I've been doing 365 for about a year and a half now. I still love taking photos, but I don't seem to be getting the same out of 365 as I used to. It seems the last couple of months, I hardly get any views or comments, except for a faithful few (thank you!)
Is it just me? Are people in general, not using this site like they used to?
I am thinking of just leaving, and posting my pics elsewhere......
I did finish a year, so if I left, I would still feel good about it.....
any thoughts? has anyone else run into this?
hiya, yeah i've been finding this too, but at the end of the day the project is for me to do , its mine, do it for yourself not because your not getting the views anymore
@kmrtn6 yeah, I think that way too, but part of the fun of taking pictures is sharing it w/ others. If no one is looking at them, it's not as fun anymore.It's like taking photos, putting them in a box, and never opening it.....
It appears to me that the usage is pretty constant but the amount of commenting is down a bit. I've also found that the number of comments on my photos is directly proportional to the number of comments I make on other photos. One other thing I've definitely noticed is that the more photos one person posts in a day, the less likely they are to have those photos viewed and commented on. So folks that batch a whole bunch of shots in one upload session are not going to get the same attention as folks uploading one at a time.
In any case, whether or not you're still getting what you want out of the site really depends on what it is you want from the site. Each person is different in that regard, so only you can answer that question for yourself.
@klf70 I felt the same up to a few days ago - seemed very quiet around here. I think what had happened was that a lot of the people I follow and who followed me were having a break so I made a point of going and finding some new people to follow and entering in a few themes and challenges and its fun again - I guess we all have quiet times???
@klf70 - Having started a couple of months ago, I am finding this site very informative. I agree with Kylie - "the project is for me".
Perhaps you'll stop back to 365 now and again to view your followers and see what they have posted.
Good Luck with your future endeavors!
I hope you don't leave but wish you good luck for the future. This is a wonderful site and a great place to get inspiration and learn new things. Well done however on doing a full year - I am still hoping I can keep going :-) x
I have the feeling people are posting or commenting as much because there is so much to do in the summer and summer is so short. why not see if it picks on again in the fall.
I agree with Kylie, Ron & Sarah. Personally I think if you get more out of being here than not posting your photos, not even to a schedule, then it's the right move to leave. I think it's really about what you want to get out of this project. I am not at the same stage in the project as you, but I find this site inspirational, and it makes me get out of bed in the mornings to try to improve my sunrise photography, or to go out in the dark and try to take some star/startrail shots. Good luck with which ever road you choose.
I'm 2/3 through my project and get days when I feel the same - i certainly am not as active as I was in year one, but have a wonderful group of faithful followers who keep me going even though I don't reciprocate as often as I used to. I though about quitting, but at the end of the day it's not about keeping my viewing numbers up or being on the PP any more, I get a lot out of the banter I have with some old friends - i figured loading photos onto flickr or similar woudln't give me any more benefit.
@sparkle I just finished Year One yesterday. I am with you....I want to continue a second year, but need to spend less time on it...so need to worry about zero percent about getting "great photos" (or only try for that when the opportunity knocks and i have time) and just enjoy some of the friendships I have made on here. I also love to see "real pics" (not just tourist pics) of all the places everyone inhabits/travels to. so...I intend to stay on here but make it less "work" and just ease off/enjoy!
what Ron said. And yeah its bit boring now since 6 of my loved followers left to set up on flickr. flickr just don't do it for me though. The people I follow are still in double figures though so I'm sticking at it.
Life happens for everyone. Some days you can get here and look around. Other days it's a quick post of the image for the day and you have to run.
The project is yours. If you want to put your project some other place then that is what you need to do. Dont do this project to be noticed or praised. Do it to challenge yourself be that in your first year or second year.
I dont enter the challenges because I dont have time but I have the ideas saved for when I do have time.
Stay or go it's up to you but be sure that you are going to be happy with your decision because in the end that's all that counts!!
@sparkle@espyetta I've had the year two blues several times, but I agree with what you both say here. Mostly it's just hard to keep up on the commenting because work has been so busy for me. But without the discipline of 365, I know I would take alot fewer photos. So I'm sticking it out. Plus, so many people on this site have become real friends. I would miss them too much if I left.
My last two weeks have been brutal with other activities. And then I get behind in comments and certainly the photos I post get less attention. But, I like the pressure that discovering something new brings and am still develping new skills and setting new goals.
If you give this site up, will your pursue a new goal? Photo competitions? Selling at a craft show? Web-site? Gallery?
