On-line group critique thread ideas?

[Alan Klein]

If you don't want critique, don't participate.
If you don't want to give critique, don't participate.
If you don't think a critique is a good idea, don't participate.

Seems rather simple. Are there people that would benefit? Surely so. Are there people that won't like what is said about their photograph? Probably. Will there be people who give critique and get mad that their wisdom is not valued or listened to? Well look at this forum for the answer to that.

If OP wants to organize and put together something of this nature, I think it should be encouraged. If I have time I might participate in one capacity or another.

As for the question of "online images are not going to come across" please don't make perfection be the enemy of good. Plenty of things to critique about a photo that don't involve being able to inspect the surface gloss of the print.

Well said.

[Ulophot]

This entire idea will not fly

Kill it now

and nobody critiqued my avatar

boo hoo

I don;t see one. I see only "Tin Can".

[Ulophot]

If you don't want critique, don't participate.
If you don't want to give critique, don't participate.
If you don't think a critique is a good idea, don't participate.

Seems rather simple. Are there people that would benefit? Surely so. Are there people that won't like what is said about their photograph? Probably. Will there be people who give critique and get mad that their wisdom is not valued or listened to? Well look at this forum for the answer to that.

If OP wants to organize and put together something of this nature, I think it should be encouraged. If I have time I might participate in one capacity or another.

As for the question of "online images are not going to come across" please don't make perfection be the enemy of good. Plenty of things to critique about a photo that don't involve being able to inspect the surface gloss of the print.

Yes, well said.

[bmikiten]

There is an odd irony in the (negative) responses to my initial post which certainly does not bode well for the success of such a venture....

[Jim Noel]

As a college teacher I critiqued 1000's of prints. I wouldn't want to attempt to do so from the image on my, or any other, computer screen. There is to much in a print which is not evident projected onto a flat screen

[alastairbird]

A quote from Hemingway I saw today:

"Critics are men who watch a battle from a high place then come down and shoot the survivors"

[willwilson]

First, great idea. I think this could encourage more discussion of images. Let's not worry about the details too much. It's easy to debate things into oblivion.

I really liked the idea from, https://www.njphotoforum.com/meetings, about coming prepared, "All images should exhibition quality."

You get what you put into this type of thing. Garbage in garbage out. Effort of the participants would be key on both the photographer and folks providing the critique.

I disagree with the "only in person" folks. Strong images can be conveyed digitally. I say we give it a shot. Why are we doing this if not to share our work and discuss it's merits (or lack there of).

Who's going first?

[LabRat]

Too many visions, too many directions, too many levels, too many tastes etc... It would be difficult to get "helpful" feedback without the critic "in-the-shoes" of the creator... Maybe to help solve tech issues, but even if a great image/print, you might get a "wonderful" or "bravo", but not about what made it great or the feelings it evoked etc...

At one crit/interview I was at, the only question I was asked was "is this single or double weight paper" for a fine print... ;(

Most important/ Does it "feel right" to the creator??? And it's potental viewing audience???

Steve K

[Alan Klein]

IDK Michael
I've read posts about going back to a place a handful of times or hiking long distances to take a special view that took a long time to find, photograph and a labor of love to develop and print.
sorry to be blunt, but I don't think a lot of people know what a critique is to be honest ..



letter writing campaign like a few years ago ?



hi Alan
what do you mean by this ? when people post images in the image threads here they aren't uploading their own photography ?
isn't that akin to plagiarism uploading someone else's work and suggesting it is their own ?

What I meant is that you have to post your own photos now and then for critiquing to be allowed to critique others. That should eliminate a lot of people who just like to trash others. I think there would be a more honest give and take.

[Michael R]

Well, I'm not saying don't do it. Nothing to lose, really. If it turns out to be helpful to people, good. If it becomes a mess, it will be entertaining to read. Either way.

IDK Michael
I've read posts about going back to a place a handful of times or hiking long distances to take a special view that took a long time to find, photograph and a labor of love to develop and print.
sorry to be blunt, but I don't think a lot of people know what a critique is to be honest ..