Getting knocked back

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Name
Bazza
Edit My Images
Yes
There is nothing worse than being constantly knocked back about how bad my photos are on another site. Ok they are not perfect or technically correct but they are what I like. Why do some take great delight slagging off others efforts? It has got so bad from one member on that particular forum I now am afraid to post any pictures and informed the management I won't post any more .

It Must be a lot worse for those just starting getting into photography, Surely those who are more knowledgeable should help and not go out to prove their work is far superior?

Sorry about the moan but it has really pulled me down
 
There is nothing worse than being constantly knocked back about how bad my photos are on another site. Ok they are not perfect or technically correct but they are what I like. Why do some take great delight slagging off others efforts? It has got so bad from one member on that particular forum I now am afraid to post any pictures and informed the management I won't post any more .

It Must be a lot worse for those just starting getting into photography, Surely those who are more knowledgeable should help and not go out to prove their work is far superior?

Sorry about the moan but it has really pulled me down

The reason why A holes slag off our photos we like is, because it makes them feel good. If you like them, then that is the main thing imo.
 
I do not know for certain how it works on this site but with some, you can have your pictures critiqued or not. So if you just want to show your images without anyone commenting, it should be possible.

Dave
 
Go on give us a clue ,which forum ?
 
Do they have separate crit & pleasure sections like TP?

It seems to me that posting images in the crit sections (most of the photo pages here) is an active invitation for getting crit, but not in the PFP section. Having said that, crit can still be done with some sensitivity, though there used to be some on TP that appeared to take pleasure in calling an uninspiring photo a piece of cr*p and giving the poster a hard time. Maybe they've begun posting over there? ;)
 
As others have said and as I feel, it's your hobby so why even consider what others think. I will sometimes comment, generally positive because if I don't like someone's photo and they have posted it I believe it's probably because they like it and they don't need my self opinionated view.
 
I won't mention which site as it is not etiquette to do so and not a dedicated photographic site like this. It just makes me feel very much down, but thanks for the replies, decent people on here
 
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I think everyone can benefit from constructive criticism. Sometimes other people can see what you can't because they are looking at an image unemotionally.
But there is a section on here where you can post without being critiqued. .
But at the end of the day, if you like the image, that is all that matters.
 
But there is a section on here where you can post without being critiqued.
Can I ask which that is because I’ve never been sure where it is. I’ve always wondered if we could have a thread marker option like the classfieds make or the not for work marker which is along the lines of say ‘open for crit’ or ‘no crit please’ so they can all be in the right genre section and be clear which is which.
 
Can I ask which that is because I’ve never been sure where it is.


Photos : for Pleasure

This is a forum for sharing those photos for which you require no critique at all. Photos you have taken just for fun, or silly snapshots. Please do not offer any critique in this forum.
 
I'm tempted to say life's too short to give a **** what someone you don't know thinks about a photo you like, but I wont say that :D

Maybe they don't get it or maybe you have a connection they don't. Whatever. If you're happy then you're happy and chances are that lots of people who don't knock back quite like your pictures too :D
 
Photos : for Pleasure

This is a forum for sharing those photos for which you require no critique at all. Photos you have taken just for fun, or silly snapshots. Please do not offer any critique in this forum.
Thanks, I’d seen that section but never twigged it was the no critique section. This is where I find the photo section weird because I usually look inside the specific sections I shoot ie nature and landscapes. Often most replies in them don’t offer any critique at all (usually it’s a bit of ‘great photo’ back slapping). There are some threads that do have critique replies though not that many are actually that useful.

All of my photography is ‘for pleasure’ as such but feels like it would be best suited in the specific genre sections where like mind people visit and may enjoy. I guess I have other places to post images where that ‘for pleasure’ posting without critique can be done which is a shame as TP loses out. But then I do post images on TP it’s usually in a specific camera thread as they seem less of worry regarding the potential responses.
 
I'm tempted to say life's too short to give a **** what someone you don't know thinks about a photo you like, but I wont say that :D

Maybe they don't get it or maybe you have a connection they don't. Whatever. If you're happy then you're happy and chances are that lots of people who don't knock back quite like your pictures too :D
Yep it’s the internet therefore there will be quite a few idiots on it! Best just to ignore the ones who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.
 
A useful rule of thumb is to see what kind of images the person offering crit produces. If they make a steady stream of excellent pictures then it's probably good to listen to what they say, but OTOH if they post very 'ordinary' images or none at all then ignore them.

Sometimes, well, often actually I look at excellent pictures and end up thinking so what? I think I need to feel a connection and apart from that I tend to like pictures that have something else other than excellence, hence my interest in taking pictures with some lenses that some others wouldn't use or taking pictures that some others wouldn't take. But I'm going off topic so I'll stop there :D but this connection may be something the op feels but the critics don't?
 
