Smugmug crazy!!!!!

Just got my smugmug account...the basic package for now...but would love feedback. I am a new serious hobbyiest with an addiction to smugmug.

Thanks for your time...I hope..and its ok to give it to me straight and brutal I can take it.

~rebeler

It's horrible, i closed it within seconds becuase it was so plain and standard... you said you can take it brutal

dgrin.com and customization is the best place to go, you will learn a lot and ask all the questions you want. You can basically make your site look however you want.

Greetings - Well..... As someone who also just started with Smugmug, let me say things less brutally. First, I think you could be much more selective on which photos you upload. In my humble opinion, less than 10% seem to be the kind that will catch attention. Many are technically flawed, some poorly composed, and others with uninteresting subjects or unclear as what the subject might be. While interesting and memorable to you, not much univerrsal appeal. The out of focus duck in the window comes to mind. I'd take a look at reducing the number of photos and enhancing your best ones. Not a lot of 'wow' or 'aha!' factors in most of the photos. Your Seal Party shot is quite good! Sunset in Carmel well composed, but looks soft. Many are washed out. Grapes look good. I admire your passion, but be more selective and more critical of what you upload so they represent your best efforts. I hope this was not so brutal. Now having said that, I have tried to follow my own advice. I am still learning too, so if you see any that suck (and there are some always), give me your brutal feedback too. http://kamogawa.smugmu​g.com/
John

rebeler wrote in post #8832287
Thanks for your time...I hope..and its ok to give it to me straight and brutal I can take it.

~rebeler

rebeler wrote in post #8884814
one thing I have learned since starting this hobby is those who don't know crap about how to take a good photo which is 95% of the population really likes my work...and they are the ones that matter to me. You out there who think you know it all with your higher then mighty tude's can kiss my ass...who made you the know all, be all of photography?

Work on your honesty and your attitude and then work on your photography.

If you don't want it don't ask for it. If you dont agree with it then fine, but everyone is entitled to an opinion, and if you ask for it, it gives them the green light to give it.

It's kind of how this place works.

rebeler wrote in post #8884818
I am done with this forum

Thats a shame, many people have learned a great deal here and really improved their work.

Given the sad events in this thread to date, my guess is you will miss us more than we will miss you.

But please reconsider, this is a very useful resource for someone who is looking to develop their photography.

Observation. Rebeler identified him/herself as a serious hobbiest. Yes an opinion was asked for.
A sensitive forum member might have realized the learning curve and the excitement in a new site and hobby. Not all people want to sell photos in a site like smugmug and zenfolio-myself included.
It can be a place to share photos with your family and friends, to upload files and store in a safe and
organized way. My family enjoys my site immensely and as I improve my site will evolve. There is a way to communicate- I think the forum looked bad on this one. My opinion.

Agree with Crazydays - Don't let one brutal reply turn you off. I tried to be helpful and will continue to do so. I am still learning after all these years.
John

I would agree that MLphoto could have been a bit more constructive with his comments. Having said this, it could be that it was said with 'tongue in cheek'. He did put a smiley at the end of his post.

Rebeler, you really should take this in stride and stick around. Being a member of this site offers you access to an immense amount of knowledge.

I enjoyed your Smugmug gallery. Thank you for posting the link.

MLphoto wrote in post #8856032
It's horrible, i closed it within seconds becuase it was so plain and standard... you said you can take it brutal

dgrin.com and customization is the best place to go, you will learn a lot and ask all the questions you want. You can basically make your site look however you want.

Actually, its a matter of opinion. I like basic galleries because in my opinion, the 'star of the show' are the photographs, not the superfluous window dressing surround them. As in life, different strokes for different folks.

Rebeler, I think you first have to decide if you want your galley to be a presentation for art, or if it's basically a photo album to share with others, or maybe a combination of the two.

Yes, the layout and photo choice could be improved if you want a professional look, but as an enthusiast page I really enjoyed it. Of course it helps that motorcycles are more of a passion for me than photography so I loved the content of your photos and the stories that they tell more than I would critique all the details. In fact my Smugmug page looks similar , as I use it to host photos for sharing in moto forums and most traffic there is looking at the content and can appreciate a perfect road or trail even on the ones that my exposure is all wrong.

I'm probably at a similar level in photo skill and have just recently made an effort to get better photos that people who don't enjoy my same passions can enjoy. I figure at some point when I get enough artsy photos I'm proud of I may start a second gallery as my "show off" gallery and keep the one I have now just for sharing with friends or other casual pics. In the meantime I've put up a couple of featured galleries for the show off pics with the rest of the galleries used more for links.

Don't let this get you down, keep shooting what you love.

MLphoto wrote in post #8856032
It's horrible, i closed it within seconds becuase it was so plain and standard... you said you can take it brutal

dgrin.com and customization is the best place to go, you will learn a lot and ask all the questions you want. You can basically make your site look however you want.

You might have considered offering suggestions that would have done the OP some good. He said right up front that he had the basic account and the last time I looked you couldn't do much customization to a basic Smugmug account.

john-in-japan wrote in post #8885048
Agree with Crazydays - Don't let one brutal reply turn you off. I tried to be helpful and will continue to do so. I am still learning after all these years.
John

Please continue to try to be helpful, JiJ. I've thought your comments and critiques are both accurate and eloquent. I'd have been at least as damaging to rebeler's psyche had I got here first. After asking for all guns blazing so openly, he really shouldn't have been so sensitive.

brutal -yes but not sure I would have classified the comment as feedback. Certainly could have been more helpful.
I tend to agree with the minimalist approach, you are after all featuring the work, not smugmug. Keeping it clean and simple is a great approach.

Someone call the WAAAAAMBULANCE!

Thanks for you opinion...I was put off by the comments made by ML Photo. You are right I need to work on my attitude. I am not trying to sell any photos at this time I only want a place to share my photos. I didn't think smugmug was only for show off professionals.