Everyone gets a trophy

[Pieter12]

I agree with you, but reading the original post it seems like in particular bad pictures made with fancy equipment are sort of the triggers.

Definitely. Maybe some of the energy and funds should go to educating one's eye. But poor taste and lack of judgment is what it is. It just gets old after a while.

 

[Pieter12]

People might post what seems crap because it is not crap to them. Seems simple enough.

The problem is that even if someone hints at the fact that it is crap, people (and not necessarily just the originator) get upset.

 

[koraks]

At what point should someone feel it's legitimate to post their work in e.g. the Photrio gallery? How does one determine its good enough?

 

[Pieter12]

There are likely many reasons:

• They may find the image personally meaningful
• They may be seeking input on how to improve
• They may be complete beginners proud of the fact that they successfully processed film/paper for the first time
• They may be doing experiments to see how changing things changes outcomes
• And so on...

A little grace, humility, and encouragement goes far.

• That does't mean it needs to be shared
• Then ask, perfectly reasonable
• Those are not the ones that bother me
• Wonderful. See previous remark.

 

[MattKing]

No one is expecting to make everyone or even anyone happy. What I don't fathom is why the poster is pleased with the work enough to share it. Let's cut to the chase--some work is pitiful (and I don't mean technically deficient) or unintentionally cliché/kitschy and would be best kept to oneself.

As long as we aren't forced to spend time on it, why do you expect to value other people's work the same way that they do?
If it is worth your time, consider giving constructive feedback.
If not, move on.
It isn't as if there are a bunch of barriers to posting - the internet is an extremely accessible environment that allows you to make your own choices.
For resources that edit and curate and judge before posting - you can pick and choose which ones you rely on, and then be critical of their choices.
However, if you rely only on those, you are more likely not to be forced to consider things that are new and different from what you chose before.
I have no problem with everyone getting a trophy if the trophy is awarded for taking a risk and putting work out there that is meaningful to the awardee.
Even if that meaningful work consists of a bunch of cat photos .

 

[Pieter12]

If it is worth your time, consider giving constructive feedback.

Here's my feedback: maybe explain why you think the photo is worthy of sharing. Pretty simple.
BTW, I never (or very rarely) visit the gallery pages on this forum. My comments are mostly spurred by what I see elsewhere.

 

[MattKing]

Here's my feedback: maybe explain why you think the photo is worthy of sharing. Pretty simple.
BTW, I never (or very rarely) visit the gallery pages on this forum. My comments are mostly spurred by what I see elsewhere.

That would be fine - although I might word it instead: "What it is about this particular photo that motivated you to share it?"

 

[chuckroast]

The problem is that even if someone hints at the fact that it is crap, people (and not necessarily just the originator) get upset.

I would love to see your precise taxonomy of crappiness.

What is the unit of measure? Crap per millimetre?

That's the problem. There is no objective standard for what is OK and what is crap. For example, I think Lee Friedlander's street work is barely better than a 12 year old with an Instamatic on family holidays in the 1970s. But a whole lot of people disagree strongly with me on that. Who's right? Do we vote? (Keeping in mind that some of the most dreadful artistic sewage of the past hundred years got "voted" on by people with their purchases. Thinking of things like ... oh, nevermind.)


(There are certainly standards for what makes art great or not, we just won't live long enough to know what - if any - of our own work meets that standard.)

 

[chuckroast]

Here's my feedback: maybe explain why you think the photo is worthy of sharing. Pretty simple.
BTW, I never (or very rarely) visit the gallery pages on this forum. My comments are mostly spurred by what I see elsewhere.

OK, here is an anthology of what I consider to be the better corners of my work over the past 50 years, all scans of silver prints. There are a stinkers in there as well, for reasons that will remain unexplained.

I'm sharing it because (mostly) I like these a lot. Is that sufficient justification in your view? I'm not principally interested in whether you like these, only whether or not "I like these and thought I'd share" is sufficient to share with the class.

Workbook Print Scans - Home

(Oh, and for the record, at least one person I've run into on the Internet- and whom I've never met - thinks the later stuff is complete trash and that I am - and I quote - "a complete fraud" (I assume as a photographer, not as a human being).

 

[Vaughn]

The problem is that even if someone hints at the fact that it is crap, people (and not necessarily just the originator) get upset.

Because it is just an opinion that it is crap. And opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one, and unless one is a cat, it is usually offensive to wave it around in other peoples' faces.

 

[BrianShaw]

Definitely. Maybe some of the energy and funds should go to educating one's eye. But poor taste and lack of judgment is what it is. It just gets old after a while.

Close your eyes. Done!

 

[Craig]

Because it is just an opinion that it is crap. And opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one, and unless one is a cat, it is usually offensive to wave it around in other peoples' faces.

In some circles, waving a cat in someones face could be considered offensive.

 

[Dali]

The problem is that even if someone hints at the fact that it is crap, people (and not necessarily just the originator) get upset.

I agree. It happened to me a few months ago on another forum, but I tell you what, I don't care. If people prefer to live in la-la land, good for them. I just wish them to grow up one day.

Once again, difficult to comment on pictures when we don't know what the photographer had in mind when he pressed the shutter. In this case, everyone seeing pictures interprets them the way he wants, and critical comments are as valid as baseless congratulations.

 

[MattKing]

In some circles, waving a cat in someones face could be considered offensive.

From the cat's point of view - always!

 

[MattKing]

Once again, difficult to comment on pictures when we don't know what the photographer had in mind when he pressed the shutter. In this case, everyone seeing pictures interprets them the way he wants, and critical comments are as valid as baseless congratulations.

I find it useful to know what others see in my photos, and how they react to them.
I have no trouble separating out the helpful feedback from that which does not assist.

 

[Pieter12]

I would love to see your precise taxonomy of crappiness.

What is the unit of measure? Crap per millimetre?

That's the problem. There is no objective standard for what is OK and what is crap. For example, I think Lee Friedlander's street work is barely better than a 12 year old with an Instamatic on family holidays in the 1970s. But a whole lot of people disagree strongly with me on that. Who's right? Do we vote? (Keeping in mind that some of the most dreadful artistic sewage of the past hundred years got "voted" on by people with their purchases. Thinking of things like ... oh, nevermind.)


(There are certainly standards for what makes art great or not, we just won't live long enough to know what - if any - of our own work meets that standard.)

Maybe if Lee Friedlander posted his work...

And for the record, I have never publicly posted than one's work was crap. I don't have metrics for that, but my bar for crap is set pretty low (or maybe should that be high?).

 

[Pieter12]

OK, here is an anthology of what I consider to be the better corners of my work over the past 50 years, all scans of silver prints. There are a stinkers in there as well, for reasons that will remain unexplained.

I'm sharing it because (mostly) I like these a lot. Is that sufficient justification in your view? I'm not principally interested in whether you like these, only whether or not "I like these and thought I'd share" is sufficient to share with the class.

Workbook Print Scans - Home

(Oh, and for the record, at least one person I've run into on the Internet- and whom I've never met - thinks the later stuff is complete trash and that I am - and I quote - "a complete fraud" (I assume as a photographer, not as a human being).

You know, I'm sure the work is fine if not great. But I don't have the emotional energy to look at it at this point. Carry one.

 

[Pieter12]

Because it is just an opinion that it is crap. And opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one, and unless one is a cat, it is usually offensive to wave it around in other peoples' faces.

Well, if that's your opinion, don't go waving it in my face then.

 

[Pieter12]

critical comments are as valid as baseless congratulations

Maybe more so. Everyone gets a trophy, ya know.

 

[Don_ih]

Hmmm. Have you ever considered the possibility that you're actually the problem?