In order to take good pictures, in addition to an 'eye' and technical competence, I think you need two things: the confidence to know you are right, and the humility to know you might be wrong. You may swing between these two things, with sharp criticism pushing you one way and you feeling good about an image pushing you the other. I'd guess this is a healthy, if at times uncomfortable, continuing process. But even if it's (eventually) good for you, it doesn't excuse arrogant a***s making sweeping comments. Perhaps they're stuck at the confidence end of the spectrum, which has clear implications for the quality and originality of their own work.
 
Some people making comments will be trying to make themselves look clever and knowledgeable, others are just repeting whats been said about their pictures because they don't know any better. Some others will just be trolling, a final few will be actually trying to help you.
Some forums are better than others, some attract the idiots and no-hopers, others like this one have lots helpfull people.
I wou;dn't take any of it too seriously, especially if it's afecting your confidence, I'd suggest you either ignore the ones you don't like or go elsewhere for your crits. Get any ten of us in a room and we'll never agree on what pics best, we're all different.
You sort of answered your own question in that respect when you said you likes your pictures, thats the important bit, it doesn't really matter what others think, you like them then they are good for you.
 
Bazza I went through a similar stage, in the end I decided if I liked it then that was the end of the subject, if I want C&C then I post in the right place and ask for it, usually with some description why.

It is hard when confidence gets constantly knocked down, personally if I felt like that I would just leave that forum or not post.

When I first joined here I received a lot of C&C which I did not mind as it helped, having said that I was surprised as I did not realise that the "sharing & critique" section was really only a critique section :LOL:
 
Easy answer is just post your photos on TP , If you don't want critique just say .
 
Many years ago I used to post on an PS Elements forum where all the images posted were commented on as 'Fantastic' or 'Amazing' etc.
I did comment with a minor suggestion to improve one image when I got the hint that I should visit other forums instead of that one!
There are extremes at both ends!
You have to smile;)
 
Great replies all thank you, far better than I was getting sarcastic comments like " see your picture on country file calender- can't you post photos in focus - it needs cropping - your using the wrong f stop - you should not do any editing ,get it right in camera- your not compressing the photos before posting, from one particular person. Needless to say I won't be on that site so often now and never ever post a photo there again
 
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My photos are for me, most of the time. I'm a lot better at snapping than I was before but WAY behind millions of others. So what.
 
There is nothing worse than being constantly knocked back about how bad my photos are on another site. Ok they are not perfect or technically correct but they are what I like. Why do some take great delight slagging off others efforts? It has got so bad from one member on that particular forum I now am afraid to post any pictures and informed the management I won't post any more .

It Must be a lot worse for those just starting getting into photography, Surely those who are more knowledgeable should help and not go out to prove their work is far superior?

Sorry about the moan but it has really pulled me down


Don't post them.

Simples.

You don't need anyone to blow smoke up your arse as long as you're happy with your images that's all that matters.
 
Sometimes, well, often actually I look at excellent pictures and end up thinking so what? I think I need to feel a connection and apart from that I tend to like pictures that have something else other than excellence, hence my interest in taking pictures with some lenses that some others wouldn't use or taking pictures that some others wouldn't take. But I'm going off topic so I'll stop there :D but this connection may be something the op feels but the critics don't?

Perhaps excellence goes beyond just technical ability. :)
 
There is nothing worse than being constantly knocked back about how bad my photos are on another site. Ok they are not perfect or technically correct but they are what I like. Why do some take great delight slagging off others efforts? It has got so bad from one member on that particular forum I now am afraid to post any pictures and informed the management I won't post any more .

It Must be a lot worse for those just starting getting into photography, Surely those who are more knowledgeable should help and not go out to prove their work is far superior?

Sorry about the moan but it has really pulled me down

All feedback is good when it comes to striving to improve.

If you have no interest in other peoples opinions or trying to improve and your images are just for your own enjoyment, don't post your images online in places where they will be critiqued.
 
If you ask for other peoples opinions you are opening yourself up to a wold of rubbish, why bother? if you like it or the client likes it then the rest is just noise, learn to filter it out and the world is a better place.
 
This talk of feedback and how it's received reminds me a bit of a story I heard first hand about a highly regarded and influential rock musician, let's call him Mr X...

Mr X had just played a gig at a small club with some musician friends and had gone to the bar with them for a post gig drink. A member of the audience came up to him, clearly worse for drink, and asked "You're Mr X, aren't you?". Mr X politely confirmed that he was. The drunk replied "I'm going to do all your stuff... and I'm going to do it better than you!".

