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Archive 2015 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

eyelaser
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

I guess I'll be the 800 pound gorilla in the room and ask....where have all our old time, long time friends gone? And why? Where have we gone wrong and what can we do to fix it? Not that the people still here aren't really good, but I miss their talent, their comments, the pushing to make me/us better.
Eric

http://eyelaser.smugmug.com/Nature/UgandaKenya-2011/i-88WR5Gc/1/X2/ED9C0450-2silverbackinclearing-X2.jpg

Feb 16, 2015 at 06:49 PM

morris
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

You better watch out Eric as this one will give you the finger.

Fine image, I don't know why others have not commented

Morris

Feb 16, 2015 at 07:49 PM

Doug Maclean
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

O.K. your subject is fat...and looks a little lost...and needs a hair waxing..and bra.Other then That composistion, sharpness and Subject rocks

Doug M

Feb 16, 2015 at 08:03 PM

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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

"Heavy" topic, Eric. Haven't been on the forum long enough to know what the "good old days were like". Certainly now a lot of fluff and excessive fanboy bickering but I do see enough quality work to show me that I need to up my game. Nice to see that those who ask for help usually get it. "Where have they gone"- based on my impression of photographic organizations, the average age of photographers may be quite a bit higher than many expect; a good reason to shot strong and often.

Feb 16, 2015 at 08:29 PM

marklankton
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

Eric, this is a good question. Part of the answer, for sure, is that it takes a LOT of time to both create outstanding photographs and to show and discuss them here. The best of the "old friends" (in my relatively modest experience) still have lives to lead, and I've certainly talked to a few who just can't keep their FM participation up to the level that it once was -- too much life going on outside these forums. I also know a couple of folks who, even though they have thick skins and excellent senses of humor, got a little worn out by years of comments and arguments from people who like contention more than photography. (This forum is blessed with a lack of those characters, generally speaking.)
There are many, many outstanding photographers and great people still here on a regular basis, but yes... we do miss getting our regular fixes from some of the now-mostly-silent old friends. On the good side, there are some newer friends who just keep getting better and better!
Mark

Feb 16, 2015 at 09:06 PM

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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

Maybe when their hair turns "silver" they'll be "back"!! Just like this guy watching over his troop!
Don

Feb 17, 2015 at 12:26 AM

arbitrage
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

That guy looks a little lazy, maybe too lazy to type a critique on the forum

Feb 17, 2015 at 12:36 AM

KCollett
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

A languid gorilla. A fine shot Eric. Also you have thrown out a tough question (been discussed a few times on the forum, and similar questions have been posed on other forums). Lots of choice out there and people are choosing elsewhere for a myriad of reasons.

Feb 17, 2015 at 08:44 AM

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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

A handsome dude Eric. It looks like he has made a few too many trips to the banana bar ~ Ron

Feb 17, 2015 at 05:28 PM

birdied
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

Fantastic shot Eric. He looks quite relaxed and not threaten by your presence at all.

As to the question you pose, not sure, but have noticed the absence of several posters . I have missed them and their contributions . However, there are several new contributors . Like Geoff, I find that we are not critiquing much, but like him I don't critique if someone does not request it.

I visit and post on a couple of forums, and Fred Miranda N&W is by far the most active .

Birdie

Feb 17, 2015 at 08:48 PM

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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

Eric
Maybe your just bored ? Seriously.....I have noticed a big drop off in participation from a lot of the long time members, including myself. I'm not sure what it is. Locally we have the Eagle Watch Forum which is based in the Delaware Region and was abuzz with activity up until a year ago. The forum allowed participants to share locations, photos, ideas, etc. After they announced they would be shifting to Facebook, activity dropped to damn near zero. Funny thing the Facebook page is dead also. Another forum popped up as a replacement but that's dying too. As far as FM is concerned, I believe it's alive and well. The demographics are shifting a bit, but there appears to be a lot of new blood with a lot to contribute. I think guys like Karl Witt are a good example of those who have renewed interests in other hobbies and aren't as visible. I myself, rarely post in the summer, because my attention shifts to golf and fishing.
Some people think Facebook may be the culprit, but after seeing some of those sites, " Not a chance"
Most Facebook pages are a joke. It could be the " Novelty" just wears off. I'd be interested in hearing some other theories.

Al

Feb 18, 2015 at 06:53 AM

eyelaser
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

morris wrote:
You better watch out Eric as this one will give you the finger.

