Back Alley Blues by alophoto

Back Alley Blues

Last night I attended my first official photo club meeting where I was an active participant (aka I brought photos for review). I've gone twice before, but was only a visiting observer.

I was pretty happy with my photos...both were ones that I have shared on 365 and both got lots of positive feedback and faves. The one that I chose to have in the PowerPoint presentation was a sexy one of my legs (one from last month called "Well...Goodnight"). I had second thoughts about it after I had sent it off and it was too late. Much to my horror, it was the first image shown and the critiquer caught me off guard by asking me very pointed questions (in the past the person just spoke about the images) about what I was going for in the shot, what I would do differently, etc. My legs were up on the screen larger than life and I felt laid bare and exposed as she ripped my image apart. She didn't like the sepia processing, the focus, etc. I was pretty embarrassed and uncomfortable and felt like the hussy new girl. What was I thinking submitting THAT image?!

After that we broke into groups with people with the same camera types. I had the cracker jack camera in the Nikon group. Everyone had larger models and lenes. I was feeling totally inadequate and full of camera envy. I also had no clue how to do many of the things that they were talking about...metering, bracketing, and more. I felt very green and a little blue. So stinkin' much to learn. I also fiddled some with my exposure setting just to better see how it worked.

Flash forward to today...we went on an all day road trip to Amish country and this quaint town just over the river (we took a ferry!!) in Kentucky. I took tons of photos...and all were severely overexposed from my fiddling last night. I noticed that the first few were, but adjusted it and they seemed fine until I downloaded them:(.

And I was just starting to feel better. Oy! I was able to salvage many/most of the images with processing.

Oh to not be such a freakin' amateur!

This definitely looks better large and on black if you have an extra sec after reading my novella. I am annoyed that I cut off the top of the gate. I will blame it on my greenness;-).
Lyn
Ah, honey. . .do I ever know how you feel. . .but I hate that you were treated that way at the camera club - not right! nice job, here.
March 28th, 2013  
I would find a camera club most intimidating! I can talk with my fingers while I type but get fragile in company! Well done for going! I love the blue you have caught in this shot!
March 28th, 2013  
bunch of bitches!! dont worry about em. did you get any jams or bread? we would always get some from our local amish closer to the tn line and oh man, good stuff. i do love this, leads my eye right to the gate. fav it and if those "pros" dont like it then they can kiss both our behinds
March 28th, 2013  
Aw Amanda, I am sending you a cyber hug all the way from London, Ontario, Canada! I feel for you, your photo club experience sounds awful! Your photos inspire me all the time, you rock and that's all there is to it. In this shot, I love the texture and detail on the wall and walk. The blue gate is just lovely. And...this shot is FABULOUS viewed large!
March 28th, 2013  
I understand. Trust me I do. And I think you do a great job. :)
March 28th, 2013  
@tbats22 I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I read your feedback!!! Way to get them tiger!! hehe .... but I have to agree ... Amanda you do fab. work, keep it up my friend!!! @masosy And I join Kate on this one and send you a big ol Cyber hug all the way from Texas!!! This photo rocks btw!!!
March 28th, 2013  
A critique is always hard, but remember it is just her opinion, no one said it is the right opinion. Keep going. This photo brings back memories. The brick walk and the gate, very nice. I think it is ok that you didn't get the top of the gate, the photograph still works for me.
March 28th, 2013  
And here's another hug from Texas, meeting up with @sistawood 's and carpooling up there. :) I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience at the camera club. You have such natural talent in your photos. Critiques can be good, but I don't think critiques only point out the bad. I have a photographer neighbor who pointed out some great things in one of my shots after telling me what he felt the strong points of it were. I felt that helped me - gave me a hint on what to keep on doing while showing me the areas I need to be more cognizant of.

