Gallery + Upping your personal photograpy ante?

......yes....it makes me want to get better...once i have my boy done any way...it makes me want to be better at making clothing and make-up and well evey thing!

 

Absolutely..
It likes a place for an A+ works..don't we all want an A+ mark on our works?
And you know..it makes me want to join photography club in my school..just to learn to make a great photoshoots!

 

I tried, loved my thread and they didn't. So I gave up.
I realised I make pictures for myself to enjoy, not the mods or anyone else really.

 

Me and my friend always laugh because when we get our dolls together and take pics we're like "THIS IS GALLERY + MATERIAL!" of course it never is, but I get a really good laugh out of it.

 

I didn't even see the Gallery + until I saw this thread while browsing recent posts... I had to go check to see what it was. hehe

I think the Gallery + is quite nice because I like viewing beautiful pictures. If I was vaguely good at taking beautiful pictures, I might view it as a challenge to live up to. However, my photography skills are pitiful, so I just see it as something to enjoy viewing and not really to participate in.

 

it inspires me a lot yes, but I am utter fail with the camera XD

 

Not especially. I'm still facing a lot of challenges in trying to get better pictures, and my gallery threads often get very few comments, so it seems way out of reach. I do like it when I see threads there that I have personally enjoyed, because it's nice that those who did those great shoots get a bit of recognition for it.

 

I take pictures that I myself enjoy and post them in case others may enjoy them, so comment counts and the like really mean nothing to me. I'm always pleased when I take a photo that I feel accurately represents how beautiful my dolls are to me in person in the photograph.

I actually don't look at the gallery+ section since I figure it's pretty much random likes and popularity contests and not something that would interest me much. *shrugs*

 

Personally, I prefer Flickr. I've met some very nice people there and I find that it's a lot of fun to see how people present their dolls. And, sometimes, they have really cool photos that are not doll related, too, such as pets or travel shots or whatever.

That said, the Gallery+ is a nice idea and I encourage those who wish to be showcased and hope you are, but I have no real interest in it myself. I take pictures for me, not for someone else's approval. If it gets one look or a hundred looks is of no matter to me. I'm not in this hobby for the photography. I'm in it for the dolls. Oh, and the clothes, shoes, wigs and all those fun little accessories

 

there are some amazing pictures in the main gallery that should be in the gallery+ and vice versa some gallery+ images that make me scratch my head as to why they are supposed to stand out?
I'm not sure what my thoughts on it are.
It's a good idea and I would like to see all of the outstanding and intresting gallery images up there... or perhaps some other feature that displays a single breath taking doll photo each day, with alittle about the doll/owner... something like that.

 

That's a definite yes. All the threads in Gallery+ have a certain spark or beautifully original theme to the already fantastic pictures that you can't help the desire to recreate that into your pictures.

Do I think of the Gallery+ as a goal? Well... I think more like a possible honor. It's hard to work for something if you're not exactly sure what that something is. Unless I'm working on art and/or pictures for a specific person, I try to only do things that make me happy. If it ends up bringing joy to others as well, then that's just a bonus.

 

Hmm, I suppose I've always wanted to get better with or without something to aim for/compare my own shots to.
I like the gallery+ as somewhere to go for a quick pretty pic fix but I still enjoy trawling through the main gallery on my own. Actually I like your idea, Byzantine. I think there could be another way to showcase standout work, without it being just another gallery/archive.

 

I think it is nice to see inspirational material grouped in one place. Seeing good examples always helps to improve your own work.

In my opinion is better to improve your skills and take good or better photographs, than to aim getting into a certain place. Should your work end up in Gallery + it's a bonus, but Gallery + is only one place. Aiming to get into Gallery + is something that will lead to frustrations and disappointment if it doesn't work out right away, while you actually may have achieved improvements you should be proud of.
I'd say, use Gallery + as a tool and guide, but not as a goal and you'll get pretty far.

 

Is the Gallery + always three pages long? If so , I wonder how someone edits out to make room for new? Or once you are in...you are in? Some of the threads are several years old...but outstanding and I can see why they are still in. Some of the more recent entries has some beautiful work and some that are just nice...but I'm thinking not good as some of the oldies but goodies. I guess I don't know very much how images are selected to go there.

But yes, It makes me want to improve my images...but actually just posting here, and seeing some of the quality photos made me also want to do that.

 

Currently, the Gallery+ threads are being chosen by the Moderators and the Virtues. It is a work in progress and we hope it isn't being viewed as a "popularity contest". Gorgeous and evocative photos and stories do tend to receive a lot of comments by our members and some of the threads moved into Gallery+ do reflect that.

 

I def see it as a source of inspiration. There are so many amazingly talented people in this forum and I love that there is a place were I can do and be sure to see some amazing photos.

 

I do think the new Gallery+ is a challenge to better my picture-taking skills. I love seeing the beautiful photos showcased in the new gallery, and I think it's a lovely way to recognize the finer photographers. I also think it serves as a reminder to me to not post "bad" pictures just because I'm excited. I can share those with my friends or in other image galleries, and save the really nice pictures for Den of Angels. :3

 

Not really.

I chose to stop posting Gallery threads here a few years ago, and nothing about Gallery+ has moved me to alter that choice. I still prefer to put new material (What little of it there is anymore-) elsewhere, if I post it at all.

 

If anything, seeing the great work there tells me: "Yeah, you love your dolls, but you suck at taking pictures of them," about myself. (Please note the important bit there: about myself.) While moving furniture and cleaning out a room, the camera got 'set aside for safe keeping' and... we haven't been able to find it for months now. Though this is a colossal pain in my backside, it spares my dolls the indignity of being photographed by me, pretty much. (Talk about a fate worse than death!)

So, no, not really, it doesn't get me to up my game. I don't have game to up in this regard, and I know it.

I don't spend a lot of time looking at the galleries, though. Any of them. I tend to go looking only when a title magically catches my eye and makes me interested in seeing what it is, or if I am looking for images of a specific sculpt. Having a collection of assorted pretty shiny things in one place is, well, convenient. It's something of a gateway to getting used to looking at the galleries a bit more for me, as the volume of posts is not as overwhelming. That in itself is a pretty big thing.