What would you do in this situation?

[Jon_Are]

I just couldn't be critical for the life of me!

Refer her to Reg.

Jon

 

[Emerana]

OK, maybe our situations varied in so far as I was not asked to critique any photos for my friend who had spent her holidays in Morocco. She wanted to share the photos and her own happiness about how successful she was in taking them. So I did just that. Shared her joy with her...

Totally different situation. So often my friends show me "great" photos they took on vacation, or of their kids. They are often OOF, with camera shake, poor color/contrast, subject far away and dead center. But you have to be excited for them because they love it. That isnt lying, thats being a friend. Now if they said "you are a good photographer, could you tell me how they could be better" and you said "they are great!", then that would be lying

 

[abraxas]

Senor Hound & LaFoto,

Good for both of you for choosing a positive tack.

 

[rubbertree]

It's a very difficult situation to be in, isn't it? My daycare worker fancies herself quite the photographer and has a few friends that tell her how great she is all the time. She is not great. She has the heart, but she has no skill. Composition, color, rule of thirds, nothing works. She has a Pentax K100 ( I think, it's their 6mp) and uses the on board flash all the time, resulting in harsh lighting with so many images. She does not know how to meter and doesn't even know what that means. She doesn't know how to use manual settings and is on auto all the time. Whatever, she has the desire, I'll give her that.
Recently I was picking up my child from her house after work and she shows me her kid's preschool pictures. She just handed it to me, didn't say anything other than "what do you think?" It was a group shot with a superimposed individual image on the side. It was not in sharp focus, the picture was taken at mid day with the harshest light possible, all the children were squinting into the camera so bad you couldn't see their eyes. All colors were washed right out, the picture was over exposed terribly, some kids were not looking at the camera at all. To top it all off, the image was distorted, making it look like the were much narrower than normal. I said, "who printed these? they are all distorted" thinking that had to have been a printing issue, how could that have happened on camera?
She said it was Walmart's standard printing. As soon as she said that I knew she was the one that took the pictures because she used to work at Walmart in the photo lab about 8 years ago (this is where she got her *extensive* photo knowledge from).
Right then my kid came running up to me and I was able to change the subject and get the hell out of there.
I'd love to tell her the truth but... well I know she won't take criticism in the manner it was meant and... well... I need her care until my kid starts Kindergarten in September! I don't know how she'd react face to face but I am quite sure she would be livid after I left so I just didn't say anything.
She did a disservice to the parents and children in that preschool class by volunteering to take the pictures. She didn't charge anything for them, just the printing. Still, I'd rather pay to have it done right, these are class pictures after all. They were horrible and I would be very upset if those were the pictures that I paid for of my child's preschool class/individual picture.
PS, she also separated the boys and girls for the class picture. Did one class pic of just the girls and one of just the boys. That sucked.

 

[Miaow]

If it was a friend I'd rather concentrate on the positives of the shots rather than go on about all the negative things. With my boyfriend though I will tell him if i think something's OOF usually or could be improved using different settings etc

 

[table1349]

I work with a girl at work who knows I like photography, so she told me she would bring in some photos she took with her point and shoot film camera that I could "critique for her."

So she brought them in, and they're just snapshots of stuff. They were nothing real special, but I couldn't tell her that. I told her I liked them, pointed out that she made good use of the rule of thirds (she didn't know what that was), and did a good job of not cutting off anybody's limbs in the photos. But the lighting was really harsh and subject placement wasn't good. So I didn't say anything. I just couldn't be critical for the life of me! I told her too, that before you take a photo you should identify your audience, and if that audience is her and she likes the photos, the shots are good. But other than that, I was at a loss. I just can't be un-nice to people intentionally!

So what would you do? She doesn't really aspire to be a great photographer, but she does want to be able to take more interesting snapshots. Would you give someone fitting this description both positive and negative criticism, or do what I did and bite my tongue?

BTW, I don't want to sound self-righteous by saying her photos weren't good in certain respects (besides, "good," is so subjective...), but they did have some issues. I should know cause my shots many times have the same ones... lol.

Senior Hound, I'm sorry but this post just begs to ask one question. Are you not and have never been married? :lmao:

Son, this is like my wife asking me if the pair of jeans she just put on makes her butt look big. There ONLY right answer is no answer at all. When she asks any question remotely like that my first response is to become a stone deaf mute and quickly leave the room, preferably getting several rooms away. This tactic has allowed me to remain married to the same woman for the last 29 years and stay alive. I don't tempt fate.

I have had the same thing happen and have come to the conclusion that unless I am willing to risk the fires of Hell, I don't even open the gate. There is always some project that needs my attention immediately and I pray that they forgot that they asked by the time I am done.

Good Luck!!!!!:smileys::smileys::smileys:

 

[Senor Hound]

Senior Hound, I'm sorry but this post just begs to ask one question. Are you not and have never been married? :lmao:

Son, this is like my wife asking me if the pair of jeans she just put on makes her butt look big. There ONLY right answer is no answer at all. When she asks any question remotely like that my first response is to become a stone deaf mute and quickly leave the room, preferably getting several rooms away. This tactic has allowed me to remain married to the same woman for the last 29 years and stay alive. I don't tempt fate.

