Thanks Bridget, and Good evening Ken, thanks for the comments, and hope all is well with both of you ...JulieTwelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.
I am afraid I sympathise with Badger on this, and I don't feel that you are helping or encouraging people by giving every other picture an excellent mark, what more is there to strive for?
I notice that he gave it a 6 which is "Good" and is nearer the true point for this picture than "Excellent". Where do you go when you find a truly excellent picture? We all want to be able to produce shots like the masters, but most of us on this site do not. You all really ought to be more stingy with your ratings so that people know when they get an 8 or 9 that it is truly good, and not some sort of "encouraging" sop.
I'm going to reiterate my 9 score, as it is indicative of my immediate emotional response. The written comments, then, express my belief how the photo could be better. On this sight we're not so micromanaged how we rate people, and we're free to rate according to whatever guides us internally. If we feel encouragement is a valued thing that can motivate a photographer just as much as a 'hard' or 'real world' or 'marketing' remark, then we're free to grade thusly. For me, one of the unique things about the BLOG is that we do have the freedom to grade according to free will. As photographers, we're free to gain from that grade or not.--Chris
P.s. I apologize to anybody who might be annoyed that it sounds like we're getting back to the open discussion subject again.
Its interesting that Chris's 9 was an "emotional response" and not a subjective view of the image. Julie, I support your efforts, but giving this an "excellent" and in fact a 10 should be exceptionally excellent does not help you. If you produce a better shot, which you certainly will, how will that be scored? Nothing more than another devalued 10. Would you not like to progress? When you are at the top there is nowhere but down.
Kurt, with all respect ...if any of us are ever lucky enough to reach the top of the tree the only way is NOT down , but maybe to stay right there at the top!
I appreciate your thoughts on this ratings debate, I don't think that this is the important aspect here, however Badgers comments were NOT helpful or constructive and for someone who had never owned a camera until one month ago ( Julie W ) I feel those comments were nothing but a discouragement. I agree with the fact that many raings are over the top, however, the rating of 10 on this site does not have the tag 'Perfect' attached to it! It is all very subjective, and after all this is not a site for professionals only, so I feel members should be cut a liitle bit of slack with the comments and ratings that are made! You yourself have attached a rating of 10 to a photograph that I would have been hard pressed to score a 3, no one is right, no one is wrong, it is merely an opinion!
....Steve
You don't take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel Adams
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