When I leave here it will be to put my focus on another aspect of growth.
I really thought I'd leave after year 1.
and stopped .
then found I just didn't get the camera out the same.
Missed the posting and peeping into lives.
So i'm still here , don't get upset if I miss the odd day or 2 here and there .
It's my FUN
I certainly don't get the same amount of views / comments as I used to when I first started. I even got a few photos on the PP page. But I do have to remember why I am doing this - for me. To learn, to get inspiration and to fall more in love with photography.
I have some wonderful followers who comment on almost all my photos, which is just amazing, and who I thank so much.
I just don't see all the photos of the people I follow. Yes, I follow a lot of people, but only a fraction of their photos appear in my feed. And these 365'ers post everyday. I wonder why I just don't see there photos unless I click onto their albums.
I do find that I look at the PP page a few times a day and so many of the people I follow have their photos there, so find that is a way to catch up with the photographers I follow and admire (and wish to be like !!)
It is quieter but I still love it, and never want to give up.
@klf70 I feel the same! Oh well. I have nothing else going on right now. I may as well bore 365 with my photos. :) Or at least the 10 people that take a look at them. Btw, I love those 10 people a lot!
I seem to be on an unplanned break from here myself and I don't know what I'm going to do. I have barely picked up my camera in weeks, just no time and I think I'm a bit burnt out. Maybe when things quiet down a bit I'll post more. I just don't know.
@karens68 I hear ya! I want to take pics when inspired, not because I have to take a pic that day LOL
we're going on vacation next week, maybe I'll be inspired then. If not, I may throw in the towel for now.... but hey, I did a year and a half, right? :-)
@klf70 I agree, year two has been way down on views and comments. I am wondering if it has something to do with the nit picking about comments. People are saying they only comment if you comment on theirs, only commenting if you write more than "nice photo", criticizing comments and making people question what they are posting. I am not willing to give up what has really helped me improve and learn about photography. I love to share and will take what ever comments I get and I love to see what others are posting so will continue to comment what comes to mind when I see it. Hope you continue at what you want to do and enjoy what we can.
@kiwigirl04 thanks for the follow. I am following you now, too.... I plan to stick with this a bit longer :-)
you have some cool photos..... looking forward to more.
Welcome to 365, btw :-)
@klf70
I hope you decide to stay; I enjoy your photos. I took a break over the winter because I was not inspired at all, but now I'm having fun again. Year 2 is different for me because I feel less pressure, which is good.
At the end of my first year I did stop posting for a while but couldn't break myself of the habit of taking daily photos. In the end I figured I might as well start up again. My first year was a real emotional roller-coaster. I don't regret it because I know I improved, but by the end felt burnt out and don't want to go through that again.
This time I'm not committing to uploading pictures every day, or even staying a year, and I'm "visiting" a few people at a time, when I have time. It's good to have some spare time back now in the evenings. Comments and views have definitely plummeted, but I can live with that.
I find that the more time I spend on 365 each day making comments and posting photos in themes the more comments I get. I just finished my first year and I don't feel as enthused the second time around. I think 365 is a great community and I feel like I have made some great friends here. I just think it takes a lot of time to keep it all up! I just can't seem to stay away though because of all the nice people and amazing photos!!
@buttercup i agree.... it just seemed like all of a sudden there was no traffic on here! but just from this thread, i have gotten some more followers and feel inspired again.... for now.
year 2 is def more of a challenge!
I have been doing this for over two and a half years and have noticed that people are not commenting on my photos either. I am thinking about stopping at 1000 uploads but may stick it out to the end of the year. I am noticing that more people are commenting on my photos on FB.
@buttercup Agreed. @klf70 I've noticed some of my followers are no longer active, but I've developed some friendships with kindred spirits, whose comments I really value. And for me, it's more of an intrinsic motivation, just to take photos daily while trying to document my attempts at improvement. I don't participate in themes and competitions, mainly because I just can't get the hang of submitting by a deadline, as well as trying to remember what the specific challenge was once I've turned off my computer! I have a flickr account, but have always used that for archiving photos, nothing more.
@carmel - i was the same last year, had a break and missed it loads. i'm not putting myself under pressure for year 2 but i do find my work has improved when you look back at it. so for me i'm pleased with that
@kmrtn6 I think one thing about being in Year 2 is it gives you more time to look around, think about the competitions and themes you didn't have time for, and the techniques you didn't get space to try. When you're not under pressure to get something up daily, it does give you time to work on things more. I need to improve so I'm hoping that this second year will see that happen.
