Jerry Smith wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I have a quick question, what in the world is going
> on with this list? There seems to be endless talk on
> computer problems, other brands of camera issues, dead
> cat stories and all other assorted things.
I can only say what seems to be true for me. I think what originally
energized the list's existence is at a much lower ebb than probably any
time before. The vast majority of questions and research subjects
related to OM cameras and their lenses that are answerable have been
answered, most of them many times. Then too, the number of newcomers to
OM photography has decreased, so there are fewer newbies asking questions.
One thing that could have happened, given those changes, is that the
list could become very quiet, as has happened for other lists when
traffic on the original purpose drops off. This would be especially true
if, like some lists, those who branched out to digital cameras of the
same brand either jumped or were pushed onto a new list. In that case,
of course,each list would be smaller and many people would have to keep
up with both separately.
What seems to me to have happened to this list is that, during all that
time when it was very active with its original focus, was that a
community grew that included more than just an interest in a particular
brand of camera. I know I have been guilty of posting something, on
topic if possible, more to just hear from my friends and keep up the
connections than because I really at that moment have truly on topic
things to ask or say. And it certainly seems to me that some posts from
others that I read have some of the same thing behind them.
I'm personally moved and privileged to be part of a group where a member
may post about his feelings about an unexpected death of a pet and
receive so much support. I'm also amazed and find it very enjoyable to
discover how many cat lovers happen to be in the group - and how many
seem to be cat slaves. :-) Supportive community is something that is
hard to find for many people these days. The list has really brought
together an amazing group whose breadth of knowledge, experience,
compassion and geography is often astonishing to me.
And I know there are several of us who try to jump on any and all on
topic questions as quickly, accurately and throughly as possible. I, at
least, feel I owe at least that to those who answered so many questions
for me when I started here.
> I submitted
> a few shots a few days ago that I took on a trip last
> week to the Tahoe area. I was hoping for some
> critique, but I only received one item of feedback on
> them. Thanks, Charlie.
Well, not quite true. I replied as well, but only briefly. Perhaps so
briefly that it got lost in a digest.
_______________________________________________
Jerry Smith wrote:
> Hello all,
> I wanted to share a few shots of my own, I hope yall like them.
>
Some very enjoyable scenics there.
It's not very far, maybe I should sneak up there sometime soon.
Moose
--------------------------------------------------------------
It isn't always clear to me when people want, or will be happy with,
comments that may be somewhat critical. So depending on how I'm feeling
at the moment and in what vein the poster put up his pics, and maybe the
weather, I don't know; sometimes I post detailed responses and sometimes
not. I really like to see what others have posted, and try reply to
most, if only briefly.
Truth is, the way that they are made available affects me too. On a site
like Flicker, where I can only browse through easily looking at quite
small images, but have to mouse back and forth a lot to see images big
enough to really react to, I tend to not see as many images as well as
on some other venues. I did my first posting on a free site where my
pics were only little tiny things and hated it, so I found another way.
I did, in fact, browse through your pics from Tahoe in the small size,
and my reaction was pretty much what I posted. It was nice to see some
beautiful views I haven't seen in person for a few years, and I enjoyed
that. On the other hand, many of them are what I've taken in the same
kinds of places, nice snaps of pretty scenery, but nothing that elicits
the need to comment further.
Now that you ask the question, I went back and look at the larger
versions. And some of the shots seem pretty much the same to me. A few
do stand out more at the larger size. My reaction to them is that they
are good shots not presented at their best. With long distance shots at
altitude, especially where there is man made air pollution, just
shooting without polarizer and/or 81a or b filter and/or post
processing results in a fairly flat/dull looking shot, and small, flat
looking shots don't tend to draw much reaction.
Personally, I won't post any shot that I don't think has some special
quality and that I have not taken some effort to display as well as I
can on a web site. I'm not trying to hold anybody to my standard, and I
enjoy seeing many shots that don't seem to me to have been presented
with any attention to showing them at their best. But if asked why some
get more responses than others, that may be a factor. GeeBee, for
example, lives in a beautiful place and takes well thought out and
framed compositions, but in addition, he takes a lot of care in
preparing and presenting them.
Now I've probably gone overboard, again, but just to illustrate what
I've been going on about... This is a very nice view and shot, and
nicely cropped, but the primary subject has lost contrast and definition
to the effects noted above
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/JSTahoe1.htm>. I also have
darkened the bright spot in the lower left corner to keep it from
pulling the eye down there.
This one suffers from quite a crooked horizon, in addition to the
distance effects
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/JSTahoe2.htm>. I don't feel
that way, but some folks might, perhaps only subconsciously, either feel
if a person can't be bothered to straighten a pic up, why should I be
bothered to look at it, or simply find the unnaturalness leads them to
move on, without even knowing why.
It might also help to mention what camera and lens you used, if only to
differentiate you as a pure Oly user, not one of us naughty OT
digicamera users (only OM for 35mm here for over 30 years). Not
everybody remembers what other folks use. I'm guessing it is an E-1 from
looking at the other shots posted there.
> I would be curious to hear whether this list has gone so far off the deep end
> that it is not worth the time to open the digest? I have always looked
> forward to reading the digest and view all of your shots, but as of late I'm
> beginning to wonder.
One thing you might consider is switching your subscription to the
individual emails. That way, it's pretty easy to just select and delete
whole threads that aren't of interest. I read most of the list traffic,
but sometimes threads just don't apply to me and I just click on the
sort by subject button, highlight and dump 'em. With the digest, you
pretty much have to plow through everything. The other way, you can
tailor the list to taste. Depending on what email software you use, you
could have certain common thread subjects that don't interest you simply
shuffled away without ever seeing them.
> Sorry for the rant, I would just like to know in what direction the list is
> going, as I may be going the other way.
>
Well, I for one, would be sorry to see you go. Certainly better to say
how you are feeling first, IMHO, and I appreciate the opportunity to
discuss it.
Moose
PS, I posted what I thought was an absolutely cracking, although in an
OT thread, shot of some jellyfish the other day, and there was no
comment at all, so you did pretty well. :-)
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