come out of the woodwork... gwan. we know you're lurking.

humberklog

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

The problem with these 'rolling threads' if they're not stickied, is that people almost immediately forget about them as soon as they leave the front page. Everyone except for Anouilh of course. It requires Anouilh to make a post in one of them for it to appear again on the front page. It garners a few extra posts, and then quietly slips back into obscurity until the next time they're dragged back into prominence. I don't think they should be stickied either, but in a forum like this one where prominence is based purely on date of last post I can't really see those type of threads working.

Agree in general however not in this instance. CtStreet thread has been known to drift down the charts, naturally enough because it's a specialist theme, but never more than 3rd or so page and it has been bumped by regulars and non regulars and not just Anouilh, but by those interested in the subject and when it gets bumped it gets refreshed to the general forum and therefore new people. As said that thread is an example of a successful one. Therefore there is something in that success and I think that its success is in peoples continued interest in the subject.
There's no point in me holding up an unsuccesful example and there are plenty. But it can be done and without stickying it.

DaireQuinlan

Covey wrote: »

Unless they're in a dedicated sub forum ...

Right. Although of course not EVERYTHING can have its own sub-forum (except for threads of soccer related pictures ). So there's a couple of ideas floating around here with regard to subforums. First is to give all the gear threads a sub-forum. Secondly is what, to give all C&C threads a sub-forum ? What about both ? And general discussion confined to the main forum ? Would we get enough volume to actually make that work ? I can see a dedicated C&C forum working all right, I'd say people would be interested enough in it to visit regularly.

KarmaGarda

humberklog wrote: »

Takes horse down with deft use of blow pipe and tranqs and inserts venflon with saline solution into said horse and whispers in the dobbins ear "let the Random Thread work harder for the forum".

humberklog wrote: »

...Street photography isn't everyones cuppa but it is just a good example of a successful rolling thread.


Note to Mods...please, please don't stickie it. Stickies very often ruin a good idea. Stickitis is a silent, blind and often deadly curse.

I agree with this. I think it's because stickies are generally used for rules/guildlines etc, i.e. moderator type posts. So they frighten a lot of members away from contributing to them.

Eirebear

Covey wrote: »

Unless they're in a dedicated sub forum ...

But surely locking away all the interesting debates, images and discussion into a sub forum effectively kills off the main forum?

i very rarely go into sub forums in a forum i dont know, because as soon as you see the sub forum, it instantly says its more specialist and frequented by a more hardcore of users.

The idea here is to get more people posting images, topics for discussion and cut back the gear threads as much as possible.
So why are the decent threads the ones getting hidden away in a sub forum?

Kind of ironic given the thread header!

As for C&C, it would help if more people gave a little background as to what they were trying to do with their shots. Callina's thread is the perfect example of how to do it.
It doesnt need to be as deep as that, a simple few sentences would do.
I posted a few "Autumn" shots the other day, i was genuinely looking for C&C on. The only reason i had for taking the shots was to try and show Autumn in photographic form, so i said as much.
What i got back was positive, in the sense that people seemed to like the shots, however no one seemed prepared to tell me why!

We also have to remember that, despite the fact their are some very good photographers here who have been shooting for a long time, there are also people who are ner to the game.
These people will just want to know if people like it or not, and if it can be improved then how.
At the moment i dont think the forum is geared towards those people in the slightest.

The Random picture thread is fun, contrary to popular opinion THAT is the thread that should be used if you have got a shot that i want to just show people, with no particular interest in C&C.
But it does seem to be discouraging conversation and debate.
The idea of a separate thread regarding conversation relating to the thread would just get messy imo.

What we need for now (imo) is more threads coming from the core usergroup of this forum, you all know who you are.
There is a vast array of different styles, philosophies and ideas on this forum, so lets start putting them out there!

trishw78

I've been following this thread with some interest. One thing that strikes me is I think there needs to a shake up of some sort. A loosening of the collar. Also I'm wondering about the current sub-fora. I have been thinking for a while that possible one or more of them have made themselves redundant & could possibly do with a shake up.

so nice to see some old faces back here.

Calina

I was going to suggest desticking all bar out of focus and shutting the three subfora....

but...

am not quite brave enough.

Covey

But surely locking away all the interesting debates, images and discussion into a sub forum effectively kills off the main forum?

