Andy Rouse Foto buzz

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Just wondering if anybody has signed up to andy rouses foto buzz is it worth shelling out the subscription fee? Comes across as its a pretty good online wildlife camera club?

Whats your opinions?

Thanks in advance
 
What's the fee, can't find it on the site?
 
This was recently brought to my attention by a friend a week or so ago, truth be told I'm loathed to part with that kind of money without having a good idea of the what site is going to be about or how it's going to work :( and I'm struggling to understand it from the details on the website :(
 
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Looks a bit like a forum with a few bells & whistles, no doubt we'll get some idea in time :)
 
Who going to take the plunge lol. I no what you mean about having a good idea of how it works. Id like to know how many members there are nothing worse than a dead forum although its new so it will take time.
 
I thought I would contact andy rouse via facebook. This is what I wrote...

Hi.
I came across your fotobuzz website and was contemplating wether or not to join I really want to improve my wildlife photography skills and it sounds like your website will be great. Although im wondering how many members you have on there? As its great if its active also what makes this better than other photography forums? Sorry to ask such questions but to part with that much money is quite alot for me but I am willing to if it will help give me the motivation and resources to progress. Thank you.

This was his reply

Sorry Simon I am not prepared to divulge sensitive business info like that. We are two weeks old and already ahead of my projected member signup. This week in HK we have 12 users sign up locally and expect more.

Also we are not a photography forum, we are completely different. It concerns me that you think we are as all the marketing points in a completely different direction. Have you looked around the free sure and seen the articles?

My policy has never been to shout it make unfair promises. If you want to join then great, you will love it, but if you don't then hey that's cool. I think the fact that you are expecting us to be a forum means that we will not be the site for you if I am honest. We are very far from that and our members certainly appreciate that!!


Sounds like I rubbed him up the wrong way. Also my name is richard not simon so obviously he didnt take much notice as on facebook it clearly states my name.
 
I thought I would contact andy rouse via facebook. This is what I wrote...

Hi.
I came across your fotobuzz website and was contemplating wether or not to join I really want to improve my wildlife photography skills and it sounds like your website will be great. Although im wondering how many members you have on there? As its great if its active also what makes this better than other photography forums? Sorry to ask such questions but to part with that much money is quite alot for me but I am willing to if it will help give me the motivation and resources to progress. Thank you.

This was his reply

Sorry Simon I am not prepared to divulge sensitive business info like that. We are two weeks old and already ahead of my projected member signup. This week in HK we have 12 users sign up locally and expect more.

Also we are not a photography forum, we are completely different. It concerns me that you think we are as all the marketing points in a completely different direction. Have you looked around the free sure and seen the articles?

My policy has never been to shout it make unfair promises. If you want to join then great, you will love it, but if you don't then hey that's cool. I think the fact that you are expecting us to be a forum means that we will not be the site for you if I am honest. We are very far from that and our members certainly appreciate that!!


Sounds like I rubbed him up the wrong way. Also my name is richard not simon so obviously he didnt take much notice as on facebook it clearly states my name.

A response like that would if I'm honest really put me of taking things further...to be honest I suspect it isn't the place for me either...
 
I looked at this with a bit of interest but after reading the response above and looking at the very limited info on the site I think I'll save my money.
 
Yes I agree. Seems like hes got that im above you im far superior attitude. I dont see whats wrong with a forum and it mentions on the site its an online camera club with a community and theres articles. Photo critique sections etc. Well to me no matter how you look at it, its still basically a forum, what would be wrong with it being centred around a private forum where people can share there knowledge.
 
Rouse is undoubtedly a decent photographer but then again so would most of us be if we had his equipment list and the financial and logistic support he gets, however i have no time for anyone who bigs up a manufacturer then jumps ship when the opposing manufacturer gives him more money and gear, hes done it a coupe of times, tosser
 
Love this quote - in particular the bit I've highlighted in bold

3. COMMUNITY We like to think of FotoBuzz as an online camera club, sharing information and getting together for social events. We have a Lounge where you’ll be able to chat to other members but the rules are going to be a little different here to stop it from becoming another stagnant online forum.

Can't say I have ever thought of TP as stagnant
 
Its £75 for the year which seems like alot so it got me thinking is it worth it or not http://www.foto-buzz.com/
I actually quite like the sample article that have been posted (not the writing style to much as the information contained, breaking down the shots in detail so you understand the process and work that went into them), but I'm wary at that price (which I believe is an introductory price at that). I've seen it name-dropped elsewhere on here though, someone has definitely joined so hopefully you'll get a more... objective response than the one you received above!

I don't think wanting to understand the size of the community of a site that uses the community as a part of its selling point is asking too much.
 
I think A.R's wildlife photography is brilliant. I think the fotobuzz looks interesting, but not 75 quids worth of interest for me.

I think its interesting that they have chosen this approach, i.e charge to join, as opposed to, free to join to get good penetration into the market and then sell advertising. I would not be surprised if this approach is reviewed in the coming months.
 