@carmel - yeah i find that i'll use a couple of photos over days from one shoot and i'm a bit more willing to use basic editing now as i realise its about enhancement not cheating
Now that I moved and my commute is twice as long I have no free time during the week at all. Totally tired and the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is get on the computer - so I have been lacking in commenting on other projects. Sorry Kim!
I have also noticed a drop off of comments but I don't blame my followers if I barely get to visit their projects! I'll be staying for the summer - not sure where I'll be when the Fall/Winter season hits.
I feel that same, but I paid for another year of ace in April, so I feel like I can't leave my project just yet. I do have a flicker account set up. It's not like at 365...no pressure, you don't feel that you have to check in every day, but at the same time, not as much interaction, though I think that will improve with time. I want to experiment and try new things, and so a flickr account is nice because if you don't finish your whole roll of film, you don't feel like you're skipping a day.
It's really hard getting started! I just started about a month ago and I see people who are getting wonderful critiquing comments but nothings really caught on with me! I can definitely see how comments slowing down would be really frustrating (to say the least!).
@russianblue Yes, it's kind of the same for me, only I feel like I am getting my life back from not spending so much time commenting...it's kind of freeing. I enjoy when I happen to see something pf yours pop up though...it's hit or miss now, not when I used to looked at all of my active followers and friends...it was taking so long towards to end
@5unflow3r@russianblue i should add that I don't blame my followers either... I know life gets busy. I have just been going through a time when a lot of my photos get like 1 or 2 views. It's frustrating...
@klf70 Yes, the only time I really get is weekends and holidays. I decided to just "visit" a few people at a time rather than try to keep up with everybody every day. It seems to work OK.
I find also that I've become much more critical of my own photos and it can be difficult to find something I'm happy to put up, whereas a year ago it would have gone up anyway. Now I'd rather wait a bit until I'm happy with it - and I also paid for Ace and don't want to waste it either!
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In any case, whether or not you're still getting what you want out of the site really depends on what it is you want from the site. Each person is different in that regard, so only you can answer that question for yourself.
Perhaps you'll stop back to 365 now and again to view your followers and see what they have posted.
Good Luck with your future endeavors!
The project is yours. If you want to put your project some other place then that is what you need to do. Dont do this project to be noticed or praised. Do it to challenge yourself be that in your first year or second year.
I dont enter the challenges because I dont have time but I have the ideas saved for when I do have time.
Stay or go it's up to you but be sure that you are going to be happy with your decision because in the end that's all that counts!!
If you give this site up, will your pursue a new goal? Photo competitions? Selling at a craft show? Web-site? Gallery?
When I leave here it will be to put my focus on another aspect of growth.
and stopped .
then found I just didn't get the camera out the same.
Missed the posting and peeping into lives.
So i'm still here , don't get upset if I miss the odd day or 2 here and there .
It's my FUN
I have some wonderful followers who comment on almost all my photos, which is just amazing, and who I thank so much.
I just don't see all the photos of the people I follow. Yes, I follow a lot of people, but only a fraction of their photos appear in my feed. And these 365'ers post everyday. I wonder why I just don't see there photos unless I click onto their albums.
I do find that I look at the PP page a few times a day and so many of the people I follow have their photos there, so find that is a way to catch up with the photographers I follow and admire (and wish to be like !!)
It is quieter but I still love it, and never want to give up.
we're going on vacation next week, maybe I'll be inspired then. If not, I may throw in the towel for now.... but hey, I did a year and a half, right? :-)
you have some cool photos..... looking forward to more.
Welcome to 365, btw :-)
I hope you decide to stay; I enjoy your photos. I took a break over the winter because I was not inspired at all, but now I'm having fun again. Year 2 is different for me because I feel less pressure, which is good.
This time I'm not committing to uploading pictures every day, or even staying a year, and I'm "visiting" a few people at a time, when I have time. It's good to have some spare time back now in the evenings. Comments and views have definitely plummeted, but I can live with that.
year 2 is def more of a challenge!
I have also noticed a drop off of comments but I don't blame my followers if I barely get to visit their projects! I'll be staying for the summer - not sure where I'll be when the Fall/Winter season hits.
I find also that I've become much more critical of my own photos and it can be difficult to find something I'm happy to put up, whereas a year ago it would have gone up anyway. Now I'd rather wait a bit until I'm happy with it - and I also paid for Ace and don't want to waste it either!