Just an opinion of a pbaser.
In it's concept, I think PAD is a fantastic idea. Where photographers can share events and scenes in their daily lives. We also get to view images from around the world as individuals go about their daily activities and show scenes from around their hometowns.
But, there is in my opinion there is a negative side to PAD. If you read comments from the PAD galleries, you quickly see the word "Voted" in many of them. It seems the participants of PAD just slap each other on the back and vote to get their images to the popular galleries. No matter what the photographic qualities of the images are, it gets vote after vote.
It must be very discouraging for the many excellent pbase photographers that are not members of PAD and never get any recognition. Come on PAD participants, it's OK to veiw each others images and make complimentary comments, but please don't vote just because you want that person to move up the popular list.
PS: I am not complaining for myself as I am very popular here on pbase. I'm not a PAD participant or care to be. I have 36 years of nature photography experience and have participated on many online sites. I just think giving your friends votes degrades to overall quality of this site.
I hope no one takes offense to this as it's just an opion based on observation.
Best Regards,
Ronnie Gaubert
Board index ‹ PBase ‹ PaD Discussion ‹ Getting a decent review of a PaD is getting harder and harde
PaD Discussion
Getting a decent review of a PaD is getting harder and harde
37 posts • Page 3 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
- Posts: 904
- Location: Irvine, California
Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:30 pm
Guilty as charged, though I will say I have had a fairly good excuse the last couple of months with a major surgery taking place, as well as the whole healing process.
Now it seems I have just enough time, (and strength) to visit the galleries, though I do find myself posting a little more now.
You wanna hear something really sad? I have only had my camera in the field 3 times since my surgery and that has been over the lastr couple of weeks. And even the images I have taken I wouldn't show to a blind person.
Gary
Now it seems I have just enough time, (and strength) to visit the galleries, though I do find myself posting a little more now.
You wanna hear something really sad? I have only had my camera in the field 3 times since my surgery and that has been over the lastr couple of weeks. And even the images I have taken I wouldn't show to a blind person.
Gary
I love photoshopography.......
- Posts: 164
Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:38 pm
Well, I agree with Anna that a Critique Metagallery would be a good idea where all the participants know and expect to give and receive constructive criticism rather than the usual "Great picture" comment on PAD.
As for voting, I only vote once per day for my favourite picture of the day, so it counts for more than just mutual back-slapping.
As for voting, I only vote once per day for my favourite picture of the day, so it counts for more than just mutual back-slapping.
- Posts: 120
Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:35 pm
This is an interesting topic, so here's my two (euro) cents worth.
When I first started looking at the PaD galleries and pondering giving it a go, it did all seem quite "cliquey", but I've been PaDing for about two and a half months now, and my take on it all has changed a bit.
I do find that I'm now getting comments and votes from a "core" of probably about 10 to 15 people, with other random comments from people who particularly like a given image on a given day. Several of my photos over the last couple of weeks have racked up 10 to 20 comments and a vote or two, which is a lot less than some of the real "stars" on here, but an awful lot more than when I first started.
Does that make me part of a "clique" - no, I don't think it does, in any real sense. I recently PM'd a couple of people who've regularly commented on my photos to say hi and thanks, and I have semi-regular correspondence with a couple of Pbasers, but other than that I'm much more interested in looking at photos on merit, and I think the increased hit rate partly reflects the fact that the quality of what I'm putting up has improved dramatically with thinking so much more about my photography, working out what does and doesn't work etc.
In terms of commenting, my self-imposed rule is that I only comment on photos I particularly like, whoever has done them, and I vote on only a small percentage of those, where I think there's something really special about a photo. Even following that rule, there are probably 10-15 people (some of them, to be honest, the same as "my" 10-15 people) to whose work I regularly gravitate, either because they do "my" kind of stuff or because they are particularly talented (IMHO) and consistently produce excellent work. In some cases we have a mutual appreciation because we do the same kind of pictures - have a look at my and Alem's "red car" photos from the last week in the popular photos
Of course people looking at the Meta galleries will gravitate towards names they know, but I do think that in the long run quality will out - most of the "names" on Pbase also produce consistently excellent work, and deserve the attention they get.
As to criticism, I have one correspondent and gallery partner (she knows who she is!) who's brutally frank in her assessments of my work, and I cherish that, because it's how you learn. Of course it's good for the ego to get all the "great shot" comments, but if I think a particular shot would be improved by a different crop, monochrome etc I'll say so, and I haven't been flamed yet, and I'd always welcome similar comments from others. Would I ever leave a completely negative comment? No, what's the point?
Meditation over!
Cheers, Steve H
When I first started looking at the PaD galleries and pondering giving it a go, it did all seem quite "cliquey", but I've been PaDing for about two and a half months now, and my take on it all has changed a bit.
I do find that I'm now getting comments and votes from a "core" of probably about 10 to 15 people, with other random comments from people who particularly like a given image on a given day. Several of my photos over the last couple of weeks have racked up 10 to 20 comments and a vote or two, which is a lot less than some of the real "stars" on here, but an awful lot more than when I first started.
Does that make me part of a "clique" - no, I don't think it does, in any real sense. I recently PM'd a couple of people who've regularly commented on my photos to say hi and thanks, and I have semi-regular correspondence with a couple of Pbasers, but other than that I'm much more interested in looking at photos on merit, and I think the increased hit rate partly reflects the fact that the quality of what I'm putting up has improved dramatically with thinking so much more about my photography, working out what does and doesn't work etc.
