Gallery Image Quality

I am looking at this side by side on my new Samsung Gamer 7 laptop screen fully calibrated and the 500px has slightly increased contrast, but its very very slight. I have heard that 500px does do this from a number of photoraphers.

It's a browser thing!!!! Just tried with different browsers. Back later.

I usually use IE8 or Firefox and there's no problem with either of those.

However, given that the gallery will resize to a maximum of 1000 x 1000 pixels, it makes sense to resize to those dimensions so no resizing is necessary. Also, the correct degree of sharpening can be applied.

If downsizing in later versions of Photoshop, using Bicubic Sharper interpolation will maintain sharpness for the web.

Hope that helps.

You must know that this is nonsense, David.

I can't sing a note, but I can tell that Bjoerling is a better singer than Domingo. I'm a hopeless poet, but I believe that Herrick is a superior poet to Auden. I'm no sculptor, but I don't think I'm alone in considering Picasso a much better more inspired and talented sculptor than Gormley.

Just like the PPG, the PUF gallery has lost its way. It contains some lovely images, but these are vastly outnumbered by an avalanche of mediocre pictures from people with an inflated idea of their own talent.

Taking up your point, David, I don't post often to the gallery for two reasons. First, my primary purpose in taking pictures is to please myself, not others. And second, I don't think that most of my pictures are much good.

I just wish that some of the more prolific posters were similarly self-critical.

G

Why not, then, George, go the whole hog & name names?

It would relieve those not on your hit-list & reduce the quantity & increase the quality at a stroke.
Shame is, though, that some members/posters may feel even more hurt than they do already....


Roger.

I think what we should remember is that anyone who posts a picture is doing so probably because they are very pleased with it and want to share it.

Now it would be lovely if our efforts were greeted with praise that confirmed how good our shots were, but sometimes this isn't helpful to the poster. For eaxample, I know wedding photographers who are dreadful, but they still get commissions and may or may not care. I know beginners who start to get praise and then stop learning, thus making the praise counter-productive. I also know those who will go off in a huff if criticised at all.

However, the priciples of critique are clear - first examine what we like in an image, then move on to constructive comments as to how it might be improved. Most will be OK with that, otherwise maybe they shouldn't be posting images for public consumption.

But always be courteous.

I was tempted to respond to George's comments yesterday, but refrained because the subject is off-topic (as pointed out by Dr.O) and I just thought it was better we just moved on from this attempt to sow rancour and discord.

I don't think postings like 'One member floods the gallery with third-rate pictures of lakes and mountains as though he were doing us all a favour. God knows why' are really very helpful or constructive. Of course, as John states above, constructive criticism is valuable, but those are best made on the images themselves on a case by case basis, rather than singling out a single member? (You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out who is being referred to).

Looking back through the gallery, all the way back to the start of this website, I can't see any evidence of a dropping in standards despite the huge increase in uploads.

Shame about the censored sig., I rather enjoyed that!

(Sorry, George )

Roger.

It would be interesting to hear your definition of a dropping in standards. I would say that thanks to people like Puma, the better pictures that are posted are as good as ever.

However, as in life generally, quality and quantity are often found in inverse proportion, and those who tend to post most are also those whose pictures aren't (in my view) in the top rank. As a result, the overall standard is dragged down.

The consequence of this, of course, is that some people (Gartmore being one, and I am another) don't often look at the gallery. And that is a shame.

We can't all be as good as Puma, but we can resolve only to post our best pictures. And if even those aren't very good then at least we can resolve to only post a few.

That's what I do!

G

Hi George, hope you are well. I don't think most of my pictures are much good either, but I post on the Gallery to receive constructive comments / criticism so that I can hopefully improve. I'm sure many others are the same and I don't have any issues with members posting any number of images. We all have our own views and opinions and although I do tend to post comments and observations on images, I do try to be polite and constructive. I will never be a photographer in Puma or Timbo's league but that doesn't mean I can't try and posting images on the Gallery is part of that process of trying.

Back to Dr. O's topic, I would be interested to see the observations on the way different Web Browsers affect the image quality.

Regards
David

Regards

In the current gallery page there are IMHO several shots which are technically and/or artistically well done: https://www.pentaxuser.com/gallery/p-0

Take a trip down memory lane and look at a really old gallery page like this: https://www.pentaxuser.com/gallery/p-2306

A barely passable sample of shots IMHO! And every other one seems to have been shortlisted for the magazine.

My take on the gallery is that people can and should use it as they please. I do agree that people should be as honest as they can be (in a diplomatic and humble manner of course) rather than expressing too much praise on shots that aren't really that amazing. But people's viewpoints and experience level will vary, so it's not right to criticise someone else's criticism... you just have to take on board where they are coming from and clearly a serial 'nice shot!' commenter's opinion will carry less clout than someone who comments in depth.

I'm of the opinion that, on a photography site, posting lots of images should be allowed - encouraged - if that's what people want to do. People enjoy it and it helps keep them coming back to the site...

I don't tend to head straight for the gallery either - I prefer to look at threads where people post a series of images and a bit of backstory, rather than the 'lucky dip' of the gallery. When I do go to the gallery, some times there seem to be too many so-so images, but sometimes you get a run of excellent shots.

I don't think my pictures are that great either. Some are OK, and some I'm more proud of than others. My best shots I would give a C+ or B- at best (if A+ shots came easy, it wouldn't be as much fun!) This is why I keep from casting blanket aspersions on the quality of other people's work!

I've looked at DrOrloff's photos on three monitors and a netbook using firefox and I couldn't detect any real difference in quality, I'd even cleaned my glasses . On the other hand does every photo need to look razor sharp? I post to the gallery and have had some good advice from some of the better photogrphers on here and try to follow what they say to improve my own efforts. I was pleased that one member even downloaded one of my pics to investigate it, he gave advice about it, which I heeded and the photo was subsequently accepted on the PPG which to me is a plus and what the gallery is all about.

I can see why people could be upset by Ken and George's seemingly negative comments, but also think it could become a positive. As a newcomer to photography i am keen to learn all i can from those far more experienced, so wonder if either of you could write an article or post giving positive advice on how to get away from the same same old tired, hackneyed and cliched pictures. this is something i am sure lots of people struggle with, ie. how to give your pictures just that little edge to make them stand out from the crowd, and not be just clasified as more dung.
Jim.
p.s. appologies to Dr.O as this thread seems to keep going of track, i am unable to ofer any useful advice for your problem, besides i think all your pictures are great soft or sharp

Dr. O

Just wanted to say what a lovely portrait