Feedback Photo gallery forums too scattered!

I sometimes post in mega threads when I want to share either one image or several. Sometimes I post an individual thread based on whole trips or events I've shot that give better context presented on it's own.

I'd be fine with two image sub-forums. One that has all the mega threads and one that's based solely on threads that showcase multiple images from one forum member. ;)
 
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Same with me as well, it's why the posts where I'm tagged tend to get my attention first when responding to stuff. The idea of organizing daily/weekly/monthly challenges may be worthy of it's own suggestion thread for discussion as it is definitely something that will be followed-up on.
Let's do that - it's starting already :)

Is it plausible that the mere existence of such a periodic thread (a sort of permanent "impromptu challenge") could cause this "panopticum" quality @Briar and @Luke describe? Well, if it is that simple ...

M.
 
Whoa, a lot happened while I was working. If there wasn't for Matt's efforts to explain in detail, I would have felt oppressed by the way strolling photography has been treated :)

Seriously, a big thanks to Matt for pointing out the fundamental difference between it and, say, street-shooting or landscape photography. It might not occur to somebody, and there might be some that couldn't care less, but I too feel (and need) what Matt described - it is a specific process, a specific intention and a specific way of exchanging with and reacting to the world around. It is the essence of most of my photographic engagements.

And I simply cannot see the problem in that thread (or any other that might have similar impact to someone else) having so many posts - nobody is forced to look at all of them and follow every addition. At least on internet the solution is simple - the exit is always just a click away.

Yes, there is clutter in forums, and yes, there is surely a way to tidy it up. But let's just not rush into killing-off things that might be important to some, please. I personally have no interest in sport photography at all, but would never propose closing it down because "I don't get it".

Luckily, I feel that the moderate approach has prevailed for now, and we will not get, at least not immediately, that one big thread to dump everything into.
 
@MoonMind My thoughts behind closing a lot of the threads and starting fresh comes from there being several threads on the same theme. Which happened after the most recent forum merger. For example, there are a few B&W threads which cover the same basic theme. And some of them are very long already. Merging them would would only increase the size. For someone just starting to check those themes out, massive threads can be daunting to go through. Also, it partly stems from my days on POTN. Where there was a standing rule that once a themed thread reached a certain number of pages, it is closed and a sequel thread started. With the last post in the previous thread being a link to the new thread.

I agree with ending the words/no words threads and having a specific critique area.


Matt(MoonMind), you’re not alone! I tend to agree with you and don’t want to see just a couple of “mega threads”....in other words a photo dump. The Random Photo thread serves that purpose nicely. For everything else, I still want to see threads that have a specific topic.

Something I don’t like, is when someone “dumps” 15 or 20 photos in a thread. There should be a limit and it should be enforced. I’ve always thought 10 photos, is more than sufficient. If you need to post more than that....start your own thread. Btw, that doesn’t mean posting 10 photos, then another 10 photos, etc. If this occurs, they should all be deleted.

Rant off...
I agree. With the exception of, if it's a thread a person started with the intent of showing coverage of an event, their vacation, etc. In the open/themed threads then yeah, no photo dumps.
 
Well it must be serious if the first thing upon accessing the forum is a message from Kevin asking to get involved in the thread! I've been here five years - this is nothing compared to a lot of the members here, so I basically take direction from them in terms of how this site goes. Basic respect. I joined because of the high standard of images being produced by folks with compact gear, the knowledge, and the fact that everyone was happy with their lot. No whingeing or bickering about things like full frame and what not. I find all this terribly useful. So whilst there's no compulsion from me to "take charge" which a lot of people like to do, I only ask that the old posts going back ten years, which I often reference just to get a better understanding and appreceation of certain gear and images do not get deleted. Ultimately, it looks like this site's going to change, I suppose we'll have to take a view once that change has happened.
 
Lots of good suggestions so far for you to start working with.

I've had many troubles at the beginning of "understanding" the system behind the various threads and can only say that even now I feel a bit lost with quite a lot of them. Therefore I often checked the "what's new" page and looked at the number of replies and views to get an impression of the importance of the thread. If many react and / or post the thread must have hit "the special something".

What I still don't understand is why there often is a new thread for just one or a few pics someone posts. Could these not be taken together as one thread (called "photo box" like in old print-times, or whatever suits this kind of thread). This would reduce the number of threads as well and give the rest a little more clearness and transparency. I'm still too much of a newbe to be able to judge what to combine or what to throw out, I'll leave that decision to those who are more competent than my humble self.

And I'm with those who consider "words / no words" superfluous. This forum is exceptional concerning the friendliness of reactions to posts.
My most important wish (it has been mentioned above already, but I find it important enough to repeat it): a thread in which the art of this medium has top priority (no unlevelled horizons e. g., etc.). And, please don't get me wrong: I don't mean clinging to photographic "rules" whatever these are. Breaking them can be done in quite "artsy" ways, too. But there are so many superb shots scattered in threads I only watched by chance. What about having a thread with all-time "wows" and "winners" (more than 10, 20 or ???), something like the beautiful collection you put on the "Home" page.
 
Agreed, and perhaps slightly disagreed. Should we establish a whole new subforum for "photographs taken while intoxicated" or "photographs taken while having headache" or even "photographs that the photographer feels are going to hit big on the instagrams and make them a six-figure Ad contract"

I certainly see that people LOVE that strolling thing but I just don't see (or care to see) what the intentions really have to do with the end result. It's probably because I don't pay attention to that myself, never taken this thing very seriously.
many of us who have been around for a while went for long walks and liked to post what we found. I admit I haven’t been around as much so perhaps it’s no longer the case, but that was what it was about.
 