Now how many times could this have resulted in a 'p*ss take' reply or a cutting put down? Apparently Mr X never batted an eyelid and replied "When you do, can you send me a tape of it please?" and wrote his address on a piece of paper and gave it the drunk, who promptly wandered off. One of the band members turned to Mr X and asked "You've not just given him your real address, have you?". "Yes" Mr X replied. The band member said "Why've you done that, the bloke was being an idiot?". Mr X replied in an honest and genuine tone "Because he just might be a genius".
 
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There is nothing worse than being constantly knocked back about how bad my photos are on another site. Ok they are not perfect or technically correct but they are what I like. Why do some take great delight slagging off others efforts? It has got so bad from one member on that particular forum I now am afraid to post any pictures and informed the management I won't post any more .

It Must be a lot worse for those just starting getting into photography, Surely those who are more knowledgeable should help and not go out to prove their work is far superior?

Sorry about the moan but it has really pulled me down

As others have said, take no notice of the idiot/troll-like comments.

If someone comes back with a well argued reason why they think one of your photos could be improved, then they are worth a listen, but for those who just want to have a pop, then ignore them.

I know that is easy to say when you have posted a shot you like and the only thing someone can say is, "That's crap"

Another forum I belong (nothing to do with photography) has a 'Like' and a 'Dislike' button. It appears to have at least one serial disliker. It doesn't matter what is the subject, someone will dislike it.

I'm sure like the rest of us here you want to produce really good photos but, your photos, be they, for example, shots of a great landscape, portraits of family or friends, street scenes or an event are for you, and that is all that matters.

Dave
 
There is nothing worse than being constantly knocked back about how bad my photos are
Dear Baz, you rarely ask for advice, and neither have you done so here. But you do have a propensity for posting images (and videos) on this site which is a fairly intelligent photography site. In that context, and in terms of the culture of imaging, they show that you are a pretty complete novice despite being able to afford some quite high-end gear. You have a good paintbrush or two - does that make you Rembrandt? The answer's plainly no.

This is rather social media stuff, but you can only get knocked down if you set yourself up.

On here at least (I can't speak about elsewhere), you might get more recognition if you could admit your innocence in terms of the techniques and even more importantly the culture of photography. Materialism in itself is no excuse for innocence. This isn't Fartbook, the golf club or the local well-heeled bar.

More humility might be welcome. No hint of it in your original post, just an admission of hurt from another place, and sorry that you've felt that. But the world's tough, and you're at the bottom of the apprentice ladder in photography.

It's up to you. Admit to innocence, and you might be loved. Come over as a know-it-all, and accept the brickbats.
 
Dear Baz, you rarely ask for advice, and neither have you done so here. But you do have a propensity for posting images (and videos) on this site which is a fairly intelligent photography site. In that context, and in terms of the culture of imaging, they show that you are a pretty complete novice despite being able to afford some quite high-end gear. You have a good paintbrush or two - does that make you Rembrandt? The answer's plainly no.

This is rather social media stuff, but you can only get knocked down if you set yourself up.

On here at least (I can't speak about elsewhere), you might get more recognition if you could admit your innocence in terms of the techniques and even more importantly the culture of photography. Materialism in itself is no excuse for innocence. This isn't Fartbook, the golf club or the local well-heeled bar.

More humility might be welcome. No hint of it in your original post, just an admission of hurt from another place, and sorry that you've felt that. But the world's tough, and you're at the bottom of the apprentice ladder in photography.

It's up to you. Admit to innocence, and you might be loved. Come over as a know-it-all, and accept the brickbats.
Don't ever get a job with the samaritans:)
 
Baz if its any consolation, I have some decent gear, have been shooting since the good old days of film...……...and still cant nail it, all my shots are pretty average, but the main thing is, I like them, I don't make a living from them, so if people do crit my images I try to learn from it, mostly unsuccessful but don't let em get you down, just enjoy what you do, and I like your images.
 
Move to a site that treats you with respect, i know what your saying though ime on the downhill slide due to age and other things, if its a long lens i need shutter speeds to be high i quiet often get the unsolicited advice to drop my shutter speed to lower the iso,or the get down lower for a better angle which is ok but who is going to help me back up;).
You will always come across it we had it a lot in the bird section a few years ago but i think those a--e holes moved on.
 
I was looking through my Flickr photos yesterday (well someone has to!) when I came across a comment to a photo I put up in 2016. It was from a friend of mine, he said "welcome back mate". That got me looking and I discovered that between 2014 and 2016 I'd not done any photography.

I realised that was due to my reaction to the attitude of a number of members of TP on the Bird Photography section. The section had become absolutely toxic due to inappropriate comments and arguments due to perceived slights concerning critique. I decided then that bird photography was not for me and concentrated on observation only. I simply put away my camera.

In 2016 something must have prompted me to take another look and my, what a difference there was! Some robust and considered moderating had cleared the forum of the aggressive element and it has stayed that way.
 
If one person is just being a troll (and not being at all constructive in their crit) could you not just block that individual?
 
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