In terms of commenting, my self-imposed rule is that I only comment on photos I particularly like, whoever has done them, and I vote on only a small percentage of those, where I think there's something really special about a photo. Even following that rule, there are probably 10-15 people (some of them, to be honest, the same as "my" 10-15 people) to whose work I regularly gravitate, either because they do "my" kind of stuff or because they are particularly talented (IMHO) and consistently produce excellent work. In some cases we have a mutual appreciation because we do the same kind of pictures - have a look at my and Alem's "red car" photos from the last week in the popular photos
Of course people looking at the Meta galleries will gravitate towards names they know, but I do think that in the long run quality will out - most of the "names" on Pbase also produce consistently excellent work, and deserve the attention they get.
As to criticism, I have one correspondent and gallery partner (she knows who she is!) who's brutally frank in her assessments of my work, and I cherish that, because it's how you learn. Of course it's good for the ego to get all the "great shot" comments, but if I think a particular shot would be improved by a different crop, monochrome etc I'll say so, and I haven't been flamed yet, and I'd always welcome similar comments from others. Would I ever leave a completely negative comment? No, what's the point?
Meditation over!
Cheers, Steve H
- Posts: 331
Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:29 pm
I started doing this simply to get more feedback on what I was doing. I do realise that my style of photography, especially portraiture, is not standard of conventional at all, but I like to try new things and experiment with ideas. I do highly respect people that do things conventionally and do it well, even though I prefer a more instinctive or natural approach to photography, but that won’t stop me from commenting on something that I like.
When a photo comes up that I do not like and I feel the need to comment what I do is post a private comment or move on. Brutally honest is good but some consideration for the person should come into play. I saw this with another person’s gallery once and was appalled at the person’s callousness and rude comments. In that case it went beyond just a critique to personal bashing. The odd thing was that I looked at the person’s gallery who made the poor comment and was not impressed at all but I was not driven to comment because I was sure this person would figure it out eventually or they would simply live life with a false sense of stupefaction at their own lack of ability.
There are a lot of photographers that I like here and what they are doing is wonderful. We all have a bad photo or two but when I comment on it I like to do it privately so as not to bring attention to it or curb someone else’s opinion of it.
About giving a proper critique, there are days that all I can say is “great,â€
When a photo comes up that I do not like and I feel the need to comment what I do is post a private comment or move on. Brutally honest is good but some consideration for the person should come into play. I saw this with another person’s gallery once and was appalled at the person’s callousness and rude comments. In that case it went beyond just a critique to personal bashing. The odd thing was that I looked at the person’s gallery who made the poor comment and was not impressed at all but I was not driven to comment because I was sure this person would figure it out eventually or they would simply live life with a false sense of stupefaction at their own lack of ability.
There are a lot of photographers that I like here and what they are doing is wonderful. We all have a bad photo or two but when I comment on it I like to do it privately so as not to bring attention to it or curb someone else’s opinion of it.
About giving a proper critique, there are days that all I can say is “great,â€
- Posts: 1221
- Location: San Diego
Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:58 pm
Often I'll reach out to the furthest corners of Pbase to comment on someone's work who otherwise wouldn't expect it.
At random, I'll see a name generating images in the PAD's or in the main galleries and enter their world like an unannounced visitor, leaving a bouquet of words on their door. I don't necessarily leave all roses, there's sometimes a few weeds in the bunch.
Sometimes I get a nice response in kind either in my guestbook or under one of my photos but usually nothing. That's fine with me though. I feel good just being able to say I appreciate someone's work and hope I've brought a ray of sunshine into their day.
It's really something that can be done at any time, for anyone, for no good reason.
C'mon, make a stranger's day!
Make it a habit!!!
At random, I'll see a name generating images in the PAD's or in the main galleries and enter their world like an unannounced visitor, leaving a bouquet of words on their door. I don't necessarily leave all roses, there's sometimes a few weeds in the bunch.
Sometimes I get a nice response in kind either in my guestbook or under one of my photos but usually nothing. That's fine with me though. I feel good just being able to say I appreciate someone's work and hope I've brought a ray of sunshine into their day.
It's really something that can be done at any time, for anyone, for no good reason.
C'mon, make a stranger's day!
Make it a habit!!!
- Posts: 331
Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:23 pm
Another thought about comments…
I posted three new galleries today and one of them I had over twenty hits while I was posting the images. It seemed as though I couldn’t post them fast enough. However when I was done, there was not a single comment. I thought this was strange.
When I comment I generally go with a first impression because when work is put up in a gallery that is about all you get, is a first impression.
I am not complaining because I have gotten quite a few comments both before and after I started PAD. I just thought it was odd. One of the other reasons I started doing this was because a lot of my work, especially with portraits, is done in series format and I thought this would give me the opportunity to show individual pieces of work.
Duncan
I posted three new galleries today and one of them I had over twenty hits while I was posting the images. It seemed as though I couldn’t post them fast enough. However when I was done, there was not a single comment. I thought this was strange.
When I comment I generally go with a first impression because when work is put up in a gallery that is about all you get, is a first impression.
I am not complaining because I have gotten quite a few comments both before and after I started PAD. I just thought it was odd. One of the other reasons I started doing this was because a lot of my work, especially with portraits, is done in series format and I thought this would give me the opportunity to show individual pieces of work.
Duncan
37 posts • Page 3 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
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