Posted by Barbara Graham on January 10, 2011 at 11:01 AM
First, I know I post a lot, and I know NPN existed long before me and will hopefully exist long after me, but it's just so important to me right now. I hope that anyone who minds all my posts can understand and forgive me for it. And I know that this paragraph makes it all the more "all about me," and I really, truly do know it isn't.
I just sent a link to a slideshow with 36 of the images you guys have liked the best (well, okay, maybe one or two that I liked that you didn't like ) to family. I've only gotten two emails back so far, which were:
My daughter:
"REALLY beautiful photos! In several of them, especially the swampy ones or ones with animals in them, the photos triggered other senses, like I almost felt like I could hear the quiet in the picture or something. Do your photography people talk about that? Pretty amazing. They are definitely professional photographs - truly amazing!"
That was really nice to read.
Then I just got this one from one of my sisters (copied and pasted just as it was sent to me):
Yup, family is good for encouragement, if not for critique. I don't look for them to help me make images better, but they're a welcome antidote to rejection letters!
Posted by David Rogers on January 10, 2011 at 12:09 PM
"You didn't actually take these, did you?"
"No, I didn't. Digital SLRs are so smart that they actually take the photos for you, and only when the on-board crap detector determines that the image will not be crap. My camera also has on-board Photoshop capabilities for automatically cropping and cloning extraneous elements. In fact, my camera actually travels on its own to locations (obtained via its Wifi/3G/4G connections, various RSS feeds, and Google maps) that it has already determined to be places where non-crappy photos can be obtained. That alone frees up a lot of wasted travel time on my part so that I can eat more Cheetos while watching reruns of Benson."
Posted by Keith Bauer on January 10, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Love Hank's reply I agree, usually good for encouragement. Rarely good for honest critiques. YMMV
Thanks, Hank and Keith. David, two thumbs up, especially for the on-board crap detector! I really want one of those!
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 10, 2011 at 3:46 PM
Barbara,
I must agree with Hank. Can't tell you how many times I've told my family what is wrong with one of my photos and even pointed it out to them to have them respond "Well, I think it's nice" or something similar... they're always good for a smile.
The more photos we look at the easier it is to pick out fault especially in our own work. Different audiences require different levels of excellence to impress. The harshest critics are the best teachers!
In defense of normal people: Their opinions certainly matter, perhaps more than those of photographers. Photographers are sometimes great critics, but often they get caught up in their own holy-grail-like pursuit. That could be sharpness, that could be composition, that could be bokeh, etc. A normal person is not going to look at a photograph and parse it. They are going to see it. To some extent photographers are immune to seeing photographs. They instantly scroll through a list of flaws and see which apply. Sometimes an imperfect photograph is great photograph.
I don't know how many of my family, and non photographer friends have said that my images are the best they have ever seen! It's nice to hear, but I just laugh to myself. My mom and grandmother spent the first 40 years of my life telling me how great I am, they wouldn't lie to me, now would they.
Chris
Posted by Barbara Graham on January 11, 2011 at 12:21 AM
What most of you are saying is true on one hand, but I don't expect them to judge the images or know to critique them. However, they have gone from seeing snapshots to seeing something better than snapshots, so that's really gratifying to me, and I don't think it's invalid. For the most part they haven't seen images over the last several months as I've learned the way you guys have, just a couple here and there, so it was a real surprise to them.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on January 11, 2011 at 1:18 PM
If I could stop laughing from David Rogers incredibly accurate assessment I'd probably reply to this thread in better detail! "That sure is a nice camera you have."
Barbara, you are now caught in the same undertow that many of us have gotten caught in: you are LEARNING, because you have found NPN forums which give honest critiques which do nothing except help us IMPROVE in every aspect. No other website does that like NPN. I like the work we see on BetterPhoto.com, but don't you DARE reply with a nit about a photo, that's a no-no. Every response on there has to be like it's your mom replying to your work, nothing but praise reagrdless of what the image really entails. This NPN site is our hidden gem, a place where truth is told in love. That better not change. I need to hear it when my shot stinks.
Discussion
10 repliesI just sent a link to a slideshow with 36 of the images you guys have liked the best (well, okay, maybe one or two that I liked that you didn't like
My daughter:
"REALLY beautiful photos! In several of them, especially the swampy ones or ones with animals in them, the photos triggered other senses, like I almost felt like I could hear the quiet in the picture or something. Do your photography people talk about that? Pretty amazing. They are definitely professional photographs - truly amazing!"
That was really nice to read.
Then I just got this one from one of my sisters (copied and pasted just as it was sent to me):
"You didn't actually take these, did you?"
"No, I didn't. Digital SLRs are so smart that they actually take the photos for you, and only when the on-board crap detector determines that the image will not be crap. My camera also has on-board Photoshop capabilities for automatically cropping and cloning extraneous elements. In fact, my camera actually travels on its own to locations (obtained via its Wifi/3G/4G connections, various RSS feeds, and Google maps) that it has already determined to be places where non-crappy photos can be obtained. That alone frees up a lot of wasted travel time on my part so that I can eat more Cheetos while watching reruns of Benson."
I must agree with Hank. Can't tell you how many times I've told my family what is wrong with one of my photos and even pointed it out to them to have them respond "Well, I think it's nice" or something similar... they're always good for a smile.
Pete D.
Chris
Barbara, you are now caught in the same undertow that many of us have gotten caught in: you are LEARNING, because you have found NPN forums which give honest critiques which do nothing except help us IMPROVE in every aspect. No other website does that like NPN. I like the work we see on BetterPhoto.com, but don't you DARE reply with a nit about a photo, that's a no-no. Every response on there has to be like it's your mom replying to your work, nothing but praise reagrdless of what the image really entails. This NPN site is our hidden gem, a place where truth is told in love. That better not change. I need to hear it when my shot stinks.