People's Taste - I don't understand

[Dikkie]

Hi peeps !

Just need to say that... I don't understand.

Now, that said....

When you put photos online, it happens you get comments or likes or faves or whatever.
(for example on Instagram / Flickr / forums... )

What strikes me a lot lately ... is that I get the most likes on my most rubbish photos I put on the net.
Quick snapshots with my cellphone, with less quality, through dirty windows,...

And I get less appreciation for photos where I put tons of effort in it. Like waiting for the right timing of the day, blue hour, ... exploring the surroundings, area some weeks before I go shooting,... having lots of postprocessing or editing later on.

Sometimes really strange.
I get the idea that most of the people watching the internet are not looking for quality or added value anymore.

What do you guys think?

 

[Didereaux]

Not strange at all, really. Average people know they are average, and resent it if they think someone is 'showing off'. Whereas they applaud those that are seen as no better at something than they are. We are a screwed up species. Our brains have not fully evolved yet, and is a wee bit of a problem.

 

[Designer]

I get the idea that most of the people watching the internet are not looking for quality or added value anymore.

In my opinion, most are simply not educated as to what is better art.

 

[limr]

Not strange at all, really. Average people know they are average, and resent it if they think someone is 'showing off'. Whereas they applaud those that are seen as no better at something than they are. We are a screwed up species. Our brains have not fully evolved yet, and is a wee bit of a problem.

I disagree somewhat. I'm not convinced that average people know they're average. That may have been more true in the past, but humans are notoriously bad at judging themselves. I think it's even more common in these "everyone gets a trophy" times to think that we are better than we really are.

And even if it's true that they are not "liking" an image because they are resentful of people who can take a better photograph, I think this only holds if they are fellow photographers and are feeling competitive. From what I've seen, it's the people who know nothing about photography who tend to like what we photographers recognize as a mediocre picture. I think it's kind of like watching some kind of medical or law drama. If you know nothing about the subject, you can be more easily impressed by some fancy jargon thrown in or dramatic music in the background. If you are trained in the subject, however, you can tell if the producers of the show are just employing smoke and mirrors, or if they are putting in the time to get the information right.

 

[SquarePeg]

I really think it depends on your audience. I've found that on FB and Instagram, since most of my "friends" and followers are actual friends or family then they "like" the photos that have people that they know in them. They are not really interested in my ICM flower photos or really any type of abstract or landscape stuff (unless it's of a place they are familiar with). But if I post a pic of my daughter or our dog doing something I think is cute, it gets tons of likes even if it's a crappy cell phone pic.

On Flickr, which I've just started using very recently, all of my followers are fellow photography enthusiasts so I keep that mostly to my "serious" photos unless I am sharing some vacation pics on another site and I need to host them on Flickr. I've found that there, the quality of the photo is more of a driver to how much attention it gets.

 

[robbins.photo]

Sweet. I'm totally on board with this. I say round them all up and send them to re-education camps. They must be taught to conform. That's what art is all about, right?

 

[Dikkie]

I really think it depends on your audience. I've found that on FB and Instagram, since most of my "friends" and followers are actual friends or family then they "like" the photos that have people that they know in them. They are not really interested in my ICM flower photos or really any type of abstract or landscape stuff (unless it's of a place they are familiar with). But if I post a pic of my daughter or our dog doing something I think is cute, it gets tons of likes even if it's a crappy cell phone pic.

On Flickr, which I've just started using very recently, all of my followers are fellow photography enthusiasts so I keep that mostly to my "serious" photos unless I am sharing some vacation pics on another site and I need to host them on Flickr. I've found that there, the quality of the photo is more of a driver to how much attention it gets.

Totally agree !
It's just that what's frustrating me sometimes.

 

[Designer]

I get the most likes on my most rubbish photos I put on the net.

So the "likes" really don't mean much, do they?

 

[Designer]

I think it's kind of like watching some kind of medical or law drama.

I cannot watch any of the "police/detective" shows. Not that I'm any kind of expert, but I see so many holes in the story that it is insulting. Imagine what a real police detective thinks about them.

 

[SquarePeg]

I think it's kind of like watching some kind of medical or law drama.

I cannot watch any of the "police/detective" shows. Not that I'm any kind of expert, but I see so many holes in the story that it is insulting. Imagine what a real police detective thinks about them.

I watch Hawaii Five-o for the scenery (the islands yes but also Alex O'Loughlin and Daniel Dae Kim). It's pretty high on the Unintentional Comedy scale when it comes to holes in the story but fun to watch all the same.

 

[table1349]

I get the most likes on my most rubbish photos I put on the net.

So the "likes" really don't mean much, do they?

It's social media on an annonymous internet, does any of it mean much other than a pat on the ego?

 

[480sparky]

Who cares what others like? I take photos that I like.

And if someone else just happens to like it enough to pay me money for a copy, then I will not complain.

 

[robbins.photo]

Who cares what others like? I take photos that I like.

When we get to the camp I call top bunk.

 

[480sparky]

Who cares what others like? I take photos that I like.

When we get to the camp I call top bunk.

Where I camp, there ain't no bunks. But you can sling a hammock in the tree if you like.

 

[Dave442]

Hammock sounds good.

Heck, I often prefer to see the bad shots I see on social media. These shots can tell more about life than a carefully done, thought out, planned shot by a photographer. That gives the photo a story that can so easily be lacking in that otherwise beautiful image made by the photographer.

I'm going to have to get some hooks so I don't have to tie so many knots to put up a hammock.