Why do YOU visit DSLRUsers?

[biggerry]

Thread subject says it all, why do you visit DSLRusers? what makes you visit here over other sites. Given that site participation seems slow at the moment it would be interesting to see peoples responses.

[surenj]

Good question Gerry. I am not so sure anymore. Habit perhaps....

[malificentmuse]

Although there has been a bit of stagnation with the forums, and I am a relatively new member, I found past threads to be insightful and interesting.

[DebT]

I've met some great people, learned a few things, and enjoy seeing what others are doing which often encourages me to stretch what I do and try something new.
I find the c&c section interesting when people comment on technique, lighting or post processing, equipment reviews informative and interesting, and many of the photos are simply of interest as they are of places/events I haven't been.
I read most posts but don't comment if I don't think I have anything of value to add .
The challenges are a great idea but I just don't plan my time well enough to participate , never think to look for them before a weekend but will make an effort.

So basically social networking with people who share a common hobby and use similar equipment and are based in Auz
DebT

[phillipb]

Good question Gerry. I am not so sure anymore. Habit perhaps....

More then just habit, it's more like an addiction.
i may not contribute as much these days but I can't seem to be able to switch the computer on without visiting here and see what the others are doing.

[aim54x]

Addiction and habit are both reasons for my patronage, but more than anything else it is the friends i've made, the thibgs i've learn't. I try for the comps and challenges but don't always get them done. I try to comment, but at times i simply don't know what more to add.

I started off scared to post in the critique section, now i post there regularly in hope of getting advice and tips as to how i can improve my work. I love looking at everyone's images, but most of all it is the advice i glean and the meets that i attend that make this all the more worthwhile.

[Aussie Dave]

I'd have to agree with addiction and habit....but I think the thing that keeps me coming back is the sense of community within the forum. Everyone is very willing to share ideas, help out with suggestions and offer advice - all to help out someone else. Unless I am blind, there are no huge ego's roaming around the forum and it is a place where you can come and see some magnificent photography, read some interesting stories and generally jump into the world of photography and leave behind what's going on in the "real world" and emerse yourself in the forum for a while....without the need to put up with trolls, inconsiderate morons or downright idiots flaming each other and causing trouble.

It is sad and unfortunate that participation in comps, challenges and the forum in general is down from what it used to be. However, this is still one of my most favourite places to visit on the World Wide Web and I enjoy my time here very much.

My lack of participation is mainly due to my lack of time to do my photography (as sad as it is to admit). Too many things going on at the moment (baby no. 3 due in 5 weeks, etc.) and whenever I plan to grab the camera out for a play, something seems to come up. But all is not lost because I can still come here and feel involved (in some part) to my hobby of photography and stay a part of this wonderful online community.

That's why I visit DSLRUsers !

[Raskill]

Habit. Can't help but check, although my participation, like many other members has dropped.

My original reason for joining was to learn how to take better photos. I am at at stage now where my motorsport images are published, and purchased and my skills are paid for by clients. There is little reason for me to post images asking for feedback, as personally I think my skills, and style of images, are now a matter of my personal choice rather than requiring technical advice.

I am very appreciative of the skills I have learned here, but like a school, you graduate. I haven't moved onto any other forum as such, I just care less what people think of my work as I am happy with it. Also, a small group of members who I befriended off-screen have attained the same skill levels and no longer post, which reduces my input.

Also, this year I have had my gear out once, and that ended up in one of my D700's being smashed. Grrrr.

I will be making an effort to be more active in the very near future, and hope to try to work on my lighting/portraiture style of shooting, so am likely to come back to 'school'.

[Big V]

I visit because of the people! I have met and become friends with many a good folk and these friendships have developed past the common interest of photography. The willingness of people to help here is it biggest draw card. Complete strangers put out requests and they get answered, gear is loaned, people organise to show interstate visitors around etc etc. For me, this is the number one reason - a sense of community.

