Some Thoughts and Warnings for Beginners...

[ronlane]

I am new here and have posted a few of my pictures. When I posted the first few, I was deflated because of the critism. Honestly, it was hard to swallow. But looking at them and then learning more and thinking, I realized that they were just making a point. It helped me think about that issue for my next round of photos. I haven't forgotten that. They have helped me with exposure, white balance, making sure that the horizon is level and with composition.

My photos have gotten better because of all of this. It still hurts to get critism of work that I think is pretty good, but I realize that they aren't attacking me, just pointing out what I actually asked for.

For all of this, I have messaged a couple of the people for clarificaton and they have become a person that I feel I can trust. They may not like my work but that's okay.

It must be working because the last photos that I posted got a lot of looks but not many comments. That's better than getting slammed. (I'm looking at it positive.)

This is an uncommon response to the feedback people get, and it's awesome to see.

I was EXACTLY where you are when I joined here, and I handled it way worse than you are.

Thanks Manaheim. I spent a bunch of time sulking if you will about it but in the end, all I can do is take what is said and keep shooting pictures. I'll get better despite myself, that much I know because I've seen it.

 

[Derrel]

A common grunt fires his rifle as fast as he can, and occasionally hits a target. A true marksman fires and expects to hit almost every time.

 

[ronlane]

A common grunt fires his rifle as fast as he can, and occasionally hits a target. A true marksman fires and expects to hit almost every time.

I'm some where in the middle there Derrel. I see the target and know whick way to aim, but still learning to use the scope to sight it in better. Example, I took over 200 pictures this weekend at a parade and carnival and came away with a handfull of good ones. I spent a lot of time moving around trying different angles and such of the same thing. My main focus was a friend that was singing.

 

[unpopular]

AHHHH too much wasabi on my sammich

... carry on.

 

[Jaemie]

LMFAO. So THAT'S why they all wear kaki!

They never got the memo that they don't need to wear uniforms in college.

Oh... a private college! *derp* Ya know, I'm such a perv that, when I saw khaki mentioned, college never entered into my mind. All I could remember was the throngs of Catholic school girls with which I was blessed to share the bus when I was in junior high. God bless short khaki skirts.

 

[fotomumma09]

IMO I have found many people here helpful, however I am willing to learn and accept criticism . I have seen many people post images or ask for advice that in reality have no intention of taking because they are emotionally invested in their photos and seem to take the criticism offered as a personal attack when most often it is not the case. When you are new to a community such as this it is imperative that you be respectful and pay your dues. The ego can get you in a lot of trouble!

That being said I have witnessed a lot of unessecary attacks and avoid silly drama at all costs.

I feel that my images have greatly improved because of my willingness to hear the truth and invest time in learning on my own instead of being spoon fed.

 

[unpopular]

silly ​drama is why I am here!

 

[cgipson1]

A common grunt fires his rifle as fast as he can, and occasionally hits a target. A true marksman fires and expects to hit almost every time.

Spray and Pray vs. Precision! yeppers!

 

[cgipson1]

AHHHH too much wasabi on my sammich

... carry on.

You should snort it, like a REAL MAN! lol! (or is that REAL IDIOT?)

 

[unpopular]

There was so much on there, I think I did!

 

[tirediron]

I am new here and have posted a few of my pictures. When I posted the first few, I was deflated because of the critism. Honestly, it was hard to swallow. But looking at them and then learning more and thinking, I realized that they were just making a point. It helped me think about that issue for my next round of photos. I haven't forgotten that. They have helped me with exposure, white balance, making sure that the horizon is level and with composition.

My photos have gotten better because of all of this. It still hurts to get critism of work that I think is pretty good, but I realize that they aren't attacking me, just pointing out what I actually asked for.

For all of this, I have messaged a couple of the people for clarificaton and they have become a person that I feel I can trust. They may not like my work but that's okay.

It must be working because the last photos that I posted got a lot of looks but not many comments. That's better than getting slammed. (I'm looking at it positive.)

This is an uncommon response to the feedback people get, and it's awesome to see.

I was EXACTLY where you are when I joined here, and I handled it way worse than you are.

What's with the use of the past-tense?

 

[subscuck]

No matter what discipline in the wide world of art you're involved in, there are certain immutable facts. There are accepted conventions. There is technical knowledge one must posses. Practice is a must. All of these things add up to education. Why is convention so important? The Egyptians, Greeks and cathedral builders of feudal Europe all knew the Golden Mean and sacred geometry in general had an impact that went far beyond the visual. It exists in everything they did. Non religious people who walk into Chartres cathedral are all struck with the same sense of awe when they walk in. If you want to study posing, look at ancient Greek sculpture. Even the stuff missing limbs, noses, whatever. It conveys a sense of life, emotion. These things still work today, that's why conventions exist. They've always worked, still work, and will work long after our sorry asses have drifted off of this mortal coil. Before you can successfully bend, break, bypass or ignore the rules, you have to know why
the rules work.

