Reactions to photographs...

That's my sense too, and I tend to find I look at the forum far less now that there seems more focus on equipment ... all communities evolve of course, but I do feel the whys and wherefores (and fun) of images and imagemaking are easily lost in the whirl of how great the latest camera is or how much greater the next one will be ...

I wonder if thats why I find myself withdrawing somewhat. I often get caught up in the hype (eg x100) and end up buying something because its the best, latest, greatest... etc. Its also why I ended up buying the XZ1 instead of waiting til I could get an X10. I was looking for a replacement for my G11 and had already decided on XZ before the X10 was mooted, and nearly changed my mind. I am very glad that I have the XZ, its shots are far superior to any I took with the G11 (which may say more about my skills than anything else, really).

I'm finding though, that I am trying to avoid gear specific threads, and only looking at some of the image threads (not sample images from this camera or that, anymore), mostly those in a genre that interests me. Its just not possible to keep up with all of them, and thats a fact.
 
Every other camera forum that I go to is essentially defined by the gear, so that to join you already have the gear. There is certainly a divide between users of newer and older gear but there's always a good selection of members with common interests when it comes to gear talk (which let's face it, it often does). Because this is a small, non-gear specific forum, when discussion drifts from general photography to gear that discussion becomes very exclusive. You either go out and buy the camera, or you sit on the sidelines. I don't have anywhere near enough dissatisfaction with my current cameras to be buying new ones all the time.
 
One of the things I find so interesting is that many of us seem to have been feeling the same way about things. Perhaps airing all of this will help us all get back on track...even if we can't each respond to every single photo that is posted?

I'm very appreciative of everyone's comments.
 
I think we just have to be prepared to be "missed" at times, because of all those things people have mentioned. Timing, interest level, and you name it. As long as we dont start thinking we are making bad photographs, and if we do, we ( that is I) will post for C&C which I confess I dont do often enough because sometimes I'm scared of what might be said. I dont want to learn that as a photographer, I make a great... oh I dunno... cook.
 
What made me post my rant in the first place and what became now this thread is not a lack of feedback. I rather observe excessive postive feedback for the wrong reasons. Of course, there is a lot of subjectivity in my assessment but I have seen and see lots of pictures in this forum being applauded for reasons I simply do not understand, mondane stuff, not even interestingly framed. And then there are remarkable photographs receiving a lukewarm welcome, if any at all. I could have pulled examples posted by others, but for obvious reasons preferred to make the case by using stuff I had uploaded. Here another example of some gadgetry in camera processing, which would trigger some undeserved "thank you button" clicks, if posted under a "color or season type of picture thread".
 
retow, one thing I think you have to remember is that "there's no accounting for taste" and everyone is entitled to their own ideas of what makes a good picture.;)

True, true. My assessment is certainly subjective and my observations not supported by any statistics;)
 
Remember that photography is more than just composition and technique. It is also a social medium. People react to images through connection to the subject matter probably more than they would if they were merely framed well.
 
What made me post my rant in the first place and what became now this thread is not a lack of feedback. I rather observe excessive postive feedback for the wrong reasons. Of course, there is a lot of subjectivity in my assessment but I have seen and see lots of pictures in this forum being applauded for reasons I simply do not understand, mondane stuff, not even interestingly framed. And then there are remarkable photographs receiving a lukewarm welcome, if any at all. I could have pulled examples posted by others, but for obvious reasons preferred to make the case by using stuff I had uploaded. Here another example of some gadgetry in camera processing, which would trigger some undeserved "thank you button" clicks, if posted under a "color or season type of picture thread".

ahhhhhhh!! LIGHT DAWNS! (Time to review my reading and comprehension skills as well)
 
Here another example of some gadgetry in camera processing, which would trigger some undeserved "thank you button" clicks, if posted under a "color or season type of picture thread".

that's quite a sweeping assumption ...

retow said:
I have seen and see lots of pictures in this forum being applauded for reasons I simply do not understand, mondane stuff, not even interestingly framed. And then there are remarkable photographs receiving a lukewarm welcome, if any at all. I could have pulled examples posted by others, but for obvious reasons preferred to make the case by using stuff I had uploaded.

I would be very very interested to see such examples, but I do understand your reservations ... if it so happens that you feel any of my own photographs fall into either category (undeserving but applauded, or deserving but ignored), I'd be happy to entertain a public dialogue about them ...
 
Back
Top