobby and this is a community, and not everyone is necessarily looking for a critique of their work. They probably just want to participate. There will be many who are at various levels of ability from beginner to pro so a harsh critique may well put the beginners off and then they stop posting. DPR had challenges which I think were a fair place for competition and critique among the best shots.
 
It's hard isn't it. I guess there's sides to this. On one hand, if you're posting stuff on a public forum, you should expect, and accept, that you're going to get responses that could be useful, not useful, or perceived as abusive/aggressive. That can often just be the nature of remote discussion (often forgetting the power of body language in conversation, and that needs to be conveyed into a text only medium).

For me, like some here, I am a hobbyist, and over many years of taking and editing photos, come to my own conclusions as to what I'm happy with as a final result. Generally I prefer to portray an representation of the original scene I saw, so critique by someone else is pointless, unless they were there with me.

However, in the spirit of using such a discussion community, I'd certainly not be offended by anyone critiquing any images I post. If I was, I simply wouldn't bother posting any images at all.

But, perhaps the simplest answer is to just have a specific subgroup for that, then you know exactly where you stand with it. Although from all I've seen, it's hard to stop critique appearing anywhere an image is posted. Perhaps a good start is just to use a C&C flag in the posting to show whether it's welcome or not.

There probably isn't a correct answer, but I agree with a previous response, there are too many snowflakes out there. You can always simply ignore C&C if you don't want it.

As you say though, let's just have fun, and enjoy it if it's a hobby, and good fortune to you if it's a profession.

Cheers
Andy H
(DPR refugee)
 
Pete_W said:
Totally agree with you, Danny.



Stig - I think Danny has answered in the way I would have, i.e. people post for fun because it's a hobby and this is a community, and not everyone is necessarily looking for a critique of their work. They probably just want to participate. There will be many who are at various levels of ability from beginner to pro so a harsh critique may well put the beginners off and then they stop posting. DPR had challenges which I think were a fair place for competition and critique among the best shots.
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I hear ya, and that is why I mentioned that is where certain forums for that kind of thing would be appropriate.
 
stig said:
Then what is the point of posting an image, if not for all to see and possibly critique. Anyone who does not want any C&C should have a special asterisk next to their name indicating they are a snowflake, nést pas?
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What's the point of seeking someone else's entirely subjective opinion of an entirely subjective endeavor?

The only opinion that matters is that of the person for whom the picture is taken which, in my case, is usually me.

If I prepare a meal for myself, why would I care if you like it or not? Further, if I prepare a meal for a customer, why would I care if anyone but the customer likes it?
 
I don’t mind if anyone critiques my photos… as long as critics don’t mind that I don’t give a flying frog about their criticism… ;)
I don’t consider myself a capital “P” photographer.
I am more of a naturalist who photographs nature and wildlife because I am there and I like to record wild behaviour and learn from it. My images I hope, reflect interesting aspects of the natural world around us and our interaction with that world. I have no pretensions that my photography has any technical or artistic merit or significance.

Peace out peoples
 
I have been in a forum where .no one was honest. It's better to say nothing than to say a really bad photo is great.It gets old real fast when members gush over and praise crap. I've been a hobbyist photographer since the 1950s and I know crap when i see it. There is a difference between a crap photo and a photo that you just don't care for the theme or content. You aren't doing anyone a favor with false praise. Photo critiquing shouldn't be a feel good session. Someone here had a good suggestion -Make a special critique forum. Light stalking (forum) has what they call the shark tank - a special place for honest and POSITIVE critiquing.
 
stig said:
…Peeps should be allowed to call out rubbish when they see it!
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What’s that expression, “one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure”?

If someone wants C&C they should ask for it, otherwise subjective criticism, no matter how gentle or correct in the responder's opinion, should be withheld.

And, calling someone who doesn't want critique a "snowflake" isn't exactly helpful. It's good that this forum has an ignore button, n'est-ce pas?
 
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