Disappointment with Comments (Or Lack Of) On Your Posts

I'm really picky about my own photos for the most part, even though I know I'm not the greatest photographer and because of that tend to take a lot of "portrait" style shots (Everyone has to have the in-front-of-the-shower-curtain shot for the siggy!) so I'm not really surprised when I don't get tons of comments. I also seem to have several very popular sculpts, so there are always better photos of them out there than mine. I don't post them for comments (though I really LIKE comments and welcome critique) but I do admit to in some cases trying to time them well enough that they at least get a few views.

Sometimes there's just really nothing to say, though. If 20 people have already commented "pretty photos!" and "Gorgeous doll!" I'm likely not to comment myself unless it inspires something other than that. I'm more likely to comment on photostories, and more likely to CLICK on photostories (and gallery posts, to a lesser extent) if I know the doll and it's character somewhat. Anything that says "Bijan" and "Akando" for example, is getting viewed by me, because I know already there are gorgeous photos of a gorgeous doll in there! I also tend to click on threads for sculpts I have, sculpts I like, and sometimes sculpts I've never heard of so I can learn about them.

This is probably just me, but spelling errors in titles really, really bug me to the point that I might not click and if I do I'm less likely to comment. I give a pass to anyone for whom English is not their first language, of course, and typos inside don't bother me much unless there are more than a couple of them, but otherwise it bothers me. I know that's my own hangup, though!

 

Hmmmm. Many things pop into my head in response to this.

1. Popular or sought after sculpts get more responses than unpopular sculpts regardless of how badly they are poised, photographed etd.

2. DOA is a highly supportive arena of self expression. Unless you want criticism and actively ask for it, you will not get it. At the same time, the forum moves very quickly and unless your photos are a) of popular doll sculpts, b) spectacular, c) bad but you have commented a lot on other peoples work, then you might get a disappointing response.

3) Lots of people are bad photographers. Not being horrible but very few of us have the experience and talent to make a doll shoot spectacular. Bad photographers do seem to comment on each others work on DOA. It creates solidarity, and a network of support for creative endeavor. The same people will continually comment on each others work. Thus creating the illusion of popularity which others seem to find so frustrating. (oh boy...waits for the flames but I have noticed this)

Edit: Agree with $avage. If you are a popular member of the forum, you will get a lot of comments too.

4) To become a fully fledged member of DOA, the easiest route is to comment on threads in the gallery. Sometimes a lot of new members will comment on what appears to be quite a bog standard photoshoot, thus creating the illusion of popularity.

5) As someone in a creative industry where your work is continually judged by your peer group and the public, your most important critic is you. If you feel your photography, dressmaking, faceups, insert skill, have reached a benchmark then the adulation of the masses is just the icing on the cake. You have to make yourself happy first and foremost. Sorry if this sounds pompous but I personally have found it to be true and also the most rewarding path in terms of creativity. Once you find your own work truly satisfying, chances are lots of other people will too.

I always post photos that I love and think I have achieved something in. And even 2 or 3 comments make me happy because I think I'm happy with what I have done.

 

yes very much. my work, as much as my dolls as my drawing never get much attention. i got one or two ppl who are always ''this is nice/funny'' and thats almost all...
i work really hard (and have no social life XD ) so it make me sad when i dont get attention for my stuff...

 

I'd agree with sylvian with all, but i wish to pointed out tha sometime even the good pics don't get much entries....even if the mold/sculpt it's rare....Soemtime the comment goes to the member not to the doll pictured..

 

Right outta the gate, I'd say "good thread titles"!! Nothing makes me want to not click on a gallery thread like a title made of a few vague words without naming so much as the doll's sculpt, size, gender, or brand. Tell people what they'll get if they click on you.

This can be what gets unpopular brands/body-types/sculpts some more attention, BTW... just feature the name prominently, and people will click. If it's common, fellow-owners & admirers will go "Oh yay, a [Namu]! I hardly ever see those guys!" *click* If it's obscure, people will go "Hmm, I've heard of [Limho] but never seen one..." *click*

I just wish more people would relax and not worry about comments at all, because-- selfishly speaking-- this issue prevents many people from ever posting dolls that I want to see. :< Some people, I look in their sigs & profiles, and I see they have a stunning collection of sculpts I'd love to look at, and then I run a search for all their threads and... nothing. I don't care if you're not Annie Leibovitz, just make with the snapshots!

