'Great'

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tiler65

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With this over used superlative finding it's way onto this forum far too often, I would like to ask.....

What is a great photo/pic/shot?
 
Elvis stepping out of a UFO? Me opening my wallet? Two women sitting quietly? :D
 
Tom,
As you started it, what do you think is a great photo?

I can't define it until I see it but it will be a combination of subject, composition and lighting. And it is very likely that what we see as great photos will differ.
 
Great shot, Great catch, Great stuff, Great spot - all Great responses yet compliment the photograph for different reasons.

Good shot, Good catch, Good stuff, Good spot - again responses to a specific aspect of the photograph

'Great' must beat 'Good' but on the whole I'd say neither are entirely subjective.

'Nice' and 'Lovely' are perhaps more of a opinion, almost certainly subjective and reserved for personal appreciation when perhaps 'Great' and 'Good' would be questioned.

Joking aside though - I'm happy with any possitive response and I'm also guilty of not always expanding on why I like a particular shot.

What I wouldn't do though is say 'poor shot' without giving a reason as to why I thought that.
 
ernesto said:
Tom,
As you started it, what do you think is a great photo?

I can't define it until I see it but it will be a combination of subject, composition and lighting. And it is very likely that what we see as great photos will differ.
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+1 on that, I sometimes like some real weird stuff :D
 
Perhaps when you see the word try thinking of two different people saying it:

1) Tony the Tiger

2) Jack Dee

Then look at the photo again :D
 
i think 'great' is just one notch below 'awesome' :gag:
 
ernesto said:
Tom,
As you started it, what do you think is a great photo?

I can't define it until I see it but it will be a combination of subject, composition and lighting. And it is very likely that what we see as great photos will differ.
Click to expand...

Very few photo's are great....that is my point.......most are OK, alright, average & downright poor.

I am suggesting that we use the term 'great' too easily.
 
leftcurl said:
i think 'great' is just one notch below 'awesome' :gag:
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'Awesome' is a bit like 'amazing' in that it has to be reserved for certain subjects though. :lol:

A technically perfect shot of a apple could be a 'great' shot whilst a less than perfect shot of Niagra Falls could be an 'awesome' shot.

I'd say 'Great' is one notch below 'Superb' or 'Brilliant' shot :naughty:
 
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A grate shot would be me shaving a 50/50 mix of parmesan and pecorino for my carbonara.
Weather it is perceived as great or not is reliant on many factors. And as there is no set or incremental scale of greatness it is impossible to gauge.
Its more feasible for one to say "i like it, i think its great" and by doing so not subjecting your opinion on other people, just proclaiming your opinion.
Then of course there is the categories of "the greats" usually known artists, composers, writers, the list goes on. Who manage to achieve so much and create such an impact on the world they are regarded as great, i think we all have aspirations for joining that club but for taking photos of grated cheese? I doubt it.
 
tiler65 said:
Very few photo's are great....that is my point.......most are OK, alright, average & downright poor.

I am suggesting that we use the term 'great' too easily.
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Totally agree. Many shots posted in the crit section get a lot of "WOW that's Great" comments, and nothing else.
I would prefer to see something a bit more constructive, even if only an opinion as to why the critiquer thinks it's "great".
There are many pics which have been described as great on here, most of which are good, some quite poor, but very very few are , in MY opinion, great.
But then what I see as great you might think is merely good, and vice versa.
 
GHP said:
Totally agree. Many shots posted in the crit section get a lot of "WOW that's Great" comments, and nothing else.
I would prefer to see something a bit more constructive, even if only an opinion as to why the critiquer thinks it's "great". .
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You want change, BE THE CHANGE, lead from the front :thumbs:
 
tiler65 said:
Very few photo's are great....that is my point.......most are OK, alright, average & downright poor.

I am suggesting that we use the term 'great' too easily.
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Well you need to reset the balance then. Anytime anyone states that a photo is great you can chime in with "I think it is downright poor" or alternatively question the person who said it was great and ask them why it is great.
 
ernesto said:
Well you need to reset the balance then. Anytime anyone states that a photo is great you can chime in with "I think it is downright poor" or alternatively question the person who said it was great and ask them why it is great.
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Aha, that old chestnut.

Then you get blasted for being mean. It is a no win situation with folk on here. Even the rules are set up so you cannot be blunt and to the point, we have to hold hands and play nice.
 
tiler65 said:
Aha, that old chestnut.

Then you get blasted for being mean. It is a no win situation with folk on here. Even the rules are set up so you cannot be blunt and to the point, we have to hold hands and play nice.
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I don't, i just give honest critique. At the end of the day if someone posts an image on the net then they are openly requesting opinion to be cast, weather they like it or not. Being nasty or ripping into someone is a different matter.
No i don't hold hands or softly softly my point across, if i think something sucks i will say so, if it floats my boat then huzzar! No middle ground bush beating from me sorry
 
One that is at least in focus would warrant it :D
 
tiler65 said:
Then you get blasted for being mean. It is a no win situation with folk on here. Even the rules are set up so you cannot be blunt and to the point, we have to hold hands and play nice.
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It's all in the context.

