Extracting comments with leading questions

[The_Traveler]

Depending on where one is in their photography learning curve affects what comments on pictures posted are useful.

Inevitably as I work on editing a picture to get it to its final form, I become used to the image and I may not be seeing faults that are obvious to others. For example, I posted a picture of Rice Paddies in the Dry Season and Sleist pointed out, quite rightly, that it needed to be cropped from the bottom. And once pointed out, it became obvious. I had considered it before but somehow it lost its importance as a possible fault and I never tried the edit before I posted it.

Additionally, sometimes I am ambivalent about certain features and want to get feedback to re-calibrate my own sensibilities.

So I am torn between asking leading questions and just leaving the images unremarked upon so I don't actually direct any comments.

On the whole, with the paucity of comments/criticisms I do get, perhaps leading questions won't hurt as much as they will help by giving people an entry to the picture.

What do you think?

 

[Designer]

I think that no matter what you see in a photograph or any other construct, other people will will not see it the same way that you do.

I have asked very pointedly about things, leading questions or not, and got either negative feedback or none at all.

I have had designs completely changed by someone.

I have pointed out what I thought were notable features, only to be met with blank expressions.

I have argued till I was exhausted about why a certain design feature was needed (or not needed) only to finally give up in frustration.

So go ahead and ask leading questions. Even point out what you think is noteworthy, because some people will get it, and others will not.

 

[The_Traveler]

It isn't so much pointing out features for potential approbation but getting feedback on issues that are uncertain, like:

If this were lighter/darker would you like it more?
Does this look too busy?
etc.​

 

[Vtec44]

Shoot the picture and edit the way that *I* like. That's how I do it.

 

[pgriz]

I would call this process one of calibrating one's vision. A second set of eyes is always useful for another view of the subject. As for asking leading questions, I'd say that's not asking "asking leading questions", but identifying to a viewer what you're wrestling with. You're a pretty competent photographer, Lew, and most regulars on this forum will understand your asking the question to be asking for their views of what is currently uncertain for you. In fact, probably the best advice you will get will be from someone who does NOT share your style and vision. And as with all advice, it's based on someone else's opinion, and therefore subject to as much scrutiny as you may apply yourself.

 

[The_Traveler]

I don't commit to actually listen and change my mind, just to hear what others are thinking.

 

[rlemert]

The danger with asking a "leading" question is that you risk not getting an honest answer, but just the answer that the respondent thinks you want. You can avoid this by expressing your question as "an area of concern". This makes it more open-ended and encourages perspectives that you may not have thought of.

Consider your example of "would you like this more if it were darker?" Your respondent might actually prefer it to be lighter, and might have reasons for suggesting this that you hadn't thought of. However, that's no longer an option the way you've phrased it.

 

[The_Traveler]

The danger with asking a "leading" question is that you risk not getting an honest answer, but just the answer that the respondent thinks you want. You can avoid this by expressing your question as "an area of concern". This makes it more open-ended and encourages perspectives that you may not have thought of.

Consider your example of "would you like this more if it were darker?" Your respondent might actually prefer it to be lighter, and might have reasons for suggesting this that you hadn't thought of. However, that's no longer an option the way you've phrased it.

Thank you.
I will try to make the queries as non-directive as possible coincident with actually pointing out what I want input about.
Note that, in the example below, I used darker/lighter as my shorthand for 'darker or lighter.'

If this were lighter/darker would you like it more?
Does this look too busy?
etc.​

 

[fjrabon]

My process is usually:
1) post with just basic technical/location info and see what responses I get. I don't want to bias responses people may have at this point.
2) address any comments/questions as honestly, fully and clearly as possible.
3) if there are no/few in depth responses or they've run their course, I may give more info about what I was hoping to achieve or ask leading questions. Then back to step 2.

Repeat steps 2&3 until I feel that I've gotten what I was seeking out of C&C, or at least know what I need to figure out (more commonly and maybe more usefully).

I feel like as long as we are having a robust conversation about art and nobody is taking anything personally, any way we arrive at that discussion is fruitful.

 

[Dave442]

What happened when I went back to see your photo, Rice Paddies in the Dry Season, is I found there was no title included on that post. The mountains of course are very nice, but I think if the photo had this title included there may have been less push to crop what was part of the title of the image. So in that way a title and sometimes a short description can help the viewer experience the image.

Of course the inverse is if the title may be something you remember, i.e.: standing on the edge of the rice paddies as you took the shot, then the title could detract from a good critique if in actuality the photo does benefit from the crop and a new title reflecting the subject of the lifting of the morning fog.

My preference is to have something included with the image, a title and/or short description, or even a leading question. I think that helps open some comments. Of course, a leading question may just generate responses to that one point and I feel that is a drawback on leading questions.

 

[Fred Berg]

If the reason for posting a photo is to fish for some feedback on specific points, baited questions seem sensible enough. If, on the other hand, the hope is to net a more general feeling of how the photo is received, it's probably best to post the photo without preamble or requests for C&C and see what you land.

 

[sleist]

I think it has less to do with you and more to do with the person that chooses to comment (or not). It's one thing to say that you like or don't like something. It's quite another to be able to express why, and have that comment be related to an objective compositional flaw rather than a subjective opinion. With respect to the photo you discussed in the original post, I knew there was something off about it shortly after you posted it, but it took me 2 days to decide to give the critique I gave. I almost didn't, and I'm not certain framing the OP any differently would have made much difference. Plus, you're experienced enough so that if you saw it as an issue prior to posting, you would likely have fixed it before posting in the first place without asking. Someone else would not have noticed and like would not have known to ask.

I'm glad you found my comments useful. I tend not to comment often as I feel like I'm being too negative and I'm not sure people take it in the manner it was intended. As for my own work, I post my finished product and see what the response is - no leading comments. I post things I think are marginal as often as things I like just to see how they are received and whether others get the same impression.

 

[waday]

IMO, the ‘danger’ with leading questions is that you may lead the viewer away from the message of your photo. For example, during the required ‘speech class’ in college, my professor made a very interesting point that stuck with me through presentations, writing emails, writing reports, and even talking to supervisors and clients while in the workforce. The gist of what he was trying to get across was this: “if you have something that could be a distraction to your speech, do not bring it up or mention it directly.” (Of course, this is unless it’s something that you want or need to bring attention to…)

In other words, if you had a cold, don’t apologize for your cold at the beginning of the presentation. Otherwise, no one will pay attention to what you’re saying, only how your voice sounds, how many times you sniffle, or how many times you blew your nose. Or, if you think the image should be lighter/darker, people may place too much emphasis on this aspect of your image.

 

[jsecordphoto]

I think something important for people to remember here (and really any online forum), you'll receive a lot of advice here- and some of it will even be good!