Watersplace Farm

[Denis]

My choice as a tentative return to the fold...

 

[Ryewolf]

Nicely caught Denis, good to see you back on the forums. It has a nice summer feel and the clouds really add to it.

[Fogey]

Wow! Denis - and Wow! again.

What a cracking subject and composition............so atmospheric and a sky to die for to boot.

A shot deserving of a place on your lounge wall.

[Denis]

Thank you both.  

[Clicker]

Hi Denis ... good to see you back  ...and with a cracking landscape ....very nicely crafted  and a great sky to set it all off ... It's been terribly quiet on the  Forum ...  Hard to know how  to gee things up sometimes ...  Maybe we are flogging a dead horse ... 

 

[Denis]

2 hours ago, Clicker said:

 Maybe we are flogging a dead horse ... 

 

It would be a shame if this did go, it is unique but the pandemic has killed a lot of peoples enthusiasm for various hobbies let alone photography.

I did see a facebook photo page for landscapes that stipulated that every member MUST put more into the page than what they get out of it. In other words at least acknowledge others work by a comment or a like and dont view a photo without doing so. It seems to work for them. Failure to do so means removal from membership. That works for them, but with a multi topic forum such as this it would be hard to implement as we all have different likes and favourite subjects.

There must be a way to stamp out the 'showcasing' where certain people post everything they have taken , reap the adulation and kudos for producing fine pieces of photography but NEVER bother to like or comment on any others work. it is this very thing that caused me to take leave of absence from this wonderful special place for a few months. Lack of interest in peoples work drives quite a few away, I would rather have someone say that a photo I took was overprocessed or bland or the composition was off or lack of actual content than view it and say nothing. I came into photography with absolutely no skills whatsover, I still do not understand completely how all three aspects of shutter/ISO/and Aperture really work, I still cannot take a photo into the light and produce anything but an awful travesty of an image. Twelve years later anything I post is a fluke so please everyone, tell me what you really think, dont just view and move on to the next photo, be honest with me and I will be honest with you. At the end of the day I really think that this may be the reason many join and are never seen again. They see those that frequent the forum a lot and see they are the only few to comment and acknowledge photographs by each other get mistaken by new members to be in a 'clique' This is not a clique but real members with varying skillsets who for some have met each other and have a really good friendship through the forum.

I too have been guilty of passing over some peoples images, I dont need telling, but this break has given me a chance to think how my own actions affect others and I will return to the forum with a fresh and open mind and leave at least a like even if I don't or cannot comment on a particular piece of work. I think we ALL would benefit from a similar outlook or the forum will sink, and that really would be a terrible shame.

[Fogey]

That was very well said Denis.  

I did notice your break and I guessed the reasons for it.  I have always said that the forum is its members and without membership participation this would become an empty platform.

Perhaps we need a forum 'away day'.

[CMunzel]

 Great to see you back, Dennis. This landscape jumped out at me when I was cruising through the posts for this week. Love the bright Summer colours of the sky,  canola and greens of the summer growth all contrasting with dark clouds. Nice composition too. 

[Clicker]

Thanks  for  your comments Denis ... I   wish I knew  the answer as to how to encourage   more new members to  participate ...  We are pretty close to throwing in the towel at the moment. I  shall have to start a thread to address the issues and ask for  comments and suggestions from members I think . Thanks Denis  for  explaining to members why  you have taken a break after  seeing that some members rarely ever commented on other members photos. It can be very disheartening I know.

I have to admit that  the health of two close relatives  who are terminally  ill has prevented me from spending as much time as I usually have in the past on the Forum  so  one cannot assume that  other members  haven't  got similar  situations that alter one's priorities

 Anyway .... I don't want to detract any further  from your   very nicely presented  image that looks so typical of this green and pleasant land .... such a pastoral and bucolic scene . I can almost  hear this playing in the background ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ORsinmqm0M