I love photography, and enjoy looking at photos that others have captured and shared, therefore I take the rating system very seriously. When I view a photo, I look at several things before rating it.
1. Did it appeal enough to me that it drew my eye?
2. Was the subject matter well represented?
3. Was the photo taken at an angle that represented its surroundings well?
4. Did the photographer attempt to use natural props, such as framing the picture with its own environment, allowing the textures to pop by giving the approriate viewpoint, framing it so that the image wasn't layered oddly, etc.
5. Did it have direction? Some photos just don't have any direction to them, and not enough qualities to deem them subject worthy.
6. What feelings/emotions did the photo convey?
And, of course, one of the utmost important factors is personal preference. I tend to lean towards nature photos, and anything that tugs my heartstrings. I like certain subject matters, such as those with strong texture qualites or unusual stances. My love for abandoned stuctures would certainly draw my eye moreso than the photo of another sunset.
When you look at a photo, what makes you give it a ten verses a 4 or 5, etc? What are some of the qualities you look for in a photo??
And, most importantly, are you honest when you give comments and ratings? I always try to tell what I liked about the photo and in the same respect, offer suggestions towards what might make the photo better, or tighter, or more subject intensive. To me, this has been the most valuable tool for my learning experiences of how to take better pictures, simple peer to peer critique.
So tell me, how do you rate the photos here on Gather?
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Comments: 12
I tend not to give scores too often. Not because I don't like the photo, but because I don't know how to score them properly based upon what others are seeking. Are they looking for a critique score or a "did you like my picture" score... it makes a difference.
Jeff, I like your viewpoint very much so, and that is why I posed the question, as I am curious on the way others do this.
Gather has created a great avenue for sharing and learning and I feel so blessed to have found such a community. It's good to see how others view this.
I don't score if it isn't an original photo.
I try to say what I like about the photo, point out the good points.
I want to be encouraging, not leave someone with the feeling of why should I even try.
If there is something I notice that i think would help I try to say it in a non-confrontational way.
I am no expert, I just know what I like.
Your list of what you look for actually helped me a lot!
I also say different things for casual photographers who are showing off their kids or their first garden flower etc.
than I do for people who I perceive as trying to become better photographers, people who I think have the 'photography bug' and love photography and what they take pics of.
Again, that is totally my perception by what I see them producing.
But it does change the kind of comments I make.
I'm not going to mention composition to someone who isn't 'into' photography.
hope that makes sense.
putting "Critique please" at the end of your photo would be very helpful. I forget about people gathering points (don't really pay that much attention to the points system, truthfully), so it never really occured to me that a different score other than a 10 would produce lower points. That doesn't make much sense to me, as if someone is contributing, they should get points on that, and not on the personal preferences of others.
I surely wouldn't want anyone becoming offended by an honest critique because of a points issue, so it would help to define what they are seeking at the time of posting.
I know what you mean about being afraid to score, that is why I often avoid it completely. Thanks for the input.