most recent post


3.25.2006


post comment(s) (11)

This BEGS for an arm sweep. :)
by Blogger jkirlin @ 2:01 PM  

oh nee!!!!

fantastic find or...did ja?

:**

by Anonymous Anonymous @ 10:56 AM  

Not that it really matters, but I'm a little baffled as to how this photo won the Pxite contest. It doesn't display the photographer's technical ability, the lighting isn't appealing, and the design in the rocks isn't even all that interesting. I mean, it doesn't really matter, but it just seems odd that this photo could beat out a photo like you can see here: http://www.creative-factor.net/index.php?showimage=12, or here: http://www.pxite.com/submission_display.php?contest_id=89&submission_number=9.
Whatever.

by Anonymous Anonymous @ 4:34 PM  

in response to the above comment, first off you are a total coward to leave such an anonymous message

to anyone else who is interested this is what i wrote to the pixite:

I have returned home to find a disturbing anonymous comment on my submission for "STONE"
which seems to have gotten a large number of votes,
perhaps you could check if they actually came from a variety of IP addresses
While I like the image I posted, I can't imagine it legitimately got such a huge response

I participate in the daily memes to be part of the photoblogging community and to give people a way to find my blog
honestly, I don't particularly care for the voting aspect, I don't vote, I comment when I like something.
and, as you can see from past submissions, I certainly don't vote for myself.

Would you please remove those votes as I do not wish to incur any further negative feelings

by Blogger neene @ 6:31 PM  

I wasn't intending to be cowardly by posting anonymously, as I wasn't intending to attack you or your photography specifically, because you have other work that is quite good. But, I think we can both agree that this photo did not deserve to win any photographic awards (even as small an award as this online contest is). Now, I have no connection with either of the other photos I listed above, but I do feel that either of them were more deserving of the top spot. My gripe, I suppose, is with Pxite rather than you. The system is such that anybody with access to a lot of computers can skew the voting, since one is not required to be logged in to vote. And for this reason, I will be abstaining from any future Pxite contests.
by Anonymous Anonymous @ 8:59 PM  

first of all i find this a bizarre way to conduct a conversation

second,whether your intention is to be cowardly or not, you are still posting anonymously and so clearly do not have the guts to identify yourself, you can call that whatever you like

third, if your gripe is with pixite, you should address your concerns directly to the site and not to my blog

fourth, who are you to determine what should or should not gain recognition, i think you are pompous and out of line

fifth, i believe i made it quite clear that i am not interested in any sort of ranking or voting system and that i abstain from voting entirely

and finally with the attitude that you have, i think the photographic community at large will be a happier place without you, perhaps you might consider abstaining from participating entirely

by Blogger neene @ 1:38 AM  

Ok, you're right, you're absolutely right. I am being the ultimate coward because I do not wish to draw attention to myself for negative reasons. I am the ubercoward, and everyone else is the uberphotographer. Therefore, I give up. You get photography to yourself, pxite and all. The photography world will be unspeakably better off with pictures like the above getting attention instead of photos that demonstrate composition or other technical ability. Thank you for showing me the light. Also thank you for pointing out that I was still posting anonymously, because my IQ is too low for me to have realized that myself. I have chosen not to post this one anonymously, just to please the powers that be, since it apparently matters who I am. Have fun perusing my webpage and photoblog and leaving your own anonymous comments there.
by Anonymous Anonymous @ 10:48 PM  

hoist by thine own petard
it seems

by Blogger neene @ 1:03 AM  

I admit, that is humorous, and I hope I have not offended you beyond all repair.

This whole business is not as important to me as it may seem, although I'm about to write a great deal, which would make it seem even more important to me than I've already demonstrated.

It's just that I pride myself on the images I capture in this world, and I appreciate images that demonstrate this same pride in other photographer's work. I think you have photos that also demonstrate a love of photography. I would like to see them achieve higher marks in the voting system (even if you don't do it for voting).

This particular photo though, I think demonstrates more of a love for life and perhaps simplicity or some other ideal than it demonstrates photographic skill. Granted, there is a place for such things in life, but if you examine this particular photo critically, looking at such things as clarity of background, quality of light, balance of composition, creativity of subject, etc. and then compare it with either of the photos I listed, can you say that you really prefer this one to those (again, neither of which are my own, lest I be accused of ulterior motives)?

