Chances Are, You Suck

I see the downside of posting photos for review to not be us thinking we are better than we really are, that is OK. Nothing wrong with unfounded self confidence.

The downside is the tendency to cause us to gravitate to the middle of the road to please the most people. We begin to believe good photography is that formula that pleases other photographers on internet forums. We do not develop our own style and creativity but follow the herd.

Here is one of my favorite (humorous) examples. It is an oldie but a real goodie.
 
I personally don't worry too much about whether my photos "suck" or not. I am taking photos primarily for myself. What subjects I find interesting may not get a second look from someone else but that should not come as a surprise. It's a personal thing. Its only been about three years since I started shooting more seriously and I think that my photos have improved so that is good enough for me. I don't have any reason or need to post my images on Flickr, etc.
 
i have never gotten a like on my flickr photos. occsionally i get a comment or two, and then usually from people who also are members or rff or mflenses, which are my key forums. i must be an abject failure ... :)
 
as for herd following, i'd say "street" has the largest herd. and i know as a matter of fact i am a lousy "street" photographer. if there were lions out there feeding on street stragglers and also-rans, i'd of been a meal a long time ago. :)
 
Personally, I will say with great confidence that I do suck. I have a cat and three dogs. Sometimes I photograph them. Those shots are not my best work. In fact, they're often out of focus. My best work? It sucks, too. But it makes me happy. Anybody got a kitten that would like to do some modeling?:D
 
all these negative comments about cat photos.....
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paulfish4570 said:
i have never gotten a like on my flickr photos. occsionally i get a comment or two, and then usually from people who also are members or rff or mflenses, which are my key forums. i must be an abject failure ... :)
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Flickr doesn't have a like button...yet;) Facebook does! Don't give flickr any ideas.:D
 
I use Flickr as a repo for photos (a kind RFFer attested that it was the most convenient and cost-effecive solution, and I think they are right). A few of my pics have been noticed because of political content, and that's it. I never conceived of it as being a "gallery", I guess this is another thing I am out of the loop on.

I do think I have the capacity to recognize good photos, and there have been some really exceptional shots in the RFF gallery. Photography is unique among the arts in that an amateur can occasionally produce a superb result - I guess that is why it attracts more adherents than oil painting. ;-)

Randy
 
Well, I shoot like I shoot.

My thing is whether I like the shot. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't--then wonder why I posted it. So if people say they "like" my photo, great, but I'm not going to let it go to my head.

I've seen too many killer photos by other folks to make me think I'm the next Adams or Cartier-Bresson. I just have fun, and if I get something great, that's just gravy.
 
Well, I don't think my photos suck. At least not the ones you'll ever see...
What I like to photograph may be--and certainly is by at least some folks--banal or trite, but the photos I will print or otherwise share are the "work" that I think is good. Since I'm not doing this for work, I get to make the call about "suck-ness".
I do tend to agree that a mere "like" or "favorite" button is not very helpful. Though, I did find it interesting that Mr. Jarecke has a Facebook "like" button at the bottom of his post.
Rob
 
Same here. For all I know I suck, but I never think much about it. I just shoot what resonates with me.

But I know the odds favor sucking. After all, like everything else in life, suck/not-suck is a bell curve.

John

pismo923 said:
I personally don't worry too much about whether my photos "suck" or not. I am taking photos primarily for myself. What subjects I find interesting may not get a second look from someone else but that should not come as a surprise. It's a personal thing. Its only been about three years since I started shooting more seriously and I think that my photos have improved so that is good enough for me. I don't have any reason or need to post my images on Flickr, etc.
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I gave my son a camera. He's never taken it out of the box as far as I know.

His cat had kittens. I sent him a small Kodak book called "How to Photograph Your Cat" or something like that, and told him to go to town.

Still don't have any cat/kitten pictures from him, or any other pictures even from his phone.

He may be a photographical genius, but we'll never know. I'd settle for a kitten picture.
 
There's truth in what he says, but he sounds somewhat bitter and unfocused. He places a lot of blame on social networking, when millions of people obliviously made tasteless photos for decades before Facebook came along. The people who have a hunger to do something that's unique and true to themselves will practice, learn, and expose themselves to great photography, and these people already know that praise on the internet is superficial. Social networks are for promotion (as the author seems to recognize) and practice, not professional portfolio reviews.
 
My two rules of photography
1 Everyone sucks
2 If you don't suck you're not comparing yourself to the right people
 
I was once critical of a users photos on here and got a lot of flack for it. It sucked, I was dead honest and that was a bad thing. The photo was in the critique section too. Since then I only post positive comments in fear of the RFF police ;)
 
excellent said:
I was once critical of a users photos on here and got a lot of flack for it. It sucked, I was dead honest and that was a bad thing. The photo was in the critique section too. Since then I only post positive comments in fear of the RFF police ;)
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I remember that one , I got a warning on the same thread too for being too frank as well and my post in that tread were deleted by a lovely mod. Boy, those photos posted back then really sucked :bang:
 
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