Inane Comments - DPChallenge Forums

05/01/2002 01:00:23 PM · #1

After looking over a couple of comments I've received on photos I've submitted, I hereby give anybody permission to publicly or privately let me know if they find any of my comments on their own photos to be inane, stupid, moronic, clearing lacking in thought, etc, etc, etc.

I'm doing my best to make certain I offer criticism that someone could actually apply (have applied) to the photo I'm commenting on and not just "I would have used plaid tomatos." However, some of the stuff I'm getting...

It really is only a couple of comments that I'm feeling this way about. And they seem to be serious comments, made by someone sincerely offering a suggestion -- not just someone being intentionally dumb. Which makes it all the more strange to me -- maybe they're joking and I'm not getting the joke? Or maybe I'm just being overly sensitive...

I guess what I'm saying is, let's think a little about the possibilities of the changes we're suggesting and not just offer ideas on things that the photographer could clearly have no control over.

A few of my suggested areas for comment: Is the photo too light/dark? Could it have been cropped any differently? Is the depth of field too broad/shallow? Are the colors not saturated enough, or maybe too much? A little sharpen/despeckle? Different angle for the shot?

Kimbly

Canon PowerShot G2

05/01/2002 01:10:52 PM · #2

Originally posted by Patella:
I guess what I'm saying is, let's think a little about the possibilities of the changes we're suggesting and not just offer ideas on things that the photographer could clearly have no control over.

Well, I really try to come up with helpful comments and answers to the questions you suggested, but there's really only so much you can do at the end stage of seeing the finished photo. If I write "different angle" I can't really suggest a specific different angle since I don't know what was around. And if I don't like the fact that there are telephone poles all over the place, then I'll probably mention that...I know you can't go chop down telephone wires, but maybe then you should have taken a different picture entirely.

Ooh. That sounds harsh.

* This message has been edited by the author on 5/1/2002 1:27:20 PM.

joshua

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

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/01/2002 01:23:02 PM · #3

tomatoes

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

05/01/2002 01:26:03 PM · #4

I also try not to comment negatively on issues where the photographer has no control. However, this leads me to the issue of "was this the best photo opportunity for this challenge?"

The photographer DOES have control over his subject. If the photo turns out poorly because the photographer didn't have a good angle or couldn't get close enough, or couldn't frame it better, I have to ask myself if the photographer shouldn't have chosen a different subject maybe...

Thoughts?

05/01/2002 01:28:36 PM · #5

I agree with Kimbly taht it's hard to give real specific comments on some things becasue we don't know the challenge that faced them to get that shot.

But..on the other hand..It's also up to the photographer that is getting the cristicism/suggestion to understand the critics limited knowledge of the shot and take what they find useful and discard the rest.

On issues of light/dark/contrast and even color..we must remember that we (meaning all of us at home) have such wildy varying types of monitors, video cards and computer room setups that we may all see these things differently.

My own shots I have are varied for differnt media. By and large most people have their monitors too dark. Darker setting make print (the way most of us use our computer) nice but darkens images. I have images that I view at the perfect levels for me..then I might lighten them up a bit on the curves because I know most folks have darker monitor settings and..to complicate matters..I bet a lot of folks have lighting BEHIND their backs making glare on their monitor a BITCH.

Anyways, comments ehre are very subjectiveand should be taken for what you can learn from them..usually to simply verify your own thoughts.

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

05/01/2002 01:31:53 PM · #6

a) Kimbly -- hope you didn't think I was picking on your picture with the tomatoEs thing -- tomatoEs were just the first thing that came to mind that are basically either green, yellow, or red and not some other random color (and I think I'm safe in saying they're never plaid). As for the rest of your comment, I understand and agree with you. Sometimes we may suggest things that weren't possible and we couldn't know that, and we just have to hope the photographer understands where we were coming from. Those comments really don't bother me. I have the examples Id like to use, but they would give away the photo currently being voted on so...

b) Achiral -- sheesh one little Quayle-esque typo... *grin*

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

05/01/2002 01:32:15 PM · #7

I like to look for trends in the comments I receive... if several people make similar comments, it is definitely one that you should pay attention to, no matter how right or wrong you think the comment is...

Kimbly

Canon PowerShot G2

05/01/2002 01:36:13 PM · #8

Originally posted by Patella:
a) Kimbly -- hope you didn't think I was picking on your picture with the tomatoEs thing -- tomatoEs were just the first thing that came to mind that are basically either green, yellow, or red and not some other random color (and I think I'm safe in saying they're never plaid).