I have had the same thing happen and have come to the conclusion that unless I am willing to risk the fires of Hell, I don't even open the gate. There is always some project that needs my attention immediately and I pray that they forgot that they asked by the time I am done.

Good Luck!!!!!

Marriage is a punishment for shoplifting in some countries. Any man who tries to stay with a woman day in and day out for the rest of his life is a masochist, or slightly neurotic.

That being said, I have to work with this woman for 20 hours a week (she's half-way on another shift), so keeping her happy is keeping me happy. I did tell her some advice on shooting in daylight and stuff, but as far as focus is concerned, the camera is just a point and shoot with autofocus. Really, all she did was point and click, and understanding that, I told her they were nice. And if her intent is to improve as a photographer, I can assure you she's on the wrong track by talking to me. I'm not the person to be asking for composition advice, as I have lots to learn myself. She'd be much better off asking the owner of our business. He's better than I am.

Asking her out isn't an option either. Aside from having one hell of a mean streak, she's also 30 years older than me.

 

[table1349]

Marriage is a punishment for shoplifting in some countries. Any man who tries to stay with a woman day in and day out for the rest of his life is a masochist, or slightly neurotic.

That being said, I have to work with this woman for 20 hours a week (she's half-way on another shift), so keeping her happy is keeping me happy. I did tell her some advice on shooting in daylight and stuff, but as far as focus is concerned, the camera is just a point and shoot with autofocus. Really, all she did was point and click, and understanding that, I told her they were nice. And if her intent is to improve as a photographer, I can assure you she's on the wrong track by talking to me. I'm not the person to be asking for composition advice, as I have lots to learn myself. She'd be much better off asking the owner of our business. He's better than I am.

Asking her out isn't an option either. Aside from having one hell of a mean streak, she's also 30 years older than me.

Well if perhaps you someday get caught shoplifting or get an overwhelming urge to live the life of a masochist just remember and say the following prayer.

I'm a man,
But I can change,
If I have to,
I guess.

It makes the neurotic tics less noticeable for a while. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

 

[kundalini]

I'm a man,
But I can change,
If I have to,
I guess.

It makes the neurotic tics less noticeable for a while.

I'm having that laminated. :lmao:

 

[Senor Hound]

Well if perhaps you someday get caught shoplifting or get an overwhelming urge to live the life of a masochist just remember and say the following prayer.

I'm a man,
But I can change,
If I have to,
I guess.

It makes the neurotic tics less noticeable for a while. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

See, I don't find that funny, though. Its just not right, and I don't know how someone who lives with a partner that makes you feel that way is a positive relationship. Sorry if I'm being to serious, but I have an issue with the whole male role in marriage.

Personally, I have yet to find a woman who truly likes me and not what she wants me to be, so until then (never), I'll be a rollin' stone.

 

[LaFoto]

You're only 24, Señor. Nothing's hurrying you!!!

 

[Kajuah]

I encounter this a lot.

All I do is smile and nod, agree with them and give them a little bit of the basics that might improve their shots a tiny bit more but not to the point where it would confuse the hell out of them/lose their interest in what they do/demote their self confidence or esteem.

That is what I do for those who don't aspire to be great.

For those that do; I don't tell them anything! Less competition for me ! Hee hee... Actually that's only if I don't like them. I might give them a few tips to improve, give them what they ask but nobody trying to make a living signs over his pension time to another man or woman because they want to help their neighbour retire earlier for less the amount of work you went to ! Know what I mean?

Griphon has it right ! hee hee

 

[Josh66]

Any man who tries to stay with a woman day in and day out for the rest of his life is a masochist, or slightly neurotic

You just haven't met the right woman yet. There's no need to suffer - if you are, I suggest you dump her and move on to the next one.

 

[Senor Hound]

You just haven't met the right woman yet. There's no need to suffer - if you are, I suggest you dump her and move on to the next one.

I always hear women say, "Why are all the good men gay or married?" So now, my new saying is, "Why are all the good women strippers or pornstars?" It gets some funny looks. Men seem to see the humor in it, but not so much women..

My BOSS is a photographer, too, and he's just learned how to Photoshop stuff. He's a really good photographer, but he's going through this phase of over-processing the heck out of shots, at least to keep the photo looking natural. The shots are cool in their own right, but no one's gonna think they're natural. And then he asks me for some criticism. I didn't know what to do, so I found some small thing and told him the oversaturation was making him lose some detail in one spot, but otherwise it was great. I'll know if it was what he wanted to hear if I'm still getting the same hourly wage next week (and not a reduction, lol).

 

[Bifurcator]

If she's hot, I'd lie to her so she'd sleep with me.

If she's not, then I'd tell her her photos suck.

Some one get me a coffee.

Hehe, I was toying with the idea of saying the same thing. I'm glad there are others faster on the draw and just as brutally honest. But I was going to say if she's hot tell her you'll tutor her privately.