I don't see that myself. We all agree there's practically nothing being posted at the moment outside the Random Thread and the main forum is generally well populated.

i very rarely go into sub forums in a forum i dont know, because as soon as you see the sub forum, it instantly says its more specialist and frequented by a more hardcore of users.

I think thats what we are talking about here, at least to start. Maybe others will follow.

As for C&C, it would help if more people gave a little background as to what they were trying to do with their shots. Callina's thread is the perfect example of how to do it.
It doesnt need to be as deep as that, a simple few sentences would do.
I posted a few "Autumn" shots the other day, i was genuinely looking for C&C on. The only reason i had for taking the shots was to try and show Autumn in photographic form, so i said as much.
What i got back was positive, in the sense that people seemed to like the shots, however no one seemed prepared to tell me why!

Maybe I've misinterpreted this thread, but I didn't think it was about C&C at all. More about discussing images, why they were taken, where they fit in, what they mean, their context etc.

We also have to remember that, despite the fact their are some very good photographers here who have been shooting for a long time, there are also people who are ner to the game.
These people will just want to know if people like it or not, and if it can be improved then how.

Absolutely, but surely not exclusively.

The Random picture thread is fun, contrary to popular opinion THAT is the thread that should be used if you have got a shot that i want to just show people, with no particular interest in C&C.
But it does seem to be discouraging conversation and debate.
The idea of a separate thread regarding conversation relating to the thread would just get messy imo.

I think the Random thread works for some and not for others. Doesn't work for me for instance.

Sorry, I've no idea how multi-quote works.

humberklog

Agree entirely what Covey said but I'm no good at multiquoting either and there was too much to disassemble.


Also don't think it's a good idea to go releasing down any of the existing stickies or subs.

KarmaGarda

Well finally a question I can answer correctly

Multiquoting 1 person goes like this. You start with this in the post:

[ quote=humberklog;62636544]Agree entirely what Covey said but I'm no good at multiquoting either and there was too much to disassemble.


Also don't think it's a good idea to go releasing down any of the existing stickies or subs.[/ quote]


You stick in a [/ quote] where ever you want to quote a particular piece, like this:


[ quote=humberklog;62636544]Agree entirely what Covey said but I'm no good at multiquoting either and there was too much to disassemble.
[/ quote]


Then start the next quote again with the "quote" part like this:

[ quote=humberklog;62636544]

Also don't think it's a good idea to go releasing down any of the existing stickies or subs.[/ quote]


Remove the extra spaces I added and you end up with this:

humberklog wrote: »

Agree entirely what Covey said but I'm no good at multiquoting either and there was too much to disassemble.

humberklog wrote: »

Also don't think it's a good idea to go releasing down any of the existing stickies or subs.

Covey

Think of all the wonderful things that man could do on a sub forum :D;)

Anouilh

I have just posted on the Off Topic thread, as it seems to me that the only way to liven up the Forum for lurkers is to actually ask them what they would like...

http://usenet.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=62636881&postcount=113

I have posted quite a few photos today and it seems that, while valuable, discussion may take up valuable time that could be directed towards making more work.

Covey

Anouilh wrote: »

I have just posted on the Off Topic thread

:eek::eek::P:pac::pac:

Bizarre. Is this not lively enough for you? We could try and step it up a gear or three :D

trishw78

humberklog wrote: »

Also don't think it's a good idea to go releasing down any of the existing stickies or subs.

I was thinking maybe only 3 stickies and changing the expeditions forum to something else entirely. I'm also not sure about the Digital Darkroom

leinsterman

This thread seems to have wandered a bit ... but that's not a bad thing ... just makes reading it and understanding the underlying sentiment a little difficult ...

Posting here was one of a few things that eventually led me to a completely new career, in a rather unexpected way ... and it is working out very well for me thus far [crosses fingers and thinks about an end to recession]... I'm very grateful to all with whom I have met and interacted over the years through this forum for this ...

... but I seem to remember that my very first threads here were questions about "which camera for under €x" ... we all have to start somewhere ... and understanding which gear to buy plays and important role ... we have no right to pass judgement on those who ask such questions ... we should be encouraging them and letting them benefit from our collective knowledge and experiences ... you can't expect 100% of people who ask gear questions to become regular forum users ... even 1% would be good enough to keep it fresh!

I don't post so often now simply because I literally live and breathe imaging technology and gear every day, its part of my job to know it ... so I have less time to discuss it here (though my interest in it is still strong) ...