Sadly his defensive attitude doesn't fill me with confidence that there is much there of benefit, why not try to sell it to you?
His rudeness in response to you makes me disinclined to get involved!
 
That reply confirms my opinion of the guy, to be honest. Puts himself about as a bit of a lad but in the brief conversation I had with him he appeared defensive and unfriendly.

Just to expand this a little, say you're a "big name" photographer like Rouse. Chances are you earn a fair proportion of your income from running workshops and tours. It's not going to be to your advantage to be amenable and friendly to your admirers unless they are paying you.

I've come across this attitude several times now, with different people, and to be honest it's the only explanation I can think of. I'd be happy to be proved wrong though, if anyone has any experience to the contrary.
 
That reply confirms my opinion of the guy, to be honest. Puts himself about as a bit of a lad but in the brief conversation I had with him he appeared defensive and unfriendly.

Just to expand this a little, say you're a "big name" photographer like Rouse. Chances are you earn a fair proportion of your income from running workshops and tours. It's not going to be to your advantage to be amenable and friendly to your admirers unless they are paying you.

I've come across this attitude several times now, with different people, and to be honest it's the only explanation I can think of. I'd be happy to be proved wrong though, if anyone has any experience to the contrary.
I think you are probably correct
 
I'm prepared to take bets on, that there's nothing out there, that you can't find on tp.

It may not all be gathered in articles and may have to be found in bits and pieces here and there, but it's all here.

And if there's something not found, a quick request should do.


Let's share the £75 and send a "volunteer" in! Have a fiver here waiting...
 
His attitude in that article is awful, especially the bit about refusing to call anyone sir - that says to me that there is no-one he respects or looks up to. I had no opinion on him as a person prior to reading this thread, but his reply to the poster above and in that article have really put me off him.
 
quoted from the article phil_b posted.

I’ve been pounded on forums. After changing camera systems, I got death threats and people saying I was a has-been. I used to get very angry and take the commentary very personally, but now I don’t bother with forums – which is why I started Fotobuzz, a site for positive criticism that takes the forum idiots out of the equation.
If someone takes a picture that is terrible, it’s not your place to pull them down for it. You have to give positive feedback, put your arm around them and advice them on how they could do things differently. Amateur photographers want to learn, not have their confidence crushed.



- I cant say ive witnessed people pulling members photos down and not giving them positive criticism on here. so I think hes just trying to big up his website making other forums look unfriendly. All I can really say is you should treat people how you want to be treated, and from his attitude I wouldn't be surprised if his website doesn't last that long. but good luck to him
 
- I cant say ive witnessed people pulling members photos down and not giving them positive criticism on here. so I think hes just trying to big up his website making other forums look unfriendly. All I can really say is you should treat people how you want to be treated, and from his attitude I wouldn't be surprised if his website doesn't last that long. but good luck to him

This forum isnt typical of the forum world though - Ive witnessed some terrible behaviour on other photo forums (including an american one which delights in telling 'limeys' that they arent welcome - in my case they also said "remember the war of 1812 you sad pathetic limey ****stain" - as Britain won the war of 1812 (defence of canada) I wasnt sure what point he was trying to make, perhaps he doesnt know his own date of independence :D) and to be fair you do see a degree of bad behaviour even here with some terible crit being given - have a look at a few recent threads in the bird forums for instance. - what sets TP apart is the speed with which the green team deal with it

As regards Andy Rouse - Ive known him tangentially for about 15 years ( I wouldnt say he was a freind but he knows me by sight when i go to his talks and stuff), those saying that he's standoffish and cold - well you're entitled to your opinions but thats not been my experience - he's always been really helpful and kind when i've met him (and not just to me , or indeed to those paying him money... one example I remember being at a conference where he was speaking at marwell, and seeing him take time out of his lumch break to help a few photographers who were just zoo visitors ie not conference delgates.)

I havent joined photobuzz yet ,though i probably will in time - my father in law has and it looks pretty good. Its not however a forum , its basically a tutorial site with a chat room for live chat with other members. There are about 80 or so members so far

the bottom line is that as its not a forum its not in competition with TP, and i'd see membership as beeing an 'as well as', not 'an instead of' and as regards whether its worth £75, time will tell , but to be honest 75 notes is about two magazine subscriptions - and as I can't find a mag worth reading (apart from maybe outdoor photography) i'm happy to cancel my various disapointing subs and give fotobuzz a whirl instead.
 
>>>>>>>I havent joined photobuzz yet ,though i probably will in time - my father in law has and it looks pretty good. Its not however a forum , its basically a tutorial site with a chat room for live chat with other members. There are about 80 or so members so far<<<<<<<<

Hmmm........80 x 75 = £6000.......
 
>>>>>>>I havent joined photobuzz yet ,though i probably will in time - my father in law has and it looks pretty good. Its not however a forum , its basically a tutorial site with a chat room for live chat with other members. There are about 80 or so members so far<<<<<<<<

Hmmm........80 x 75 = £6000.......

