Photography - Reality of what we see or Edited to what we don't see?

TheBigYin said:
Roberts IS a valued behind the scenes member of the TP team, much the same as the Server Hamster. While he mainly stays unobtrusively behind the scenes in the F&C "clubroom" refreshing members drinks and ensuring the Pomerol is decanted in a timely manner, occasionally he steps out into the greater forum areas... Think Jeeves with more attitude and a slight weakness for the grape.
Click to expand...

I think I may wish to find another forum.
 
simon ess said:
Really?

Why?
Click to expand...

You have to trust those who control and police the forum. Rather than say "yes, when do that for a laugh sometimes when members are objectionable" or simply say nothing, we get stuff that's transparently untrue. I've watched mods tag-baiting members they don't like, and TBH I'm sick of it. I'd thought it might stop with new management, but it's still bubbling away.

For me, a mod has to be above getting involved because of their position. The forum has been flexible on this in the past and I can hardly expect that to change so the only vote I have is with my feet. It's not like I'm a paid member of an exclusive club.
 
Last edited:
Well, I hope you choose to stay but I'm not going to try to persuade you.

I will say that's a picture of the forum I don't recognise, and good luck finding a better moderated one.
 
datasafe said:
I love viewing pictures especially those that exhibit the skill of the photographer as opposed the the skill of using Photoshop or lightroom!

Some pictures posted on many forums are so unreal, edited so heavily to enhance colours and other aspects to a point that looks hideous (in my opinion) bearing no relation to what the eye sees. Is this photography?

I expect to be criticised for my comments but wonder if others agree?
Click to expand...
Id argue that photography is neither. As an art form it's based on the way a photographer sees the world. So hopefully what I 'see' is not what the average person sees, and therefore what I capture hopefully enables the viewer to see the world through my eyes.

Nowt at all to do with whether my 'view' is a distorted reality using image editing or other photographic techniques in camera, or just that I found a unique view of reality that others would have missed. IMHO the whole point of photography is to show other people our view of the world.
 
TheBigYin said:
Roberts IS a valued behind the scenes member of the TP team, much the same as the Server Hamster. While he mainly stays unobtrusively behind the scenes in the F&C "clubroom" refreshing members drinks and ensuring the Pomerol is decanted in a timely manner, occasionally he steps out into the greater forum areas... Think Jeeves with more attitude and a slight weakness for the grape.
Click to expand...
I have to say I feel disappointed to hear that, what came across to me as an inflammatory post, was made by a TP team member. It's the sort of post I, unfortunately, expect to see in Hot Topics, but not one I would have thought was considered acceptable here.

Maybe Roberts, once he has recovered from his weakness for the grape, might think about apologising. It would be a great shame if this post from a TP team member normalises, the posting of insults rather than informed argument and reasonable discussion.

Or, if it was some sort of "in joke" between LongLensPhotography and Roberts, maybe that could be explained.
 
I could mention the overwhelming, baffling tolerance that mods have shown towards certain members over the years, but questioning moderation decisions is against the rules.

;)
 
I'm an ignorant philistine, who has never understood what art is supposed to be, never mind being able to appreciate it.

Nevertheless I know what I like, and see a lot of photos on here I would be proud to have taken myself.

I also know what I don't like, and that includes very vibrant greens and exceptionally blue skies. Somehow they just jar.

I use lightroom, hopefully with a light touch, and haven't been afraid to post photos here despite my limitations, in the hopes I will get some useful tips and that I will get better if I take enough. I mainly take photos of landscapes / buildings, and aim for a 'natural' style.
 
Taking the photo (with a camera, using a particular lens, focusing it, framing the picture and controlling exposure) has always been only part of creating an image - whether film, plates, sensors are used to capture the exposure. Whatever method of in-camera capture, there's usually still loads more involved in creating the final image - and all this will affect the final image. Choices and decisions will need to be made as part of that process as to chemicals, paper, white balance etc. etc. . Even if the photographer is not consciously and actively making those choices, someone will have, either before or after the fact (film manufacturer, camera default settings, darkroom exposures etc.).

There is so much going on in the whole process that ultimately, a lot of those choices and decisions will be based on taste, preference, judgement etc. Even if the photographer accepts all those decisions made on his or her behalf and is only interested in their input in the capture, he or she is still making choices and decisions - even if the camera is on full auto.