On the deeper meaning debates ... for me personally, deeper meaning is better explored over a cup of coffee when you can read the body language of your pro/an/tagonist ... I'm happy to say there are plenty of people whom I have met here that I can call on when I want to have such discussions ... doing it online is a little too impersonal for me ...

elven

I don't think what we're looking for here is a shake up of the main forum, because the main forum is the main forum and it does work as it is for the large majority of casual users, which, let's face it, on a multi-forum site this is. People don't register on boards just to talk photography - so we get people coming in to this forum from elsewhere and they are going to continue doing that, showing us the pictures they took of their kid with their shiny new p&s or entry level dslr and they want someone to tell them they have an eye for it, or whatever, or they want advice on which lens to buy to take pictures on holidays/of flowers/of their kids blah blah blah. You can't really try to shuffle that out of the place because that's what the main volume of it is. And no harm in it either. It's an exercise in futility to try and change that fundamental fact.

People also want to just share pictures they are proud of, pictures they think are cute or funny or beautiful and they quite happily do that in the random thread. I very rarely load it up but as it is, there seem to be plenty who do use it and they like it as it is.

I've also come to the sad but inevitable conclusion that people who don't post C&C threads with an introduction that says what they were trying to do are ever going to start doing that. I think it's safe to assume that when people start a thread, put C&C in the title, and say "i'm looking for some feedback" they want to be told what they got right and what they got wrong in a purely aesthetic way, so they can learn to take pictures like the ones they see on postcards and calendars and in the book they got with their camera.

I think what we are talking about here is the smallest minority. It's a path that only few wander down when they don't fit in to the groups that hold sharpness and saturation above all else. It's the ones that don't post because yes, it's a lot trickier to explain what you're doing on a forum when the huge, vast majority don't *want* to understand what you're doing, if it isn't pretty. The derisory tone you may be picking up from this comes from a long stream of attempts at explaining why i like to use a plastic lens on a €2k camera body, or why I overexposed that picture, to people who just don't get it - and even though i don't get why they care about how sharp something is, I'm happy to let them get on with it, but my stuff gets dismissed as crap because they don't get it. I'm not saying it's beyond them, or above them, or somehow better. It's just different. And I wish i didn't have to defend it to the people who don't care.

Anyway, ahem, rant over. I just want to spend some of that energy actually discussing this stuff with people on the same wavelength, than defending it to those who don't understand. And this was an initial toe in the water to see how warm it is, and if anyone else fancies a swim.

The how, i dunno. It could be easier done as a night at the pub than trying to have a thread on here. But I'd like to think that if osmeone wanted to post a thread with some work on it that they didn't want told their horizon was crooked, and were prepared to enter into discussions about what they are trying to do, it wouldn't just disappear into nothingness or be ridiculed.

mikeanywhere

Fajitas! wrote: »

It's nicer in the corner.

Depends which one lol

AnCatDubh

elven wrote: »

I think what we are talking about here is the smallest minority. It's a path that only few wander down when they don't fit in to the groups that hold sharpness and saturation above all else. It's the ones that don't post because yes, it's a lot trickier to explain what you're doing on a forum when the huge, vast majority don't *want* to understand what you're doing, if it isn't pretty. The derisory tone you may be picking up from this comes from a long stream of attempts at explaining why i like to use a plastic lens on a €2k camera body, or why I overexposed that picture, to people who just don't get it - and even though i don't get why they care about how sharp something is, I'm happy to let them get on with it, but my stuff gets dismissed as crap because they don't get it. I'm not saying it's beyond them, or above them, or somehow better. It's just different. And I wish i didn't have to defend it to the people who don't care.

This is similar to what I posted earlier about. When your photographic journey takes you to a place that most other people aren't at then you are slightly isolated if you are hoping to get meaningful discussion about where you are and what you want to do. This, simply because, people may not understand.

As leinsterman posted above, it may then be that the forum of internet communications is really way too clinical and perhaps isn't the best place to look for feedback, or at least you should be in a forum of people that are in a similar place. Calina posted earlier, the only way to see an interesting thread is to post one.

The how, i dunno. It could be easier done as a night at the pub than trying to have a thread on here. But I'd like to think that if osmeone wanted to post a thread with some work on it that they didn't want told their horizon was crooked, and were prepared to enter into discussions about what they are trying to do, it wouldn't just disappear into nothingness or be ridiculed.

