It was not meant to be "helpful advice". As you said, "Most
people who submit a good photo know damn well it's a good photo,
so further praise is nothing but another squeeze of the
ego-inflater."
My point is: Why can't we just continue posting our "good
photos" in the PUG, knowing that they are in the company of
other "good photos"? Why should we insist on any comments when
unfavourable comments meet with almost universal disapproval?
The term "There's no accounting for taste" applies equally to
photographers and critics. Hell, some people seem to read these
messages just hoping to find something that they can use to
initiate hostilities. We can't do much about that, but we can
stop inviting these wars by not actively seeking comments on
other people's "good photos". After all, you all know you are
submitting only your very best work.
Len
---
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Bob Walkden
> Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2001 9:08 AM
> To: Len Paris
> Subject: Re[2]: PUG Comments (NEW IDEA)
>
>
> Hi,
>
> this is not helpful advice. If this is understood to be what's
> happening then anybody whose submission is greeted
> with thunderous
> silence is left with the impression that nobody likes
> their picture,
> and nobody will tell him/her what's wrong with it!
> How useful is that?
>
> Offering only praise is useless. Most people who
> submit a good photo
> know damn well it's a good photo, so further praise
> is nothing but
> another squeeze of the ego-inflater. If it's not a
> good photo but
> people just say - 'You really improved that turd with
> the soft focus
> effect and the starburst filter, you make da Vinci look like a
> hopeless dauber' - well, again, what use is that? All
> we'll get is
> more pictures of turds.
>
> It's exactly because there's no accounting for taste
> that it is useful
> to hear a range of comments about a photo.
>
> ---
>
> Bob
>
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Sunday, May 06, 2001, 2:25:19 PM, you wrote:
>
> > You only missed the opportunity to state the rules.
> The only
> > acceptable solution will be to continue comments with the
> > following rules:
>
> > If you really dislike a picture, or are offended by
> a picture,
> > let someone else comment on it. They may love it.
> There's no
> > accounting for taste.
>
> > If nobody likes the picture (a rare event) nothing
> will be said
> > to activate the bleeding heart defenders or the Sir Galahad
> > knight emulators (all hoping to win a lady's favors).
>
> > If you must criticize at all, then only suggest
> ways to improve
> > the picture. Comments like, "You should have left
> the lens cap
> > on" or "Next time, leave your camera at home" are
> not considered
> > to be constructive criticism.
>
> > This way, we only voice our approval and all will remain
> > sweetness and light. Will the comments help improve anyone's
> > photography? Probably not, but we'll be able to
> share hugs all
> > around and have a warm fuzzy feeling that we're on
> the track to
> > photographic perfection.
>
> > All of this proves an old Mongolian adage. "He who
> is about to
> > speak the truth should keep one foot in the stirrup".
>
> > Len, who obviously lied when he said he wasn't
> going to say any
> > more on this topic.
> > ----------
>
>
>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> >> Lasse Karlsson
> >> Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2001 7:50 AM
> >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> Subject: Re: PUG Comments (NEW IDEA)
> >>
> >>
> >> Chris, I'm really happy to hear that you haven't been
> >> discouraged by the recent debate.
> >> Let's hope that we will find a solution that will be
> >> acceptable to most members.
> >>
> >> I am only adressing one of your suggestions here.
> >>
> >> > We'll still have commentators to talk about photos,
> >> but only for the
> >> > photographers each month who specifically request
> >> comments. I don't mind
> >> > coordinating this, so we could give it a try and
> >> see how it goes. Since
> >> > the PUG is not intended to be a critiqued gallery,
> >> send your request for
> >> > comments to me, not Bill or the PUG. If you ask
> >> for comments in the
> >> > letter you send to the PUGmeisters, it ain't gonna
> >> happen. All you have
> >> > to do is send a letter to me at
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] or
> >> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] saying "My name is _____
> >> and I want to have my
> >> > photo commented on for the June PUG" or something
> >> like that, and it'll be
> >> > done. You'll have to do this each month when you
> >> submit your photo, as
> >> > there could be some months when you're showing an
> >> image that, for whatever
> >> > reason, you don't want comments on.
> >>
> >> ( I F we decide on any form of "release" from the
> >> PUG participants:)
> >> To me this seems like an unnecessary round of
> >> messages and extra work for you as well as for the
> submitter.
> >> Why not do it like this (it would be simple and it
> >> wouldn't really cost anyone any extra work)?:
> >> Each time we submit a photo for the PUG we can add
> >> whatever comments we like around the picture, the
> >> shooting situation or whatever. Now, if comments on
> >> the list are welcome, we just add something like
> >> "Comments on the PDML are welcome."
> >> This wouldn't really cause anyone any extra work, and
> >> the possible commentator can simply check for the
> >> above phrase.
> >> (Or have I missed something?)
> >>
> >> Lasse
> >>
> >> -
> >> This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List.
> >> To unsubscribe,
> >> go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions.
> >> Don't forget to
> >> visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
> >>
>
> > -
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> To unsubscribe,
> > go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the
> directions. Don't forget to
> > visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
>
>
> -
> This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List.
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>
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