Can someone explain to me the criteria used to pick featured photos here? Or, who do you have to kill to get a commendable photo on Picture Social!
Despite the tongue and cheek title of this forum discussion, like most humor there is always a bit of truth in the statement asked.
Although not a “professional” photographer, I have been taking photographs for over thirty years, as well as having been a participating member in Picture Social (PS) for over six months with some sixty photos posted to date, yet I am still waiting to have one picture posted as “commendable” or “featured”!
Outside of PS, I have been featured nearly a dozen times on Pixel Induced, and even won a couple of “Photo of the Day” contests with these posted photos, so what gives? Is there a bias against amateur photographers here, or is this a popularity contest, where you must get your friends to vote for your photos before they are deemed worthy?
I have seen many photo’s taken by the average “photogs” posted here, which I thought were commendable, however it seems the majority of those chosen are those photos that have been embellished with fancy frames, or over-the-top signatures and watermarks!
So what is your opinion?
Also, please post in your response if you are a professional or amateur photographer.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ryan on -
The "Honorable Mention" is really the "Featured Photos", which people can comment on. Same ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Earl E. Gibson on -
John,
There is no bias here except in your mind. From what I know... the people who pick the photos to be featured are primarily "amateur" or "Hobbyists". If you actually look at the people who have their photos featured you will see that a lot of them are Amateur, Hobbyists or Weekend Photographers that are very good and produce great shots. So i do not see how you can say that this site has a Professional Bias. I have been on this site since Jan 1st of 2008. I believe I am member # 192 if my memory serves me correctly.
I have seem a lot of Professionals on here and none of them have been given any preference over anyone else. It goes back to the team that selects that featured shots. If they see a shot that THEY believe the rest of the members here would like to see, they select it for the feature. It is not a contest. It is not a discrimination to you personally. There is no malice of forethought against you.
If you really want your photos to be seen be others, then let others know you are here. Participate, do not just sit back and think they will come to you. Create a group for those you believe are being overlooked. Post features of your own in there. I do not own or run this site, but Ryan and I try to greet most everyone that comes here. We have both been here a good while and were greeted by a lot of others when we arrived. For me I am just passing that along as I greet other new members to this site because I remember how nice it felt when I first got here.
You mention just as I did that this site is hear to allow photographers of all shapes and sizes... amateur to professional to communicate.. share ideas.. learn from each other. So what does that really have to do with YOU getting your photos featured? Again.. create a group!!! Participate in teaching or learning. Nathan is a prime example of someone who is always willing to share his vast knowledge, yet you blew him off. This site is not here, to again... as I said before... "Stroke Your Ego", but for knowledge transfer... Learning and sharing.
You always have the choice of other sites. Ryan... do you have anything to add or have I just kind of blown my stack here? LOL
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Permalink Reply by John Read on -
Wow Earl!
First, if you read the entire discussion forum you would have realized that this is not about me! I am actually quite comfortable with my photography.
Secondly, I have mentioned this to the administrator of this site, and he thought it was a good idea, but at the time was unsure where and how to implement it.
Lastly you are correct, there are other sites, which has members that are friendlier and open to change! Maybe you should look around some of them, to see where the old regulars have gone!
John
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Permalink Reply by Ryan on
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Like Earl said, create a group! That's a brilliant idea! If your photos aren't being featured, yet you want people here to view them, then you can create a group! Or join other groups that can do that. I've been here since the dinosaur era lol, I assure you (again) the site isn't biased on amateur or pros for featuring photos. If you see it that way then, that's too bad, John. It's not.
Let me quote from Earl..."It goes back to the team that selects that featured shots. If they see a shot that THEY believe the rest of the members here would like to see, they select it for the feature. It is not a contest. It is not a discrimination to you personally. There is no malice of forethought against you."... THAT is the answer to your original question.
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Permalink Reply by Marcia C on -
You can go into the Daily Chatter for sharing your photos everyday.
This is a group that has been created for showing others your work that they may not get a chance to view otherwise and it is also one for discussions about photography and just getting to know each other.
I do not even have a gallery on Picture Social. I only post in the Daily Chatter.
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Permalink Reply by Jesse Sanchez on -
every photo on i see on the commendable selection is incredible in my eyes. i love to see the moving ,different,interesting,heartfelt,amazing ,freakin bad ass photos!!!. come up with a few of those and you'll get up ther lil buddy. they only put the best of the best. pro or amateur . if they just put up every good photo they seen then it would get watered down and plain looking. stop crying!
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Permalink Reply by Debra Vanderlaan on -
Ok, this is for Earl: I read the article and according to that, I am an amateur for sure. I do not have to make a living with my photo art. I do sell note cards of my photography to several clients and do take special shots that they suggest to make the cards, but don't make a living at it. And don't have to answer to anyone or keep a budget or anything. It is for the pleasure of taking and showing my shots. We do have a website and have sold just a few shots at this point from that. I have only been shooting about a year and with a Canon DSLR since January. Before that, with a point and shoot Olympus. So, I am sure that this site does not give preference in any way to pros as I am not one but have gotten a number of Featured Photos. And my reference to editing programs is NOT a pre-requisite for a good shot or having your shot selected in the Featured gallery. In fact, I had my Mennonite photo (I may upload it here at a later date) selected as the winner in the Smithsonian Mag's Americana category contest this past year and it had not been edited in any way and was shot with a point and shoot. So, it is not the camera, not the photo program, but the artist's eye, the composition, and the subject that give a photo that oomph, that wow factor, that is admired as something special. So, we are back to square one I think, in that no one REALLY knows how the Features are selected. I think we can all agree that the ones selected are very interesting and very well-done and that many others that are equally as interesting or well-done are not selected. Every site is this way as I stated before. The other sites I upload to sometimes absolutely ignore my photos, no matter how special they are to me or to others who have commented on them. It is always very subjective. But the suggestion to start making contacts, writing comments on others' photos to get them to reciprocate, start a new blog or join the blogs that others have, are all great ideas. Let's all keep celebrating life and enjoying each others' work. Celebrate life, Debra
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Permalink Reply by Ryan on
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Let's just enjoy each other's work here, support each other and trust the ones featuring the photos do their awesome work ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Jason Hernandez on -
I've wondered that myself! It seems like a lot of the pics contain high manipulation and are unreal, meaning you would never see a sky like that in real life! Don't get me wrong, they look GREAT but it seems like a high numbers of the photos don't dictate reality.
Perhaps I'm old school like that and and carry the thought that if I couldn't have produced an image such as described above in the darkroom using physical skill with out of the box creativity (remember those odd shapes we used to dodge/burn?) I will most likely not produce that kind of a photo. But, then again, perhaps there are those who were able to produce such surreal photos in the darkroom; who knows!
Either way, I enjoy seeing them.......and wouldn't mind seeing a couple of mine up there!
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