I suppose you could, and that would be fine because it is, afterall, your photo. But, there were technically perfect photos submitted to this contest and these photos barely made the top 10-20, if even that.

Understandably, you yourself don't submit photos for voting, and that's also fine. But voting should serve the purpose of singling out those photos that are particularly worthy of viewing. It's a way of informing people of how well they're doing as a photographer so they can learn from what works and what doesn't. It is the basis of any "contest" which is what Pxite claims to be.

Is it not true that Pxite's main feature is its weekly contest? However, the way pxite is set up, people cannot get a true idea of how they're doing when the voting results get skewed, as I feel has happened in this situation.

Now, you asked who I am to determine what should or should not achieve recognition. That's a fair question, but one I can't answer, for reasons which have little to do with cowardice. It's ok if you don't believe me and call me cowardly yet again. Bottom line is, I'm a photographer who knows his craft.

I apologize for using your site as a forum to unleash my views, but where else can my views be set free? There is no Pxite forum for me to share anything with other members on. I could write to the Pxite people, but they have never responded to anything I've asked them (and I haven't asked them anything remotely controversial). So, if you disagree with what I'm putting forth here, you're more than welcome to delete my comments.

by Anonymous Anonymous @ 2:39 AM  

well. to be honest this whole business is rather important to me...

i have devoted my entire adult life (i am 50) to making visual work, i have been a photographer since high school, it was my area of concentration in college and i worked editorially for many years in NY for the Voice, Avenue Magazine (where i have a portrait this month), the NYTimes Magazine, New York Magazine, etc. i don't shoot professionally anymore, i have been a painter for the past 15 years and only started snapping again 4 years ago. i do know what constitutes a good image and i also know what constitutes process.

my problem actually with voting/ranking lies exactly in this area: the difference between process and product. while some people are very interested in showcasing their latest and greatest and becoming known for stellar and amazing images, my approach to blogging is about process and is about growth. i am committed to daily practice, i paint everyday and have for almost 10 years, for the past 2+ years i have kept daily photographic journals as well. i do not use the internet as an exhibition space but as a place to work out issues, and one of the most important aspects of all of this is to contribute continually and consistently, which sometimes involves forcing myself to "find" an image to post even when i can't "see". if this means subjecting a few viewers to what some might consider to be sub par images so be it. i don't wish to argue the merits of these poor stones, suffice to say that i have an extraordinarily high benchmark for what i do make public, and i never post anything that i do not stand behind as an artist.

so one of the reason i don't participate in voting is because it is out of context, i have a very broad view of art and very particular personal tastes. i think people post at all levels for a variety of reasons and what i like/dislike is of no particular relevance. when someone comes to me to critique their work, because they understand and respect my vision, i am perfectly willing to wear that hat. as far as i am concerned, there are reasons why i might choose to post what i know will be a conventionally "less successful" image, therefore i don't get involved in this whole aspect of the game. if i did i would probably end up myself posting to get votes (i have archives of 1000s of images, believe me there are some real goodies in there) and since my concern is the growth of my work it would be at cross purposes with myself; growth involves involves taking risks. if you go to my website you'll find i have written extensively on all of this (in the context of painting). one of my main premises about the creative process is that you will only make work that is gloriously transcendent to the extent that you are willing to fail utterly, or as grace hartigan said: "Art is still the only place in the world where you can do exactly what you want if you pay the price which is having no one else want it"

i believe i have made my point, if you look around i am sure you will find a number of photography forums where it is appropriate to discuss the memes and their ranking process. it is a topic that comes up from time to time, you are not alone in your concerns, this is just not a particularily appropriate place to do it. i did make clear early on that this was not an aspect of the photblogging community (which i do find extremely valuable) that i identify with (i didn't even know before all this that there was a page on pixite to go to see who "won") and i have no idea why someone would have chosen to play this "joke" but i can tell you that from looking at my page stats, you are not airing anything publically, you and i are the only ones visiting this page.

i believe i am beyond being offended,
thanks for the pic that certainly helps to lighten the situation,
but i still feel you are directing your energy inappropriately.
i don't delete comments,
as i said i am into process and this is part of it.
cheers

by Blogger neene @ 9:33 AM  

[url=http://vtyupdr.com]rarJpQh[/url] , ErECPVxNiOlrp , http://pyfnknfrtw.com
by Anonymous Anonymous @ 8:53 AM