Awww...darn, you weren't picking on me? I guess I'll have to try harder to get picked on ;-)

[Actually, I didn't really think you were saying anything about me at all - tomatoes fit your example]

05/01/2002 01:39:18 PM · #9

I agree with jmsetzler..trends in the comments do tend to verify a thought about a photo. But trends don't have to correspond to the voting..hehe.

My photo I contributed this week is part of a composition piece for a magazine article but due to the rules I could only submit an image without layers. It looked nice but incomplete and the comments reflect this to some degree.

But the comments, if read without looking at the photo would lead you to believe that the photo is a contest winner but my scores are very average...weird but oddly interesting...hehe

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

05/01/2002 01:47:27 PM · #10

Originally posted by hokie:
But the comments, if read without looking at the photo would lead you to believe that the photo is a contest winner but my scores are very average...weird but oddly interesting...hehe

same here

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

05/01/2002 01:48:55 PM · #11

That has been the case since I started here... I receive all these very nice comments and such as the score drops... lol

David Ey

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D

05/01/2002 02:00:06 PM · #12

Originally posted by jmsetzler:
That has been the case since I started here... I receive all these very nice comments and such as the score drops... lol

I think I figured that one out----I vote, then come back later, usually days, to make a comment. In effect the score to comment can't really be connected. Does that make sense?

justine

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

05/01/2002 02:08:00 PM · #13

Most of the comments I've received have been helpful and on target.
Of course my cropping needs work, should of been lighter, too much background, this is a poor attempt and yes, I should move it all to the right! Sadly they're correct.
I try to be constructive in my comments, but I know that sometimes I hold back. I don't want to hurt any beginners feeling. That and I know we all think our pictures are the best.
You don't need asbestos underwear in here, but they help!!!

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

05/01/2002 02:14:40 PM · #14

I tend to vote my gut the first time I see a photo and then..after the photos are categorized into these neat ratings groups I start to become more critical.

My wife said she wondered if other photographers voted lower on other people to raise their photo up. She is the cynical one of us and I had not thought about that until she started to look at this site.

I just used this site for hangin out and to hone my eye back up after being away from photography for a few years. I hadn't gotten serious enough to think about vote wrangling yet. I hope I don't get there either
:-)

This last challenge actually got me geared up enough to contact an old college friend that works for a rag I used to submit subversive thoughts to years ago and has me writing an article with photos. So thanks Digital Photo challenge and digital photography..I have gotten my spark back :-)

* This message has been edited by the author on 5/1/2002 2:15:42 PM.

RWTaylor

Sony DSC-S50

05/01/2002 02:25:19 PM · #15

I'd like to say that I appreciate the constructive comments and criticisms people leave for my photos. I take all of them into account and try to use those suggestions for the next time I'm shooting pictures. I believe this is helping me figure out how to be a better photographer. I just wish that some people would remember that all lot of us are not "professional" photographers and part of the reason to join DP Challenge is to get constructive criticisms and not a comment like "cheese" on their photograph.

drewmedia

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

05/01/2002 02:25:53 PM · #16

Originally posted by hokie:
My wife said she wondered if other photographers voted lower on other people to raise their photo up. She is the cynical one of us and I had not thought about that until she started to look at this site.

Tell your wife that our vote monitoring system watches for low voting patterns. Even if someone gets by this, his vote is only 1/200th or so of your score. For the most part, we've had no problems with users showing signs of skewed voting patterns. :)

Drew

* This message has been edited by the author on 5/1/2002 2:26:18 PM.

shortredneck

Olympus C-3000Z

05/01/2002 02:36:51 PM · #17

Originally posted by RWTaylor:
I'd like to say that I appreciate the constructive comments and criticisms people leave for my photos. I take all of them into account and try to use those suggestions for the next time I'm shooting pictures. I believe this is helping me figure out how to be a better photographer. I just wish that some people would remember that all lot of us are not "professional" photographers and part of the reason to join DP Challenge is to get constructive criticisms and not a comment like "cheese" on their photograph.

I would like to think these types of critiques are not coming from the more experienced photographers. Overall, I see the nicest and most helpful comments coming from the experienced members. I've noticed some of the mean sprited and overly critical remarks sometimes come from members who don't even submit photos. Others show no more talent or experience than the rest of us.

05/01/2002 02:59:31 PM · #18

Yes shortredneck, youa re correct. I have looked at the way folks comment. It seems the extremely critical comments, snide remarks or generally unhelpful comments come from folks who either don't submit or are not overly talented themselves.