If someone is requesting critique then they should get constructive criticism.
If people are just saying great in that case then the person asking for critique should not except that and ask what makes it great for that person. Just the same as they shouldn't get a response of "it's rubbish"
I feel that in the critique sections of the forum you can be honest and to the point without being rude. If the poster cannot take that then that is there problem and they shouldn't have asked for critique.

If however, someone is putting their photo on something like Flickr then critique is not appreciated as it is not that sort of place.
 
menthel said:
This site no longer really has crit. That is not great.
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No, like everything else you have to personally create the environment you would like to see.

By doing to others as you would want for yourself you build a community. It will attract those who think like you and weed out those who don't.

You need to be in for the long haul to make a difference and contribute continuously.
 
desantnik said:
No, like everything else you have to personally create the environment you would like to see.

By doing to others as you would want for yourself you build a community. It will attract those who think like you and weed out those who don't.

You need to be in for the long haul to make a difference and contribute continuously.
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I have tried at various points. You tend to get ignored for all the 'great shot' comments.
 
"long haul" is the key phrase in my post...

In other online places I have been in the past you used to have a ratio system to enforce quality.... you needed to contribute quality before you could consume the same...

Never seen it done to a photography forum, but maybe its an idea?

Have you written 10 good responses to other people's posts before you expect a response to one of yours?
 
desantnik said:
"long haul" is the key phrase in my post...

In other online places I have been in the past you used to have a ratio system to enforce quality.... you needed to contribute quality before you could consume the same...

Never seen it done to a photography forum, but maybe its an idea?

Have you written 10 good responses to other people's posts before you expect a response to one of yours?
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I am not going to go back through my posts to look, but I can say that I have tried in the past but not recently (I gave up on the long haul!) as there just seems to be no real urge from the vast majority of posters to really talk about the photographs. Its all about posting a quick "good shot" and then off to endlessly discuss sharpness in the equipment sections.

I know we have some members here who do try hard and quite a few who really do know what they are on about but perhaps they are being drowned out by the background 'noise'. I don't think its helped by the urge of some members to blanket reply to the unanswered threads but that is another bugbear of mine.

Anyways, I am not hear to argue but that is how I feel about TP at present and it makes me sad. :(
 
- A lot of people can't take criticism (even when they ask for it)
- Criticism is not always taken well over the internet as the tone, gestures, immediate back and forth of a physical discussion are missing

These are two factors which probably limit useful critique. If you want real critique ask good friends or family who you have an honest relationship with. They may not be able to offer advice of exposure or anything technical but they will know what they like or don't like about a photo which maybe all you need to know if you have the technical side in hand.
 
GREAT an adjective:

1.
unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions: A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

2.
large in number; numerous: Great hordes of tourists descend on Europe each summer.

3.
unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc.: great pain.

4.
wonderful; first-rate; very good: We had a great time. That's great!

5.
being such in an extreme or notable degree: great friends; a great talker.

Maybe we use it far too much, none of my images would ever be described thus

Les :lol:
 
The context is everything.

And "Great" is a safe glib throwaway nice comment.

But if your wife or significant other asks "how do I look?" do you put her in the context of the great beauties through history, plus the great fashion houses and designer cloithing, or do you say "wow you look great"

Maybe devise a TP standard score (say 1-20) where, I dunno, 8/20 is pretty impressive for a beginner, 15/20 is pretty good for an experienced photography hobbiest and a pro-tog should expect >15/20 for a keeper
But I suspect critique will remain predominantly a sequence of "great" and "nice shot!"
 
LowIQ said:
But if your wife or significant other asks "how do I look?" do you put her in the context of the great beauties through history, plus the great fashion houses and designer cloithing, or do you say "wow you look great"

I tell my wife the truth. But then I realise our realtionship is a very strong one where we are happy giving each other very honest feedback. Handy when I want honest opinions of things. I don't ask her about my photos :)
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LowIQ said:
But if your wife or significant other asks "how do I look?" do you put her in the context of the great beauties through history, plus the great fashion houses and designer cloithing, or do you say "wow you look great"
Click to expand...

I tell my wife the truth. But then I realise our relationship is a very strong one where we are happy giving each other very honest feedback. Handy when I want honest opinions of things. I don't ask her about my photos :)
 
Photography is subjective I can say a shot is great you may say its cr@p doesn't make either of us right.

I don't really see any problem with calling a photo great, provided it is in context.

Look up great in a dictionary and I would suggest that most of us use it as an adverb.
 
Great is subjective and it is also my opinion that most of the stuff posted are mediocre at best. The so call great stuff are few and far between.

Unless the shot is really good, I rather not comment, as I know how the person who took it feel as he or she must be proud of it. It won't be constructive of me to just say its bad without giving it some proper guidance, otherwise it's just rude.
 
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