Do you understand why it’s good?

I'm still struggling with this, really struggling with it. I know everyone will have a different opinion, but mine seem to be way off mark. What would be amazing would be to have a place where you can post one picture, fairly large, and have people give detailed constructive critique on why they do or do not like it. Really analyse what it is about it they like. It would be a study of people's aesthetic compass, and would help both parties I believe.

I offload my shots, scan my negs or whatever, and try to leave them for a few days before looking. I then go through and mark the few I want to look at more, then gradually discount them until I have the 1-2 shots from the day.

When people see my choices against what I throw away, they almost always choose different shots. I'd really like to know why.
 
I think it depends on how much somebody's into photography.
For example, my gf always saying: why do you care about those straight lines? why it takes you so long to take that picture? why your pictures have to be so carefully framed? and so on.... She just clicks, and that's it. When I have to work some much harder because the knowledge about photography I have... I guess she's more emotional and takes pictures with her heart, when I'm more technical and running numbers in my head all the time... Sometimes I wish I could just follow my heart in photography instead of making sure that there's nothing unwanted insinde my frame....
 
I'm the opposite of you, sod the straight lines! I just see it, shoot it, move on. Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong :D
 
Doug said:
Is it only one-directional, or does it puzzle you also when/if you find an image interesting when others do not? And either way do you question your own aesthetic judgment?
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The curiosity extends both ways. As I mentioned, it's not something I dwell on. No, I don't question my own aesthetics, I am comfortable in my own likes and dislikes.
 
SciAggie said:
Since this thread has resurfaced, I want to rephrase my original question. I was never really referring to my own work; my curiosity is arroused by the work of others. Sometimes here on this forum or elsewhere, there will be an image that recieves a lot of views and comments and I can't find anything spectacular about the image.
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For me, that occurring in the RFF gallery, is far more perplexing than elsewhere; like other places, the naked or pseudo-naked photos get more clicks, but then there are others that (to me) get inexplicable praise when it's a very banal shot right next to another that I find visually and technically far more superiorer (Dubyism).

There are so many factors (mate-commenting, anti-mate ignoring, jealousy in the extreme cases, or just plain "who cares!"-ism) and one could only answer this "mystery" if we could all look into everybody's head at all times and sift out the observations. Since that's impossible (at least with present-day technology and interest), we of course can only speculate based on educated guesses.



SciAggie said:
I am also not talking about like/ dislike. It is one thing to understand why someone enjoys an image even if you do not; I just wonder if anyone else here is at a loss at times to "see" why others like an image that you may find plain and - boring - for lack of a better word.
I am curious if anyone else thinks it is a valid exercise to try to see a photo from someone else's point of view.
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Usually, there's some sort of emotional investment which is reflected in an image for the viewer. This explains why "personal favorites" of one's own work are often at odds with "others' favorites" of one's own work.

I often see a Weakest Link/Survivor/[insert favorite "reality" TV show's name here]-like behavior: people who identify more with either the photographer or that photographer's skills praise their work more than those who think they merit it, either in an innate and subconscious desire to "get rid of the competition", rendering the winner not the "best" winner, but a "winner" who can give you a sense of hope and meaning to your own struggle.

Anyway, I'm not a psychologist nor do I pretend to be one. I can only speak from experience and personal observation. People who strongly disagree with one's views, even when they have concrete evidence, will be challenged because they themselves challenge their deep-rooted views.

If we all followed the exact same rules of life, and were honest, and life were fair and everybody were all-knowing, then in that Kumbaya world nothing would be much of a mystery and we would not seek out answers and work and live in perfect ant-farm harmony.

Since it's not that way, some people behave and react in ways we may never understand. Their choices, including those for "best photo ever" (and some including one or more --many more-- exclamation points), will always make our heads scratch. If you're into that sort of thing. Head-scratching, that is.
 
I went to the Eggleston exhibit at the Frist in Nashville. Sure, some of his pictures didn't resonate with me, but one in particular did. It's a picture of an office of a Russian sign factory worker with pin-up girls on the wall. It's not a photo that would "grab" you.