In my profession (Pastry Chef), I see this silliness all the time. I see Culinary Chefs, Pastry Chefs right out of school, and wannabees who've never devoted a single minute to learning the science of baking, turning out the most ridiculous products. "It's different", "It's edgey", "I'm pushing the envelope". No. You're pushing bull****. Sorry, you may be in love with your Passion Fruit and Thyme cup cake with sweet smoked Salmon mousse buttercream frosting, but nobody else is. We all fall in love with our labors until we learn to discriminate between good and garbage. These Chefs and wannabees don't realize that when a Pastry Chef puts out a new and different award winning product, they've spent weeks thinking about it. They've thought about the primary flavors and what accent flavors to use to pull all the flavors together in a way that works. They've thought about textures, they've thought about should it be served warm, cold or room temp. All of that before weighing out the first ounce of sugar, or cracking the first egg. Then they spend weeks or months perfecting it before they present it to the public. And all the while, through the whole process, they're thinking about accepted conventions and how to use them or bend them in ways that work. And they're able to do it because they know the why.

OP, I agree, there is an ass for every seat. Those with the education, experience and ability to bend rules in a way that works, realize not every seat should have an ass in it. Those who think​ they're breaking rules, being artsy, or being original without the requisite knowledge, willingly and eagerly sit in those seats and then defend an indefensible position because pride and ego together with the love of their (poor) labor won't allow them to see what really is. And I must agree also with Lew. When the ****storm starts, it's almost always the person who posted for c&c who dips his/her hand in the commode to hurl the first turd.

 

[MikeLem]

Do you guys really feel like you're helping new members? I think this is a serious issue. Several seem to agree. Why make a mockery of it?

I'm making a point! People need not post every single image they produce!

IDK. Maybe it's the fact that you're coming on here, telling people with decades of experience that they don't know how to apply those decades simply because they don't post enough images for your approval.

Whoa. I think it's clear that the purpose of my original post was to tell new members to be selective when choosing advice/tips to alter their work. Each post is an opinion, and something that should not be considered to be fact without further review.

 

[cgipson1]

No matter what discipline in the wide world of art you're involved in, there are certain immutable facts. There are accepted conventions. There is technical knowledge one must posses. Practice is a must. All of these things add up to education. Why is convention so important? The Egyptians, Greeks and cathedral builders of feudal Europe all knew the Golden Mean and sacred geometry in general had an impact that went far beyond the visual. It exists in everything they did. Non religious people who walk into Chartres cathedral are all struck with the same sense of awe when they walk in. If you want to study posing, look at ancient Greek sculpture. Even the stuff missing limbs, noses, whatever. It conveys a sense of life, emotion. These things still work today, that's why conventions exist. They've always worked, still work, and will work long after our sorry asses have drifted off of this mortal coil. Before you can successfully bend, break, bypass or ignore the rules, you have to know why
the rules work.

In my profession (Pastry Chef), I see this silliness all the time. I see Culinary Chefs, Pastry Chefs right out of school, and wannabees who've never devoted a single minute to learning the science of baking, turning out the most ridiculous products. "It's different", "It's edgey", "I'm pushing the envelope". No. You're pushing bull****. Sorry, you may be in love with your Passion Fruit and Thyme cup cake with sweet smoked Salmon mousse buttercream frosting, but nobody else is. We all fall in love with our labors until we learn to discriminate between good and garbage. These Chefs and wannabees don't realize that when a Pastry Chef puts out a new and different award winning product, they've spent weeks thinking about it. They've thought about the primary flavors and what accent flavors to use to pull all the flavors together in a way that works. They've thought about textures, they've thought about should it be served warm, cold or room temp. All of that before weighing out the first ounce of sugar, or cracking the first egg. Then they spend weeks or months perfecting it before they present it to the public. And all the while, through the whole process, they're thinking about accepted conventions and how to use them or bend them in ways that work. And they're able to do it because they know the why.

OP, I agree, there is an ass for every seat. Those with the education, experience and ability to bend rules in a way that works, realize not every seat should have an ass in it. Those who think​ they're breaking rules, being artsy, or being original without the requisite knowledge, willingly and eagerly sit in those seats and then defend an indefensible position because pride and ego together with the love of their (poor) labor won't allow them to see what really is. And I must agree also with Lew. When the ****storm starts, it's almost always the person who posted for c&c who dips his/her hand in the commode to hurl the first turd.

Nicely put!

 

[unpopular]

I don't mind people doing things out of the ordinary, even if they aren't the best photographers in the world. Innovation shouldn't be delegated only tho those who have "paid their dues" - I don't like the idea of needing to "know the rules before breaking them". Good art is good art, regardless who made it, and the popular conclusion that Pablo Picasso actually does know how to paint only weakens his later work rather than strengthens it.

I've actually had people tell me this "pay your dues" line about composition, which is pretty ironic given my earlier work which was pretty much stifled by thirds and fifths. People assume erroneously that my compositions are kind of arbitrary simply because I don't always follow conventional views.

What does bother me is when people try to use technical faults as artistic decisions, after the fact and only once negative reviews come in. When a photograph breaks convention in an intelligent and intentional way, it's obvious and it works - it's not so clearly an oversight. However very often I do hear "Oh, I meant it to be that way" or "that's what I had in mind" and I have to leave scratching my head wondering "why?".

Another thing that people often mistake is that simply because something is intentional, it has weight. I've done plenty of things intentionally - but this doesn't necessarily mean that those decisions worked out. Just because something is intentional doesn't automatically mean that it is successful.