Absolutely spot on. You've entered what I described earlier in that Third phase of your photographic involvement where a technically flawed image is because you want it that way and what you may be hoping for is an engagement at an emotional level with the conciousness of other photographers. One slight problem. The newbie or experienced C&C'r may not know your style, the place that you are in or otherwise. I also mentioned earlier that there are many photographers lapsed/lurking from these parts which I admire their work greatly but dear God, don't ask me to engage with what they are doing photographically. They are so far into it that well, to call a horizon line crooked would make one just look silly. Strangely enough, in the opposite direction it should work rather nicely ie. their far superior and deep thinking applied to what it is that I may be doing. However, if they've gone beyond that, lapsed, or lurking, then that engagement won't be happening either. Slight catch 22.

Seeing as Humberklog has just killed my poor horse with a blow dart, I'll pose the question to the floor - as to why if lurking on the forum do lapsed posters/lurkers not quietly contribute to assist or shape others personal photographic journey? This, in a gentle guiding way. You need not comment on the crooked horizon but suggest that they look at something that you have been looking at which is influencing you or recommending someone's blog, etc.., etc... - expanding out the horizons (pardon the pun). It is after all something that photographers generally *like* to do - that is to offer advice.

elven

AnCatDubh wrote: »

why if lurking on the forum do lapsed posters/lurkers not quietly contribute to assist or shape others personal photographic journey? This, in a gentle guiding way. You need not comment on the crooked horizon but suggest that they look at something that you have been looking at which is influencing you or recommending someone's blog, etc.., etc... - expanding out the horizons (pardon the pun). It is after all something that photographers generally *like* to do - that is to offer advice.

I suppose personally, i wouldn't do that because I don't know where someone wants to go, or if they're looking for that sort of thing. It's also slightly presumptious of me to come along and bestow my advice on people who may not consider me worthy of doling it out. It feels a little bit like recruiting for a religion, to lead someone down the same path as your own.

nilhg

elven wrote: »

I don't think what we're looking for here is a shake up of the main forum, because the main forum is the main forum and it does work as it is for the large majority of casual users, which, let's face it, on a multi-forum site this is. People don't register on boards just to talk photography - so we get people coming in to this forum from elsewhere and they are going to continue doing that, showing us the pictures they took of their kid with their shiny new p&s or entry level dslr and they want someone to tell them they have an eye for it, or whatever, or they want advice on which lens to buy to take pictures on holidays/of flowers/of their kids blah blah blah. You can't really try to shuffle that out of the place because that's what the main volume of it is. And no harm in it either. It's an exercise in futility to try and change that fundamental fact.

People also want to just share pictures they are proud of, pictures they think are cute or funny or beautiful and they quite happily do that in the random thread. I very rarely load it up but as it is, there seem to be plenty who do use it and they like it as it is.

I've also come to the sad but inevitable conclusion that people who don't post C&C threads with an introduction that says what they were trying to do are ever going to start doing that. I think it's safe to assume that when people start a thread, put C&C in the title, and say "i'm looking for some feedback" they want to be told what they got right and what they got wrong in a purely aesthetic way, so they can learn to take pictures like the ones they see on postcards and calendars and in the book they got with their camera.

I think what we are talking about here is the smallest minority. It's a path that only few wander down when they don't fit in to the groups that hold sharpness and saturation above all else. It's the ones that don't post because yes, it's a lot trickier to explain what you're doing on a forum when the huge, vast majority don't *want* to understand what you're doing, if it isn't pretty. The derisory tone you may be picking up from this comes from a long stream of attempts at explaining why i like to use a plastic lens on a €2k camera body, or why I overexposed that picture, to people who just don't get it - and even though i don't get why they care about how sharp something is, I'm happy to let them get on with it, but my stuff gets dismissed as crap because they don't get it. I'm not saying it's beyond them, or above them, or somehow better. It's just different. And I wish i didn't have to defend it to the people who don't care.

Anyway, ahem, rant over. I just want to spend some of that energy actually discussing this stuff with people on the same wavelength, than defending it to those who don't understand. And this was an initial toe in the water to see how warm it is, and if anyone else fancies a swim.

The how, i dunno. It could be easier done as a night at the pub than trying to have a thread on here. But I'd like to think that if osmeone wanted to post a thread with some work on it that they didn't want told their horizon was crooked, and were prepared to enter into discussions about what they are trying to do, it wouldn't just disappear into nothingness or be ridiculed.

I suppose you are always going to have a weak signal to noise ratio for any specialist (is that the right word) side of any mainstream artistic pursuit, especially one as accessible as photography.