At first glance, I found it amusing and comforting. I work with many machine shops here in the U.S., and you'll find pin-up girls on their tool boxes and on calendars in their offices. It made me think there isn't a great deal of difference between people thousands of miles away.

After a few minutes of looking, another meaning struck me. These men that work in the factory will never have these pin-ups. They're a dream out of grasp. It's like the Porsche 959 poster I had on my wall as a teen. I'll never own one. At that point, the photo took on a sadness of dreams unfulfilled.

I don't understand every photo, but when one does impact me like that, it makes me realize what photography is all about.
 
DNG said:
Sometimes it is just "Art" (nice placement of it's elements) with no real message...
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That's the first time I ever hear such a definition of art.
Sounds like something my wife would buy because it matches the curtains.
 
ackers8888 said:
i try to look at my photos like i am looking at the work of someone else and judging it. my favourites are never the favourites of others. people tend to prefer ironic, witty, clever shots. these bore me to death. i mean sure, they are great at the first glance, but after that? not enticing for me in the long run.
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Those who look at photos without the self reference criterion of a photographer are a far more objective judges of a photograph. When a majority likes a picture, it means that is a successful picture.

People instinctively know a good photograph when they see it, its usually peer pressure, obsession with being different and other fuzzy concepts that has made some people incapable of going to the basics and simply concentrating on making interesting pictures rather than trying to say something with a medium which is inherently silent.
 
For me what I find interesting are the images that I'm blase about that everyone else seems to love. Every exhibition I have I encounter this...
 
Damaso said:
For me what I find interesting are the images that I'm blase about that everyone else seems to love. Every exhibition I have I encounter this...
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Your thread about editing made me think about this thread. Do you spend any time deconstructing those images that "everyone else loves" to see what is attractive about it to their eyes?
 
You know how a picture is worth a thousand words? Well there are not always a thousand words to describe it, but the worth is still there; therefor you undermine the value sometimes by trying to breakdown why it is good.

Depending on how you word a description of any art you can usually make it sound stupid or life changing.
 
SciAggie said:
Since this thread has resurfaced, I want to rephrase my original question. I was never really referring to my own work; my curiosity is arroused by the work of others. Sometimes here on this forum or elsewhere, there will be an image that recieves a lot of views and comments and I can't find anything spectacular about the image. I am also not talking about like/ dislike. It is one thing to understand why someone enjoys an image even if you do not; I just wonder if anyone else here is at a loss at times to "see" why others like an image that you may find plain and - boring - for lack of a better word.
I am curious if anyone else thinks it is a valid exercise to try to see a photo from someone else's point of view.
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I am at a loss too.
 
I have again started to really question my aesthetic compass. Which is worrying as a large part of my job is making sure stuff looks good. :\

Looking through the work of some very famous photographers, some from Magnum no less, I wonder how they got to be in that position. Some are nothing more than a very large collection of snapshots of nothing much at all. By snapshots, I don't mean the Gilden Winogrand style of grabbing shots quickly, I mean it in the holiday snap and don't think at all way. Gilden and Winogrand are two of my favourite shooters, I have nothing bad to say about them.

Anyway, I look at my shots and whilst they can at best be considered sh1t, they are no more sh1t than shots produced by people who get paid very well for making them. I wonder, is it who they know...
 
_larky said:
Looking through the work of some very famous photographers, some from Magnum no less, I wonder how they got to be in that position. Some are nothing more than a very large collection of snapshots of nothing much at all. By snapshots, I don't mean the Gilden Winogrand style of grabbing shots quickly, I mean it in the holiday snap and don't think at all way. Gilden and Winogrand are two of my favourite shooters, I have nothing bad to say about them.
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Can post some examples of the ones you think are ****?
 
Hmm, I'd rather not, I know it's easy to upset people here. I'm not a big fan of Martin Parr for example. I understand what he's trying to do, or what he's doing, but you know.
 
Ok, no problem, I understand. I actually like Martin Parr, so we'll just have to agree to disagree.
 
Like most things, it's all subjective. And of course that will effect the original question somewhat. I can tell when I think it's good, but not when everybody else thinks its good.
 
I looked at Martin Parr's stuff. Wow, it really does suck! Most of it is pre-flickr so maybe it seemed interesting then.
 
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