Anyhow this is a lovely shot! I really love the low POV, love how the foreground is blurred, leading to the gate. Such pretty colors and I love all the little plants coming up.
March 28th, 2013  
Sounds like you were overwhelmed. Remember that everyone starts at the beginning. Your photos are all so lovely. You have a wonderful eye. I love this one....noticed it right away. Enjoy your journey you are very inspiring and creative. I also like the low POV on this photo.
March 28th, 2013  
Hugs to you friend! What an experience!! Good for you for sticking with it and heading into the Amish country. I REALLY like your shot and I'm not just saying that because I feel badly for you. The low pov and blurred foreground are great. I love the textures of the bricks, grass and fence. The lighting is lovely and so are the colours.
March 28th, 2013  
This is really a great shot, Amanda. Your camera is above mine so I would have been at the bottom of the barrel so to speak. I use one setting all the time so would be totally clueless in the setting you were in with the people you were with. Sure wish we had been able to hook up before you moved but glad to be in contact now. So much to learn about our cameras and fear about changing settings and not being able to get back to where we were. You will learn though I say that about myself and my camera. Hang in there. Kudos for all of your wonderful photos.
March 28th, 2013  
Sorry to hear of your experience as I am going to my first in 2 weeks. I guess we go to learn so anything you can take from it is good.
March 28th, 2013  
I like the dark in the foreground and the light in the background. Nice dof too. I would so love to go to Amish country, it must be like stepping back in time.
March 28th, 2013  
I think this is a great shot, the balance, the palette, I like it! I would be a bit intimidated at a camera club... You are braver than I!
March 28th, 2013  
Great little path
March 28th, 2013  
Love the focus here. I laughed out loud at your narrative as it reminded me of my first time at my camera club (minus the sexy legs). I felt rather inadequate when I left that meeting. Found out I was the only one out of the 100 plus members at that meeting that did not post process. Keep working at it, these meetings get better. You have to have a very thick skin that is teflon coated to survive those live critiques.
March 28th, 2013  
Amanda this is a great shot. I agree with the others that critique is good but everyone has their own opinion. I must be different than other advanced photographers.

If I had been in you Nikon group I would have tried to explain the basics of what was being discussed. It is the only way to learn. We all started at the beginning. I mean starting out who knows what an fstop is, or what bracketing means or does, etc. There are many good sites on the internet that can help you learn the basics and beyond.

Have you checked about getting a DVD explaining your camera? My wife got me one when she bought me my first DSLR a Nikon D80 five years ago and it helped me to learn my camera. It was a bit of an adjustment for me from my 35mm days of all manual.
March 28th, 2013  
I like the gate and the out of focus foreground bricks. Sorry about the meeting bashing. :( Sometimes I think that there's a large percentage of "camera people" who can only validate themselves by putting down others.
March 28th, 2013  
love the brick path that leads you right to the gate. so nice.....and now i know never to join a club...thanks for the warning :) suppose you have to have very tough skin!
March 28th, 2013  
WElcome to the club !
camera club judges can be pretty candid!
i've grown an extra shell ... and also realise they are only human , with all theie personal preferences.
the next judge mighthave very diffrent view.
I regulary see people's pics which had a 7/10 one month , get 10/10 from another judge.
Stick out that pretty chin . Onward and upward .
xx
March 28th, 2013  
great pov, textures, lines, colors......this has it all!
March 28th, 2013  
i just went to my first photography club meeting last week. everyone was super nice, but i felt a little lost too (they were talking about flash).
March 28th, 2013  
Missed this one yesterday. First of all, this is a lovely shot! I really like the DoF that you used here as well as your PoV. Second of all, your story makes me mad. I don't know why people have to act like that. I looked at the picture you are referring to and I personally think it's a great shot! I don't know why people have to be so judgmental and cruel. Not to mention that I know how hard it is to put yourself out there like that. Kudos to you for doing that! This is why I prefer the 365 site. For the most part, everyone here is so encouraging. Critiques are offered, but not in a hateful way. I'm so sorry you had that experience. BIG HUGS to ya! :)
March 28th, 2013  
@violeta Here is what I was talking about with the photo club, lady. Read my description above. It is not always that way...and I guess that I don't have the thickest skin yet. It stunk that it went down this way for my first review and I was already self conscious of the image which was this one: http://365project.org/amandal/365-year-2/2013-02-16.

I felt like the photo club whore. All probably in my mind, but...
March 28th, 2013  
@amandal I see now! I am always confused by multiple albums, lol. Anyway, I read your novella and I can totally relate. I mean, I've been in your shoes (pardon the pun) in a writer's group. If I joined a photo club today, I'll be the greenest because I use a point-and-shoot camera, and I still use the simplest layers in PhotoShop. *sigh* As far as this image is concerned, don't be too hard on yourself. I like the angle, the focus, and everything really. Don't think about the crop too much. Sometimes I pull my hair because I know I cut off an important element from the shot but thing is... nobody saw that gate, so nobody knows if you did! So ultimately, it's all in our heads. Ahem, now I wrote a novel. Keep at it, Amanda, practice makes perfect and you're doing great so far!
March 28th, 2013  
For what it's worth the Well Goodnight photo was one of the first of yours that I remember. After that I started watching for you photos, and then following. I agree with all the strokes and hugs above. I also think that critique can be done in a range of ways and the one who chose to take yours apart in public was simply a poor critic! The ideas might be useful at some point, but there's no point in critiquing if it's simply demoralizing. I feel for you -- and I have nothing but distain for someone who would do what that person did. Unless that is the culture of the group, it was really unfair!
March 28th, 2013  
@lyno Thanks so much, sweet lady. She meant well, I am sure. And to be fair she was pretty rough on most of the images and found flaws in even her favorite. So stinky that that was my first time, though, and that mine was first and I was so caught off guard. Ugh. I'll go back with thicker skin, I hope.

