Looking for a helpful online photography community.

April 10, 2007 9:55 PM

Looking for a helpful online photography community.

I just purchased a digital SLR and am looking for an online community to learn from, namely one where I can upload sample pictures of failed efforts and get some advice as to what the problem is. Any suggestions?

posted by willy_dilly to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

Ah, a topic near and dear to my heart (I used to admin one of the more successful flickr critique groups).

Be wary, lots of the feedback you get on the internet will not be truly helpful; you'll get a million comments along the lines of crop this better, needs more contrast/sharpening, composition is horrible/perfect, dof is likewise, etc. They will likey pick your photo to death, with feedback that isn't always valid.

Most peoples feedback will aim at helping you improve the technical elements. However for improving your creativity I can only suggest taking as any photos as you can in as many different circumstances as you can. Browsing through flickr can help, but it can be equally as disheartening or frustrating (especially when you read the comments, see above).

That said, try these resources (I haven't used any of these personally, but others have mentioned to me at various times):

-Photo.net
-Photography Review forums
-Flickr: (you may not be able to get direct help with some of these, nontheless they are useful resources. If you search you'll find a few million, possibly some of them even helpful)
---Canon dSLR Users Group
---Nikon " " "
---New and learning

Helpful* also are the myriad of blogs, forums, etc. One persons guide on critiquing.

*Mostly not. Be ware of these actually, especially dpreview.

Ahhh, so in conclusion their doesn't really exist the perfect resource. As you'll find with only a cursory examination most aren't helpful (especially those who have just started the learning process), but you'll find with some study you'll be able to self-critique before too long, and learn how to reduce the frequency of those basic mistakes, which we all make from time to time.

If you have any questions, or would like my thoughts on any photos, please email me.

Good luck, and don't take it to seriously. And don't strive to produce photos that are conceptually and technically similar to ten million others.
posted by oxford blue at 11:02 PM on April 10, 2007

I like www.photosig.com. The feedback is generally thoughtful and participation is rewarded and encouraged.

But... keep in mind that you will get critiques you may not agree with, which is fine. Trust your own vision; don't try to please as many people as possible. But you will get some good critiques to help you refine your skills. I have gotten feedback on things that, even after 30 years of photography, I just didn't see.

Good luck!
posted by The Deej at 11:11 PM on April 10, 2007

I just want to second the suggestion that dpreview.com should be avoided as being ultra-critical. I visit oten, but it's really just a camera gossip site. Critiques are usually very harsh and unhelpful, and it seems the primary use of the forum is to engage in the depressingly stupid Canon vs. Nikon debate (which is stupid because Canon is like 50 times better than Nikon, duh! Kidding, really)

Photosig is my favorite, because it not as widely known as flickr. You're likely to get fewer, but more precise critiques. The only problem is that you really have to have something stand out to get a lot of critiques. My photos there range between 0 and 4 critiques.
posted by bluejayk at 11:16 PM on April 10, 2007

If you're into shooting with off-camera strobes (or think you'd like to be), Strobist is pretty dern cool. The guy who writes it is a newspaper photographer and shares a lot of (to my relatively uneducated perspective, anyway) insightful tips on taking aesthetically-interesting portraits using cheap lighting gear. There's also a Flickr group with lots of good folk. Only requirement is that you be shooting with an off-camera strobe to post there.
posted by Alterscape at 3:50 AM on April 11, 2007

I don't really think they are any good online resources for getting your images critiqued. About half the people who frequent photo sites are so gear-obsessed that they can only talk about images in terms of sharpness and minute technical details, and the other half doesn't give any meaningful feedback (ie. "That's nice, good use of color!").

With that said, I think fredmiranda.com's forums are pretty good as far as online forums go. I would seek out a real life solution, maybe there's a local photography club in your area or something like that.
posted by bradbane at 6:20 AM on April 11, 2007

My girlfriend uses Treklens a lot, and Trekearth less frequently - perhaps you could check them out. There are a lot of hugely talented photographers on both, amateur and professional, good crtiques (some of the above, but also very useful advice) and workshops, and newcomers seem welcome.
Trekearth is generally straightforward photo shooting, Treklens more artistic and experimental. Their communities seem relatively small so you might not feel drowned out.
posted by Flashman at 6:53 AM on April 11, 2007

I've used dpReview to post pictures from my sony H5.

The comments & Critiques (C&C) can be brutal at times, but please take it all with a grain...

Another interwesting thing I found is that I'm now hyper-critical of my own photos. Non-photo types rave about my pix but all I can do is think about the composition, rule of thirds & sharpness. I'm starting to think this is an advantage...

Good luck!
posted by UncleHornHead at 10:10 AM on April 11, 2007

You didn't say whether or not you'll spend a lot of time editing your photos. If learning how to use Photoshop is a priority for you, check out The Radiant Vista. They have a lot of good resources, including video tutorials on Photoshop. They also have forums where you can ask for help/critiques.
posted by o0dano0o at 11:17 AM on April 11, 2007

Also, seconding Strobist if off-camera lighting is something you want to try.
posted by o0dano0o at 11:21 AM on April 11, 2007

Check out fujimugs. They have a weekly "challenge", which is a theme that people submit photos on (this week's theme appears to be "Color on black.") There is a section for fuji cameras but also a section for everybody else. People vote on their favorite photos, and the winner picks the next week's challenge theme.

What I particularly like about the site, though, are the detailed comments that the entries receive. The community seems to be very positive and encouraging, really geared towards helping photographers improve.
posted by wyzewoman at 12:33 PM on April 11, 2007

Try the fotocommunity.
There is also a section where you can post, if critique is wanted.
posted by anni at 12:59 PM on April 11, 2007

I also recently got a dSLR as well and have been hunting for great sites that offer how-tos and critiques and so on. Here are a few of my favorites:

http://www.photo.net/ - Excellent gear and technique how-to's. Critique forums get flooded with new submissions often (entire sets, even...) which makes them less than ideal. The weekly discussion pick is often more targeted and useful.

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk - has a feedback forum (among others) that has a very low post volume so images you post may get more attention. The site is for a UK photo magazine which seems to focus more on consumer reporting than on artistic details.

DeviantArt, Flickr, and craigslist photo forums tend to have huge posting volumes and lots of noise. Still can be useful, but beware.

I agree with the above comment that learning to critique composition yourself is much more useful than what the internet forums can tell you about any individual shot. Using that critical eye while shooting will produce shots you're confident in. o0dano0o's Radiant Vista link is excellent. Also, though it will take some time to get through, this guide to composition is excellent on technical and artistic considerations.

Happy shooting!
posted by cowbellemoo at 6:24 PM on April 11, 2007