Fine image, I don't know why others have not commented

Morris

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Doug Maclean wrote:
O.K. your subject is fat...and looks a little lost...and needs a hair waxing..and bra.Other then That composistion, sharpness and Subject rocks

Doug M

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psharvic wrote:
"Heavy" topic, Eric. Haven't been on the forum long enough to know what the "good old days were like". Certainly now a lot of fluff and excessive fanboy bickering but I do see enough quality work to show me that I need to up my game. Nice to see that those who ask for help usually get it. "Where have they gone"- based on my impression of photographic organizations, the average age of photographers may be quite a bit higher than many expect; a good reason to shot strong and often.

---------------------------------------------

marklankton wrote:
Eric, this is a good question. Part of the answer, for sure, is that it takes a LOT of time to both create outstanding photographs and to show and discuss them here. The best of the "old friends" (in my relatively modest experience) still have lives to lead, and I've certainly talked to a few who just can't keep their FM participation up to the level that it once was -- too much life going on outside these forums. I also know a couple of folks who, even though they have thick skins and excellent senses of humor, got a...Show more →

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DonGut wrote:
Maybe when their hair turns "silver" they'll be "back"!! Just like this guy watching over his troop!
Don

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arbitrage wrote:
That guy looks a little lazy, maybe too lazy to type a critique on the forum

I'm not sure where everyone went as I'm too new to know who everyone was. I think the N&W forum has a lack of critiquing and mostly all of us just patting each other on the back. I try to critique sometimes, but usually only if the poster directly asks for it.

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KCollett wrote:
A languid gorilla. A fine shot Eric. Also you have thrown out a tough question (been discussed a few times on the forum, and similar questions have been posed on other forums). Lots of choice out there and people are choosing elsewhere for a myriad of reasons.

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surfnron wrote:
A handsome dude Eric. It looks like he has made a few too many trips to the banana bar ~ Ron

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birdied wrote:
Fantastic shot Eric. He looks quite relaxed and not threaten by your presence at all.

As to the question you pose, not sure, but have noticed the absence of several posters . I have missed them and their contributions . However, there are several new contributors . Like Geoff, I find that we are not critiquing much, but like him I don't critique if someone does not request it.

I visit and post on a couple of forums, and Fred Miranda N&W is by far the most active .

Birdie

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kbarrera wrote:
Eric
Maybe your just bored ? Seriously.....I have noticed a big drop off in participation from a lot of the long time members, including myself. I'm not sure what it is. Locally we have the Eagle Watch Forum which is based in the Delaware Region and was abuzz with activity up until a year ago. The forum allowed participants to share locations, photos, ideas, etc. After they announced they would be shifting to Facebook, activity dropped to damn near zero. Funny thing the Facebook page is dead also. Another forum popped up as a replacement but that's dying too. As far...Show more →

Thanks for your thoughts and comments everyone. I was hoping to find a way to make the forum more engaging so that more people would participate and maybe revitalize it a bit. I do not participate in other forums as I think this is the most "social" one....there are others that are more "highbrow" and really are into superb quality but don't really have the social interaction that FM does. Please take a minute to make suggests if you have any serious ones...for example could we have a way to notate that we REALLY want critique, help etc on a photo or set of photos...even when people suggest they want c&c it often doesn't happen.
Eric

Feb 18, 2015 at 08:07 AM

surfnron
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

My thoughts Eric:

If someone wants a serious critique, they need to limit the number of shots in a post - maybe one or two.

The post title needs to state something like "Posted for serious critique".

We all need to come up with a few rules for posting and replying.

Fred would have to post a sticky with the rules at the top of N&W.

And, of course, there already is a forum for critiques, but it's not specific to what gets posted here.

Ron

Feb 18, 2015 at 08:52 AM

eyelaser
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

surfnron wrote:
My thoughts Eric:

If someone wants a serious critique, they need to limit the number of shots in a post - maybe one or two.

The post title needs to state something like "Posted for serious critique".

We all need to come up with a few rules for posting and replying.

Fred would have to post a sticky with the rules at the top of N&W.

And, of course, there already is a forum for critiques, but it's not specific to what gets posted here.

Ron
Excellent thoughts Ron....these are the types of things I was hoping to see....and yes the critique forum may not work for those of us in N&W unless we cross post...which is a possibility.
Thanks!

Feb 18, 2015 at 09:07 AM

birdied
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

Eric, thank you for encouraging us to find ways to encourage participation and find ways to help those who truly want improvement . I, for one, have benefited and continue to benefit from those that are so generous with their time , knowledge and willingness to educate .

Ron, has made some excellent suggestions.

Limiting the number of shots for critique would certainly help some of us to take the time to make the thoughtful comments and suggestions.

Requesting that posters for critique acknowledge that they have at least read what has been posted would be nice. Nothing more annoying than to see a post that asks for critique and never hear from OP again.