@maggiemae You are very sweet, Maggiemae. Thank you!

@tbats22 Love your sweet comments, my friend. Thanks so much for them. They made me feel much better. Hugs, friend. I will be prepared better mentally for the abuse next time;-).

@masosy Love your kind comments and the virtual hug. This will toughen me up, though..and hopefully help me to become a better photographer (and much more careful as to what I send in;-).

March 28th, 2013  
@sadiec You are very sweet to say that. Glad that you get it. Thanks, Sadie. P.S. Still can't stop finding and shooting decay. I have one to post on Sunday:) so stay tuned!

@sistawood Thanks, Lisa. You are very sweet.

@nbs Love your comments, Nancy. Thank you so much for taking the time!


@emrob Thanks so much for that, Mandy. Greatly appreciated. I'd love it if you all took a road trip up here. I seriously want a massive 365 meet up and I am thinking in NYC or Chicago.

@eyesmile Thanks so much, sweet lady. Really appreciate your kind comments and encouragement.

March 28th, 2013  
@kwind Thanks so much, Kim. For a severely overexposed image I was able to fix it up pretty good with processing. I really appreciate your comments!

@darsphotos You are so sweet, lady! Thank you!

@jannkc Yes, maam. I just need to have thicker skin next time and expect the worst. Hopefully it will help me improve. Just a suggestion...don't submit a sexy legs selfie. It was horrifying to see my legs all huge up on the screen.

@happysnap Oh Linda, it was amazing. Thanks for your comments!:)

@skpinny Next time, I just have to go in knowing to expect critique. I just didn't think that I would get much. Thanks, lady!

@httpgeffed I loved it. Thanks, Colleen!

@soboy5 True words. Glad to give you a laugh. It was so freakin' horrifying. Next time I will be tougher...and hopefully the critique will help grow me as a photographer.

March 28th, 2013  
@brewster I should look into a dvd. I've been feeling like I need a personal camera trainer, but the dvd might be the best way to go. Thanks so much for your great and encouraging comments.

@archaeofrog I think that she meant well. It just stunk that I was first and just didn't expect that harsh a review. It was bad that the photo made me feel so exposed, too...my legs all larger than life in front of the whole room of people. Ugh. Thanks, friend!

@moreyoulessme I think that it can be a good thing. I just need to toughen up for the next meeting. Now I know what better to expect. No more legs shots for the Powerpoint show either...so flippin' embarrassing. What was I thinking? Thanks, lady!!

@june It is stuck out. Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement. And yes, I have liked looking for color this week:)!

@paula365 Oh, glad that you had a better first experience than me. Hope my next time is better. Thanks for your sweet comments!

@istacy1011 Yes, I like 365 waaay better. So much nicer and gentler. Thanks for your great comments, my friend!:)

@violeta Really appreciate your novella back at me. Thanks for the sweet words of encouragement!

