Okay, I have to ask this so I know. We are allowed to post a new image in any given gallery every 48 hours. Especially since I need all the feedback I can get, I thought that meant it was acceptable to post images that often. I feel like every day I miss getting feedback that I could be getting is a wasted day in that regard.
Is it acceptable to post a new image in any given gallery every 48 hours? Or, on the other hand, does it make people groan? I only want to know the truth about it, and whatever that is will be completely fine.
Thank you!
Posted by Buck Ward on October 13, 2010 at 5:09 PM
My understanding is that the 48 hour rule applies to each gallery. You could post a picture in one gallery and not need to wait 48 hours to post pictures in other galleries.
I'm not a moderator, and I don't post pictures with great frequency, so I hope I'm not off base with this.
Buck, that is correct, and that's what I've been doing, but I'm wondering whether it might be something that's allowed but that most members still frown on (so many image postings).
Posted by Ron Dudley on October 13, 2010 at 5:17 PM
Barbara, It's not unusual for folks to post every 48 hours for extended periods of time. I've done it myself. I'd say that the only way it might be frowned on by some (possibly many) is if you don't give something back by commenting on the images of others - I believe that a post/comment ratio of at least 1/5 is often suggested. Those numbers are very public (under our names in the post) and many members definitely notice them.
Posted by Buck Ward on October 13, 2010 at 5:21 PM
Hmm. I'm a member, and I don't frown on it. Others may feel differently, I suppose.
I think a lot of members may concentrate on one or two galleries, and wouldn't be aware of the across-the-board saturation.
As far as I'm concerned, if you feel the need for the feedback, then by all means, go for it. That's what the critique galleries are there for.
If you have enough images to post in a particular gallery every 48 hours, please do so. Not only will you receive more feedback, you will show those who have helped you that you are taking their comments to heart and learning from them.
One of the greatest rewards a teacher can receive is when their student shows that they are learning.
--P
Posted by Carol Nichols on October 13, 2010 at 5:44 PM
Barbara, I think people would only mind if you were just posting and not making comments on other members' photos. This site only works if each member both gives and takes. It is recommended that you make 5 comments for every photo that you post. So take a look at your comment to post ratio and if you haven't made enough comments for the number of posts you have made, start commenting! You will learn a lot from making comments as well as from posting.
Posted by Lon Overacker on October 13, 2010 at 7:31 PM
Barbara,
Even within a few brief responses I think you can see the variety of opinions on this topic. The ONLY written "rules" or guidelines for this site have already been stated: One image every 48hrs per gallery and the "suggestion" of commenting on 5 other images for each image you post. Of course the latter can't be enforced, so it becomes a voluntary system. And there are many members who may use that as a measuring stick. Others could care less.
After many years of observation and notes from members I know there are members who won't make comments/critiques on images where the comment/post ratio is low. And I also know members who don't care about that stuff. We're a community of photographers with a very wide range of skill, talent and experience - AND just as diverse set of opinions. It helps to understand the dynamics of an online forum such as this.
IMHO, it's all about attitude. If someone wants to post every 2 days and they are engaged in the community by asking questions, helping others, reaching, learning, growing etc. then no one should feel badly about posting "quantity." If however, someone comes along, posts a ton of images, doesn't provide any info about the image, why they captured the image, asks no questions, or requests no feedback, then I can understand why that person would get less attention.
There are many members here who get satisfaction from watching a photographer grow from one level to another. Preston said it so eloquently.
I suspect that if you continue with your enthusiasm for learning, you will be just fine here....
Lon
Posted by Ron Bielefeld on October 13, 2010 at 9:11 PM
Barbara, I think Lon answered your question very well. Personally, I have learned a lot from getting feedback on my images here at NPN. However, I have learned even more by looking at and commenting on other people's work. The more you scrutinize the work of others, the more you begin to see what works and does not work. You begin to see what you like and don't like. You can then start to develop your own photographic niche. My suggestion, post as often as you can, but don't miss out on the opportunity to learn by being an active participant on NPN in all the other ways this site offers you. Cheers.
Posted by Bill Fach on October 13, 2010 at 9:12 PM
Barbara: If I could give you a special dispensation to post every 24 hours in Flora I would do it. Post away! Something that you should consider is the impact of commenting on others' images. And I'm not really talking about the reciprocity you might get from those you critique. Rather you can learn a lot by assessing other shots carefully enough to make a comment. NPN has far and away been the biggest source of learning for me because I look at a lot of pictures. There are so many varied styles and accomplished photographers in our group that you can't help but have some of their brilliance rub off on your own work, I so enjoy looking at Pat's studio shots and Ram's abstracts and Nathan's crams, etc and it helps me see similar possibilities when I go out to shoot myself. Even if you just say nice shot, as long as you mean it it will be appreciated by the recipient and you'll learn something yourself. And if you don't like something say so. This is a complete critique site, not just a positive critique site. We'll still love you and respect you in the morning .
