Dear Friends, I am a professional jeweler, working in real 3d in metals and gemstones. I am new to Rosity and really a newbie at photography. Sure, some eBay stuff photos, some fun pics. Now, I have a few on my gallery and will likely delete some more..the pics that just don't have it in my heart will go, even if at some time those caught my eye and begged to be preserved, even if just on a cd from this pc. So, I wonder, can the "ratings" be used to value an image? Can I use this as a partial guide as to the direction my better images might go? You will see, I am playing now, somewhat directionless. I do not want to be locked into a particular genre and my spirit has never done that. But some direction in learning to find what I can do would be helpful. Criticism is welcomed as is a pat on the back. Do you have a particular standard for judging a photo image? I seem to lean toward what touches an emotion in me, be it joy, pathos, shock or pure beauty in display. I see a lot of "tight cropping" in use in poser and other images, like this is effective but sometime seems to lose out overall. In photos, well, the crop is often the answer to "interest" or too much. If you have some almost subliminal or very direct standards of what is "good" in a photo image, please let me know. Thanks. God Bless. TomDart.

Welcome (again), Tom, What is the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything? I guess I could tell you, but you wouldn't like the answer... Personally, I'd not place much weight in the Ratings, hit count, or top 20, (though the top 20 has been improving lately). Comments, positive and negative, from artists whose work you respect, are valuable guides. [Sometimes the comment is only, "Neat shot!" More in-depth reviews can be obtained in the Forum.]

you'll get better critics here if you ask for them. The galleries tend to be back patting and nothing more, and usually from the same 4 or 5 people who comment on every single image there is out there. post in here, you'll get the advice you want.

.....and following on to that, if anyone is the type of person who prefers just back patting Jordy caresses his ego lovingly then here probably isn't the best pace to ask for comments. Some of us have a habit of being brutally honest, sometimes...... grins (",)

hey Tom welcome to chaos...... First off, ASK QUESTIONS! POST PICTURES! (sorry, didn't mean to shout). I have learned that the folks on the forum will help you improve your skills, techique and your eye. If you post a pic, I feel you will get good honest advise, opinions and suggestions on how to better a picture. You may not agree with 100% of the suggestions, but you will maybe learn to look at your own work in a way that others interpret it. That in itself helps a lot! JAck

Ok, I will put up two images. One, the "near the ceiling" one is an image I am comfortable with posting. The other, a simple at the moment shot, beachballs. Both have color, stuff of "some interest". The beach ball image is just a plaything, could be made into something but as a photo, even with the sunlight as it was, this is not interesting in the way of the first image. In my work as a jeweler, I know certain techincal considerations must be present. This has little to do with design or the look of the piece. The idea is that the item, whatever the design must meet certain techinal standards in order to be made in the first place and to serve the purpose of jewelry. In photography, I see some standards for technical work, mostly specific to a particular form of image. I see the stuff of the darkroom carried into the world of software and digitized. I see less and less of the techinical need and more of the "image" within the value of that image itself: A value assigned, of course, by the viewer. Any comments will be appreciated. I am a bit thinskinned with the advice of the one who doesn't know my work, thick skinned with those who do. This refers to the jewelry work. I expect a divergance of opinion on likes and dislikes, as life is. As for an image like the beach balls, would you have taken it? Scrapped it? Composed it some other way? Thanks for any thoughts. I can always dismiss you opinion! LOL! Not really. Those who have known better than me are the reason for my position in my real jewelry work. I cannot thank them enough for the constructive criticism. God Bless. TomDart.

Here is the better image. The one I am comfortable posting. Thanks, TomDart.

I scanned your gallery and commented on the Cobalt Blue Room. To me, that is the best of the lot but that is simply my personal preference. Some quick thoughts on photography and art in general. You can do the work for your own personal pleasure or you can do it, in hopes of pleasing other people. Your choice. I've made mine. Photography, as any art, has a technical side and an artistic side. Right brain, left brain thing. You can follow either trail as far as you like and achieve great results from either perspective. You can combine the two, with any quantity of mixture. Or, you can abondon all and just let it happen. Ironically, you could lay your camera on the floor and have the cat step on the shutter release and simply by chance, take a better picture than any you have ever taken. If it makes you happy, it is worth doing. If you are only happy when other people approve of your work, forget it.

Concerning the beachballs: When I first saw that shot in the Gallery I immediately thought of one of my all-time favorite television shows, "The Prisioner." A spy alegory from the 60's, where roving beach balls swallowed up malcontents. I do like the reflections and what appears to be transparency (in the purple ball). To say much more I would really need to have more insight into what you were trying to accomplish. Technically it is fine, (but, I have to say, fairly boring, at the risk of offending). I guess I still imagine seeing the balls float on a wide expanse of empty beach from the old TV show.

Dear doca, If I lived by public acceptance I would have been dead in the water years ago. You see, you apparently know, the creative spirit is not one of public acceptance and pats on the back. Sure, the sometimes positive response is an encouragement and truly welcomed. No, I do not live by that. There is a prostituted kind of acceptance when it is all about what someone else wants. Yet, at least in my metal work, that is often rewarded by joyed clients and my own self knowledge of fine technical production, even if not my sole creation. For me, the technical is not enough. That has no release for the spirit inside and reaches a limit of satisfaction. There is more in personal satisfaction, accepted by others or not. Still, to make a living some is done, some to be proud of even if not a creative masterpiece. In the photography and imaging, I plan to please my inner spirit more than that of others. The fact that you picked the cobalt room is one example of an image specially pleasing and satisfying to me...yet unseen in that worth to others. I am having a print of that image to the frame shop this weekend. Funny timing...we each see what we see. Your comments are appreciated and well understood. I have well been there is my profession but not so in imaging. This is new. This is really great! PS> thanks for taking a look at the stuff there. I do appreciate that. God Bless. TomDart.

Misha883, The transparency is natural in the plastic lit from the strong sun. Yet, the balls are boring. Nothing special is said to me in that image beyond accurate color and close as I could get it to the real thing. With that, I agree, no thrill there. I will likely save them to use as a selection to paste into something else. For that, there might be a use. No offense taken. Thanks. God Bless. TomDart.

To All, I believe with your comments and advice, the answer is clear. When I have a particular image, a serious one needing some criticism, both high and low...to post the image and get the opinions of what is, what might be, all that. Artists are overall a different sort from on the street, though some are on the street. Different eyes see differently. That is good. Thanks so very much for letting me in graciously and we will see what might develop from here. God Bless. TomD'Art.

I wish I was on the street. I'd earn more money, even with my body. sigh (",)

hey Jordy, does it hurt your feelings when they ask for a refund?..... Jack

snicker

Guess I better learn how to make change.

Refund? Jack, once they see the goods they search in their purse for a 50 note...... (",)