How to handle comments from the gallery?

[jan normandale]

Somebody comments on your photo.

Do you comment again with a 'Thank You', or not?

I have been sending thank you's, but other people don't seem to. I think I'm going to stop.

Jon, it's a good question. I have no idea what happens after I place comments on peoples photos.. there is no notification that seems consistent. I sometimes get email notices however I've probably received less than 20 since joining RFF.

I'd like to see subsequent comments. So it seems like it's a lot of work for someone like you to track down comments and follow up. The forum seems to keep better track of comments than the gallery. I wish it was as good for the gallery.

 

[FrankS]

It would be a great improvement to the gallery to receive by default, an alert that a comment has been made. I rarely get back to my own photos to check for coments.

 

[wclavey]

I find the galleries of some of the photo boards highly inspirational... I look at the pictures, think about taking them myself and then try to emulate them in another situation. I have only posted 5 or 6 pictures here... more on APUG and TPF.

If someone comments on one of my pictures with a question, I will answer it. I have not had the experience of getting many responses to my posted pictures, so I do not have the situation of any kind of overwhelming response that I need to respond to. On the few occasions when I have gotten more than 1 or 2 responses, I have posted a general "Thank you for the kind comments."

But like at least one other person here has said, I am very self conscious about posting any comments myself because of my general lack of ability - - I think I have only responded to 2-3 posted pictures in the galleries of all the forums (fora?) I read. The last thing I want is for people to look at my pictures and say "what right does he have to comment?" I figure I need to establish some credibility first, then my comments can be received with meaning.

I think of it as a cycle of learning... I see, I try, I post, I get better, I comment...

 

[nico]

The gallery is a great source of inspiration and I spend a lot of my time on Rff digging members' galleries or latest picks updated. I also post my stuff there. I do not have a standard way to reply, sometimes I wait and answer when two or three comments are posted sometimes I answer just righ after receiving the comment, sometimes I wait to meet "online" the member who left the comment to say "thanks" . The only thing I care about is to answer everyone who post a comment on my photos; comments - for me - are always useful, they help to understand what works or what doesn't (only once i had an argument about an unpolite comment). Comments encourage me if they're positive and if negative ( i mean constructive criticism) they help to avoid to do the same mistake twice.
I also like to leave positive comments, not because i think I'm good enough to judge someone else's work but just because i like that the author knew i enjoy his/her photo and why. As Ray wrote it may happens to leave many comments so i try not to post more than 3 or 4 comments per time but when I post more it's not my fault:angel: ... just too many good photos in the gallery!! 🙂
Ciao,
nico

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Jan: If you leave a comment and wait a few seconds until it appears, then go to the 'Receive email updates' option and click there.

Now you will get emails when other people leave comments on the same photo, or indeed if the member responds.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

wdenies: Yes, a photo can appear twice or more if it is in different categories.

But some people do upload a full set straight from the roll of 20 photos all almost the same.

 

[jan normandale]

Jan: If you leave a comment and wait a few seconds until it appears, then go to the 'Receive email updates' option and click there.

Now you will get emails when other people leave comments on the same photo, or indeed if the member responds.

thx Jon.. I'll check this out.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I try to leave a thanks comment, but given that I receive hardly any, I haven't really been checking up on mine. (Perhaps I should check right now)

Thanks (heh) for the tip, Jon; this feature is painfully hidden.

 

[raid]

I check regularly for comments, and I first respond to any questions the commenter may have had, followed by a "Thanks" for taking the time tolook at the photo and to comment on it. Some of the comments provide a different look at an image that I myself have not seen from that angle, and these are my favorite comments since I can learn from them.


Raid

 

[OurManInTangier]

I don't have any hard and fast policy for replying to comments. Sometimes I will thank people as a reply. Other times I will leave a Pm, usually as I need to leave a longer message and the gallery doesn't seem the place to do it.

I also don't check my galleries often enough to see if anyone has commented. I would always try to answer a question that someone has asked me as its polite and may lead to an interesting discussion but once again I need to check my gallery more often - so apologies if I have not answered a question from anyone!!

My only problem with leaving thanks and/or getting into a discussion within the gallery attached to any one image is that some people may put some stock into the number of times an image has been viewed and/or commented upon - as such I don't like to add unnecessary comments to build this up ( I'm talking only about my own work here.) Though I may be the only person silly enough to worry about such things!

As for comments I may receive - good or bad I'm grateful for them as the entire point is for people to see them. I enjoy looking at other peoples work, if its good, interesting or has an element that intrigues me I like to comment upon it in the hope that this may, along with other users comments help/guide them in the future. It sounds highhanded but I simply mean that users comments help me to judge my own work and get some independent critique.

I think overall this is what leads us to keep posting here. In the whole the users here are only interested in helping one another and themselves by giving sound advice and honest critique.

Long may it continue.

Oh, and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that they have a top New Year!

 

[jmilkins]

For me a major feature of RFF is the chance to view images and learn from other RF users - their style, the type of images they produce, every now and then the pleasant suprise that an RF camera was used for a type of photography not traditionally associated with RFs.

Receiving and making comments is very worthwhile, especially the more thoughtful type. Even if you are new to RFs like me, I am interested in your response to what is posted because it may be different to mine and thus I learn someithing.

Most of us would surely admit that in part we post images for feedback and constructive critique in a community that "gets" what we do.

It provides an important and more creative break from the gearhead stuff (which I admit to also being interested in).

I particularly like seeing what others have done with lenses I own - it's often inspriational!