I must be getting worse, or have hit mediocrity

Anyone else get this??, you think that for several pictures in a row you have posted YOUR best work in a particular category to the gallery, only to get minimal views and hardly any comments.

Having thought about it I can only conclude that the pictures are neither good enough to attract comment or bad enough to attract criticism.

Am I such a bad judge of my own work? what to think? Maybe I'm just going through some kind of photographers mid-life-crisis

BTW this IS not a fishing for compliments thread, just wondered if others have been through similar

Daniel

edit oh crap spelling mistakes!

I think it's just pot luck. The images on the first page of the gallery are replaced very quickly so your images could be missed. If you want comments and/or advice why not try the Your Photos section. You can always post them to the gallery for your portfolio at a later time. There are members who never look at the gallery but do look at Your Photos.

no news is good news?

I don't know why that happens to be honest....
I have a few images I shared hoping to see what people might think on the one hand, and understand your perspective...on the other hand... i've also been very reluctant to post opinions on other peoples work....
so... what should I expect in return?

I've moved this to General Chat.

There's a choice of posting in the forum and/or the Gallery. I use both, depending on the mood.

It's always interesting to get feedback, but whether we receive comments or not we at least know that our pictures are being seen. I would comment more if I had more time, so usually only post if there's something that really grabs my attention.

I think you're jumping to unnecessary conclusions.

My internet usage has a random element and I don't regularly comment on people's images. Sometimes I have a good look through and try and be constructive, other times I might not even enter the Your Photos section for weeks.

If you want regular commentary feedback on your images, then I would suggest showing them on as many online locations as possible.

Ultimately it's worth developing some confidence in being able to judge your images yourself. :0

I'm always glad to have comments on my work, though so many factors affect the level of response: the time/day a photo is posted; whether or not a Pentax+ member uploads a number of images shortly afterwards (getting bumped off the opening page reduces casual viewings hugely); whether the subject/treatment can communicate its interest at thumbnail size; the nature of the subject (some have a larger following than others); and so on... I am happy to comment if I have time, though I don't browse the Gallery with any regularity, and I'll usually only chip in if I think the photo is exceptional in some way, and if I feel at least some affinity to the subject. So, in answer to your question, no, I'm not troubled by the lack of response to a photo I think well of. Equally, I'm delighted on those few occasions when someone points out a flaw or a way in which a photo can be improved. I've never posted a pic in the Forum, but having seen others do it, that might be a better way to get more extended c&c.

[Smeggy/quote]Ultimately it's worth developing some confidence in being able to judge your images yourself. :0[Smeggy/quote]

Yes agreed but I don't think that we can do this in isolation from the opinions of others that we trust (on a photographic level at least)

please excuse my ham-fisted attempts at quoting you :blushSmeggy)

Hello Daniel

As a regular 'poster' on the Gallery, I think I have some experience in what happens and can spot some trends. There are several factors that determine the number of views an image receives; one of these is undoubtedly the quality and impact of the shot, but there are others. Here's a list of some thoughts, in no particular order:

1. Some photographers seem to build up a 'following' and people will view their images just because it a photo is taken by them. This is probably also linked to the quality of their work; i.e. consistent high quality gets people noticed and more people are likely to view a photographer's output if it's usually good

2. Subject matter is very important. Consistently, images of still life subjects get far fewer views than nice landscapes, regardless of their quality. Naked and pretty women get the most, even if the images are not too good, portraits also do well. Something that is out of the ordinary will attract attention, e.g. if it's a landscape shot, don't post ones that anyone could have taken, or if you do, make them exceptional

3. Composition and impact. If an image is well composed and has 'impact' in the thumbnail view, it will attract views. This is critical. A thumbnail does not convey the details in a shot, so the general composition and impact is of high importance. Images need a proper 'lead in', if they follow the rule of thirds that helps too, the higher the dynamic range the better.

4. Processing quality. Regardless of the subject, those images which are processed skilfully usually get more views. It might be something as simple as making sure the contrast, colour and sharpness are right. I see a large number of images in the Gallery which simply look 'flat'. I avoid looking at them and would imagine others do the same.

5. Aspect Ratio. Panoramas don't suit the Gallery (resolution is not high enough). Images in 'landscape' format tend to get more views than those in 'portrait' format, but there are lots of exceptions; I'm making a general point here.

I don't think you should read too much into a run of images that didn't receive many views or much comment. Keep posting them and keep striving to improve your quality, if comments are received don't take them personally as usually they are not meant that way.

Regards
David