It seems that I have read several threads about comments in the gallery - "Why are all the gallery comments always 'great shot' comments" - or, on the other end of the field, "some &#;%@ who doesn't know what they're talking about bashed my image!". Maybe we need to investigate the phrase "I am my own worst critic". I propose the we post an image (within this thread...?) that we "almost" or "genuinely" really like, and critique it ourselves. This may illustrate the type of comments we're looking for as far as others commenting on our work (unless you're a schizophrenic (I am..and so am I!) - you shouldn't get offended).

OK - this is an image in my gallery - and I've gotten wonderful feedback (thank you all), but in my opinion - this image could use a good bit of help. 1: The composition is sloppy - the yellow fungus "mysteriously" disappears from the top of the frame - I would rather have encompassed the entire growth of the fungus - not to mention that the upper portion of the fungus is out of focus - I needed to take more care in aligning the optimal plane of the fungus with the film plane to maximize depth of field. 2: The blurry leaf in the foreground - yuk! This drags my eye right to it. This could have easily been removed, allowing the green of the moss to graduate into an out-of-focus foreground that would have been less distracting. 3: The bit of brown schmutz at the top of the composition - what is that? A dog turd? A Sweetgum ball? An eyesore, for sure. To make it better, I would track left a bit, aligning the fungus with the film plane, raised my composition a bit, placing the leaf in the bottom left third of the image and encompass the top of the fungus. OK - your turn! BTW - when I posted this - it was actually the wrong image, but with the same "I didn't put it there" sort of message - the actual image I'll post as a follow up.

This is the image I actually intended to upload - but it's gonna have to wait until the war is over!

I am one of the people who comment, 'Great shot', 'beautiful' or I like this'. Why? Because I don't know enough to give critique. Photography is for me a hobby. I am here to learn from you guys. When I see something I really like, then I say so. If I don't like then I do not comment. As I have been asked, then I will here. I do not like the first image because to me it does not look finished, the composition feels wrong. The second I do like, for the colour, shape and texture. This is just a personal feeling, and no matter how correct an image may be, if it doesn't do anything for me, then I won't say wonderful techinque. Just my two penn'th worth. No offence meant or taken Pat

Heh! Hey but the colors are great! Notice I did not point out it's deficiencies........ First, Who am I to tell one who's been doing it longer and better, for that matter, that their image is messy and the composition could be better? I wondered exactly what you meant by I didn't place it there. Was it the red leave?.....That was my thought.... Your comment under the image was vague.... As a side note.....If you uploaded the wrong image, why did you not edit the image and upload the correct image? Second, I only give detailed comments with solutions to those people who I think could use the help.....and I try to do it gently, many times it's just a personal opionion and isn't worth $0.2 anyway, but I try to let them know that as well..... I'm not going to give a long-winded comment to someone when all I really want to say is "hey, nice colors!". There was a point when I would NOT critique an image in the gallery.....I was afraid of offending.....I don't worry about that as much anymore. :~)

In the Gallery I post short, "This is neat" comments, unless something is exceptionally good (or bad). I'm really just acknowledging that I came, I saw. I appreciate it when folks write more detailed things about mine, but I'm just not that verbal. The images speak for themselves, and I feel there is little I can add. In the Forum, my range of comments varies from minimal to pedantically detailed, depending on if the poster has asked for critiques or assistance, and if I (think) I know something about the subject. So much depends on opinion and what the photographer is trying to accomplish. Is the first shot "cluttered"? Maybe. To record accurately the environment of these Yellow Coral shrooms (Clavulinopsis fusiformis), even the declining leaf helped to identify the season, and therefore helped with identification. The second one of the Jelly Leaf is indeed more "artistic." The leaf again helps with the season. But less is shown of its environment; stumps and logs, usually of diciduous trees. So many opinions! I do very much like you suggestion about the photographer posting here with their own critique, what they were trying to accomplish, techniques they used, etc. This will give us real insight into the creative process, and should start interesting, less confrontational, discussions. Great idea!