There are some very good photogrpahers here who provide inspiration with their work and they are keen to help others progress - again sharing their tips and techniques. Yes the activities vary over time but we can rely on a core that keep contributing and this brings new members in and they also are a valuable resource.

I enjoy looking at every bodies attempts at their photographyand watching the progression over time as well as the variety in subject matters they bring. Now off to post some from this week!!

[bigsarg7]

well no doubt we all tend to come on here out of habbit! but my reasons for frequenting the site is not just to show my own photos but rather learn from the wealth of knowledge found on here, there is no where else i know of where i can truly find the advice, friendships and knowledge like we have on here.

I have been wanting to involve myself in the challenges, but with the lack of time these days its hard to get my attempts in! but having the opportunity to do so is such an incredible opportunity to push our skills to a new level and to think out side the box so to speak.

Without DSLRUsers, i don't think i would be improving as much as i have been and i certainly wouldn't own most of my gear as most of it has been purchased from fellow members or i have had other members suggest the equipment i now own.....

DSLRUsers is full of so many wonderful people and helpful advice, which is why i frequently visit the site! (seems to be every time i turn the computer on)

[colin_12]

Another vote along these lines.

Addiction and habit are both reasons for my patronage, but more than anything else it is the friends i've made, the thibgs i've learn't. I try for the comps and challenges but don't always get them done. I try to comment, but at times i simply don't know what more to add.

I started off scared to post in the critique section, now i post there regularly in hope of getting advice and tips as to how i can improve my work. I love looking at everyone's images, but most of all it is the advice i glean and the meets that i attend that make this all the more worthwhile.

[wendellt]

considering i choose this forum to answer all my newbie questions many years ago

the best thing is the comraderie

[glamy]

I visit almost every day to look at what others are doing . I still feel part of the community eventhough I have not been to a meet for a while.I have not forgotten all the minimeets we used to have, all the good advice, all the online help that I still get. This place is like no other forum I visit, it feels local and friendly. I do not go out much to take pictures and am much more selective as to what I post, this explains the scarcity of my posts in the Image Review section.
One can only thank Gary and the other very dedicated members to keep the forum going and tell them how much it is appreciated.
Gerard.

[mozzie]

I come for a few reasons.... I guess i havnt been able to find time to do any photography lately, and part of it is living vicariously through others.... I have learnt a lot by just reading people's posts. I find that i check in every few days even if it is just at work...learning things isnt easy when you dont get to go out and try but its better than nothing.

It also gives me great ideas of places to go or things to try out....

I am not very webby generally i only bisit 2 or 3 sites so the fact that i Keep coming bacck to this one means that it definately has something to offer

I am just hoping i will get to a point where i can actually contribute rather than just benefit

[Sylvia]

Well as a relative newbie in post count I can see that professionalism is here, as demonstrated by the no frills CC. I like that, its honest and informed comment that wins me over.
Other nameless Australian sights are for the feel goodness shooter. There are some very talented shooters in this forum offering their pearls.
What's not to like?

[big pix]

and I like it here

[sirhc55]

I belong to the first course. As the forum progressed we entered the main course and lately, we have the desert.

This is not just an online forum. It is a place where new friends can be made and forged through a common interest, photography.

Today there are over 4,000 members but this means little when looking at the members who actually post. Through the past 5 1/2 years, that I have been a member, there has always been a hardcore of members who post. This hardcore changes with time and I’m sure that in the next few years it will change yet again. This does not mean that those from past years have faded away, it just means that they (me) can sit back and read the forum each day and feel pride in what we have achieved, especially Gary.

[NeoN]

Although there are many online forums,I always make sure that I visit here because I feel more comfortable , knowing it would be something interesting to read ,learn ,or simply ask a question ,and you can be sure you would get the right answer,and personally speaking although I haven't contribute anything for a LONG time I never stop visiting the site ,call it a addiction i you will , but I just love it ..! the immense talent that abounds in this forum it's simply amazing, from great photographers such as Wendell for example,to a great humor and philosophic mind of Chris I mean Sirch 55,and of course the Master and encyclopedic mind of Gary Stark,to whom I'm grateful more than once..! To say this is a GREAT site it's simply an understatement...so the question is why shouldn't you visit a site that is a house of knowledge ..great humor ..and photos of visual delight..! now and many years to come .