Jeremy - I can see you are a junior member and so I'll go a little easy on this but I'm assuming you think that £6000 is a lot of money ?

Even if this is the case, then that is a gross figure. You can take off the set-up costs (as it is in year 1 of operation), which could be significant, the annual running costs and there are at least two people investing time in this and so once you get to a net figure, take taxes out of this I doubt anyone is going to be buying a Porsche off the back of it.

But step back a bit - Andy Rouse is one of the foremost wildlife photographers in the country and as such he should be able to command a premium for access to him and his information. He should be able to make a good living from his talent and also his reputation - because frankly if he can't then there is little hope for the many thousands of wildlife photographers who are less well known and connected in the industry.

Now I'm by no means an Andy Rouse fanboy, but over the last 10-12 years I have met him on several occasions, heard him speak and been on one of his workshops. His passion for wildlife, and wildlife photography is exceptional, he might not be the biggest diplomat in the industry, and he may ruffle many feathers - but he *is* a great photographer and focussed business-man.

If he can make a real success of this then good luck to him and his team. It is an attempt to do something different - and he should be applauded for that.
 
I'm not quite sure where the junior member thing came from. I've asked the Mods to remove it, and it does seem to have gone now.

I understand all you have to say. He obviously divides opinion, but my experience of meeting him was not good.

And that's £6000 in the first two weeks.
 
I would't personally pay that much for advice even from a pro like him, there are many fine talented photographers on here with as many years experience, whom give there time freely. It is unfortunately an ever increasing commercial world and I wish him all the best in his new venture.
 
I understand all you have to say. He obviously divides opinion, but my experience of meeting him was not good.

And that's £6000 in the first two weeks.

Right - but he isn't going to take £6k every two weeks ad infinitum - that site has been promoted for months so you'll always get an initial peak in sign-up - and as I said - so what if he does make some money.
 
Right - but he isn't going to take £6k every two weeks ad infinitum - that site has been promoted for months so you'll always get an initial peak in sign-up - and as I said - so what if he does make some money.

Also its not £6k profit - the site has some very slick software (which costs money) plus there are server costs etc ( which cost a lot more money) the various expers who contribute will presumably want paying, plus he'll be paying tax on whatever profit there is - obviously its going to be profit making for him , just as magazines have to be profit making for archant et al. but its not going to be a get rich quick scheme for him.

TP is free and will remain so (according to marcel) but its on a very different model, isnt intended to be profit making (we can be grateful for the hours and hours marcy and the rest of the green team put in free - not something i would choose to do) has software that although good isnt as slick as that on Fotobuzz (fior example they have a drag and drop uploader), and makes its server fees etc through various forms of paid advertising (which fotobuzz doesn't excepting the promo of various Andy Rouse workshops etc)

As I said further up Fotobuzz isnt in competition with TP because its not a forum - yes you can get great advice on forums free - you can also get some 'king terrible advice on forums free and not everyone knows the difference - Fotobuzz is more likely to be in competition with the magazine market (ie a place you go when you want advice soley from pros and that which is known to be reliable) - not entirely suprising when you consider that the other partner is Andrew James (ex editor of practical photography), and in that market £75 per year is pretty competitive £1.40 per week or £6.25 per month. - which is less than one mag a month.

I wouldnt have said that i was a fanboi either - I know the guy and i like him, but i'm not blind to his faults, but at the end of the day i'd say good on him for doing something different - don't like it don't join it - if you join and don't like it don't rejoin next year.... simple really.
 
Incidentally if anyone has junior member on their profile and they are actually over 16 it'll be because you haven't completed your full date of birth in your profile. (if you don't want to give your real DoB for internet security reasons, just change the date and the month, but leave the year correct so that the forum software knows how old you are
 
My date of birth is filled in correctly in my personal details and I'm over 16 so why hasn't my Junior Member tag gone :thinking:
Cos you are a mere youth ,young man......;)
 
His attitude in that article is awful, especially the bit about refusing to call anyone sir - that says to me that there is no-one he respects or looks up to. I had no opinion on him as a person prior to reading this thread, but his reply to the poster above and in that article have really put me off him.

Having now met Andy a couple of times, had a long chat to him and joined Fotobuzz on the back of it, I have to revise my opinion above. He came across badly in the article, but I liked him a lot on meeting him - funny, chatty and very willing to share his vast knowledge.
 
So what does it give you? :)

I have only been in a month, Gramps, but so far we have already had a meet up with Andy at Slimbridge (for the grand sum of £15) where he was very helpful sharing his knowledge with us. The opportunity to have photos critiqued by Andy and Andrew, a very friendly chat room, some very good articles including precise locations (very useful), lots of good tips and info from the other members as well as the experts, plus discounts on new kit and workshops. It is very early days yet, but I am happy so far.
 
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