One of the strange things is that I'm involved in a new camera club with a lot of beginner members who are trying to express themselves while also trying to master the technical stuff, I wonder if they would be more receptive to your vision than some of the more hardened posters here?

KarmaGarda

elven wrote: »

I suppose personally, i wouldn't do that because I don't know where someone wants to go, or if they're looking for that sort of thing. It's also slightly presumptious of me to come along and bestow my advice on people who may not consider me worthy of doling it out. It feels a little bit like recruiting for a religion, to lead someone down the same path as your own.

But why don't you let the recipient be the judge of that? Just because you show someone a path doesn't mean they have to take it. But it may give them the idea to carve their own path. Surely that's the point of an in-depth discussion like this?

Also, on the part of thinking you may not be qualified to get involved in critique of anothers work, I still don't understand why. I'll use myself here as an example. I'm fairly mediocre at photography, in fact, closer to the rubbish side. But I know what I like when I see a photo. And I don't mean horizons/sharpness. I mean when a picture says something that appeals to me. Sometimes it can be how it's composed, sometimes it's the post processing, sometimes it's just simply the content of the photo. I may not have the profeciency or knowledge yet to take that photo, but that doesn't mean I don't have an in-depth opinion about it.

elven

nilhg wrote: »

I wonder if they would be more receptive to your vision than some of the more hardened posters here?

See my latest post about recruiting for a religion - now we're talking about my vision - it's all going a bit cult-ish, careful now

I do think it'd be nice to make people aware when they are just starting out that it isn't all about making pictures that look like pictures that already exist. Maybe that's some sort of rite of passage - i know i did it, as a sort of proving to myself that i could thing maybe? But starting from that position of constantly being judged on technical merit and caring more about how they put their message across than what their message actually is, leads to a whole lot of more of the same. Maybe people could be made aware fo the different paths available and allowed to choose, rather than being funneled into the mould of practical photography monthly cover shot wannabe...

nilhg

elven wrote: »

I do think it'd be nice to make people aware when they are just starting out that it isn't all about making pictures that look like pictures that already exist. Maybe that's some sort of rite of passage - i know i did it, as a sort of proving to myself that i could thing maybe? But starting from that position of constantly being judged on technical merit and caring more about how they put their message across than what their message actually is, leads to a whole lot of more of the same. Maybe people could be made aware fo the different paths available and allowed to choose, rather than being funneled into the mould of practical photography monthly cover shot wannabe...

So when do I put you down to do that talk? Any Thursday will suit.;)


Yeah, we'll be beating the rule of thirds and proper DOF into them soon enough....

elven

Thursday is my knitting night!

humberklog

elven wrote: »

Thursday is my knitting night!

Such an interesting Victorian euphemism.

alb

elven wrote: »

Thursday is my knitting night!

wow someone else that has a knitting night (not me, my girlfriend - http://www.knittingneels.com)

Calina

Then I know your girlfriend and have met her a few times....

Eirebear

Calina wrote: »

Then I know your girlfriend and have met her a few times....

Are we still on victorian euphemisms here..?;)

eas

elven wrote: »

I think what we are talking about here is the smallest minority. It's a path that only few wander down when they don't fit in to the groups that hold sharpness and saturation above all else. It's the ones that don't post because yes, it's a lot trickier to explain what you're doing on a forum when the huge, vast majority don't *want* to understand what you're doing, if it isn't pretty. The derisory tone you may be picking up from this comes from a long stream of attempts at explaining why i like to use a plastic lens on a €2k camera body, or why I overexposed that picture, to people who just don't get it - and even though i don't get why they care about how sharp something is, I'm happy to let them get on with it, but my stuff gets dismissed as crap because they don't get it. I'm not saying it's beyond them, or above them, or somehow better. It's just different. And I wish i didn't have to defend it to the people who don't care.

Although I agree with what you're saying, and kind of feel where you're coming from, I think you'd be surprised at what gets recognized (thanked) in the "Random" thread, I know I have been. There are some posters that continually post excellent work with a splash and dollop of special sauce that you're talking about. And, it's generally well received.

I know this doesn't address the larger issue, but if you start putting the odd photo that you're proud of in the Random thread, it may inspire others to ask the important questions and see the bigger picture (ba-dum dum).

