[Leica] PAW -- Criticism or Stroking?

[Peter Klein <pklein@2alpha.net>]

The LUG is a wonderful resource. As a place to post pictures, it can be a 
frustrating, fearful and lonely place. But with a few grains of salt and a 
little thickening of the skin, it's well worth it.  I intend to keep 
posting my PWIFLIs*. I hope that no one else will be dissuaded from posting 
by the LUG's often prickly character.

We have lots of flaws as reviewers. Artistic snobbism.  Leica lens 
chauvinism. Technical pickiness that many past masters couldn't measure up 
to. Judging "decisive moment" pictures by "Group f/64" still life 
standards. Judging landscapes by "decisive moment" standards. Frequent 
neglect of pictures that are neither very bad nor incredibly gripping.  The 
occasional deliberate cruelty. The elevation of narrow artistic or 
political conceits to Exclusive Revealed Truth.

All of which is simply part of the LUG's infamous signal-to-noise ratio. 
The LUG has loud noise, but it also has exquisite signals.

I've learned so much from *viewing* other people's pictures here.  To me, 
the comments are secondary.  Sometimes they're useful, sometimes not. I 
want to see the *pictures*. The LUG has everything from world-class 
photojournalists to unknowns Everypersons finding beauty in their own 
backyards.

I don't mind seeing beginner's pictures.  Everyone was a beginner once. I 
don't mind seeing family snaps.  It's useful to see how they can be 
improved.  And once in a while, somebody's family snap is as good as 
anything the Masters turn out.  I don't live in Paris (dammit!) and my 
subjects are often my friends. So what?  I'll do the best I can with what 
I've got.

I don't always have time to comment.  But I appreciate the chance to visit 
so many places and see them in so many ways through so many eyes. And I 
hope my own efforts have contributed a little.

- --Peter Klein
Seattle, WA
* PWIFLI:  Picture When I Feel Like It

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