@taffy I love your comments, Taffy. Thanks so much for them. I am feeling better now that I got that out and shared how I was feeling. I will hopefully be tougher and more ready for whatever is dished out next time...and hopefully it will help me grow! Thank you!
March 28th, 2013  
@amandal - First of all don't second guess yourself. I too have submitted photos that were well received on 365 and they weren't by my camera club. Second there is a website, www.lynda.com that has a ton of tutorials on a very wide range of topics including photography. I found on specifically for my camera and they have a DVD available for sale if you don't want to subscribe. They are offering a one week free trial. In the camera club I belong to, every member votes on the images submitted. You are supposed to vote from 1-5 on each image submitted. 1 being "not so good" to 5 being "amazing". Before the meeting begins, one of the members assigns a number to each photo submitted and then they are displayed on frames so you can go over an look at them up close. No one is supposed to know who took what photos. When the meeting starts, each photo is placed into a lightbox that illuminates the matted prints under a bright light. Then each photo is judged by every member present by voting 1 through 5. 1 being, "Not So Good" to 5 meaning, "Amazing". One man will call out the numbers. Not wanting to embarrass anybody he starts with 2 by saying, "Vote 2". So, you see people getting higher scores then they deserve, because since they start with 2, some hesitate at giving someone a 2. If you think it is a 2 you raise your hand and two people count the raised hands and announces the numbers. These 2 numbers are entered into a computer program. Then he will call out, "Vote 3" and so on through the number 5. The computer program then averages the numbers for each print. The highest score attainable is a 15. No one has gotten a 15 as yet. So there is no real critiquing taking place. And of course people aren't so apt to vote a low number against someone else's for fear of retribution. So the judging isn't all that dependable. I believe it would be a lot different if we could somehow vote anonymously.
March 28th, 2013  
@skipt07 Thanks so much for your great words and comments, Skip. I appreciate your encouragement! Must have thicker skin.
March 28th, 2013  
Wouldn't worry about it - you have a natural eye and the legs image was great - imho. I like this one too - the narrow focus, the lighting and the subject matter. As you say the top of the gate might have been better but hey keep at it Amanda :)
March 28th, 2013  
@malc You are very kind, Malc. Thank you so much!
March 28th, 2013  
Great POV and lights! very beautiful!
March 28th, 2013  
@wind_of_the_sothern_sea Appreciate your comments!
March 29th, 2013  
I'm coming in late on this conversation, but please add my virtual hugs to the mix -- my heart goes out to you. You have a great eye, an amazing spirit and two sexy legs to be proud of! Onward and upward!!
March 29th, 2013  
GReat shot, love the different textures and materials. I can imagine how it made you feel to be at the spotlight. On the other hand you will probably learn a lot from these folks. So enjoy.
March 29th, 2013  
Late to another rodeo for me. Glad I saw this cozy and real feel shot Amanda. Also, thank you so much for sharing your story. I really appreciate your candor, fearlessness and depth. Just the fact that you are participating in this endeavor (photo club) is outstanding. So you don't know a lot right now. You have to know that we all are in that position at some point. Some people, like me, are always a few steps behind...whatever! Keep doing your thing and being the true artist that you are. Oh what the heck, so many of your friends have thrown you a hug, so I am doing the same :)
March 29th, 2013  
@wendyhgill Ay yay, captain. Thanks, friend. You are sweet!

@bardejov I'm sure I will learn a bunch. First lesson, no sexy legs selfies for review. Too embarrassing! Thanks sweet lady!

@adamj Really appreciate your comments and encouragement, Adam. It felt good to just get my emotion down in writing.
March 29th, 2013  
such a nice POV
March 30th, 2013  
This is my favorite shot of yours this week, love the dof and the different textures. It is a bit daunting when photos we love get critiqued to hell, I put two of my photos that went PP on here in for last month and they didn't do all that well., it is a bit more humane at our club as the images get sent away to a judge and they just write comments read out anonymously but I squiggle in my chair every time. The thing is they are looking at the technical aspects mostly, its like a language we are learning to use and they are all smug about knowing more than we do lol. but as someone else said it is just one person's opinion
March 31st, 2013  
@vickisfotos Thanks so much, Vicki!!

@kali66 Thanks so much for your sweet comments and for relating about photo club critique with me. I liked this shot a bunch, too. I've been really into textures. Thanks for the challenge, too. Excited to give that a go. It's been something that I've been meaning to try.:)
March 31st, 2013  
I can so relate to what you are feeling. I haven't gotten up the nerve to go to the local photo club yet. Every time I feel I've learned, I turn around and find more stuff to learn. I say, be proud that you are open to learning!
April 1st, 2013  
@nadaa Thanks, Nada. Hope that I can take the critique less personally next time. And I hope that I do learn. So much to learn!!
April 2nd, 2013  
I love this shot...the lighting, the POV. So you chopped off the top of the gate, everything else is marvelous. You'll pay more attention next time.

I'm SO sorry about your photo club experience. Bad enough to meet with harsh criticism in a room full of strangers, but to have your 'sexy hussy' legs blown up larger than life during the critique...wow, painful. I would have felt so exposed, but then I don't have those killer legs that you do. :-)
And how DARE anyone dislike that fabulous shot. I FAV'D it!! :-) I'd FAV twice if I could.

Actually, until I checked out the link you included for violeta, I was thinking of the one where you are laying on the bed with your legs propped up on the headboard (if I'm remembering it right). I liked that one too, but the photo in question here was so well done, and told a story of a couple who had arrived home after an evening out and subtly (boy that looks misspelled but I looked it up and it's right) hints at how the evening will end.

Your experience has taught me that I will be venturing into the world of instructional DVD's and newbie photography classes and NOT a photo club. There's so much to learn and it's not nice to make novices feel out of their element.

You rock!
April 30th, 2013  
@pasadenarose You comments are so very sweet. Thanks so very much. The last meeting went much better!!! I think that it will be helpful and give me thicker skin (and I am learning new camera tricks, slowly). Thank you!!!
April 30th, 2013  
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