Thank you, everyone. So I'm going to just go ahead and ask a very sensitive question about making comments on other people's images. I made some suggestions on an image, and I think I made them in the same way most of you do, not offensively, and the reaction from the poster was not good, not good at all. Do I need to check the comments on back images to see whether a poster will be receptive to a critique or not? That was the first image I made any actual suggestions on, and it really has made me very hesitant to do it again.
Posted by Lon Overacker on October 13, 2010 at 9:26 PM
Barbara,
What a way to flip the discussion 180 degrees! This could very well be a whole new thread - but honestly, it's a very important aspect to commenting and I'm glad you asked the question.
This gets back to my comment on attitude and also the very unpredictable nature of an anonymous online community. I think this part simply takes a little time, experience and unfortunately a few knocks.
Look for clues like "C&'C's always welcome"( comments and critique) "I really appreciate all the comments," or "Please be honest with your critique." Make note of those who are really looking for honest feedback.
There are some members who just wish to post and share images and are content with their presentations and don't look for feedback. there are others still who ask for feedback, but will challenge anyone who comments on processing, composition etc. This is all human nature. Learning to recognize those situations is the tough part.
If there was an individual that didn't appreciate civil, constructive feedback, then by all means don't comment on their work. Pretty easy. Gravitate to those who are willing to receive and provide quality feedback. Move on to the next one.
Piece-o-cake.
Lon
Posted by Stan Rose on October 13, 2010 at 10:11 PM
What Lon said. Ive made thousands of comments, and i still end up occasionally putting my foot in my mouth, or have someone reply agressively or defensively without justification. Some of it's just the perils of e-communication, sometimes the person is just having a bad day, or rarely the person is just a jerk. You can't worry about it--i don't. Occasionally ill email someone to try to clear up what appears to be a misunderstanding. Just follow the critique etiquette suggestions and you'll be fine.
Posted by Kenn Leonhardt on October 13, 2010 at 11:06 PM
I don't get frustrated, but I just start to ignore people. There are some people that have been posting here for ages that don't seem receptive to any sort of feedback (which shows in the lack of improvement in their photos), and I just don't bother leaving comments for them.
When I do comment, I always check back later to see if there's a response of some sort. I'm far more eager to comment on people's photos when they exhibit a desire to interact and improve their photos. Doesn't mean that they have to act on the suggestions that they are given, and I'm quite happy if they respond politely telling me that they think my ideas are rubbish. My main goal is just to get people to think about their photo in a way that they may not have considered on their own. If they ignore my comment altogether and keep posting overexposed photos or whatever the issue may be, then I'll just ignore them.
Fortunately, there aren't many of these sorts on NPN, and nearly everybody is receptive to at least hearing what people think about their photos.
I can only think of one case where my suggestions made a person angry and overly defensive, and I simply ignore that person now. I don't know why someone would post a photo in a critique gallery if they're not willing to accept criticism. Go to flickr if you just want to get patted on the back...
Posted by Bill Maile on October 14, 2010 at 8:06 AM
Some of it's just the perils of e-communication, sometimes the person is just having a bad day, or rarely the person is just a jerk.
Well said Stan, and others. I've found that with our society's (well, much of it) reliance on email, Facebook and other social sites, fan forums or photo groups... nothing can take the place of human voice inflection or tone, or looking at the person who is speaking to you face-to-face. It can cause a plethora of problems, miscommunication and misunderstandings. Not that it's ever happened to me (1,000 times)!
Barbara, I have been part of this site for almost a year now. I have not posted alot of images and hopefully I have made enough comments on other photos that I have liked. I do not feel I have reached the level as many others on here to give input on what I don't like about an image, not that I don't want to yet, but I joined to learn to learn from those that have been doing this for years.
So, I do more reading than posting and commenting and I feel I have learned more here than having to pay to go to school to learn from one person, plus I could not afford it . I say post away for people like me.
As I grow on here, I will someday give input on what I don't like or see wrong in an image when I feel I have reached a level I need to be. But I will continue to post on images that draw my attention strongly. That's me thou.....
Post away so I can learn! I continue to ask myself when I see most pictures on here, how in the world did they do that, so clean and clear, colorful, composition.......................
Posted by Carol Nichols on October 14, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Barbara, I think David expressed what my feelings were when I first started posting/commenting on this forum. It's very intimidating to start critiquing the work of others, especially since there are so many really good photographers on NPN. So I started off making critiques that only pointed out the things I liked about an image. This is not hard to do at all and you will really learn a lot by discovering what you like in other people's photos. As you gain more experience and confidence, it will be easier to make comments about the things you don't like in an image.
Posted by Bill Chambers on October 14, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Barbara - you've paid your annual subscription dues and I feel that entitles you to post till your heart's content (within guidelines). After all, that's why you (and the rest of us) are here - to share images and give and receive feedback. You're not being greedy or selfish to want to post images every 48 hours. Jump in with both feet!