About to hit the road, some quick responses....


I only ask that the old posts going back ten years, which I often reference just to get a better understanding and appreceation of certain gear and images do not get deleted. Ultimately, it looks like this site's going to change, I suppose we'll have to take a view once that change has happened.
Don't worry, no threads are being removed! I know this thread is getting a little long but here's a quote from earlier...
As part of this round of cleanup no threads will be "closed", merged with other existing threads, or removed from public view. The only exception are a couple of threads that, after re-organizing, no long serve a purpose. For example, a 'sticky' thread describing the "Words/No Words" forum no longer makes sense after the threads are moved out of there and would likely just confuse a future visitor so threads like that will be moved to The Crypt (a forum the volunteer moderators have access to for threads moved out of public view). The scope of this round of cleanup will be to reduce the number of forums as I agree entirely with the sentiment that there are too many; we just need to work out which ones should be kept or renamed.


What about having a thread with all-time "wows" and "winners" (more than 10, 20 or ???),
{Kevin puts on his Idea/To Do List..... 'a widget showing the highest rated threads or posts'}

many of us who have been around for a while went for long walks and liked to post what we found. I admit I haven’t been around as much so perhaps it’s no longer the case, but that was what it was about.
Don't worry, the big Stroll - Seen while strolling...walking and wandering outside is not going anywhere. :) If anything, with the idea of "stroll" type images might get more exposure now that they're in the street and documentary area and a new "Stroll" prefix is available.
 
I think we should go to B&W and Not-B&W.
I know you jest :D but while browsing some of the existing forums & threads I realized there is likely overlap between the existing "B&W" dedicated forum and B&W threads in the other forums like Portraits. That particular conundrum can be a discussion for another day though, for now the goal is just to consolidate the number of forums, not necessarily answering the question of which forum a thread should be posted in.
 
I know you jest :D but while browsing some of the existing forums & threads I realized there is likely overlap between the existing "B&W" dedicated forum and B&W threads in the other forums like Portraits. That particular conundrum can be a discussion for another day though, for now the goal is just to consolidate the number of forums, not necessarily answering the question of which forum a thread should be posted in.
This is why I was thinking of closing threads and starting fresh. There are so many threads covering the same topic scattered about. I don't want anything deleted. Or removed from public view. Just a reboot of some of the topics which are scattered all over into one place. Merging some of those threads together would throw some conversations out of order and make things confusing. But in no way would I want any of them to go away.
 
It would be nice if there was a place to publish a bunch of related pictures like a trip or event. Maybe a sub forum that has threads with long posts as opposed to one that has many short threads.
 
Reading this thread has increased my awareness of being more intentional about understanding the purpose of threads. I confess to recently adding photos to the Fuji X100 series thread simply because I used that camera. I’ll be more deliberate.

I affirm the process and the cordial deliberations. I’m a participant here because of not only the depth of your knowledge and experience, but also because you are kind and decent people. I appreciate all of you and know this effort will yield positive results.
 
I like this dialogue and do often feel like it’s hard to find where to post images.
Frequently just check the what’s new when first logging in.
I am easy going and will go along with any direction this ends up.
The ability to follow certain photographers would be nice, as there are some very talented people on this list.
 
Just a few brief thoughts and I am afraid that I am a) coming late to this conversation, and b) somewhat of a contrarian (is that right word?), because ---

I for one quite love - and have loved for some time - the diverse, eclectic and, yes, occasionally all-over-the-place nature of both the division of sub-Forums here --- and also many if not most of some things that some find too disorganized.

The Words-slash-No-Words forum and entries has always struck a chord with me.

Ditto for the 'Stroll' sections. Many, many years ago I took the time and trouble to read Wouter Brandsma's thoughtful and philosophical essay on how he interpreted the sense and multiple meanings of Stroll photography - and ever since then, I have been a dyed-in-the-wool enormous fan both of the concept and the execution here. Do I post regularly in them? No, not really, but sometimes - I guess it depends on one's definition of 'regularly' - but I have always found it and them enriching and edifying.

As a side note, Wouter B is no longer (as far as I know) a daily or even regular participant in this forum - I think his essay dates back to the original time when the forum was more dedicated toward compact cameras ('Serious Compacts' - was that the original title and name?) - but his words and thoughts are still quite valid (and inspiring) to me. I would be saddened to either lose or reorganize them.

Herman, another ancient and possibly original forum member, came up with his own sub-genres and while he is no longer active, i have often found those Forums both strange, almost always amusing, occasionally challenging - and worthy of occasional participation.

The words I keep coming back to are eclectic and diverse - two adjectives which for me have long characterized the wonderful nature of this umbrella-like-forum which seems to encompass and include so many different types of photographers and photography. And - I know I'm a voice in the wilderness here - but not only have I never been bothered by - or even perceived - any disorganization or non-efficient grouping of subjects and themes --- in fact, the bewildering richness and variety of the sub-forums here have long delighted me in more ways than I can begin to say.

That's my two cents and I understand that the only constant in the universe is change and that everything has a way of evolving or changing --- but, personally, I think (and am pretty sure I know) that I would be sad....to see too many major changes.

I think Cameraderie has a richness in present form which is unequalled by any other forum of like-minded (and unlike-minded as well) photographers and imagemakers - but I also realize that some things that I might appreciate....will bother others.

What is chaos to some....may occasionally seem creativity to others. And logic has its good points. But reading some of the thoughtful and passionate pleas and plans for change in this thread, part of me can't help feeling the old and irrational fear....of losing the baby in the bathwater.
 
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