How Often & Why?

[abraxas]

How often and why do you ask for C&C?

Do you attempt to figure out for yourself where your strengths and weaknesses lie?

Do you ever express your intent in taking a photo?

Do you just put it on someone else to figure it out for you?

 

[bjorkfiend]

...

 

[NateS]

I only ask for c&c on areas that I know that I'm not "fluent" in. My portrait photography is not the strongest (though not really weak either), so I'll often ask for and welcome c&c in that area.

I never ask for C&C on my macros because I know what I am doing and in that area....if there is something to criticize, I garuntee I've already seen it before posting....

Sometimes I'll have a photo or two that just doesn't look right and I can't place it....that's where I'll ask for c&c so a different set of eyes can figure out what it is that makes it not look right to me....

Lastly, I'll ask for c&c on photos that I'm on the fence about....sometimes I have some that part of me likes and the other part of me doesn't...or I'm just not sure about....like my recent post "New Edit on and old throw away".

 

[bdavis]

How often and why do you ask for C&C?

Do you attempt to figure out for yourself where your strengths and weaknesses lie?

Do you ever express your intent in taking a photo?

Do you just put it on someone else to figure it out for you?

I request C&C every once in a while and I do it so I can check my progress as a photographer by comparing my photos to others and receive feedback.

I always have an intent when I take a photo and usually post it when I want to receive C&C so everyone knows what I was going for. Through C&C I try to find any weaknesses I may have so I can grow as a professional.

 

[Dagwood56]

How often and why do you ask for C&C?

Recently - only when I have a photo that I really like and that my friends really like and I want to find out if their being truthful or not.

Do you attempt to figure out for yourself where your strengths and weaknesses lie?

Usually, but its good to hear from other's what they feel my weaknesses are.

Do you ever express your intent in taking a photo?

Sometimes, but not always. Most of the photos I'd feel better stating intent for, never get posted here.

Do you just put it on someone else to figure it out for you?

Most people will probably attempt to do this whether I want them to or not.

 

[skieur]

How often and why do you ask for C&C?

Seldom, and most often to see whether other viewers notice the same problems that I do, or not. Also, to see whether the good points outweigh the bad points or vice versa in a photo that I am not sure about.

Do you attempt to figure out for yourself where your strengths and weaknesses lie?

No, I know where they lie. I am my own harshest critic.

Do you ever express your intent in taking a photo?

No, because a photo must stand on its own merits. Intent is not relevant to whether you succeeded or failed.

Do you just put it on someone else to figure it out for you?

They should not have to figure it out. It should be obvious from your photo alone.

skieur

 

[abraxas]

They should not have to figure it out. It should be obvious from your photo alone.

skieur

The above is a response to an obvious misquote.

Need to improve your eye for detail.

 

[Overread]

How often and why do you ask for C&C?

almost every time I post I leave a bit at the end asking for input from people - less often I will use the C&C in the title of a thread though. I am always looking for honest feedback on my work since I am new to this and my main contact point in the photographic world is photography forums and with no formal training or building blocks to work from I need to know that what I do is solid in order to be able to build upon that.
One can't build a house on sand very well
So I always look for input on my works.

Do you attempt to figure out for yourself where your strengths and weaknesses lie?

I do, but this is something that takes time to learn and as I have devloped this amount that I am able to understand about my own photography has grown as to has my appreciation of limitations on skill, equipment and lighting - so not every blowout is a bad thing and not every blur is bad either - maybe not intended and not what I wanted, but often I can now understand the why of the situation.

Do you ever express your intent in taking a photo?

A lot of what I do is wildlife and macro where I have little to no direct subject control. At the start this was my excuse for having little of my vision in my images, however as I have learnt about my gear more and about my own eye for images I have started to pause and look a little more for the image that I want to display. There is still a lot of luck and grabbing going on of course, but I am now also being more selective in when I press the shutter.
Thus I am also able to now start (normaly only on a few select images which also tend to be my better results from a day) adding my own intent to images and when I can I do. Again this is a development thing where as I have grown to understand things more I am able to control and impose my vision onto things rather than have the camera impose its auto functions.

Do you just put it on someone else to figure it out for you?

Yes sometimes I do. Often though I do this when there is something in a shot that I find to be a major distraction or problem, but where I am thinking if its just something that only I can see - so I leave the scene more blank (though I often put in technical shooting details) and see what people come up with - I see what my photos says.

 

[Torus34]

After many years of making pictures and looking at the work of the masters, C&C is not a part of my photo 'world'.

 

[Overread]

After many years of making pictures and looking at the work of the masters, C&C is not a part of my photo 'world'.

could you elaborate on this please. I ask only as the viewpoint confuses me a little - sure I accept that after years of experience that you have a confidence in your work and have also likley reached not a peak, but a point at which you are happy with your work and what you produce.
But are you saying that you never seek a new angle, nor try something new and then see how others feel about it (or even yourself??)

 

[blash]

After many years of making pictures and looking at the work of the masters, C&C is not a part of my photo 'world'.

You think you can create masterful work by imitating a master? Then you just come off as an imitator. Real masters are original and created not just the frosting but the cake underneath it too. When you try to copy the style of a master you don't understand the cake underneath, and just do a crappy job of applying the frosting on top.

If you wish to become a master you need to learn not just how to bake a cake, but make an original recipe.

 

[christopher walrath]

Never, until today. As some of you know I am the editor of Creative Image Maker Magazine. And I have been flying by the seat of David's and my pants and on the generous submissions of photographers. Yesterday I asked the folks at APUG to critique the magazine. I wanted to know what they liked and what they disliked. And I got exactly what I wanted. 'I like the magazine, BUT . . .' And my, what buts. (Not butts). It made me think and I am going to be reevaluating the magazine. It may not change much, but it will have a different tone.

When it comes to my photographs, no, I never ask for a C&C because I don't need one. I've been photographing for over twenty years. However, I've only been a magazine editor since October. Still working on that one, even if it is on such a small scale.

 

[Chiller]

How often and why do you ask for C&C?

I used to, when this place was a good forum, and there were people here who could give honest C&C without the BS. But now, the chances of me posting an image here is pretty slim. I have taken what I need to know elsewhere, like books, google, or Youtube. I have found more information there, then having some comment on how he/she thinks my photo should look. I dont want my photos to look like anyone elses, and I want to shoot how I see things. So now I search on how to do things in the future, not how to fix the past.


Do you attempt to figure out for yourself where your strengths and weaknesses lie?

I prefer to figure things out for myself. Im self taught, but I have also learned my strengths and weaknesses, and will work on my weaknesses. I have learned what Im capible of shooting, and where my comfort zone is.

Do you ever express your intent in taking a photo?

Sometimes. But many times the photo should speak for itself, in most cases


Do you just put it on someone else to figure it out for you?

It is totally up to me to decide what I want my photos to look like, and what I want to take a picture of. If it pleases me, then it worked.

 

[skieur]

The above is a response to an obvious misquote.

Need to improve your eye for detail.

What you mean your question was a misquote? The above is just an answer.
Perhaps your question isn't clear.

skieur

 

[abraxas]

You think you can create masterful work by imitating a master? Then you just come off as an imitator. Real masters are original and created not just the frosting but the cake underneath it too. When you try to copy the style of a master you don't understand the cake underneath, and just do a crappy job of applying the frosting on top.

If you wish to become a master you need to learn not just how to bake a cake, but make an original recipe.

Fascinating. Are you implying that by studying the works of those we admire a photographer is merely imitating, copying?