Have poster specify if they want help with technical "how to take shot" or post processing or both.

Have poster keep EXIF data with the shot.

Thanks again Eric for bringing this up .

Birdie

Feb 18, 2015 at 11:20 AM

marklankton
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

birdied wrote:
Eric, thank you for encouraging us to find ways to encourage participation and find ways to help those who truly want improvement . I, for one, have benefited and continue to benefit from those that are so generous with their time , knowledge and willingness to educate .

Ron, has made some excellent suggestions.

Limiting the number of shots for critique would certainly help some of us to take the time to make the thoughtful comments and suggestions.

Requesting that posters for critique acknowledge that they have at least read what has been posted would be nice. Nothing more annoying than...Show more →

I like the suggestions from Ron and Birdie. In general the "critique" ethic here is that getting comments means you have shown something worthwhile, or at least interesting to this well-informed and experienced audience. Not getting comments means you have some work to do.

That's actually useful feedback in general, but as you folks are pointing out, it would be great to have a path to get specific critique and suggestions/recommendations on how to improve or enhance a particular shot, still in the context of this forum.
My personal experience is that when someone does provide critique here it is usually constructive and helpful. I'm happy to get that critique but I don't normally request it, mostly because I'm keenly aware of the shortcomings of the photos I post but I post them anyway hoping they may just barely "make the grade."

Many thanks to Eric for starting this interesting conversation!

Feb 18, 2015 at 12:35 PM

onegreatcity
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

I'm not sure who is missing but I suspect among the newcomers or lurkers (I'm guilty of both) that some of us think long and hard before posting photos or thoughts. There's an impressive array of talent here. Speaking only for myself, I have way more to learn before offering much more than 'attaboys'. For those of us raised to respect the "2 ears and 1 mouth" rule, I tend to listen more than I talk...

Feb 18, 2015 at 12:57 PM

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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

I'm not so new to FM, but I am very new to posting photos here. I don't do much critique, mostly because I don't necessarily feel qualified too do much of it. If I see something glaringly obvious and nobody else mentions it, I'll stick my neck out and say something in as encouraging a manner as I can. But I'm also of the old Southern social training that "if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything". Much of what I might say in a critique would fall under more of an opinion or personal preference than any rule or best practice guidance, and I find "rules" in photography are no more than general guidelines anyway. So to sum it up, I am usually reticent when it comes to anything that might "seem" critical of ones work even though I would be trying to help. It may not come out as I intend.

Can't help on the missing and beloved long-timers as I'm relatively new to image posting. But I know what you mean, and another photography forum I've been enjoying has been fading away to a ghost town. I can say FM is far more robust than others, and far more pleasant and informative than most, so I find myself gravitating here more and more. Oh, and keep the 2 cents. I don't think I've earned it.

Feb 18, 2015 at 02:03 PM

David Leask
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

A very interesting thread Eric, thanks for kicking it off. Here are some random thoughts from me.

I think the 'fall off' is general throughout all forums both in and out of FM. I don't know why. I 'dabble' in Facebook but I don't consider it a forum. The N&W forum is the only one I post in now and it has been for a long time. The things I like about it are the high quality of images on show, the friendly informative feedback and the banter.

I hate (with a passion) forums where there is voting and points awarding - I think this breeds cliques. I'm not aware of any 'cliquish' behaviour here and long may that continue. Fred's weekly and monthly assignments are a bit of harmless fun and, in my humble opinion, they work well and don't fall into the category I've just mentioned.

Whilst there are rules in the N&W Forum one hardly knows they are there - these are the best kind of rules. The moderator (Fred) is rarely visible in this role and that's because the forum polices itself. I think some other forums including some on here could take note.

If I wanted critique I would ask for it and I would expect to get it, good or bad. If the critique was bad it would be delivered in a friendly, constructive way.

If I'm on a shoot and I think I'm getting some good stuff I always think to myself "I hope these go down well with my pals on FM". Is that sad or what?

In summary ....... I just like this house

Nice gorilla image by the way Eric

David

Feb 18, 2015 at 04:58 PM

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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

I welcome critisicm from the people on this forum. Most of the members are knowledgable, and polite. i believe it has made me a lot better. When I coached football, I always told my players to "Accept praise with humility, and criticism with class" and not to fumble the ball.
I think limiting the amount of photos posted is a great idea. After seeing three in a series I tune out.
Personally, this is thee best forum out there for all areas of photography.
This is the best thing you could have done Eric. You made have succeeded in revitalizing this forum.

ps. I have bought most of my equipment here.

Feb 18, 2015 at 05:01 PM

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