As for your other question/comment - I say post your honest feelings, but always in a civil, friendly manner (which I'm sure you do). If the other person gets offended, so be it, they shouldn't be posting on a critique forum. The whole purpose of a critique forum is to give and receive critques - both good and bad. You are entitled to your personal opinion, and should feel free to express it.
Discussion
17 repliesIs it acceptable to post a new image in any given gallery every 48 hours? Or, on the other hand, does it make people groan? I only want to know the truth about it, and whatever that is will be completely fine.
Thank you!
I'm not a moderator, and I don't post pictures with great frequency, so I hope I'm not off base with this.
I think a lot of members may concentrate on one or two galleries, and wouldn't be aware of the across-the-board saturation.
As far as I'm concerned, if you feel the need for the feedback, then by all means, go for it. That's what the critique galleries are there for.
If you have enough images to post in a particular gallery every 48 hours, please do so. Not only will you receive more feedback, you will show those who have helped you that you are taking their comments to heart and learning from them.
One of the greatest rewards a teacher can receive is when their student shows that they are learning.
--P
Even within a few brief responses I think you can see the variety of opinions on this topic. The ONLY written "rules" or guidelines for this site have already been stated: One image every 48hrs per gallery and the "suggestion" of commenting on 5 other images for each image you post. Of course the latter can't be enforced, so it becomes a voluntary system. And there are many members who may use that as a measuring stick. Others could care less.
After many years of observation and notes from members I know there are members who won't make comments/critiques on images where the comment/post ratio is low. And I also know members who don't care about that stuff. We're a community of photographers with a very wide range of skill, talent and experience - AND just as diverse set of opinions. It helps to understand the dynamics of an online forum such as this.
IMHO, it's all about attitude. If someone wants to post every 2 days and they are engaged in the community by asking questions, helping others, reaching, learning, growing etc. then no one should feel badly about posting "quantity." If however, someone comes along, posts a ton of images, doesn't provide any info about the image, why they captured the image, asks no questions, or requests no feedback, then I can understand why that person would get less attention.
There are many members here who get satisfaction from watching a photographer grow from one level to another. Preston said it so eloquently.
I suspect that if you continue with your enthusiasm for learning, you will be just fine here....
Lon
What a way to flip the discussion 180 degrees! This could very well be a whole new thread - but honestly, it's a very important aspect to commenting and I'm glad you asked the question.
This gets back to my comment on attitude and also the very unpredictable nature of an anonymous online community. I think this part simply takes a little time, experience and unfortunately a few knocks.
Look for clues like "C&'C's always welcome"( comments and critique) "I really appreciate all the comments," or "Please be honest with your critique." Make note of those who are really looking for honest feedback.
There are some members who just wish to post and share images and are content with their presentations and don't look for feedback. there are others still who ask for feedback, but will challenge anyone who comments on processing, composition etc. This is all human nature. Learning to recognize those situations is the tough part.
If there was an individual that didn't appreciate civil, constructive feedback, then by all means don't comment on their work. Pretty easy. Gravitate to those who are willing to receive and provide quality feedback. Move on to the next one.
Piece-o-cake.
Lon
When I do comment, I always check back later to see if there's a response of some sort. I'm far more eager to comment on people's photos when they exhibit a desire to interact and improve their photos. Doesn't mean that they have to act on the suggestions that they are given, and I'm quite happy if they respond politely telling me that they think my ideas are rubbish. My main goal is just to get people to think about their photo in a way that they may not have considered on their own. If they ignore my comment altogether and keep posting overexposed photos or whatever the issue may be, then I'll just ignore them.
Fortunately, there aren't many of these sorts on NPN, and nearly everybody is receptive to at least hearing what people think about their photos.
I can only think of one case where my suggestions made a person angry and overly defensive, and I simply ignore that person now. I don't know why someone would post a photo in a critique gallery if they're not willing to accept criticism. Go to flickr if you just want to get patted on the back...
Well said Stan, and others. I've found that with our society's (well, much of it) reliance on email, Facebook and other social sites, fan forums or photo groups... nothing can take the place of human voice inflection or tone, or looking at the person who is speaking to you face-to-face. It can cause a plethora of problems, miscommunication and misunderstandings. Not that it's ever happened to me (1,000 times)!
So, I do more reading than posting and commenting and I feel I have learned more here than having to pay to go to school to learn from one person, plus I could not afford it . I say post away for people like me.
As I grow on here, I will someday give input on what I don't like or see wrong in an image when I feel I have reached a level I need to be. But I will continue to post on images that draw my attention strongly. That's me thou.....
Post away so I can learn!
As for your other question/comment - I say post your honest feelings, but always in a civil, friendly manner (which I'm sure you do). If the other person gets offended, so be it, they shouldn't be posting on a critique forum. The whole purpose of a critique forum is to give and receive critques - both good and bad. You are entitled to your personal opinion, and should feel free to express it.