Why is it, that on my current challenge, I'm getting comments like, "excellent macro", "nice shot", and "well done", and yet my score is still hanging at 4.9??? I swear someone knows my shots and has it out for me... :-P
One, because a lot of people are afraid to say what they really think about a picture, and they try to be nice and polite and say something to make you feel good. Plus, if someone gives a truthful, honest evaluation, oftentimes they are chided for their lack of understanding and vision.
Two, because the persons who told you "excellent", "well done", and so on, probably gave you high scores, and the rest gave you lower scores.
You need to take comments with a grain of salt; they're often flattering, but also often not all that truthful.
:)
And, I should add, scores even more so (take them with a grain, or three, of salt)
You too huh? ... Well. just because they tell me I may be paranoid... that doesn't mean they AREN'T out to get me.
Seriously though, since we all have differing perspectives, it could very well be that your image resonated very well with those who made the comments, but not so well with the masses.
Taking into consideration the sheer number of images that people have to vote on, it is quite conceivable that not everyone spends a great deal of time analyzing each and every photo, but rather give them a cursory glance and render their decision based on that fleeting moment.
I know this may not make you feel any better, but the time it took you to read this will have temporarily taken your mind off your putrid score and that would be a good thing ... RIGHT? :O)
I'll bet it's that damned DPL... This kind of stuff never went on before!
I'm start'in to believe in this theory..I betcha the DPL is worth at least a half a point lower...and being that DPC has always been a hard site to score...the DPL has made it even harder...still fun...still frustrating...and still feels good when you do well...but it seems..I am back where I started....I feel I have a great photo in an ongoing challenge...and it is doing so poorly I can't believe it..I know sometimes I put a photo in for the heck of it..and it scores low (rightly so)...but this one...if it was any other time in the last 4 years...woulda been a 6...guaranteed...lol..and it is doing sooo bad...I have no idea...except to think it has to be something like dudephil is saying....people seem more interested in getting the vote and comment count up, that they aren't looking at the photo...."hey I've got 100,000 votes"..lol...who cares...if you don't actually look at the picture and take the time to vote what difference does it make ?, I guess I have said enough...lol... like I said it is harder than it use to be ...but it is still fun..most of the time..and I am here alot of the time...
You need to take comments with a grain of salt; they're often flattering, but also often not all that truthful.
Kinda like trying to decide what is helpful or not when checking those little boxes.
I happen to have a smaller image for this challenge. I have 25 comments saying "hey, your image is small". such is life. (although many have been more helpful that that). I'm just happy I managed to stump a few folks. :)
I used to point out what I thought was wrong with the photo, then I would check back and see why my comment wasn't marked helpful when everyone who said "nice shot", "beautiful photo" WAS marked helpful. So I figured I should say that too, I did and lo and behold, my comments were marked as helpful. Of course then there's the times I pointed out what I thought was wrong with a photo and got a PM from the photographer telling me I was wrong, that I should know better, that my low vote hurt them. I still often write what I think is wrong with a photo but I will also try to find something positive to say about the photo as well. You wouldn't believe how many times those comments aren't marked as helpful either. People just don't want to hear anything negative about their photo (by negative I mean anything that does not say gorgeous, beautiful, perfect). Once I said a photo was beautiful but I wished it was a bit bigger, it wasn't marked helpful when every other comment was marked helpful.
And to tfarrell23, yes I vote a lot and comment a lot but I also LOOK at the photo, I rarely leave one word comments and I don't vote and comment "just to get the numbers up".
I gotta say, I'm on board with the almost-conspiracy idea that the DPL is lowering scores.
And yet, I'm participating significantly more than before' I'm more concerned about entering something worthwile for my team, and my lifetime average finally rose above the 5.0 mark for the first time ever.
So I'm OK with a little overall dip. This is a learning site after all. The scores are arbitrary and secondary anyway. I'm learning how to be a better photographer and I've made new friends from all over the globe.
I used to point out what I thought was wrong with the photo...
I try to do similar. I'm often surprised how some photos, especially some taken in bright sunlight, look great after 30 seconds in the editor... It's hard to tell what they might not have thought of (colors, cropping, etc) and what was intentional from their point of view.
I always vote 100% of any challenge I choose to vote in which are normally the ones I submit to. I dont usually leave very many comments. I always comment on my very favourite ones and also on the lowest scoring ones in which case I generally say what didn't appeal to me in the photo.
In the Macro challenge I choose to comment on all the photos. I tried to guess the subject and left a comment about what I did and didn't like. To the ones who I left a comment that "It didn't interest me" it isn't an insult, just not my cup of tea. I am sure that others found it interesting. And just because I said it didn't interest me doesn't mean that I marked it low.
I always enjoy getting comments and find that 99% are helpful in a constructive way. I often think 'Why didn't I see/do that!'. If I dont agree with a comment it's not the end of the world because that is just someones opinion and they have a right to that. The fact that they are taking the time to comment means that they feel it is important enough to say. What a dull and boring world it would be if everyone agreed with you!!
Everyone, keep up the good work. Remember that this site is here to add value to what we do.
