A pet peeve regarding photo critiques?

Question: A pet peeve regarding photo critiques!?

Does it bother anyone else when people, when asked for photo critiques, reply simply with 'Whoa! You should go pro!' instead of anything meaningful (or god forbid, the truth), regardless of how good the pictures are!?

I mean, it just seems like when terrible pictures are posted and praised like they're the best artwork a person's ever seen, it weakens the praise of photos that actually are very good!.

I think that you certainly shouldn't be mean to anyone, but is instilling false hope and telling them that they needn't improve really the best thing to do!?

Any thoughts!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Yeah, it definitely drives me crazy!. I never post pictures here for a critique for exactly that reason!.!.!.because I know I won't get a good, honest and objective opinion!. Constructive criticism is a million times better than hollow praise!.

Part of the reason is that most people are completely clueless and don't know anything about real photography!. And I hate to say this (and I know I'll probably get a thumbs down from someone), but part of the reason is because of digital point and shoot cameras becoming popular!. The mentality has completely changed!. Instead of having to really take your time and try to get a good picture the first time, with your camera, a lot of people will just take a hundred horrible snapshots, thinking they can just fix ANYTHING on the computer!. It's like people are forgetting how to use a camera now!. They don't even know how to hold the camera steady or don't even try to get a good exposure with enough light!. Think about how many questions you see here, where people are asking "How do you fix a blurry picture!?" Actually, most of them ask it like this: "how do u fix a blury pic!?" You can try to tell them that you CAN'T fix a picture that was blurry and pixelated to begin with, but of course most times they'll never listen to that!. The answer that says "u have to use photoshop" will get voted best answer!.

So of course you're not going to get an honest, objective critique here because most people are clueless!. They also tend to completely over-edit pictures!. It's like the fakest, most horribly manipulated pictures are the ones people seem to like best!. So when they see a completely over-manipulated image, somehow they think that's awesome!.

I'm also sick of people (usually kids) who post lame MySpace pictures in the photography catagory!. That is NOT photography!. If you've seen one MySpace picture, you've seen them all!. They all look the same!.!.!.blurry, pixelated, underexposed pictures of themselves!. Again, because they're just used to taking horrible snapshots with a cheap point and shoot digital camera!.

If I see a question where I think they're actually trying to take real photos and they're trying to learn more about photography, I try to help!. I don't get mean about it, but I give an honest, objective critique!. Like how I think they can work on their composition, or I try to give tips about getting a better exposure and when is the best time to take outdoor pictures, etc!. Whenever possible, I also try to recommend using a completely manual camera, especially a manual film camera because you can set the shutter speed, aperture, focus, etc yourself and learn a lot more about real photography!.

If it's a lame "kewl pic" of themselves, then I completely rip into it!. I don't personally insult anyone, but I will rip the picture apart with no mercy!.!.!.because this is the PHOTOGRAPHY catagory, NOT MySpace!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It doesn't bother me!. I try to give an honest critique, and confine my answers to areas of photography that I have expertise in!. Occasionally, I am pleasantly surprised when, out of a plethora of 'whoa, awesome!!!!!!!!' answers, mine is chosen as best!. More often, however, the questioner will choose the most flattering reply regardless of merit, even when presented with good analyses from contributors whose opinions I have come to respect!. It comes down to the fact that there is no ability filter on answerers!. You are right, though, indiscriminate praise from people with little knowledge or experience weakens the currency, and does a real disservice to those who accept ego massage as a substitute for informed comment!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well!.!.!.I honestly think that a lot of people do not have meaningful opinions because they lack the taste, sophistication and education needed to properly critique a piece of artwork!. The people that say "that is awesome!" to a photo that obviously lacks quality are not in the art field, or do not have an education in art!. I agree that a critique needs to be honest!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I agree with you!.

But the larger issue is that this is simply the wrong place to ask for a "critique!."

Partly because it's a forum filled with people of all levels of experience, ability and interest !.!.!. and partly because the act of "critiquing" itself implies some level of expertise and/or discrimination in order to have any validity at all!.

(Now !.!.!. I know that probably a huge majority of people reading this comment are now scratching their collective heads and asking - "What the heck is this old guy talking about!?" Which proves my point !.!.!.)

Nuff said!. I'm off to take pictures of Hawaiian rainbows, one of which I'm looking down on as it dives into the Pacific somewhere around Pearl Harbor!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's called stroking the ego to get best answer!. Those answers are no more helpful than telling you they're all crap!. I try to be helpful!. It is much easier to be more specific when there are fewer pictures to critique, though!. My pet peeve is going through a long list of pictures, so it kind of goes both ways!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Personally I don't comment on photos people post unless there is something about it I like!. And then I will leave positive feedback -- I will say what I like about the image and why!.

There is plenty of time for them to ruin their natural style and vision by making photos that look like everyone elses (what I call the 'checkbox' syndrome!.!. or art by negation)!. So, I see no reason to take their fun away at such an early stage of their new hobby!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yeah, that does bother me!. Why bother!?

If someone posts a few mediocre snapshots and gets a whole line of people praising them to High Heaven, I am afraid that they will not be able to handle a real critique, no matter how kind and helpful it may be!. When I see this, I just move along and don't bother expressing an opinion!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Good critiquing is a skill that needs to be learned just as is good photography!. It really doesn't "bother" me if anyone lacks either of these skills in this arena!. Now if I were in a competition and I got an idiot for a judge (which I have!) THAT would bother me!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It has rarely been worth the effort to give an honest critique here!. I guess if you're posting for a critique here you are asking to be judged by your peers and that is the critique you accept!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

See that quite often!. First time I thought to myself, "are they blind!?"

I do realize most of them are very young and pretty much clueless!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I agree!. I've asked a few photo critique questions because I wanted an actual critique!.!.!.!.!.!.!.not some 12 year old who thinks my picture is awesome!.!.!.!.!.when I know that it's not!. I just give those answers a thumbs down and move on!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

totally im really in to photography and nobody likes mine and says it's crap but everyone likes crapy photos!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I've yet to see pictures here that are as "awesome" or mind blowing as some people seem to praise them as!. I always try to be honest and direct as possible but when you have 10 other people saying so and so doesn't know what they are talking about than that in itself questions your comment!. Most people like to hear the "Whoa!! Those are some great pictures" when we know that they're far from it!. Will they take the honest critiques and follow thru and try to improve!? Probably not!. So really how much of a value does the honest critques have than!? They shoot pictures with their point and shoot, they're going to get the "not mean" comments!.

But like others have said, most people here lacks the qualifications to give a real meaningful critque!. This doesn't mean that they are wrong!. At their level, what they've seen may just be "awesome" to them but no so to others!. They don't see anything to improve on!. The critiquee will just have to take what they get with a grain of salt!.Www@QuestionHome@Com