72 images 6 comments!!!

[bmattock]

Bill you really do think that all are hideous?
For me personally, not getting any reaction on an image means: it kinda sucks, ro at best it's boring. Not commenting is a way of telling what you think; but only if comments do exist on the images worthy of commenting.

Actually, no. I guess I was trying to use irony to raise the point that if I don't feel roused to leave a comment, what's the problem? Seems that if I *make* myself leave a comment, good or bad, I'm manufacturing some response which I did not feel - I am leaving a comment due to my feeling of obligation, not because of how I feel about the photograph. And what good is that to anyone?

And frankly, so what if I *do* think all the photos here, mine included, suck the big wazoo? How am I helping anyone by saying they should have left the lens cap on, or that they should beat themselves for abusing a defenseless camera in that manner. My comments in that way would hardly be constructive, but what if that's how I feel? I think I should keep it to myself, don't you? So why urge me to tell someone how their photographs make me feel if they make me want to vomit?

And speaking of vomiting, voting in the recent contest. I didn't. If I had thought I liked one more than another, I would have. What would be the purpose of voting for one over another when I didn't prefer one over another? And yet, we kept getting "Please vote!" urges. Bah, humbug. Any vote I would have made would have been false, since I didn't feel that way. I was more honest with myself and the finalists by not voting.

I used to be part of those "Rock the Vote" organizations - then I came to my senses. People who do not feel strongly should NOT vote, because then they are voting for something other than how they feel, and that's how we get 'most popular' people as leaders instead of the people we think can do the best job.

Don't have an opinion? Cool - stay home, do us all a favor. And likewise with the photos in the gallery. If I see one that makes me want to leave a comment, I do. Otherwise, no.

The other part of the irony I was attempting to engage - honesty sucks. No one wants it if it is brutal - not even me. And if it isn't brutal, it isn't honest. So again - how does that help anyone?

Let's all leave lots of comments on photos in the gallery. The end, I guess, being that there will be lots of comments. Not that they will matter, but there will be a bunch of them.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[raid]

I rarely make comments on others' photos, because photography is so personal, and the appreciation of any particular image is purely subjective. I don't think anyone should care what anyone else thinks about their photos. If someone posts an image to their gallery, it must mean that they like it and are proud of it.

I second Frank on his above statement. This is especially true if you post family photos. We all know that we view photos of our little children as beautiful regardless how other people may view the same photos. Still, constructive criticism is always welcome when given in good taste. For example, directing someone to another site to learn more about photography is not a nice way of commenting on someone's posted photo if this is the only comment given by some person.

 

[ywenz]

I don't like the gallery layout on this site. It's also too slow, and people nest their images into way too many levels. The design of the gallery is such that the folder link and the actual image link looks identical. It's very easy to get lost while browsing.

I agree with mattocks, many of the images are not worth clicking on. Would you want us to leave comments saying we don't like this particular image?

I invite all to joing the RFF group on flickr. It's a nice way to keep in touch on the flickr side of the world and see works of other RFF members. http://www.flickr.com/groups/66333716@N00/

 

[Ergo]

"If you have nothing nice to say it is better to say nothing"

 

[Bertram2]

For me personally, not getting any reaction on an image means: it kinda sucks, ro at best it's boring. .

At least it could make nobody at RFF feel enthusiastic enuff to comment. That must not mean that it is really boring, could be nobody really "liked" it and that must not mean anythingeither for the pic and for you as the photog.
In other words all response must be seen relative to the audience.

And there are still those who like a pic but are simply to lazy to write some kind words. And I think those were meant primarily by Jan .

Regards,
Bertram

 

[tkluck]

Comments: I for one don't leave very many comments. Mostly because so much of the work in the galleries is better than mine. Go there for inspiration. I'll try and post more positive reinforcement. and some photographs too.

Recently checked a photography how-to book out of the library. Disagreed with darn near all of the authors opinions about how the "before" pictures could be improved.

Gear heads vs. Shooters: Two sides of the same coin. Been playing with guns for years yet I don't compete in many matches. And very rarely shoot anyone.

Seen this same thread in lord knows how many forums. People just collect toy trains and never run them. People just work on their cars and don't drive 'em. People just drive their cars and pay somebody to work on 'em. Collecting books without reading them. Breeding chickens without eating them.

Took a quick look around and found two places where this does NOT occur!!!
Stamp enthusiasts never seem to complain that nobody sends mail.
Cooks never complain that nobody on their forum is eating anything.
Did not look in any alt.sex newsgroups.....

 

[mac_wt]

I tried 2 times writing a lengthy reply on why I didn't post comments. I deleted it twice. In stead I'll go to the gallery and post some comments.

Wim

 

[Nick R.]

What a croc! Leaving comments is part of belonging to this site. It's like being inviting to someone's house for the first time and not commenting on the furniture. I can see not saying anything about photos you don't like but there are plenty of good photos to comment on. All the non-commenters should get off of their high horses and start being neighborly.

