Standards have dropped...

[Jeff15]

I see lots of praise being given to mundane shots

They may seem mundane to you but have you thought they may be from photographers with less experience than you.

 

[Space Face]

I see lots of praise being given to mundane shots.

Indeed. Some from very experienced photographers too. I've seen a few 'nice' shots lately from professed seasoned photographers (not just on here) that to be honest I wouldn't embarrass myself by posting online. It's not as if they were posted for seeking crit and are usually greeted with favourable monosyllabic words of praise.

I've generally stopped trying to give advice or an honest opinion on such poor photography as in the main it's treated with anything from apathy to hostility. I just ignore it mainly or perhaps say what I actually like about the shot (if anything). I've added more than one to my Ignore list of late.

My assumption is that if you infer to someone that a less than decent take is a good take, then they come to believe that this standard of photograph is a 'nice shot,' and thus acceptable as such. Welcome to the Instagram and Facebook age and photography is the loser.

 

[smoke665]

@Space Face On the social media sites you seldom get valid critique, and over the last few years it seems like at times TPF has drifted that way as well. In defense of the forum it's a fine line between bruised egos of those not accustomed to real criticism and honest appraisals. Then the scale tips the other way when you get away from technical issues into "personal opinion" comments It's hard for some to accept that their "personal opinion" is no more valid than anyone else. Those are the threads that make me pull out the popcorn and cold drink. LOL

Unless a poster has asked for critique, the image is spectacular, or the poster shows improvement, I seldom post comments.

 

[RVT1K]

I see lots of praise being given to mundane shots

They may seem mundane to you but have you thought they may be from photographers with less experience than you.

Except my comment is about those praising and not the shot.

 

[RVT1K]

Unless a poster has asked for critique, the image is spectacular, or the poster shows improvement, I seldom post comments.

That is essentially the same approach I take.

 

[Dave Maciak]

Adding to @terri comment above, for critique to be of value, doesn't mean it has to be harsh, but it does need to be correct. Off the wall comments and assuming that our personal opinions/ comments are the only correct ones doesn't help anyone. Good critique is also a two way street, the person asking for critique needs to be proactive with their post by giving some clues to the viewer as to what they're seeking help with. Posts with "comments & criticism appreciated" are rarely going to generate anything past calling out obvious technical issues. In addition to being a good place for valuable critique, the C&C Gallery offers some great suggestions for posters on how to ask for critique and how to offer critique.

Agree totally! Also, don't be just plain insulting. It's easy to hide behind a keyboard. I've learned from my own and others critiques--that's how it's done.

 

[jcdeboever]

Most of my shots are mundane...keep the likes coming, my wife hates me...

 

[FBPB]

Interesting thread. Speaking for myself only, I'm not qualified to really criticize someone else's work,

It's not a question of criticizing, but critiquing, offering constructive feedback.

I too have noticed this tendency to "like" something on forums outside of the realm of photography. It may just be a sign of the times (and the influence of Social Media's "like" systems).

Personally, I try to offer help when I can, but much like @jeffashman , I haven't the skill set yet to do so.

 

[jeffashman]

Interesting thread. Speaking for myself only, I'm not qualified to really criticize someone else's work,

It's not a question of criticizing, but critiquing, offering constructive feedback.

Agreed. Poor choice of words on my part, critique is what I meant. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[smoke665]

It's not a question of criticizing, but critiquing,

and @jeffashman

Not to pick, but according to Merriam-Webster you might want to rethink your statements.

Crit·i·cize - verb

1. to consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly
   
2. to find fault with : point out the faults of

Cri·tique - noun

1. an act of criticizing

Again not to pick or offend, but I bring this up to show how easy it is to stray from the facts when giving personal opinions. The same is true when we question the non-technical aspects of an image that relate to the photographers artistic intent. In those cases it's important to remember it is always a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

 

[FBPB]

It's not a question of criticizing, but critiquing,

and @jeffashman

Not to pick, but according to Merriam-Webster you might want to rethink your statements.

Crit·i·cize - verb

1. to consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly
   
2. to find fault with : point out the faults of

Cri·tique - noun

1. an act of criticizing

Again not to pick or offend, but I bring this up to show how easy it is to stray from the facts when giving personal opinions. The same is true when we question the non-technical aspects of an image that relate to the photographers artistic intent. In those cases it's important to remember it is always a personal opinion, not a statement of fact.

You may want to read further in the definition:

Critique is an alteration of an archaic word that referred generally to criticism. Critique itself dates to the early 18th century and originally referred to a piece of writing that criticized a literary or artistic work. The words criticism, critique, and review overlap in meaning. Criticism usually means "the act of criticizing" or a "remark or comment that expresses disapproval," but it can also refer to the activity of making judgments about the qualities of books, movies, etc. (as in "literary criticism"). Critique is a somewhat formal word that typically refers to a careful judgment in which someone gives an opinion about something. Review can refer to an essay analyzing a literary or artistic work, but can also sometimes imply a more casual or personal opinion.

Examples of critique in a Sentence

Noun She wrote a radical critique of the philosopher's early essays.

They gave a fair and honest critique of her art.

 

[smoke665]

You may want to read further in the definition:

Criticism and critique might overlap now but it wasn't always so. Critique as borrowed from the French, who borrowed from Latin, which was borrowed from the Greek, kritike, loosely translated means, the art of criticizing . Not so coincidentally that falls in line with another word "critic".

Up until the 1700's critique was considered a noun (word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence) and was the act of criticizing, but during that period it came into being used as a verb (words that show action or state of being), meaning to discuss critically. That useage grew, because apparently some with "delicate sensitivity " took criticize, which had always been a neutral verb, as having negative connotations. Since then critique as a verb is accepted, but not universally so. Part of that lack of acceptance comes from the fact that there's a reluctance to use verbs derived from nouns, and partly because its French origin sounds pretentious.

So long story short in the context of its use by @jeffashman either could have been acceptable, you were both trying to express the same concept.

 

[weepete]

Thanks for the reponses. I've actually noticed an increase in C&C since I posted this thread.

My original intention was not to bemoan the "nice shot" comments, but really to draw attention to the importance if C&C.

It's not only important for the photographer recieving critique, but also for the photographer giving it. It's important to do, as it not only enables a photographer to evaluate someone else's shot, but can also be applied to your own shots and process.

I totally recognise that in the past the forum could be too harsh in the past, and one of the great strides that has been made is that nearly every thread has some kind of reply which is appreciated.

 

[limr]

That useage grew, because apparently some with "delicate sensitivity " took criticize, which had always been a neutral verb, as having negative connotations. Since then critique as a verb is accepted, but not universally so. Part of that lack of acceptance comes from the fact that there's a reluctance to use verbs derived from nouns, and partly because its French origin sounds pretentious.

Sources?

 

[weepete]

That useage grew, because apparently some with "delicate sensitivity " took criticize, which had always been a neutral verb, as having negative connotations. Since then critique as a verb is accepted, but not universally so. Part of that lack of acceptance comes from the fact that there's a reluctance to use verbs derived from nouns, and partly because its French origin sounds pretentious.

Sources?

oooft! Even I woudn't be arguing that one