hmmm.... good point Wolfie. But here's my reasons; I don't post many comments personally, but when I do it's because I honestly really like an image or a style that someone is developing. If someone spends a few hours doing a picture and no-one tells them how good it is, it must be demoralising! I know I'm thankful that there's people out there who give "Cool Pic" comments. I don't post on images I don't like, for two reasons. 1. My personal taste is exactly that..... I appreciate that what I don't like, others do. Cat pics prove that!! ;) 2. I know that sometimes the way I phrase things / the humour I use isn't understood by everybody. No-one likes criticism, and unfortunately a lot of people take it personally. I didn't really think about that until someone posted some pretty negative, albeit in hindsight productive, comments on one of my first PSig pics and I took them to heart a bit. (Actually, something that I thought was pretty cool a while back was when someone posted a pic there that a few people just "found" faults with - and it turned out the pic had been stolen from a professional photographers art site....... he he, nobody's perfect!!)

Well Wolf, I liked your first picture a lot until I read your critique now I really hate it! (just joking). I dont comment much in the galleries, but if I make a suggestion, its how I think the image could be improved, if I already like it. The horrible ones I dont comment on at all, like the one where some guy had his wifes butt sticking straight up in the air at the camera. Didnt need to because Michelle had already laid out her 2 cents worth!

Wups - didn't mean to ruffle feathers here - I honestly appreciate any comments I get (if for no other reason that it shows that someone was there) - I have no complaints about that at all, though i have read in a few threads that some do. I was just thinking that it may give some insight into what kind of remarks people might be looking for if they were to critique their own works.

Oh I hope you don't think that you've ruffled my feathers...:~) I'm just trying to be straight forward and to the point...maybe I should have put a couple of smiley's in there...! For my own personal images....I post for all different reasons, sometimes I want some constructive help, and for that I would usually post in the forum not the gallery.... But usually I just want to share, I can't imagine taking photographs and then hiding them away never showing them to anyone.......it's how I express myself.....shrug Hmmm....ok and I'll admit to getting annoyed by critiques from the clueless crew, but shrug I just ignore those and take the stuff that comes from the knowledgable ones.....and before anyone gets insulted I'm not talking about Renderosity....I'm talking about places like PSig....

Hmm. Interesting idea. 1. I never EVER have enough time to puruse all of the new stuff in the galery. 2. I rarely comment unless I see a name I have commented with before or received a spam. 3. I feel a good comment is better than none at all and a usefull critique may be nice. 4. If a picture is not my type AND I know the person I may comment. 5. A lot of stuff is not my type of picture. That being said. If I comment on this picture I would say "Great color" because the picture has them. But fungusses are rather gross. Apparently I am the only suffer of this feeling! Creative critique. Make the picture smaller. Not everyone has a large monitor and scrooling the image artifically makes it impact different. For example in the second picture I see 1-FUNGAS, 2- Turning leaf. NOT smooth, organic, solid orange and wet next to multi-colored, geometric, dry, and veined. Which I expect is what you wanted. I'm not sure if you added the rock to make a statement or if it was just there. But I think the rock over does it and competes witht he attention from the leaf. Perhaps grass is better. Actually I liked the top picture. The other orange thing is alright. Even better if it's extra blurry. I don't think you have to clone it away. Bsteph

oh great- i was the first to comment on that one "k- i believe you, super detail & color" the thumb was better & that's what drew me in, along with the color couldn't see how blurry the foreground actually was till i let it load & well, since i was there & took the trouble in the first place... it did have nice detail & color (trying to find it's good points) i knew you were a good photographer & chose to ignore the foreground & like bsteph said, it was hidden by the natural "smaller" framing of my viewer (i try to keep that in mind when i upload, that not everyone has large monitors) also, like "chelle", when you said you didn't put it there- i thought you were referring to the leaf, that it wasn't "set up" as for the "horrible ones", sometimes i can get downright nasty & have to delete the comment & try saying it nicer (i.e. that ugly butt) i feel if they're going to post trash in our gallery then they better be up for some straight out, tell like it is critiquing... & a couple of those ppl are now turning out some pretty decent art hey, i stand with 'chelle on this- "power in numbers" but from now on, i'll be tearing yours apart... jk :D anyway- i'm addicted to commenting... "Killroy was here"

Clap your hands and jump for joy, I was here before Killroy!!! - my comment was above, see? - (",)