This only sounds harsh, but it's really healthy. Words to live by. ^^ No, the internet does NOT give out Effort Points (nor, usually, does offline life). If you post photos for the express purpose of getting a lot of hits-- and not for the fun of taking & sharing photographs-- you'll certainly set yourself up for disappointment. Since you cannot force the world to like the same things you like, you'll always find popular things that make you go "WTF is that popular for?", and you'll always find undiscovered things that make you go "WTF is this NOT popular for? People are missing out!" And, some days, you put up your best pics and hear nothing but crickets... it happens to everyone.

Not only is it unhealthy & self-weakening to blame other people for not clicking on one's photo-threads-- it transfers the responsibility for your happiness onto some stranger, which is codependency in its ugliest form-- it's probably also bad for your blood pressure. As Clint Eastwood once said, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."

PS: There's nothing to stop anybody from soliciting responses from one's own friends, either (but do make sure they are actually your friends before spamming them ^^). If you have friends you regularly talk dolls with, and you like each other's dolls, send them a link when you've posted something you'd like them to look at. You comment on their threads, they comment on yours. What are friends for?

 

Personally, I don't really make a big deal out of comments on my gallery posts... I post photos because I am happy I got a new doll, or a great new item, or I just happened to take a set of pics I'm proud of.

When I have something I enjoy, I want to share it. That doesn't mean I feel that others should be obligated to participate. I just like putting it out there, and if others appreciate it or enjoy it, great! But it's not a necessity, nor do I feel like I am "owed" comments.

I don't see comments as a type of validation, nor are they necessary for my own enjoyment of photography and my dolls. I have photo threads that didn't receive a single comment. But I don't stress about it... when all is said and done, it's such a small thing to worry about!

Extra note: Sculpts do matter... somewhat. I have sculpts that range the entire gamut on rarity and/or popularity. I've noticed in my threads that a popular or sought-after sculpt may get you more clicks than an obscure or less-popular one. It's just a fact of life. However, I've noticed that a lot of it is public opinion. I have a sculpt that was very popular when it first came out and the number of comments reflected that. But now that the galleries are flooded with her sculpt and very similar ones, the number of comments has declined.

 

TheFontBandit, I think that's a wonderful way to think about it!

Unfortuanately, I'm not really the same T.T Honestly, I really enjoy getting comments on my work--it totally makes my day... When I show people things, I want to know they like it! I'm like that with a lot of things, too--for example, the only reason I really buy anime DVDs is so that I can pick out series' to show my friends later!

I've found that I'm sort of a few-comment victim here on the forums, however... :/ Though my photos aren't taken with the best camera, I only edit and finalize the best, clearest shots--and typically I don't think they look bad at all! (I've even gotten one or two shots out of that icky digital that I think compete with a decent camera!)
Unfortuanately, every time I post I only get one or two comments (which is better than none, of course!) and I've never really understood why. :/ Sometimes it feels like, I get on the forums and see a picture of a doll taken with a webcam in the gallery that has like 20 comments, then I post these pictures of my little girl, whom I adore, and get like 2.

On a less "wah wah" note--I feel that I have something to say on obligation to comment. Personally, if I really enjoy a photoshoot, I ALWAYS comment on that shoot because I feel the poster deserves it! They posted and took those photos, and I looked at them and enjoyed them, so the least I can do is post telling the artist what beautiful photos they are! I think that same idea should apply to everyone. No matter how shy you are, it doesn't take much to post a quick comment that just says; "I think those photos are beautiful!" or "What a lovely doll you have!"

And JennyNemesis, my photoshoots are ALWAYS labeled and, on top of that, I don't know of anyone else that posts pictures of an Everpurple kitty around the forums, but my threads still don't get too much attention. :/

 

Deserving or not deserving, best or worst doesn't enter into this, though. This is neither a competition nor a job, merely a hobby and people will go about this hobby in many different ways. It's pointless to blame other people for your own lack of comments--even if the pics your complaining about were zapped from the gallery, there is no guarantee that it would change the number of comments that you get.