For a photographer to play a more active role in other parts of the process does not devalue the final image because of it but it will likely cause others to value it differently to if the photographer plays a passive role in those parts of the process. I believe this to be true whether one considers photography to be an art form or an attempt at "realistic representation"; I also do not believe that it follows that the more passive the photographer is, the more realistic the image is.

Going back to the original post, I can definitely see a case that photographers can make such a hash of post-processing that there can be a general consensus that the image is the worse for it. I also reckon that there are instances of some people over-relying, overdoing or overusing a technique (especially if it is a "filter" on a phone camera) often without much thought, to get a more dramatic picture. I have seen pictures on social media with so much HDR and halo-effect from sharpening that I think they look pigging awful - but they still get admiring comments from others.
 
myotis said:
I have to say I feel disappointed to hear that, what came across to me as an inflammatory post, was made by a TP team member.
Click to expand...

one thing you should remember, is that every single TP team member at the moment, came here firstly as a member of the forum, and that every single team member had a right to their own viewpoint on anything. First and foremost, we're MEMBERS of the forum, and entitled to our opinions. Even the now OWNERS of the forum came here as "ordinary" members originally don't forget. Do we "self moderate" our posts - hell yes - believe me if I were to let rip my opinions on certain people it would certainly be much less decorous than the odd tinfoil hat meme - and I'm sure than a number of my colleagues would agree they do the same. Frankly, it's only the fact that I'm on the staff thats preserved me from being permanently banned - because without the "harness" of being on staff, I'd say exactly what I think about a few people, and get (rightly) banned for it.

simon ess said:
I could mention the overwhelming, baffling tolerance that mods have shown towards certain members over the years, but questioning moderation decisions is against the rules.

;)
Click to expand...

it's a strange one and no mistake. Sometimes it's a compromise if I'm honest. An exercise in pragmatism. You see, we know the people that get a short term ban and immediately create a dupe account. These people if Perma-Banned will just create a long long long list of duplicates and alter-ego's (cough-Fraser-cough). So, sometimes it's actually easier to keep them in check, and, just occasionally point out that they're complete fruitcakes, for the benefit of the new members, who may think that they're actually being supported in some way by the management. Personally I really miss a useful tool we used to have as moderators in an earlier forum incarnation - which was basically a "global ignore" - you could apply this to anyone who deserved it, and they "softly and silently vanished" as far as the general forum was concerned. They didn't see any difference, they could post, quote people, start threads, add pictures, do anything they wanted, it's just only staff could see it. It's a perfect Troll Deterrent frankly, because, Trolls thrive on interaction, and if they just thought that everyone was ignoring them, they'd eventually go away of their own volition.

So, if you see us "not dealing with" certain members, it's mainly because it's more fun making them look ridiculous than it is playing whack-a-troll keeping them out forever.

Now, I realise that the above will probably upset some people, that we perhaps don't live up to their expectations - sadly, we're only human - but IMO, we're also a good blend of people, with a wide blend of outlooks political, philosophical and otherwise - when it comes to anything major, none of us take permanent steps without at least running things by a couple or more of the group - that's why people often get a day off that turns into a week/month/permanent vacation.
 
TheBigYin said:
one thing you should remember, is that every single TP team member at the moment, came here firstly as a member of the forum, and that every single team member had a right to their own viewpoint on anything. First and foremost, we're MEMBERS of the forum, and entitled to our opinions. Even the now OWNERS of the forum came here as "ordinary" members originally don't forget. Do we "self moderate" our posts - hell yes - believe me if I were to let rip my opinions on certain people it would certainly be much less decorous than the odd tinfoil hat meme - and I'm sure than a number of my colleagues would agree they do the same. Frankly, it's only the fact that I'm on the staff thats preserved me from being permanently banned - because without the "harness" of being on staff, I'd say exactly what I think about a few people, and get (rightly) banned for it.


Now, I realise that the above will probably upset some people, that we perhaps don't live up to their expectations - sadly, we're only human - but IMO, we're also a good blend of people, with a wide blend of outlooks political, philosophical and otherwise - when it comes to anything major, none of us take permanent steps without at least running things by a couple or more of the group - that's why people often get a day off that turns into a week/month/permanent vacation.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply, I'm aware that the TP team are also members of the forum and that you are human, and that you have to deal with difficult/impossible situations on the forum.

But it still doesn't change my reaction to the post, it made me think of HT, and filled me with horror that this sort of thing was expanding into the rest of the forum. I'm an active member in HT, and would like to feel that the worst aspects of HT are kept locked away inside HT.

But fair enough, I've made my feelings known, you have responded, and I am happy to move on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top