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About jaygheiser/Jay
All photos
510 photos
Abandoned Dwellings
42 photos
Abstracts and Details
84 photos
Architectural
70 photos
Found Still Lifes
80 photos
Land, City, & Garden Scapes
89 photos
Nature
21 photos
Night Shots
29 photos
People
74 photos
Serenity
4 photos
Sports
17 photos
Photo critiques
1,047 critiques
Discussions
1 discussion
Journal entries
0 journal entries
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I've been taking photos since I was 8 or 9. I spent huge amounts of time in the darkroom during junior & especially senior high, but have hardly been back since. Moving to slides in the 80s, and prints (fatherhood) in the 90s, I went totally digital in 2000 and have never looked back.
A topically arranged body of my work can be found on the photo gallery on my web server. I also have a blog on that site that goes into more detail on some of the things I photograph, and all sorts of other topics I feel compelled to report on. Most of my blog entries include photographs.
I've been on Photosig for about 4 years,during which time I also became active in camera clubs, first in Bracknell, England, and now in Northern Virginia. I also belong to the Royal Photographic Society, where I've obtained the LRPS distinction.
I've seen a lot of judges, I've heard a lot of critiques, and seen both a lot of good and bad photos. Making a judgement on an aesthetic work is always an arbitrary process, yet it remains the case that there are a few good photos, a lot of bad ones, and a very, very few that are intriguingly in the middle. I recently took a look at the ratings for the critiques I've given, and my top-ranked critique is a negative one. In fact, exactly half of my top 10 rated critiques are Thumbs Down. The critiques with the lowest scores, some negative ones, are also Thumbs Down. I've discovered on Photosig that there are two kinds of photographers--not good ones and bad ones--but ones that are looking to improve their craft, and ones that just want to rack up a lot of points. I don't have much sympathy for the latter. The purpose of this site is to share ideas and skills and learn, and perhaps the primary purpose is to help us become more objective about our own work, and of course, better appreciate the contributions of others. Taking the time to think deeply about a photograph, learning how to see it, understanding why it does or does not succeed as an image, is crucial in making our own photos more compelling, and it also enhances our ability to enjoy other photos. That's why I'm here.
Everybody who is serious about improving their skill as a photographer, or as a critiquer of photographs, should take 5 minutes and reflect on the important messages in Chances are you suck. This blog entry is a blunt reminder that self-esteem isn't all its made out to be.
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2,025  |
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| Photo critique rating |
7,848 |
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| Overall contributor rating |
9,873 |
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