Personally, I prefer not to complain. Why? Because while there maybe worse photographers out there than me, there also a lot who are a heck of a lot better and may feel just as negatively about mine as you do about the one's you're complaining about. It's all relative and so far no harm has come to anyone because someone posted a lousy photograph. Comments are nice but they don't pay the rent, buy food, help get you a job etc. In the grand scheme of things, this has very little impact.

Being upset because some people commented on photos I don't like would be a waste of energy. In this case, where putting in the effort really matters is when it makes the photographer feel good about his/her pictures.

 

I think DoA is great for showing and viewing pictures, but less suited for constructive comments than smaller communities. DoA is massive! You are one of many and if attention is what you want, you either have to have some luck and have what the masses like or find the right place elsewhere.
I get a lot more comments at my LJ, but it is an easy way to show my photographs to friends who either care or are polite enough to pretend they care.

If that's not enough for you, you may want to try the blue 60/60 heart in combination with the couples tag and a nudity warning in the thread title. Normally I get about 5 comments on my photo threads, but the one thread I made with the blue heart and couples tag earned me two pages of "they're so cute together" in no time. Know what the masses like, if you think those kinds of comments are good enough. XD

Then last but not least, because DoA is so large and new photo threads are posted each day, it is likely a good photo shoot or story is simply overlooked. If you don't have a popular doll you can use to pimp your thread title, you are left with the title itself to draw attention.

 

I think you should be proud of the fact you have come up with a completed project and just glow. I mean some of the photo stories and backgrounds that folks come up with on here are brilliant... take the page views as compliment enough and then check on movies and tv shows for knicking your ideas!!

 

I've lost track of the amount of gallery threads I've posted here and elsewhere that don't get much attention. DoA is huge and the gallery section is very, very busy. The thread-turn over rate is very fast compared with other parts of the forum. Try not to take it so personally, because it isn't necessarily you, your dolls or your photography that's unpopular, it's probably because ten other people have uploaded things directly after you and pushed your thread down the list.

If you want more comments, join a smaller forum There are less people posting and the members have more chance of catching up with new gallery posts. I get a greater response to my photographs on the smaller fora I belong to simply because there's less of us and the galleries aren't moving so fast!

Another tip would be to use the little icons properly, so that other people can find what they want to look at! Misuse of these tags not only leads me to threads I'm not particularly interested in, but also annoys me because it's misleading. For instance, my pet hate; , and indicate that the photographs or photostories contain girl love themes, not friendships between girls or general love, it's strictly for girl/girl.

I enjoy girl/girl fiction and photographs more than most other genres, so when I see one of those icons, I expect to see a girl/girl element to the photographs...but often I've clicked on a gallery thread displaying one of those icons to find that the content does not match the icon. I deliberately don't leave feedback or comments on those photographs because the only thing I would say about them is that they're labelled incorrectly, which some people would consider rude and unsolicited criticism. Mislabelling in the galleries is probably the quickest way people deter other people from commenting, it's as bad as having an inaccurate or vague title because the icon bears no relation to the content of the post.

I agree with this. No one has to be as good as Mario Testino or Annie Leibovitz or even aspire to be the dolly equivalent, and I would hate to see 'photo snobbery' going on, but it truly is the case that some genuinely bad photographs are praised while other awesome photographs are overlooked. It is a shame that it happens this way around, but who's to say that these 'bad' photographers won't improve through continually displaying their work? The shame is that perhaps their work should be posted in the critique section, enabling them to get proper, accurate feedback on their work and improve their art.

 

I mentioned using the blue hearts for getting attention, but you're right: it works best when the icons match with the content of the photos. People who feel tricked into clicking a thread, may not comment at all.

 

Ah I don't really care for lack of comments, or even no comments~
It's good if people leave a comment or critique for our works (so we can improve our skill), but if they don't, it's their's right anyway~
I don't feel dissapointed or angry for it.

 

I used to be bothered a lot by the lack of comments my threads got but that doesn't really bother me anymore. I've come to the point where I just enjoy taking pictures for me and if I feel like sharing, I will.

I completely agree that the sculpt of the doll matters having felt this myself. I own a Kyle Reese and while I love him, not everyone else does. So, why should a lack of comments bother me? Different people different tastes. It's the same thing with my Nanuri 07. What is in at the time will always get more comments, that's just how fads work.

