Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My comments are not about Eric's PAW but about comments and critique of PAWs in general. Submitting any photos on the LUG is no different than displaying salon photography and art in a gallery. As photographers and artists display their best work in a gallery, so do LUG members offer their best efforts for our viewing pleasure, comments, and critique. I believe that it is important to keep comments and critique in perspective. Not all LUGers are Galen Rowels, and not all LUGers are photographic experts. Encouragement, suggestions, and praise will foster renewed fervor on the part of the photographer in question - and the rest of us. By the same token, constructive criticism is just as important. Lavish praise alone will not lead to improvement in technique, aesthetics, etc. And the photographer in question should consider all comments and learn from them, if nothing else, about what appeals to others. I recall a photo of a man in his shop. The composition could have been improved measurably by re-cropping to eliminate a distracting object in the corner, and a LUGer (one whose knowledge of photography is well above average) suggested it. The comment created a defensive posture on the part of the photographer and led to a prolonged exchange. Personally I find it difficult to learn from polite praise. I welcome criticism although, in many cases, such criticism does not supercede my own opinions or believes. I enjoy seeing PAWs and derive useful insight from subsequent comments. In some cases comments reveal aspects of the photograph that had escaped me. Some PAWs are more memorable than others, but, in spite of the fact that I seldom comment - especially publicly - I welcome all of them. Joseph Codispoti - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html