I thought this was Beyond the Basics?

[RockstarPhotography]

You can be honest without being harsh. Nobody likes, or will take advice from a prick.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Some don't know the difference.

 

[Garbz]

All of this is really beside the point. You can get the same info all over the forum, but the point is the organisation structure has gone to ****.

On the one side we're talking home made monopods. Quite beyond the basics.
On the other we're critiquing a snapshot of the beach which isn't even straight for someone who doesn't know how to straighten it.

One of them is a beginners question and the other is not. The only type of critiques that really qualify for beyond the basics are one of high technical merit such as critques of startrails, balancing of flash and natural light, high speed photography, or general other awesome stuff.

Lately I get the feeling that the beginners think that to get feedback they need to come into this forum.

 

[Forkie]

I think it's difficult to define what a beginner actually is. Someone could have never picked up a camera before, some could be familiar with a camera and take great shots in Auto mode, some know all about the gear and have no idea about composition. So which bit is basic?

If the basics are just a knowledge of how shutter speed, aperture and ISO change how the picture turns out, is the just taking of a picture beyond the basics? Is it beyond the basics when a photo follows the rule of thirds, or if someone shoots on a photo table with strobes?

Someone could also be a pro at fashion shoots, but put them in a field in a tent by a pond and they may be completely out of their comfort zone.

 

[Formatted]

but the point is the organisation structure has gone to ****.

So true...

 

[Village Idiot]

This is a great forum for beginners (Yes, even this "Beyond the basics" section is for beginners, whether you agree or not)

I started here, and I loved it here. But if you're looking for an actual professional photographer's forum that's active, and full of very experienced photographers, you go to fredmiranda.com.

So, "Which DSLR should I buy", should be in beyond the basics? But then again, DSLRs are more advanced than P&S cameras, so maybe? Oh, wait, did I just uncover the problem there? It you have a P&S forums, a DSLR forum, and a photographic techniques forum, there wouldn't be anywhere near as much confusion.

Maybe it's not the members holding the forum back at all, but the forum holding the members back. If it was better organized and layed out in a more precise and thought out manner, then the caliber of the people using them would increase. I'm pretty sure if the Beginner's section was changed entirely and wasn't a big dumping ground for posts and pictures, then people may be more apt to use the rest of the forum.

 

[Village Idiot]

All of this is really beside the point. You can get the same info all over the forum, but the point is the organisation structure has gone to ****.

On the one side we're talking home made monopods. Quite beyond the basics.
On the other we're critiquing a snapshot of the beach which isn't even straight for someone who doesn't know how to straighten it.

One of them is a beginners question and the other is not. The only type of critiques that really qualify for beyond the basics are one of high technical merit such as critques of startrails, balancing of flash and natural light, high speed photography, or general other awesome stuff.

Lately I get the feeling that the beginners think that to get feedback they need to come into this forum.

And beyond the basics isn't even for photos, just like the beginner's section started out as. There' a "General" gallery that's listed specifically for critiques, but there should be a specific critique forum. Also, why is there a commercial/product photography forum? That's mixing still life type photos and commercial photography, which can be anything from portrait work for a magazine doing an ad on a new kim chi restaurant to shooting hotels for brochures. It's one narrow type of photography and one type of photography that can emcompass almost anything. It's like making a forum for pictures of Sparrows and Bugs.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

They really need a train wreck forum.

Oh, wait.

 

[gsgary]

You can be honest without being harsh. Nobody likes, or will take advice from a prick.

I don't know quite a few have taken advice from me

 

[Mary Robinson]

Personally, I prefer an honest assessment of my work, the "oh how pretty" thing drives me nuts, gives me no direction for improvement, doesn't tell what is wrong with the image in terms of composition or technique. You can be as harsh as you want because after all, one can still choose to ignore your statements if one feels they are being made by an idiot. And I do agree with Overread, there is a difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism, but then I also feel this is part of the learning curve of photography, weeding out the bad and keeping the good.

 

[imagemaker46]

it is true that some people don't know the difference between being harsh and being honest, what I said was that being honest can be harsh, which is true. If a photo isn't good and I say it isn't good, it is my honest opinion and it is harsh. If I say a photo isn't good and offer the reasons why I think it isn't good that is still an honest opinion and it is still harsh. If I say a photo isn't good, say why and then add what I would have tired to do to fix it, it's still an honest opinion, it's harsh , but it also offers some help. It just softens the statement that it isn't a good photo.

 

[Robin Usagani]

gsgary is the ring leader. He brings a trash can with him when he criticizes people. He uses it for him to throw up, OR for the person to throw away their work .

 

[jake337]

Personally, I prefer an honest assessment of my work, the "oh how pretty" thing drives me nuts, gives me no direction for improvement, doesn't tell what is wrong with the image in terms of composition or technique. You can be as harsh as you want because after all, one can still choose to ignore your statements if one feels they are being made by an idiot. And I do agree with Overread, there is a difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism, but then I also feel this is part of the learning curve of photography, weeding out the bad and keeping the good.

Something that would help this is in your subject of your thread. On another forum(openphotographyforums) there is a tab with differrent prefix opotions as to how you want your subject to be veiwed. A few examples are, just for fun, critique desired, Light this:ask this for help on lighting a particular subject, Large format, film, NSFW, alternative procces, etc, etc, etc...

Then critiquers can pick and choose what they are looking and wanting to critique. The nice thing about this is if you put critique desired as your prefix, you better be ready for it.

When I first posted over there I used the critique desired option and got great critique. The problem was most of the information and help I was given was, and is, far beyond my skill set. That is one problem with serious(harsh) critique is that many newcomers just don't understand the advice being given to them. This is why I just post for fun and do my learning by reading the seasoned members critiques on other seasoned members work

@village idiot. Yes this forum needs some better structure.

 

[jake337]

You can be honest without being harsh. Nobody likes, or will take advice from a prick.

Just take the advice and ignore the harshness. Advice is advice. I personally see it as strong motivation

 

[jake337]

it is true that some people don't know the difference between being harsh and being honest, what I said was that being honest can be harsh, which is true. If a photo isn't good and I say it isn't good, it is my honest opinion and it is harsh. If I say a photo isn't good and offer the reasons why I think it isn't good that is still an honest opinion and it is still harsh. If I say a photo isn't good, say why and then add what I would have tired to do to fix it, it's still an honest opinion, it's harsh , but it also offers some help. It just softens the statement that it isn't a good photo.

Just give it to em' like it is! If they can't read between the lines and benefit from you its their own loss.