Registered: Dec 25, 2004
Total Posts: 9743
Country: United States
I have seen a lot newbies posting lately to FM and that's a good thing, but I'm also seeing a common thread of mistakes being made in posts. Hopefully this checklist will help...
Before posting your images, go through these items and adjust accordingly
1) Have I shot or converted my images to sRGB?
This is the most overlooked detail in posting. Color profiles are specific from medium to medium. For print, AdobeRGB is more appropriate, but web browsers don't often recognize the wider gamut of color information in an AdobeRGB color profile. This will result in color shifts, some more drastic than others, and a resulting image that looks flat in color.
2) Are my horizons straight?
A level horizon has been argued to death here on FM. I still maintain that the best horizons that look the best aesthetically, are not empirically straight... that is... set a bubble level to what should be straight and it could look off on screen. Since photographers really don't "take" photos, they "make" photos, it is the duty of the photographer to "make" the most pleasing image. This many require changing an in-camera horizon to one that simply looks better on screen. Using vertical lines as reference point is also not a steadfast rule. Those lines could be off as well and depending on the plane of the camera vs. the plane of the horizon which could be off skew, horizon lines won't do you any justice in setting the horizon straight. Use visual judgment... plain and simple.
3) Have I given too much information?
A simple caption is fine, but don't take offense to what I'm about to say and please understand this is just my opinion, but... I don't care what the score was, who won, the details of the game winning hit, the season that the player had, an inning by inning account of what lead up to the image, blah, blah, blah. This is a photo critique board, not a writing critique board. I want the image to speak for itself and it should. Always ask yourself whether your image tells the story as a standalone image. We don't have the benefit of having sat next to you during the entire game and really... why should we want that. A good image, is a good image. If you have to explain it, then it's not good enough as a standalone image. Even though this is just my opinion on the matter, I would still venture to guess that quite a few will skip past all the information about what happened in the game and just look at your images. We are visual people. I'll take it a step further and even say that for me, personally... I don't even care what gear you used or what your settings were. The image either works for me or it doesn't. However, in some cases, where I see issues, I might ask what your settings were and since you are in a period of exploring settings and outcome, it DOES make sense to post gear and setting for those that wish to give CC on that.
4) Have I embedded and numbered my images in post?
Links, even if simple, won't get as many responses. Some links require second and third clicks to get to what you want us to see. If people have to wait more than three seconds to see your images, you'll get less responses. Numbering your images in post is also critically important because it allows those wishing to offer CC a way to indentify your images. I can't tell you how many times I have skipped a post with mulitiple unnumbered images because of the time that would be required to physically count each image when giving CC. I may have wanted to give CC, but the time it would have taken scared me away.
5) Have I edited my post after people have responded?
This is a mistake that I have seen that I haven't seen addressed here. Here is the scenario... you post a set of images. You get a couple of responses stating that the images are underexposed. You go back, correct them, and then replace the original post with the new images. Now, the newer viewers to the post, see the first comments, go back to look at the images not realizing that you edited them, and they look fine to the new viewer. This leaves them confused. Don't confuse us. Unless there is something that is offensive, breaks forum rules, etc. Don't edit your original post. Don't even edit your original post and then post to the thread stating that you have edited the originals. Simply just post the changes in new photos that you can post later in the thread. Make it a chronological history so we can see where you started, where you are in the middle, and where you have wound up. Note... the new FM board code allows viewers to link to the first run of an edited post, but it requires a click (more time) and the link is hidden and not easily seen by all.
6) Have I done any post processing?
I'll be honest in saying that if a poster states that their image is straight out of the camera with no PP... I usually skip over the post. This is a presentation board. As well as presenting your images, you are presenting yourself. Whether true or not, someone that does no PP says to me that the time needed to present the best possible image to the audience is not worth it. People that are not photographers show their images out of the camera. Photographers don't. You're not taking photographs. You're making photographs. Everyone PP even if a little bit. Crop, color correction, USM are all part of the deal in making a good image, even better. Along the same lines, the "removing the watermark across the center of the image would require a different workflow" doesn't fly with me. I mean, c'mon. You need to present the best possible image for us to comment on and the attention to detail that you present speaks volumes about what kind of a person you are as a photographer.
7) Can I piss longer and harder than you?
Don't get into pissing matches with your audience. Come into the post with an open mind. You may be connected to an image emotionally and want to fight for it. But, if enough people think that its not as gripping as you think it is, it's not worth getting into a pissing match over. If you have an emotional attachment to all your images that is not shared by the general public, then lock yourself in your room, put all the prints on the floor and look at them every day without anyone else seeing them. Remember that you are making photos for an audience. The ones that have an emotional attachment for me simply NEVER get posted in a thread asking for CC. I know when an image moves me more that it would the average Joe. That's fine.
8) Have I posted an appropriate number of images?
Linking to a gallery of pages and pages of images doesn't fly and I have found that if you want CC on each individual image, the magic number of photos ranges around 4-8. Anymore than 8 usually gets you general comments. Any less than 4 often gets skipped over depending on the quality. 4-8 gives the viewer enough photographic information to weigh in with a response.
9) Am I implementing the suggestions being made into my newer posts?
There are some posters that I have stopped responding to simply because they keep doing the same things over and over again despite my CC. This conveys the message that they really don't want CC. A great way to get viewers to respond is to reference a past post via a link, such as... "in this post from 8/14/08 the majority suggested that I shoot tighter. I'd like to know if these images have improved in that critique." This shows that you are listening and implementing the ideas.
10) Did I die after my intial post?
I realize that our lives don't always permit us to respond to responders in a timely fashion, but don't post a thread with images for critique and then never revisit your thread. At the very least, come back, acknowledge that you have read the responses and offer your thanks.
11) Have I demonstrated good Isabellian etiquette?
Russ Isabella might be the record holder for the most responses to his posts. Why? Because he is just a nice guy. He takes the time to respond to others and others have returned the courtesy. Never, I mean never, have I seen him be rude, nasty, condescending, or brief in any one of his responses. He's a better man than me...
. In turn, he receives the same courtesy and respect. You get back what you give on these forums and #11 should really be #1 on the list. Play nice and in time, you'll get responses and respect.
Every day we should all strive to be more and more like Russ I say!
