Facebook Photo Contest Group - But they don't understand!!!

[alexniedra]

Hi all


As my use of Facebook diminishes steadily, I can't help but try and help "photographers" in the "photography" photo contests.



Don't get me wrong, I endorse everybody's ambitions and goals, but I cannot stand it when I see pictures of keyboards and cell phones getting votes from other photographers. What gives?


Here's what I posted in a discussion on the group page - This was my reply to a post called "Theme Suggestions":



"I really like the group so far...

But I would like to see some
really artistic themes - Not garbage cans, or computer keyboards - Not
something you can take a picture of by walking 10 feet away from your
computer.

I would suggest something you need to have an eye
for - Something that gets the photographer thinking, and something that
is a challenge to capture effectively.

No specific theme has come to mind yet, but I think you guys get the general idea..."


I feel like an outcast when terms like f/stop and shutter speed come into play.


I don't mean any offence to 1. Users of Facebook photo contests 2. Members of the group, but the images seem to bite at my creativity, and make me frustrated. Some of the images are of great quality, and have a lot of thought put into them, but I see many as just photos, not images. And I see a difference, not in terms of only quality, but in effort, composition, and thinking. And for the record (contrary to my beliefs in my other post), gear.


Again, I don't like making people angry, nor do I intend to make anybody angry, but I just feel that I need to "restore" my creative mind with a visit to Bill Frakes website to get me inspired again.





Anybody feel the same?

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Those folks are snap shooters, they enter what readily available to them. It's like a volleyballgame at your company picnic. Anybody can join and they can play bare foot,in jean, insandals andthe net is 6' high. On the other hand if you come to an organized volleyball league, it's totally different. They have rules and regulations and the players there reallyknow how to play.


My suggestion is to get off Facebook.[:)]

[powers_brent]

Can you really expect much from a Facebook group for photography? Like Nate said anybody can join. If I submitted my photographs to that group I would for sure win, but compared to you guys I pale in comparison. Facebook is not a worthy venue for artistic photography. The site degrades photo quality at a miniature size. These groups are a gateway for people to become more interested in photography. Hopefully it does that. While I LOVE facebook, I do believe the facebook photography groups do NOT do wonder for the art form.

[alexniedra]

That's it.


I sometimes trump these groups, but I think I'll keep the image critique here. You people know best.

[alexniedra]

The-Digital-Picture.com is where 95% of my photos go, if I put them online.


Facebook is mainly used to put photos up from my high school sports, although I have recently come to dislike the position of "profile picture supplier". If they want a picture, they can take it.



Thanks for the insights Sinh Nhut Nguyen. [:)]


PS: I'm sure you've heard this before, but is Sinh your first name, or Sihn Nhut?

[Brendan7]

I think it is like trying to teach an ant to operate a TV.

[Dallasphotog]

I post a lot of stuff on photo.net. The critiques are brutal, but usually very helpful. I think there are a huge number of super talented folks posting over there. Every time I browse the main gallery, I find something just stunning.

[devsalvi]

I personally wouldn't take facebook seriously and for that matter get offended by "stuff" everyone does there.


I would suggest though, not a competition but if you sign up for sites like fotolia or shutterstock, you would really find out how good your picture is. Atleast how artistic and how much of a commercial product it is. I gather, the pictures you upload there undergo expert scrutiny and only the best are allowed to stay up on their sites. Again, I would not take this as an offense, if someone does not agree why my art is not being liked. But it does give an insight to what really good photos are. Learn from your mistakes. And also you can always browse through galleries and get an idea to improvise on.


Phew! that was hard! By the way, was this out of context? oops!


Cheers!


Dev

[Colin]

Darn it, I can't quickly locate my potentially prize-winning garbage can picture.





POOP!

[alexniedra]

Yes, this is the reality.


And this is the fact that they are snapshooters. We'll let them have fun. But I won't intervene.[:)]

[Dann Thombs]

I use Facebook to keep in touch with people I would have lost contact with. Other than that, there's far better places for photo critique.

[Colin]

I found that picture of the garbage cans. It really was not nearly as interesting as it was in real life....


OTOH, yesterday I got quick shot of what I thought was a wedding reception, but I was informed, after the fact, that it was a wizard with a princess. Stupid me... Good thing, though, because I don't own a 24-70 f/2.8L, but was using the 24-105 f/4L. If it was in fact a wedding, it'd have been totally screwed.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n87/boujiluge/2009-04-27_ASaltBatteries800x1200_0.jpg

[Mark Elberson]

I found that picture of the garbage cans. It really was not nearly as interesting as it was in real life....


OTOH, yesterday I got quick shot of what I thought was a wedding reception, but I was informed, after the fact, that it was a wizard with a princess. Stupid me... Good thing, though, because I don't own a 24-70 f/2.8L, but was using the 24-105 f/4L. If it was in fact a wedding, it'd have been totally screwed.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n87/boujiluge/2009-04-27_ASaltBatteries800x1200_0.jpg
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>








Is that a bugle???

[Colin]

Err... No... It's a wizard's hat. if it was a Bugle, I would have had to use a Macro lens... [:)]


But, it sure does look exactly like a Bugle, doesn't it?


Tasted like one too, I'd bet[:P]

[powers_brent]

Great shot Colin. hahahaha i literally laughed out loud. uhhh a bit off topic though??? not complaining though.

[Colin]

Oh, I guess, strictly speaking, it may be off topic, but it was kind of a picture of stupid stuff...


I sometimes get a thing for fire hydrants. Not like a dog, but photographically.


I think there's a good point in, like, how many pictures of a keyboard do you really want. Still, at least for my own personal entertainment, sometimes things just laying around the house, or in youryard, or whereverare interesting if you can look at them a different way. I sometimes find myself snapping pictures of parts of my compound bow, because darn it, when the light filters through the redwood trees at that time in the afternoon, things just look cool. My girlfriend thinks I have ADD. Whether it looks cool in the picture is an entirely larger step [:)]


I also find that many things that I thought were interesting enough to take a picture of, upon later examination, really, really aren't. [:(] But the nice thing about digital is that 'Delete' is cheap!