Introduction

Hello NPN group,

I just joined the group the other day, and I'm still trying to figure things out. A little about me, I am in my late 50s and have always loved photography, a couple of years ago, thinking about what to do after retirement, knowing I love the outdoors, a lifetime in Military/ LEO / Public service, I wanted a hobby to keep me out side and to experience nature, so I took a rather in-depth Professional Photography course on-line from the New York Institute of Photography. Than I took a class photography from the Smithsonian Institution  here in Washington DC. I recently got an Honorable mention from a National Park Service photo contest, but need to figure out what to do to actually WIN, a contest.....so, I need to take my photography to the next level. - What I am looking for is honest feedback, what did I do wrong, what did I do right, How do I do something better the next time. 

I live near Washington DC, in the burbs of MD, so many of my outdoor pics include the sites from Downtown DC, or from the woods in southern MD to the beach and sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.

Always willing to chat, so any questions or comments can be sent to me directly, again ANY ADVISE is welcome

Thanks
Buddy Scott

Welcome aboard Buddy.  I think you'll find NPN to be a friendly but helpful location where you can definitely take your photography to that next level.  One hint, when you post something, always include "Honest critique wanted" to remind people you're not just looking for comments, but for real critiques.  Also, I've discovered that quite often I learn more from critiquing others' work than I do from receiving critiques on my work, plus people will usually reciprocate and critique your work if you critique theirs.  Can't wait to see your work!

Bill

Also, I've discovered that quite often I learn more from critiquing others' work than I do from receiving critiques on my work, plus people will usually reciprocate and critique your work if you critique theirs.  Can't wait to see your work!

Hello Buddy. I would say Bill's comment listed above is true to fact. If you're really looking to get solid input it is important to use Bill's approach to make the best of things.

Also, I think long time "Weekly Challenge" Moderator Mark Seaver lives in the same area that you do near DC as I recall. That is when he is not at his second home up in Montana just outside Yellowstone.  WC is a good place to post if you want some "theme" of the week posting to get started.

Welcome to NPN. It can be said that you get from this website what you put in. If you post infrequently you will likely receive few comments. If you post frequently you may or may not get a lot of suggestions. To get good critiques it is best to make people feel that you value their input and that you will try to make their changes. A post where the photographer makes modifications and posts them as followups will garner the most comments on their images. The photographer that gets the most from this site is IMO  Marilynn Diggs. She posts an image with a question about this or that and then follows up with new images based on suggestions, each time asking further questions. This will continue until we run out of ideas. You can search for her threads and see what I mean.

Another good poster is Nick Bristol. Nick posts on his thread after every 3-4 comments thanking the comments and responds to the suggestions made. That way he stays engaged with the readers and they're more likely to respond. Every thread he starts ends with a post expressing his gratitude. That approach works much better than posting and then total absence. 

Everybody improves their photography here over time, some faster than others. The best way to stay stagnant is to be entrenched in your ideas and be rigid. Those who dismiss comments as inappropriate or inaccurate typically don't improve with time. Not all comments are valuable but it's best to assume that they are and try them. Ultimately you decide which work best for you.

Hope this helps. 

Welcome to NPN, Buddy!

I see that you have not yet posted an image for critique. We welcome yuo to post your work and participate!

I case your are wondering....

 Here is how to post images for critique:

1. :Go to the Galleries dropdown menu and select the gallery that is appropriate for your image.
2. Once in the gallery view (thumbnails of images posted), select 'Post a Photo' at the top of the page.
3. You will be presented with a block for the image title, and a comment box.
4. Add a title and any comments you wish to make about the image.
5. The remainder of the page gives options for posting posting your image.
6. When you are ready to post your image, click 'Post Photo' at the bottom of the page.

Here are some guidelines:
 

Upload Photo:

Browse a photo from your computer to upload. Maximum allowable size is 1600 pixels/1 MB. This single upload will be used to automatically generate the thumbnail and the intermediate 720 pixel photo.

Note - the gallery software will downsize a large photo to fit the browser window but with some loss of quality. For this reason, based on current screen resolution statistics we recommend sizing your photo to no larger than 800 pixels in height or 1200 pixels in width (whichever is largest) to help ensure best quality of presentation. 

Please read our NPN Posting Guidelines page which gives more detailed information.

Writing critiques of the work of others serves two purposes. First, the photographer will benefit from your observations, and second, you will develop your seeing. We encourage all members to critique the work of others. The general guideline is to write a critique for five images to each one of your own that you post. Please see The Art of Image Critique , and the follow-up article, More Thoughts on Photo Critique here at NPN. I am sure you will find them informative and helpful.

If you need help with editing/adjusting images for posting, please post your question(s) in our Digital Imaging Forum. If you do post there, please let us know what image editing software you are using.

Again, welcome, and we look forward to your participation, Buddy!
--P

Welcome to NPN Buddy. I saw one of your first posts today. Nice work. Keep them coming.