I've been thinking.

[Travis Forsyth]

This might be a jumbled mass of words that don't line up and thats only because I prefer to express myself visually and not normally in writing or spoken word.

I've noticed in my 8 years of playing around with photography as a hobby the people who only ever seem to nitpick photos for any little flawed technical detail and eviscerate the offending photographer for his mistakes are photographers themselves. But yet when someone who's never really picked up a camera for more then a birthday party or say your neighbour who resides in the apartment next to you and just so happens to be moving furniture around all hours of the night (or he's just that lucky of a guy, I'm not sure but this is getting off topic) sees your photo they are instantly blown away and thinks you should take photos of his girl because all she has on her Facebook are those stupid duck-faced photos taken at arms length on her LG flip phone.

I guess really I just want to know who am I supposed to be trying to impress in the grand scheme of things? The photographers on the interwebs or the person who only sees a photo of his girlfriend and loves it for that? I think perhaps my balance between technique and creativity is sometimes biased and I often worry more about what the interweb photog's are going to say about the photos and might possibly be shelfing photos that might be more then adequate for a persons needs as a result.

[MikeFairbanks]

You should be shooting pictures that please you, and if they please others that's a bonus.

The best way to get honest opinions is to show them to people who are not photographers and, ideally, set up the situation so that they don't know you're the photographer.

If you were to print and frame your best photo, and then sneak into a museum or gallery and quickly hang it up on the wall, people would think it was worthy of being there and like it. If they saw the same framed photo in a box at a garage sale, they probably wouldn't.

That's just the way people are.

So take pictures for your own satisfaction. If you look at the photo, and find yourself looking at it over and over, then it's a great photo.

[photoguy6405]

Both of you make good comments and good points.

Nitpicking by other photogs is good... to a point. There's alot to be gained from constructive criticism. We do tend to be a tad over-the-top obsessive at times, though. To the point of being absurd. Eventually we have to draw a line in the sand and just do what we think is right.

[PhotosGuy]

You should be shooting pictures that please you, and if they please others that's a bonus.

I agree.
But when some people nitpick photos for any little flawed technical detail they may be trying to help you because they know something that you don't.
When your neighbor sees your photo & is instantly blown away, he knows what he likes, but doesn't have a clue how the shot could be made better & he's happy with it.
So take the best from both situations & do what makes you happy.

[Travis Forsyth]

Originally Posted by MikeFairbanks

You should be shooting pictures that please you, and if they please others that's a bonus.

The best way to get honest opinions is to show them to people who are not photographers and, ideally, set up the situation so that they don't know you're the photographer.

If you were to print and frame your best photo, and then sneak into a museum or gallery and quickly hang it up on the wall, people would think it was worthy of being there and like it. If they saw the same framed photo in a box at a garage sale, they probably wouldn't.

That's just the way people are.

So take pictures for your own satisfaction. If you look at the photo, and find yourself looking at it over and over, then it's a great photo.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the tips and points to ponder in your reply to my post.

Thanks to everybody else as well for your opinions on the matter. I highly encourage further discussion if at all possible.

[Naturalist]

This is what is great about the forum, photo clubs and peer pressure. We all try to do the best we can while getting ideas from one another's post. As a result, we become more professional in our exposure, processing and presentation.

Now, to those that are uninitiated, they see you image and think you are the best, while you and I know we are doing our best.

[Veemac]

I think a little bit of both is a good thing. Other photographers' critiques and tips may help you to improve or refine technical/compositional details, while input from the general (e.g., non-photographer) public gives you an idea of how your work is perceived by people who are less critical of details and tend to look more at the image as a whole. Take what matters to you from each group and leave the rest. While the technical aspects of photography are fairly objective (speaking in general terms about proper focus, exposure, etc.), the "artistic" side is more subjective and harder to judge by any standards other than personal taste. I've seen photos torn apart (in the C&C sense) which I rather liked, and others that people rave about whereas I don't find them particularly appealing....and vice-versa.

The bottom line for me is that I'm willing to consider just about anything that anybody has to say as far as critique of my images. I may or may not agree, but even so there's something to be learned from it.

[alabama1980]

I think some people point out things that are wrong and suggest how to improve. I like those people. Some, however, will sit and look for something to point out (a.k.a. nitpick) an image to death to find a flaw. You can learn from both groups of people, but you just have to distinguish between them to know when something is a flaw that needs correcting in future shots, or a minor nitpick that is likely no more than personal taste.

In the end if I'm happy with it that's the most important thing to me.

