In-depth critique/discussion "club".

[halesr]

I really like this idea. I just finished an online course at http://www.betterphoto.com and class members critiqued each other's work. The instructor critiqued your weekly assignement submissions (limited to your best 3 that met the assignment). I learned a lot and stretched and grew.

I would LOVE honest feedback both positive and negative. See http://www.pbase.com/halesr

If I want to post some galleries of personal photos/snaps, I could always specify that those are not for review.

Please keep me poted if this moves forward. I think by offering comments on the work of others you grow from that experience too.--Rene

[pinemikey]

It would also help to not just post a photo with nothing but DSC560004.jpg under it. The photographer also needs to let the viewer know where he/she is going with it. Some people mistakenly think that all these great photos just are spontaneously created, which while it may be true for a minority, the majority sometimes take hours or even days of waiting for the opportune moment. I try and write a little note under my photos when I can. Sometimes it's hard when you dig up a photo over 20 years old, but for the newer photos I'm doing my best to keep from just having a meaningless jpeg number that's spit out of the camera.

[halesr]

It would also help to not just post a photo with nothing but DSC560004.jpg under it.

Excellent point. We could describe what we were trying to achieve or what we think we achieved.

[stormseye]

I would be very interested in substantive discussions/critiques on photography (mine and yours)! I tried to suggest this before in another venue, but... well, it just didn't work out.

I'm more interested in the expressive and interpretive aspects of photography than in the technical side - but if technical deficiencies diminish the effectiveness of my images then I need to know that. I love to learn and I often experiment, but don't let that stop anyone from telling me about something that doesn't work.

Of course, "show a photograph to a hundred different people, get a hundred different opinions, all of them valid. " - Brooks Jensen

My only caveat: I don't have as much time as I once did to spend on PBase, so I may be slow in responding or reciprocating. But I will always do my best.

Count me in!

[bobtrips]

Peter/Homerhomer brought this discussion to my attention earlier today. A small group of us have been discussing a site that would lend itself to meaningful (and courteous) criticism.

At this point the initial work has started on creating a site that combines the gallery features of pBase and the critique/workshop of TrekEarth (http://www.trekearth.com).

TrekEarth has been an excellent place for me to learn more about taking and preparing photographs but the membership has grown too large. With that growth the initial group of posters/critiquers has been diluted with lots of people who think "Wonderful picture!" is a critique. And with a fair number of people who wish to engage in the competitive sport of photography.

Our idea is to create a site at which groups of people can form 'clubs' based on similar interests and the group (or group founder) can limit the number of members. The last feature is important to me. I'd like a 'community' of people that I know well as opposed to the 'big city free-for-all' that so often develops on non-restricted sites.

Here's a link to one of my TE posts.

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/I ... to3203.htm

I suspect the new site will work somewhat like this one. (With some improvements.) One of the very useful features is the Workshop. This allows others to edit one's image and post their version.

Does this interest anyone?

[nickharman]

This sort of critique forum could be really useful, or turn in to an old boys club. I’m new to photography, picked up a camera for the first time in June 03, borrowed Canon EOS 50E, had to be shown how to load film, focus etc… as I had never taken pictures. Since then I have been to South America again and taken a trip to London with my new toy (Canon EOS 300D). I would like to think my photos have improved, that I am starting to learn what I am doing a bit. And any sort of constructive criticism from people who know what they are doing would be really useful. What I could have improved, what was good etc… But I’m a bit concerned by the guy further up who says that these sort of groups should be limited numbers! That makes me suspect it would turn in to a group of people who have been taking pics for 20 years, have thousands of dollars of equipment and wouldn’t appreciate someone new like me who actually needs the comments most. If anyone would like to comment on any pictures I have plenty up, anything that will help me improve appreciated. It might even encourage me to get out and take more pics as I will try to put the advice to use.

http://www.pbase.com/nickharman

[homerhomer]

But I’m a bit concerned by the guy further up who says that these sort of groups should be limited numbers! That makes me suspect it would turn in to a group of people who have been taking pics for 20 years, have thousands of dollars of equipment and wouldn’t appreciate someone new like

I guess the time will tell what happens, but I can tell you I personally wouldn't belong to any group limited to poeple with 20 years of experience or thousands in equipment simply because I am neither experienced nor equiped (my camera is probably worth $150 right now and it won't change for a while), and I wouldn't want to be any part of a group where some look down on others because they know less, own less or own different brand. I want to be a part of a group that is a mix of people with different level of experience but have the same goal in getting better, exchange ideas, offer suggestions etc.

Nick, I had a quick look at your gallery. find it quite interesting, and will try to write some critiques over the next few days, couple of suggestions though you may consider:
1) name your images, this will help us understad what you are trying to achieve (there is also nothing wrong with describing the individual photos)
2) some of your images are very small (Peru 2003), try to post them a tad bigger, it will be easier to appreciate their beauty.
Peter

[nickharman]

Thanks for the reply, I will be going through naming the images, and will include larger versions, but I was just trying to get this set up and stay within the 10mb while I decided if I liked it or not. As it is I do an will be paying, so will post larger versions.

[nickharman]

While I think about it, what do people consider a good pixel size for viewing?

[homerhomer]

I usually upload at 800 at the widest and between 150 and 200kb in size.

[ukexpat]

While I think about it, what do people consider a good pixel size for viewing?

For PBase I resize to 800 pixels wide, and save as JPEGs around the 150K size...

BTW I am game for some constructive criticism...

[bobtrips]

But I’m a bit concerned by the guy further up who says that these sort of groups should be limited numbers! That makes me suspect it would turn in to a group of people who have been taking pics for 20 years, have thousands of dollars of equipment and wouldn’t appreciate someone new like

I guess the time will tell what happens, but I can tell you I personally wouldn't belong to any group limited to people with 20 years of experience or thousands in equipment

As the 'guy further up' ...

IMO limiting group size is a desirable thing. Those of us who have participated in the early times of a critique site have found them overrun by too many members. One looses the 'community' when the number of members gets too large.

My favorite time on TrekEarth was when you could log on once a day and there were generally less than 30 new posts. And you knew most of the posters, what they were capable of, what they were trying to do with their work, how much they had or hadn't developed, ....

Pictures lingered close to the front of the queue where most members had a chance to view and critique them.

Now when I go to the site there are pages and pages of images posted in the last 24 hours. It feels more like Times Square on New Years Eve than a meeting of the local camera club.

--

And the site in design is one that allows groups of like-minded people to gather. There should be a place for highly advanced photographers who shoot esoteric cameras as well as a place for people who are working their way toward their first 20 years of shooting.

Members could form their own groups/clubs and invite like-minded people to join. And members could join multiple groups if that best fit their needs.

[s_allcroft]

What about say a Yahoo Group. For doing this?

Best Regards
Stephen
http://www.pbase.com/s_allcroft

PS... I too have thick skin.