I for one would love to see what you've been doing lately. (off to look at your blog)

elven

hah, unfortunately my knitting night does actually include wool and knitting needles and combining the two in such a way that a version of cloth forms as a result, with lots of what can only be described as knots in it. Would your girlfriend have gone to the powerscourt night alb? That would be amusing if i knew her, and another testament to how freakily small dublin is...

Aaaaanyway.

Um, are we getting off topic here? Eas, I have seen some of the flashes of brilliance in that random thread, no doubt about it. Shame they don't get a chance to be discussed in a bit of depth in there though.

As for what I'm up to, if you saw my current stuff you'd think i was very very bad at practising what i preach. Apart from the polaroid stuff that i'm still trying to get the hang of, i'm mostly shooting happy smiley weekendy things - but that in itself has a deeper meaning...

I do save my real favourites for the photoblog (www.halfadreamaway.com) but since i keep that to something of a theme everything else mostly goes up on flickr, when i catch up on scanning, that is.

elven

here's an idea though: what if you were to see something in the random thread, and you wanted to ask the owner about it, you started a new thread for it?

Fenster

Christ, I'm a lurker now. I pop in every now and then, but like Julie I don't see too much that makes my jaw drop. Or offends my sensibilities enough that I feel the need to froth and rage about it (Goooo guys! Swan photos are down a full 80% on last year!).

To speak for my own real life, I'm dealing with a matrimonial boat that is foundering in sight of the rocks. My commercial photographic work has been almost entirely children's photography, which while a hit with the clients, isn't the most popular topic here ('Jaysis, MORE cute kiddie pictures?').

AnCatDubh

Fenster wrote: »

Christ, I'm a lurker now. I pop in every now and then, but like Julie I don't see too much that makes my jaw drop. Or offends my sensibilities enough that I feel the need to froth and rage about it (Goooo guys! Swan photos are down a full 80% on last year!).

To speak for my own real life, I'm dealing with a matrimonial boat that is foundering in sight of the rocks. My commercial photographic work has been almost entirely children's photography, which while a hit with the clients, isn't the most popular topic here ('Jaysis, MORE cute kiddie pictures?').

There is something I was trying to figure out recently about the forum - swan images are down 80% on last year while child images are up 80%?????? Bit of an aha moment there

Hugh_C

What's wrong with kid images?




Actually what it demonstrates is a dichotomy in ages, or rather parenting - most posters here don't have kids I presume (given the demographic of boards) and therefore don't appreciate what it is to have children and to express that joy in photographic form.

I find myself lurking here more and more, just too little time to put in the effort I suppose. And the spelling and grammar are atrocious ... And search doesn't work ...

jtang

elven wrote: »

Since most of the threads on here concern which lens to buy, which camera to buy, and where to buy them or c&c for sharpness, saturation and straight horizons I don't tend to pop in much any more.

I'm also far more interested in photos with stories, photos with feelings, and photos that don't have IMPACT!!!! but maybe take a bit of looking at/thinking about/living with to appreciate for underlying, subtle messages. I suspect, given a few recent posts that have popped up that there are other people lurking round here who maybe feel the same way.

If you're feeling brave, come out of the corner and tell us what you like, what you shoot, what your ideas are. Or pm me and we'll start our own forum

i'm glad i came across this recently, this is something similar to a project that i helped out a bit in the last few months in work.

http://bridge-it.tchpc.tcd.ie/

the site doesnt look too good (imho) but it's the content that really matters and the historical aspects of it. hopefully there will be a digital preservation component to it in the future. its work in progress right now.

I have suggested to the people who are responsible for the project to entertain the idea of letting the public submit current content, and stories etc... for digital preservation but thats all up in the air right now. the focus is on the "older" images, videos and stories relating to people who live and have lived in dublin etc....

Fenster

Hugh_C wrote: »

What's wrong with kid images?




Actually what it demonstrates is a dichotomy in ages, or rather parenting - most posters here don't have kids I presume (given the demographic of boards) and therefore don't appreciate what it is to have children and to express that joy in photographic form.

I find myself lurking here more and more, just too little time to put in the effort I suppose. And the spelling and grammar are atrocious ... And search doesn't work ...

It isn't even a question of family or individual age demographic. The people of this board have a bent towards nightlife, entertainment, weddings and landscapes. Children's photography is the sore thumb of the lot; technically and artistically I can get much more informed feedback elsewhere.

Fenster

Here are a few of my most recent. Have at it!

http://www.newworldphotos.net/blog/archives/1509/

AnCatDubh

Fenster wrote: »

technically and artistically I can get much more informed feedback elsewhere.