[GilesGuthrie]

I've noticed that we as humans strive for greatness. The greatness which we pursue is often over the horizon for us, but in the pursuit of that greatness in a particular field, we have advanced over the horizon for people who have not undertaken that same pursuit.

The short message is: if your viewer likes it, be proud. You may know its faults and its flaws, but they don't and consequently, they think it's great. Accept that praise for what it is: praise.

But keep striving.

[neilwood32]

I personally don't worry about the internet photographers - I try to strive to be the best I can be.

I will try to be critical of my work while understanding that the journey to knowledge is a long one and that a photo I took 2 years ago might have lots of flaws but I know why I took it and can see the good points as well.

There is no such thing as a perfect photograph - someone will always think you could have done something different. So enjoy the good bits while trying to get better.

[yogestee]

Originally Posted by neilwood32

I personally don't worry about the internet photographers - I try to strive to be the best I can be.

Internet photographers, or as I call them armchair photographers..

Forums are full of them.. They usually hang out in the Critque forums, shell out advice, critique good or bad but no-one has ever seen any examples of their work..

[mattyb240]

I'm glad I found this thread, over the last few weeks I haven't had chance to go out and take pictures and explore my surroundings. I have found since I joined this forum I have forgotten about trying to take pictures that I like, its more about what I think other people will like.

Striving for other people's approval isn't the way, and whilst that is not my goal, when I first picked up my camera I loved popping out for hours to enjoy time by myself taking great shots for me. If people like them, then it was a bonus. However I feel I haven't been able to produce anything worth while, looking for inspiration and creative ideas due to this need to create something great. Instead I am just going to go out and take them for me, whilst I am still learning so much its ultimately a relaxing hobby for me.

Thanks for the reminder and to everyone on this forum I'm learning off.

[Marius B]

I just went through my library of photos back to 2008, and boy have I learned alot the last two years, I don't say that I know it all, that would definitely be a lie Pictures I loved 2 years ago does not work for me today

I post pictures mostly here and on facebook, while facebook will get me great comments if the picture is somewhat different from what people get out of their P&S, i still know the flaws and it does not change that. If I am satisfied with a picture, thats enough for me, no comments will change that. Photography is like fishing, sometimes you get nothing, sometimes some small fish, and sometimes a BIG one

Posting images her on POTN, I read all critiques and look at the images with new eyes. Often the critique is correct, but sometimes I do not agree with the criticism, then I go look at the work of the one giving the critique. If I don't like any of the photographers pictures, I don't care much for the critique We either have totally different style or we are at different levels of photography.

People outside photography business often look at the picture as a hole image and say if they like it.

Some people in photography often only criticise technical things like compostition (rule of third), Sharpness, exposure (hole image). I suspect that they only look for flaws and not looking at the picture.

Other photographers criticise if there is an interesting subject, if the important details are exposed correct, how the compostion works , leading lines, foreground interest ++ (not only rule of third) how the lighting works, if the angle of the shot works, how your pp has added something to the image or making it worse and if the hole image is good. These are the ones coming with ideas on have to improve the shot and these are the ones I listen to

I guess I am in between the last two groups, not giving much critique.....

[photoguy6405]

Originally Posted by Marius B

Pictures I loved 2 years ago does not work for me today

That happens to me too, but I also experience the opposite. Sometimes I will look through old photos and one that didn't work for me then suddenly speaks to me now.

[Marius B]

Originally Posted by photoguy6405

That happens to me too, but I also experience the opposite. Sometimes I will look through old photos and one that didn't work for me then suddenly speaks to me now.

I can see that one too. Thats whats so great with photography. It is funny have things change.

1. I started buying lenses to cover all focal lengths
2. Then I discovered how aperture works and started changing my eqipment to lenses with larger aperture.
3. I found out about fps and Live View, sold my 400D and bought a 40D
4. started buying camerabags.
5. bought a tripod
6. I found out about FF vs Crop in terms of Dynamic range & DOF, bought a 5D.
7. Bought a lighter tripod with ballhead and RRS brakcets
8. Learned about off camera flash, bought 4 speedlights and 2 softboxes with stand.
7. Learned about HDR and proscessing, bought Lightroom, CS5 and now lately Photomatix.
8. Saw the abbilities in high iso, bought a 5D mkII
9. Started to see the limits of my speedlights and are now dreaming of Elinchrom Ranger with modifiers

Now this has happend over 2-3 years. Whats funny is I don't care about fps or liveview and barely ever shoot below aperture f4

I have stopped reading equipment reviews and started to look at other photographers work to get ideas and inspiration. I have the equipment, but lacks the creativity.