Getting critique?

[eyetrip]

Posting on flickr, you can get exposure from posting to a bunch of groups, but it seems that you either get favourited, a nice comment or no comment at all.

I suppose the number of views to number of comments or favourites can be an indication of how good or "nice" your photo is, but nobody ever seems to give advice on how things could be improved.

I use Flickr for a wider variety of photos, even sometimes deliberately including some that I think are bad, stating as much, but that's not only in the hope of getting some advice, but I also use Fickr for posting to my blog (where I criticise my own work, from the angle of hopefully learning from it)

500px... Well, I have taken to using this as a personal "favourite" photo sharing site, and am far more selective what I post, but again, I would somtimes like some feedback, rather than a virtual "high five".

Have noticed that nobody ever uses the "dislike" feature. It's like everybody is scared of being labelled as nasty or something, when there are some truly bad photos (again, including my own, but I shall be removing those I am less happy with form here).

Only other place I really use is this forum... and again, it's hard to get any feedback. Unless it's to say something nice, nobody says anything at all usually. I am guilty of that too I guess, but that's only because I don't consider myself good enough to criticise others.

So what's the best way to go about getting feedback?

 

[eyetrip]

I guess starting up my own thread is an idea.

I understand that a lot of it is down to personal tastes, but sometimes there are definitely things that can be improved, with only a slight change.

For example, this photo:


Sunflower by chris_rabe, on Flickr

I do feel like it should be in portrait, but something just feels off about it.

I am quickly learning that always having a plain black background will get old real quick if it's all I do, but I got some idea's on how to tackle that.

 

[eyetrip]

Thanks for the input guys.

I knew something was off, and what you say makes sense.

I definitely need to be more selective on using black backdrop.

Of course, photographing these things in natural environment is always best, but when there's rubbish weather, and just feel like learning, indoors it is!

Perhaps I will keep this thread as my critique thread.