I think this is the point which many people will associate with and one which I eluded to earlier.

When a persons personal photographic interest has moved to a place which is unique within the setting of the forum/community, be that driven by commercial need or personal desire, then there may not be fruitful feedback to stimulate you.

You can keep pluggin away but unless you personally bring the community along with you on your own photographic journey then you may not participate.


But here's a thing to the forum generally, my comments above reiterate a sentiment that I posed to elven earlier that it would appear to be an almost selfish motivation as to why some of the community will seek out opinion of the forum, and because they aren't fulfilled by the ability of the community to interact with them almost at a photographic intellectual level (which is that third space I referred to earlier in the thread), they tend to disengage completely from interaction. By the way this is a hunch and I could be missing something very fundamental ie. i've no basis to prove this is the case. Also the term selfish in this context isn't at all derogatory - I just mean that we all have needs here.

There's no problem with anyone disengaging or lurking or posting 3 times a year but it is a pity. Perhaps it is just the case that a more general forum like boards will only support people so far at which point they may still wish that they were interacting but the reality may be that there isn't the rationale of intellectual thought at a level which is appropriate to their needs to stimulate their participation.

Both Hugh_C and Calina at this point have pointed to other real world issues - the time factor, and to be honest, in my humble opinion they are quite correct. Remaining around here actively takes a significant amount of real world time and posting to the forum will often become way down on the priority list.

/end of morning rambling.

Covey

AnCatDubh wrote: »

You can keep pluggin away but unless you personally bring the community along with you on your own photographic journey then you may not participate.

Is that official Boards Photograhy Forum policy then?

I get the distinct impression that certain people are being encouraged to leave. It's a pity that Boards doesn't welcome everyone on here, especially people who by their experience may have something significant to contribute.

I suppose thouigh it's good to know that anyway.

DaireQuinlan

Covey wrote: »

Is that official Boards Photograhy Forum policy then?

I get the distint impression that certain people are being encouraged to leave. It's a pity that Boards doesn't welcome everyone on here, especially people who by their experience may have something significant to contribute.

I don't think AnCatDubh meant this, I reckon you're picking up the wrong end of the stick here. If its that 'may not participate' I read that as 'may choose not to participate' as opposed to 'may not be allowed participate'. My reading of the piece is that people are choosing to disengage from the forum of their own volition, having made an effort to create in the forum a place where things could be discussed on a level that they wanted discussion, and ultimately failing to do that. No coercion

AnCatDubh

Covey wrote: »

Is that official Boards Photograhy Forum policy then?

I get the distint impression that certain people are being encouraged to leave. It's a pity that Boards doesn't welcome everyone on here, especially people who by their experience may have something significant to contribute.

I suppose thouigh it's good to know that anyway.

I think, to quote as narrowly as that without the overall context, that you may be construing more in it than what is intended.

To clarify;

Not a comment on boards policy whatsoever.

Encouraged to leave ??????? Wha?????? Do elaborate.

Boards is welcoming of everyone afaik.

What has got lost in translation here in my point was that should you be photographing the ass end of a bus and find it incredibly interesting to do so, then you need to bring people along rather than expecting that everyone sees it from your point of view. (your, etc..., being referenced to users of the forum rather than you as a personal reference).

Chorcai

I am very green at photography but I have looked around a few sites etc to me boards.ie has been the most help I love the challenges, reading others C&C feedback. I have put up a few pics for C&C mainly for help on the tech side of things. I am getting some great ideas/help plus the fact that there is a film meet on Saturday which should be fun. For me this is great.

Just to pick up on what AnCatDubh was saying, is there a lack of detail text when a person posts ie picture of back of bus ? I know the saying a picture paints a thousand words bla de bla but if something is photographed in a differant way should the poster explain why ?

KarmaGarda

Ghost Train

Do think having sub-forums aimed at the more regular posters would help, pure photography or something. Maybe C&C/feedback threads themed towards certain types of photos instead of individual c&c threads. Having camera gear sub-forum people not familiar with the forum would probably still post in the main forum, but for posting photos and getting feedback people would look a bit further to post in the right place. Might move at a slower pace than the main forum but as long as it was open to anybody to contribute it should get good traffic

KarmaGarda

I won't lie. I 100% stole that off melekalikimaka.