Thats why I pushed so fast to get a picture in a challenge. I've only been a member for a few weeks and a new digital camera owner for a few weeks. But I felt obligated to at least post a challenge photo ASAP to give folks a good swing at me..:-)

What I have found so cool about Digital is the instant feedback versus film. Plus I am too poor to get a SLR Digital yet and it's taken me a week or two to get the focus right using a viewfinder. Digital is also a heck of a lot brighter on the shadow values and greater depth of field to contend with.

It's really like learning photography all over again.

shortredneck

Olympus C-3000Z

05/01/2002 03:03:06 PM · #19

Maybe so, but the principles have got to be the same. I look forward to your advice.

05/01/2002 03:24:52 PM · #20

I know I'm just coming across as a whiner -- for the most part, I appreciate the comments I'm receiving -- even the trends I vehemently disagree with and will look forward to discussing with people later. That's really why I started the thread as a "rant" instead of posting in one of the other forum areas. I needed to get it off my chest. Nevertheless, I appreciate hearing from all of you.

05/01/2002 03:25:05 PM · #21

yes.

Originally posted by shortredneck:

I would like to think these types of critiques are not coming from the more experienced photographers. Overall, I see the nicest and most helpful comments coming from the experienced members. I've noticed some of the mean sprited and overly critical remarks sometimes come from members who don't even submit photos. Others show no more talent or experience than the rest of us.

* This message has been edited by the author on 5/1/2002 3:26:26 PM.

05/01/2002 03:36:51 PM · #22

Hey Patella,

A comment like 'I would have used plaid tomatoes' can help you as long as you don't think the comment only has to apply to the current challenge. Perhaps such a comment will give you something to try for another photo. Each challenge isn't the be-all end-all of our photographic lives, and if the primary purpose is learning, then such comments can be the seeds from which new experiments grow.

Also such a comment can be interpreted as the person indirectly saying that the polka dotted tomatoes you used maybe we boring or didn't really do anything for the picture.

Someone on this forum once told me that I hadn't give them constructive criticism. I had written something like 'pretty typical idea. and too dark.' Well, that's pretty constructive; it means a) needs more light, and b) think of a less played idea.

So I guess my point is that different people have different ways of communicating, and maybe we can get something out of even the one word 'dumb' or 'cheese' comments, assuming we can be assured that is truly how the person felt and not just a malicious attempt to hurt someone they've never even met.

Originally posted by Patella:
After looking over a couple of comments I've received on photos I've submitted, I hereby give anybody permission to publicly or privately let me know if they find any of my comments on their own photos to be inane, stupid, moronic, clearing lacking in thought, etc, etc, etc.

I'm doing my best to make certain I offer criticism that someone could actually apply (have applied) to the photo I'm commenting on and not just "I would have used plaid tomatos." However, some of the stuff I'm getting...

It really is only a couple of comments that I'm feeling this way about. And they seem to be serious comments, made by someone sincerely offering a suggestion -- not just someone being intentionally dumb. Which makes it all the more strange to me -- maybe they're joking and I'm not getting the joke? Or maybe I'm just being overly sensitive...

I guess what I'm saying is, let's think a little about the possibilities of the changes we're suggesting and not just offer ideas on things that the photographer could clearly have no control over.

A few of my suggested areas for comment: Is the photo too light/dark? Could it have been cropped any differently? Is the depth of field too broad/shallow? Are the colors not saturated enough, or maybe too much? A little sharpen/despeckle? Different angle for the shot?

05/01/2002 05:54:13 PM · #23

Magnetic,

If the hypothetical picture had polka dotted tomatoes, I could understand someone saying plaid would be better. My point was when people suggest things that are clearly "impossible." In this case substituting "plaid" tomatoes (something that doesn't exist) for "real" tomatoes (something that does exist). I realize this individual might think they were being helpful, but that was my original point -- maybe we need to think about our comments a little more before we make them.

I think a good example would be my response to your "Building Blocks." If I'd said, "The blocks should be different colors than they are" and left it at that, I'd be guilty of precisely what I'm complaining about. Instead, I said I'd like it more if they were different colors, but I realized it wasn't possible for them to be.

I agree that your comment was a constructive critique for precisely the reasons you mentioned. Anyway, I say again -- this was just a rant -- something I wanted to get off my chest.

* This message has been edited by the author on 5/1/2002 5:58:23 PM.

05/01/2002 06:14:08 PM · #24

hey patella

i thought your comment on my building blocks picture was really good and insightful. i wished i had then taken more care and removed the colors that really didn't add to the picture's pop.

it's true: it's better to suggest a possible improvement following a criticism rather than just wish for it to be a different picture. i cant wait to see the comments you're referring to.

and i hope you don't take my continuing this as anything more than enjoying this discussion : )