- Joined
- Dec 7, 2007
- Messages
- 3,524
- Location
- Puget Sound
- Lightroom Experience
- Intermediate
- Lightroom Version
- Classic
N.B. I have written and rewritten the following post more than I care to admit. It would have been a novel by the time I fully elaborated on all of the related thoughts and issues, but I tried to be concise for the sake of my fellow readers. I apologize in advance if the questions or observations that I pose are not clear to you because of the concise nature of the post.
While I absolutely love the organizational features in LR, organized or not, I find that I am my own worst critic/editor. My inability to delete or demote images, for they are "all my children" is as equally frustrating as my inability to select an image, because "while its a nice shot, it just doesn't seem the best choice for the occasion". It's not that I am foreign to the concept of editing, it's just that it always seems easier to edit somebody else's work because there is no emotional attachment to their images.
Now, I know there are many, many web sites where one can post work and solicit feedback. Unfortunately, quantity is not often a good substitute for quality (on both ends of this equation), and it often seems to me that many of these sites just miss the mark, with the occasional exception of technical feedback if that is what you are after. It's not that I am opposed to improving my technical skills, as they can always be improved, but there is also the artistic side of photography, which I know can make for a very slippery slope for any serious discussion.
I recently read a forum post at Photo.net from a member who had the fortune of having a full portfolio review as well as many lengthy discussions about images that he never considered for show or publication (John Crosley's Sept. 2' comment midway in the thread: http://photo.net/street-documentary-photography-forum/''UWlh ). While such opinions are extremely subjective, and highly dependent on a person's goals, I find the notion of this "retrospective" approach quite interesting. While it may focus discussion on specific images, the discussion seems to be held in the context of a person's entire body of work.
I realize that photographers who earn their living through sales of their images get feedback from the "market", but I am curious as to how others solicit feedback beyond the "technicals". Have you ever, for example, reconsidered an image that you did not think was strong? If so, what caused your change in opinion? I would consider asking for feedback from family or friends, but that seems like asking somebody to watch hours of home movies or vacation slides. Not a very nice thing to do to people you know and love! And, while I may respect their opinions, I am not certain if their perspective is what I am actually seeking. I guess I should also state that am a historian by schooling, so I suppose that the idea of a retrospective look at my work seems quite natural to my way of analysis.
I really do like looking at my catalog of personal work in LR, but I always seem to end up frustrated when I try to make sense of it all, or even some of it. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.
--Ken
While I absolutely love the organizational features in LR, organized or not, I find that I am my own worst critic/editor. My inability to delete or demote images, for they are "all my children" is as equally frustrating as my inability to select an image, because "while its a nice shot, it just doesn't seem the best choice for the occasion". It's not that I am foreign to the concept of editing, it's just that it always seems easier to edit somebody else's work because there is no emotional attachment to their images.
Now, I know there are many, many web sites where one can post work and solicit feedback. Unfortunately, quantity is not often a good substitute for quality (on both ends of this equation), and it often seems to me that many of these sites just miss the mark, with the occasional exception of technical feedback if that is what you are after. It's not that I am opposed to improving my technical skills, as they can always be improved, but there is also the artistic side of photography, which I know can make for a very slippery slope for any serious discussion.
I recently read a forum post at Photo.net from a member who had the fortune of having a full portfolio review as well as many lengthy discussions about images that he never considered for show or publication (John Crosley's Sept. 2' comment midway in the thread: http://photo.net/street-documentary-photography-forum/''UWlh ). While such opinions are extremely subjective, and highly dependent on a person's goals, I find the notion of this "retrospective" approach quite interesting. While it may focus discussion on specific images, the discussion seems to be held in the context of a person's entire body of work.
I realize that photographers who earn their living through sales of their images get feedback from the "market", but I am curious as to how others solicit feedback beyond the "technicals". Have you ever, for example, reconsidered an image that you did not think was strong? If so, what caused your change in opinion? I would consider asking for feedback from family or friends, but that seems like asking somebody to watch hours of home movies or vacation slides. Not a very nice thing to do to people you know and love! And, while I may respect their opinions, I am not certain if their perspective is what I am actually seeking. I guess I should also state that am a historian by schooling, so I suppose that the idea of a retrospective look at my work seems quite natural to my way of analysis.
I really do like looking at my catalog of personal work in LR, but I always seem to end up frustrated when I try to make sense of it all, or even some of it. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.
--Ken