 

[BrianShaw]

All the non-commenters should get off of their high horses and start being neighborly.

You first!

 

[BrianShaw]

Leaving comments is part of belonging to this site.

Where is this rule written?

 

[BrianShaw]

What a croc!

You said it!

 

[bmattock]

What a croc! Leaving comments is part of belonging to this site. It's like being inviting to someone's house for the first time and not commenting on the furniture. I can see not saying anything about photos you don't like but there are plenty of good photos to comment on. All the non-commenters should get off of their high horses and start being neighborly.

How do you know that I (or anyone) find any of the photos 'good'?

I don't get this.

1) I must leave comments.
2) I can't hate everything, so I must leave good comments.

If I find all of the photos terrible, then I either have to lie about how I feel about them, or tell people that their photos suck in my opinion. Or, just say nothing.

Which do you prefer? Can't have it both ways.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[DougK]

I agree with both Bill and Jan - how's that for fence sitting? 🙂

I appreciate the comments I've received on my photos because all of them had something to offer about exactly what the person liked, disliked, or had a technical question about. However, a simple "I like it" or "This sucks" doesn't really tell you much about why the person liked or hated it, which can be frustrating. No comments on a photo tells me... well, nothing.

Of course, once I've posted my photos I rarely go back to look at them again so it may be months before I realize someone had something to say 🙂

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

I invite all to joing the RFF group on flickr. It's a nice way to keep in touch on the flickr side of the world and see works of other RFF members. http://www.flickr.com/groups/66333716@N00/

Thanks for the invite- but what's the point? To allow Yahoo to sell my info to some list? Maybe, maybe not.

I don't feel that flckr galleries are that much better to navigate. The search might have a few advantages. Is RFF slower than flickr? Not from here, especially now that this site has received upgrades

The gallery here is pretty diverse, a lot of images from many members. I'm not sure what advantage I would gain in looking at a much smaller sample of work in the RFF galleries at flicker. Having spent a small amount of time there after your invitation, I saw nothing there that was more outstanding than what is displayed here at the RFF galleries.


On a different note regarding Nick R's statement- I would not agree that making gallery comments is a necessary part of the community. It would be great to have more participation. But not as some kind of requirement, spoken or unspoken.

 

[ywenz]

Fedzilla, with all due respect, I disagree with everything you said. The RFF gallery is downright confusing and slow. Flickr is simply a superior site for image display. If no one shared your sentiment, then the collection of images on the RFF flickr group will build up nicely.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

I'll grant Flickr one thing. It looks commercial.

Not professional. Commercial.

Interesting that we have actually had Flickr members come here after being with Flickr originally. Must be something here they are interested in.

Could it be the focus on rangefinder photography?

 

[Dougg]

A member can spend all his RFF online time in the gallery, or he could spend all his RFF time in the forums (and still not be able to keep up with all threads), or he can skim both. It used to be possible to put in a couple hours in RFF and get completely caught up... and then go do something useful like shoot photos. 😛 I've done all-gallery a couple of times, and right now I'm in an all-forum phase and I know what I'm missing not looking in the gallery. I do like to look at photos and consider what can be said that would be useful; actually a good learning exercise, and I like to see comments on my photos.

I may look at flickr if referenced in a thread, but I don't go there to browse around. Same with personal web sites. I never voluntarily read any blogs, maybe misunderstanding... but several years ago the first blogs I looked at were like personal diaries made public; not very appealing, so I quit doing that. More useful to the blogger himself than anyone else...

 

[nomade]

Well there are too many photos posted every day, it's either gallery or forums, or maybe neither. This needs energy, and time...

If i'm posting my own photos here,it isn't just because i'm proud of it, of course i'm proud of my work, but this isn't satisfactory, i'm still learning and i need constructive criticism...And encouragment, well i'm getting that from time to time.

This is my point of sharing these photographs, to transmit a certain experience, and to reflect on it through others mind, also to see others experiences, comments are really important, of course the likes of i love this one and it works for me, gives encouragement, and it's certainly valuable because sometimes there are no words to say and that's why we need photographs...

Cause a comment means that you see something attractive in that photo.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I do a blog/gallery with no words, just images.

And I aim for one picture a day.

The navigation and the upload stuff is simpler than in here, and the comments are from people who haven't 'spoken' to me and disagreed about camera straps: they just see the images and generally talk about images, not lenses or exposures or film (or camera straps).

 

[Bertram2]

Will this thread be of any use to them? No, because they are already doing this!
Will this thread be of any use to the others who don't so much enjoy commenting on photographs? No, because they don't so much enjoy commenting of photograps. What would make them all of a sudden start to put in lots of time and effort in browsing the gallery and leaving comments?

Aha. Means in other words this thread was useless and therefore superfluous.
I don't think it was , because it wasn't adressed at all to those who don't care for photos. As I understood it , this was adressed to the others.

bertram