Hey I just want to put something out to you folks in case you are seeing something similar.
Just about every time I post an image now I seem to attract one person that seems to dislike my work so much that they rate it a 1 - snapshot.
Now I can understand how opinions may be divided on work that is essentially abstract, but there seems to be a pattern - I get a number of people liking the image and then this ONE rating that is totally opposite. Perhaps there is one person out there that really does not like my work, but as it sems so consistent (and immediate) it's almost like they follow me.
Have you witnessed the same thing? I know few years back there weas one or more people who went through entire portfolios and rated low (I was one of many affected), which made me feel sad for the individual(s) involved.
I'm just asking a now it makes me pay attention to how my images are received and am wondering if others have seen the same.
No matter my personal opinion of an image I hope would never be so negative, our role is to support each other and if nothing else provide helpful feedback.
I have added the 'snapshot' for review
Thoughts?
Haters gotta hate, one of the ills of social media. I wouldn’t waste a brain cell on it. You have to know your work is really good. I for one always look forward to seeing a post with your name on it.
Thanks so much for your kind words Michael, feedback such as this does have an impact.
I am not sure of the reason, but I wish people wouldn't feel the need to hide behind the veil of anonymity. I'd much rather someone mark low and provide a reason for doing so.
I wish I could take a snapshot that good.
I don't get much traffic on my photos so your Troll hasn't seen any of mine.
Ha - me too! There tends to be a lot of work that go into these, and a great number of failures!
That stinks. You're right. If someone doesn't like your style, it doesn't mean you throw out everything. Growing as a photographer means looking at others' work with objective eyes. When I first opened my account here, I did immediately get 1 star ratings on my photos. It hasn't happened of late, but I also haven't posted too much on Fstoppers.
I LOVE this photo, by the way. Your technique lends itself very well to this subject and their story. The loneliness of this solitary cyclist is highlighted even more by the neutral, quiet background.
Thanks Jenny!
A lot of that comes down to blind luck.
This cyclist appeared as I was waiting to meet up with someone and was practicing the technique, so luckily all came together.
Would love to say this was planned, but just a matter of being in the right place at the right time with a camera at the ready.
I’ve had the same experience Alan. I’ve had several photos that were rated 4 by several people. Then I come back and the rating has dropped down to a point which could only be caused by a 1 or 2 vote. I’ve also posted something and it’s almost immediately given a 1 or 2. Like you said, almost like they’re following me. Waiting to tell me how bad I am 😂
Thanks Kyle. I can see some not liking certain work, but if they ARE following an individual and feeling the need to degrade ratings I feel truly sorry for them.
At the end of the day if it makes people feel better about themselves by doing so I guess I'm OK with it, I just wish the individuals would engage and not hide in the shadows.
Agreed. Even if I saw a photo I thought was worthy of a 2 I wouldn’t do it unless they were specifically asking for feedback and I thought I could provide some. I just don’t see the point. I see bad photos all the time and just scroll on by.
While I'd never give your work a 1 star, just sharing some perspective here.
- Your photography leans more toward fine art, which in a vacuum, is a polarizing genre.
- Despite the way the scale is defined, it's hard for folks to unprogram 1=bad and accept that 1=snapshot on Fs.
- People browsing on mobile may glance at a shot and think it's out-of-focus, or a photo of painting (the latter would actually be a complement to the technique).
I happen to feel (without any evidence) that members here rate based on my second point. FWIW, the rating scale that Lee and Patrick devised does promote engagement, which is what creators want.
Yeah, I totally understand that many do not appreciate this kind of work (including my wife BTW), it’s more down to the fact that it seems targeted.
I’ve had someone go through my entire portfolio and rate every single image a 1 in the past, it’s after that I have paid a little attention and noticed a trend.
The point of browsing on a cellphone is valid, but I personally would not rate any image (unless obviously stunning) without first viewing on a larger screen.
I am not so much concerned about it happening, more questioning whether this is a trend witnessed by others (as well as concerned about the mindset of an individual).
Gotcha, and sucks if it is targeted whether it be the style, you, or something else. BTW, in my original post reply, I meant to say "hard for folks to unprogram 1=don't like as I didn't mean to infer your work is bad in any way.
I try to be very precise in how I talk / type so hope you didn't take any offense to it.
No problem Robert, I knew what you meant in your original message.