I used to point out what I thought was wrong with the photo, then I would check back and see why my comment wasn't marked helpful when everyone who said "nice shot", "beautiful photo" WAS marked helpful. So I figured I should say that too, I did and lo and behold, my comments were marked as helpful. Of course then there's the times I pointed out what I thought was wrong with a photo and got a PM from the photographer telling me I was wrong, that I should know better, that my low vote hurt them. I still often write what I think is wrong with a photo but I will also try to find something positive to say about the photo as well. You wouldn't believe how many times those comments aren't marked as helpful either. People just don't want to hear anything negative about their photo (by negative I mean anything that does not say gorgeous, beautiful, perfect). Once I said a photo was beautiful but I wished it was a bit bigger, it wasn't marked helpful when every other comment was marked helpful.
And to tfarrell23, yes I vote a lot and comment a lot but I also LOOK at the photo, I rarely leave one word comments and I don't vote and comment "just to get the numbers up".
From my perspective while it is GREAT to get positive comments about a picture, the ones I REALLY value are the ones that say, OK...but this could have made it better. I have marked all but one comment as helpful (there are two marked as non helpful in my profile but one of those is a self post) which just said DNMC when really I really think it did
I have had some great comments from KarenNfld and they have all been useful, plus its pretty amazing that she has completed 100% comments in challenges and left over 10,000 comments in all
Perhaps my one gripe is where you look at an entry and realise that NONE of the comments have been marked as helpful. My own view is that if people dont value comments at all then perhaps they should put something after the title of their image to stop commenters effectiviely wasting their time
Oooo and one other thing that thomaspeople failed to mention that he got from DPL, was improved muscles by having to carry some of my efforts as a teammate!!!
Perhaps my one gripe is where you look at an entry and realise that NONE of the comments have been marked as helpful. My own view is that if people dont value comments at all then perhaps they should put something after the title of their image to stop commenters effectiviely wasting their time
Yeah, I've had similar thoughts, but some people think of helpful literally, as in "constructive criticism" (that the photographer also accepts). Others define helpful as "comment appreciated." I do think it's a little snotty not to acknowledge comments, but I try not to let it bug me.
Every now and then I check my profile to see if there have been any new comments made. If there are I always read them and check them as helpful. One I didn't check as helpful as it was the April fools DNMC in the free study and the other is a post I did myself and somehow comes up as a comment made but I cant tick it off.
I have just noticed however that I have made 530 comments since starting up on DPC and only 378 have been marked as helpful. So does this mean that they really didn't find them helpful, or haven't they check their profile for a while?
One thing that really gets me is that everyone says this is a learning site, but I'm not learning very much! My scores aren't any higher than when I started. I wish I just had someone to really analyze my pictures, tell me what I can change, and teach me how to do better next time! I love my pictures, but maybe my perspective is skewed. Maybe I need someone to bounce ideas off of. Maybe I just need an expert to take me under their wing and teach me.
One thing that really gets me is that everyone says this is a learning site, but I'm not learning very much! My scores aren't any higher than when I started. I wish I just had someone to really analyze my pictures, tell me what I can change, and teach me how to do better next time! I love my pictures, but maybe my perspective is skewed. Maybe I need someone to bounce ideas off of. Maybe I just need an expert to take me under their wing and teach me.
I had a look at your photos and they are really creative. If you had not been a member of DPC would you have taken these photos anyway? Probably not, in which case you are learning.
I have found that DPC forces me to plan and take photos that I normally would not take. That doesn't mean that they are great photos. But if I would reshoot for the same challenge with hindsight the photos would definately be better. I am going on holiday tomorrow for 2 weeks and will be going to a great zoo and to the snow so am really excited about my photo possibilities.
Maybe you could submit your photos for critique? That way you will get the best construcutive advice.
One thing that really gets me is that everyone says this is a learning site, but I'm not learning very much! My scores aren't any higher than when I started. I wish I just had someone to really analyze my pictures, tell me what I can change, and teach me how to do better next time! I love my pictures, but maybe my perspective is skewed. Maybe I need someone to bounce ideas off of. Maybe I just need an expert to take me under their wing and teach me.
Lila, a couple of thoughts.
1. Entering some of the side challenges can be a useful learning experience. I recently did the 30 days in B&W and whilst I got some very positive comments about my shots I also got some very useful idea how to make them better
2. Sometimes it may be worth revisiting a challenge entry and trying some of the things that have been suggested. I notice on your username challenge (which btw I thought was derving of a higher score and place that it got) you had 7 comments 3 of which talked about ways they felt the picture could have been improved (saturation, contrast, cropping) why not try to implement these changes and then post the original and the revised version up for comment? If people suggest things and you are not quite sure how to do them then just ask. I know in the past when I have done this I have had some great and exceptionally useful feedback
Thanks for the suggestions. I have thought about entering one of the side challenges, then I think, "am I crazy? I don't have time for that!" I guess if I really want to get better, I need to buckle down and do it! :-)
Another question... if I'm not a Member, how can I post the pictures for a side challenge besides putting them on snapfish or something? If I do that, I can't get comments. :-\