AnCatDubh

KarmaGarda wrote: »

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/170375/93799.jpg

Ah heck - I saw a very similar sign two days ago, and it still said Services in 2 Miles

fanuel

I'm really sorry to break this conversation with my silly questions....
I've been "lurking" (I think) around in the forum and yet couldn't find any useful information that would help the growth of an amateur photographer. or aspiring photographer.

I shall explain my self

other then technical suggestions and mystic Photoshop treasures, what is that somebody can learn on this forum?
what are those challenges that can stimulate creativity and new ideas?
even if we are doing this as a hobby and we have two or three kids a wife, husband or a couple of lovers. The point is to explore and react to the beauty. produce beauty and discover it.
C&C, despite what everybody believes, is just a treat.
Discussion, confrontation, visualization, failure repetition. all these are elements as important as the photograph we are taking.

Comment & Critique....
Well then.....is all very nice, of impact. the critique I do is this tight crop....I would have left a bit of room there and less air here....
very good, keep going. where did you shoot it?


is this C&C of any use for an aspiring photographer? an amateur? a mother? father? or anybody?

as I said...is just a treat to avoid the real opinion or a good, open conversation on a topic that will challenge our minds and open new imagery.

sorry for my solo....

Covey

We can only comment on whats put before us not what someone might have meant.

In general I find some of the comments of An Cat Dubh in this thread to be very negative. Just my opinion of course

Anyway on to the thrust of this thread and ACD's question way back

"We have all the horses at the water, now how to get them to drink? "

Well plenty of people have conributed to the thread and plenty of suggestions have been made.

Are we going to continue the debate or do something about it one way or the other?

Anouilh

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

The problem with these 'rolling threads' if they're not stickied, is that people almost immediately forget about them as soon as they leave the front page. Everyone except for Anouilh of course. It requires Anouilh to make a post in one of them for it to appear again on the front page. It garners a few extra posts, and then quietly slips back into obscurity until the next time they're dragged back into prominence. I don't think they should be stickied either, but in a forum like this one where prominence is based purely on date of last post I can't really see those type of threads working.

The odd thing about stickies is that, after a while they become invisible. I rarely look at them, though this, like all the other issues here, is open to debate.

There is another reason for keeping rolling threads going, apart from the question of attracting new posts. A lot of very useful threads are now buried in the past and, from time to time, I tag some of them so that they can be found quickly.

Also, when newbies come to the Forum, a rolling thread is new to them and may be of use.

I would be grateful if you took more time to look at the Duotone Thread, please, Daire:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=62631938#post62631938

Much of your work, as well as that of STG and Fajitas fits very well there and by keeping a body of work together it can be of help to newcomers, especially when tips on how to achieve different effects are shared.

Hugh_C

AnCatDubh wrote: »

But here's a thing to the forum generally ... that it would appear to be an almost selfish motivation as to why some of the community will seek out opinion of the forum, and because they aren't fulfilled by the ability of the community to interact with them almost at a photographic intellectual level (which is that third space I referred to earlier in the thread), they tend to disengage completely from interaction.

Does this translate to: if I post a picture and loads of people say 'oh that's a lovely photo' than I'll stick around? Otherwise, hump it ... I'm off to t'pub

If so, then I think you're couching your words ACT.

Hmm, imho fora like these are largely ungovernable (as I debated with you privately some time ago ACT), they have a life and momentum all of their own, and if it's nightlife and swans this week, so be it, I'll disengage until it's backs of buses next week

On a tangent, the only reason I became aware of this thread was because my interest was piqued by comments between you & Elven on Twitter, and the only reason I was on twitter was coz I'd seen something on knitting I wanted to pass on to her from lecool magazine. very cool as it happens

Anouilh

Hugh_C wrote: »

What's wrong with kid images?




Actually what it demonstrates is a dichotomy in ages, or rather parenting - most posters here don't have kids I presume (given the demographic of boards) and therefore don't appreciate what it is to have children and to express that joy in photographic form.

I find myself lurking here more and more, just too little time to put in the effort I suppose. And the spelling and grammar are atrocious ... And search doesn't work ...

I continue to enjoy posting here and have almost made it a life's mission to bring the Planet round to an appreciation of duotone....


http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/duotone/interesting/

If anybody has interesting photos using tonality and duotone, it would be great if they could take time to share, please.

Also, I am a grandparent and thoroughly enjoy the company of children. The whole privacy issue about posting photos continues to drag on and I have learned to avoid it.