I'm certainly happy when someone comments because it meant they liked something I did enough to say so, but I don't hang around and wait for the comments. Like others have said, that forum moves very fast so some threads are lucky if they stay on the first page for a few minutes. I also think that if you love it, post it! There is bound to be someone out there that will also love to see it even if they say nothing .

 

Lack for posts don't bother me anymore. I enjoy taking the pictures and having fun with my crew. I have 3 dolls that I am very thankful for. I'm just going to keep putting up pictures and caring on.
I just love looking at other peoples posts and if I look I say something. I think everyone's doll is pretty and I'm just glad I can be here to post.

Cheers

 

The sad truth is that because this is a very large forum, there are new threads every few minutes and it's inevitable that some of them drown in the mass. I'm also a member of a smaller BJD forum and it's much easier to get comments there because the threads are more likely to get noticed.

The mold matters too, but even the less popular molds can get lots of comments if you do something to make the photos look interesting. And sometimes people click on it just BECAUSE it's a rare/new mold and they want to see owner pictures of it. I avoid looking at some hugely popular molds like Luts EL or any DZ doll because I personally don't like them very much. That's why I only leave a comment on the gallery section every once in a while because there are only a few threads that I click on. Though sometimes, if the title is particulary intriguing, I might check it out even if I'm not a big fan of the mold.

Whenever I do click on a photo thread, I always try to leave a comment. If it's a hugely popular one then sometimes I don't even bother if I don't have anything to add to other people's comments. If there's only a few comments or none at all, I try to point out all the stuff I liked about the photos, even if it's something small. A few seconds of one's life is not a big sacrifice to make if it makes someone's day a little brighter. That's my philosophy.

 

well yes, of course I have been disappointed, when you work hard on something, put in love and attention then of course there is disappointment. However I have posted photos and gotten very few comments before and posted photos that have a LOT of comments. It felt kinda good when there were a lot of comments, however over time things on this forum have changed. The membership now is HUGE, it used to be that if you posted a gallery thread it would sit there on the front three pages for a week, now well...most of us are lucky if it is on page one more than an hour or two, you know? We can't all keep getting bumped up, so if you are not getting comments a lot of it is that people do not see it as much as they used to. On top of that there are a LOT of people like me out there, who will post out here, but in the galleries almost lurk. I used to reply to gallery threads a lot, but not any more, now I tend to just enjoy the pretty quietly and then move on. It has to be exceptional for me to comment. What is exceptional? anything that really strikes my fancy. One of my favourite photos on there was a doll with no face, no wig, fresh out of the box and taken with a phone camera, so the quality sucked, but I LOVED it, it was artful and showed so much joy. Others have been photoshopped, carefully staged, impeccably dressed, faceupped and wigged limiteds, and I have passed by commenting. Commenting is not always about the favourites game, who is posting, what doll it is, or how good the photo is. For me it is about whether the photo struck a chord.


Nowdays I rarely post in the gallery, mostly because I cannot be bothered resizing photos and watermarking every one etc like I used to. I still love DOA and dolls, but most of my crew have never even been seen on DOA, not for box openings, faceups, anything. I just don't post. However there may be a few more showing up soon as they model clothes for commissions, the advantage of having lots of different bodies.

 

I never said there were any guarantees! A good thread title isn't the whole formula, it's just a good place to start. Maybe you should post your kitty on an anthro forum, where those are popular.

 

Personally, I differentiate between rare/common and unpopular/popular... A doll can be rather common but still popular, like Delf El. Or a doll can be uncommon and "popular", like a Bermann.

I guess I always thought of "popular" as the general public opinion on how well-liked or desired the sculpt is... and I always thought of the quantity out there as "rare/common". If that makes sense?

On the subject of bad photography... I know a lot of my photos are so-so. I wouldn't say they're bad, but they could be better. They used to be pretty awful. But I posted them in the gallery, not the critique section because I knew what needed work... but I still wanted to share my dolls, great photography or no.

In the end, I think practice does make perfect, and everyone has their own photography learning curve. Even without getting criticism, bad photographers will often improve on their own to an extent. (As in my case, where I lucked into some good shots and deliberately worked to find out how to intentionally replicate the good aspects of those photos).