Rubbish my photo.

[bloodhound31]

So refreshing! A learning experience I would like to share.

Here's the scoop.

I took around 160 photos. I selected the best few and chose a couple from that short-list that I was really proud of.

I posted them to a forum where I was pretty new, the members pretty rough and no one really knew me, basically saying, "Look what I did mum! Praise my work!"

I was booed and rubbished in very colorful language and told in no uncertain terms that I had ballsed it all up and my work was junk. Once I picked up my poor shattered little heart and ego, I read on.

Not only did no-one namby pamby around about trying not to upset my precious little feelings, but they also offered great advice about what to do next time and how to improve.

I am so glad no one told me my garbage was gold. I much prefer it straight.

It makes it all the more worth it and credible when you do get praise finally for your efforts. Thank you so much you mean, nasty, honest and beautiful mentors.

Baz.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Got to agree with you Baz. Never got upset when someone told me it's crap as long as they tell me why. That's how you learn and move on. Any constructive criticism to me is gold.

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

If you can live with that sort of crap - good on ya!
I used to moderate a photo-forum where this sort of thing was allowed.
It never sat well with me.
But there are plenty of forums were you'll get constructive & instructive criticism without the BS.
I doubt most of those who criticize you could do much better. In hanging out in these places for going on 10 years now, I've found that most of the "photographers" who do the most flaming and bashing produce second rate results, often praising themselves for "saving this image with levels and sharpening" when they should of gotten it right in-camera to begin with! They also tend to be very incestuous, awarding each other Image of the week" or something over and over again. How many are regularly published (by someone else!)? And before you ask: Yes I have - 11 times in 6 years by proper journals - I even made a calender once!

Think of all the "iconic" images of the last 80 years: How many were perfectly composed, in focus and exposed spot-on. There was an entry in a UK forum (don't remember which) where members, as a joke, were encouraged to criticise images like Armstrong on the moon(can't see his face, too centered) and the raising of the flag on Iwo-Jima (underexposed, can't see their faces, background washed out). Unh-hunh.
Photography is too subjective an art to warrant the sort of nonsense these trolls spew. I've not had the joy of this type deconstructivism and to my mind, useful hints, tutorials or suggestions of how to do better is all that's needed.
All this flaming is just over-compensation.
My $.02

[troypiggo (Troy)]

Totally agree, Baz. I love and encourage my shots to get critiqued. How would I learn otherwise?

And if I see a shot that I'd do differently, or can see some obvious way to improve it, why not offer that advice to help someone else learn?

You do need thick skin sometimes, though. Some critics can get pretty nasty. As long as they actually offer a way to do it better, rather than "crap photo mate", I'm happy.

Out of interest, what forum?

[Hagar (Doug)]

Constructive critisism is always good and helpful. I try to be as helpful as I can but at times it can be quite hard to know which way to help someone, particularly not knowing what processes have been used and what the original data was like.
I have found some of the more experienced here, like Jase, have provided me with step by step methods to improve an image but others just make a statement without providing any reasonable feedback.

I for one think your work is quite inovative and explores areas I had not even thought of such as video sequences etc.

Keep up the good work. Keep surprising us all.

Merry Christmas matey.

[erick (Eric)]

I hope to get a vaguely respectable shot of the Jewel Box cluster by later in 2010. Attached is first attempt.

Remind me not to publish in the fourm you didn't mention

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Considering the title you gave your jpg of the Jewel Box cluster, me thinks it's a brilliant image.

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by richardda1st

Considering the title you gave your jpg of the Jewel Box cluster, me thinks it's a brilliant image.

You've had too many pre-Christmas drinks

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Originally Posted by bloodhound31

So refreshing! A learning experience I would like to share.

Baz.

Baz, I agree there's nothing more useless than false praise. I wish more people could handle constructive criticism and or different view points.

Originally Posted by erick

You've had too many pre-Christmas drinks

Guilty as charged, luv the grape, but only in the evening, otherwise I just fall asleep!

Will be looking out for your pics, so watch out for some harsh but constructive comments from someone who has mastered the art of fotografie with a second hand Kodak instamatic.