NeoN

[surenj]

Today there are over 4,000 members but this means little when looking at the members who actually post. Through the past 5 1/2 years, that I have been a member, there has always been a hardcore of members who post. This hardcore changes with time and I’m sure that in the next few years it will change yet again. This does not mean that those from past years have faded away, it just means that they (me) can sit back and read the forum each day and feel pride in what we have achieved, especially Gary.

This would make sense Chris. I just noticed that you have 11000 posts!

You guys have created a monster that's becoming self aware.... Watch out.

[aim54x]

It's great to be able to read so many responses to this question, some from members that i don't recall ever seeing posts from (i'm reading from my phone so i can't see avatars..maybe this has some role).

[Reschsmooth]

I don't really visit any other photographic sites (used to also peruse photo.net but only on a view basis).

This is a community where avatars and usernames are now secondary to a lot of the people I have met from here, whom I now know by name.

My active participation has been constrained due to lack of photo opportunities which do not revolve around issue (I appreciate that photos of one's own kids become tedious to strangers notwithstanding 3 POTWs of my kids, and all three by the Starks) and lack of time to critically review the images posted for critique. I am reluctant to post "nice shot" critiques because those comments are not critiques.

[Willy wombat]

I visit for the friendly helpful people. The technical advice here is normally quick and very useful.

I also like to see what other people have been up to.

Its a really good forum

[dviv]

I can identify with a lot of the posts above.

I visit here everyday, I love looking at all the fantastic shots posted by members. I rarely post due to not gettting out and photographing much (a 1 year old will do that to you ). Having said that - I'm trying to take more photos and when I post some I'm looking forward to hearing the comments of the extremely knowledgeable members here.

I enjoy the meets most of all, it's great to catch up with everyone, be it for a walk or a meal.

[chrisk]

i visit to look, learn and interact with people who share my love. ive said it b4 and i'll say it again, i would love a POTD thread which is not necessarily a critique thread. just somewhere to post an image of something you found interesting or something that while not technically brilliant, is an insight to our lives. imo, this sort of thing adds to the community feel of a site.

i love to see photos of peoples kids growing up, an experiment that went wrong, a setup shot, or just a snapshot from a dinner to see people's "way of life" for want of a better term. these sorts of things generally have no place in a genuine critique area and are more about sharing and feeling part of the community. i find that sort of thing just as interesting as a photographic masterpiece. it also lets you scroll thru quite a few images without opening several threads and allows time-poor people to have a bit of input regulalry.

[photomarcs]

I come here out of consideration of seeing the variations in people. This forum is like a virtual home ( i always have it up next to facebook ).

The reason why I regularly check dslrusers is that I'm very fond of/heavily passionate about two things:
Photography
Human Psychology ( not known to many)

Where I like to be in this forum is of course General Discussion and Images for CC. I find that in general discussion it's all about input as what you get out of it, you're opinion matters which means alot to some folk who don't get it, this is where the psychological part of it comes in for me, seeing people's reactions towards a certain comment, or posting a comment for no reason, all in the learning process.

The appreciation towards comments goes a million and one miles further than anyone would think, a good grace would drive an unmotivated person, a critique would help build a person. It all comes down to confidence and how you take criticism or good grace when you display you're images for critique, that's the nature of it.

On here, I've found many variable styles that people have, many styles that contribute to the bettering (if thats not a word, you understand ) of personal and public photography. Styles such as Portraiture, Street, Studio, Fashion, Glamour, Landscape, Macro, Wildlife, Adventure, Wedding, Commercial etc. Not only watching each person grow in their niche style and grow in all others, but watching my own photography develop at a rate which I personally would not have been able to captivate on my own.

Meeting people and following hero photographers in their footsteps is a major reason as to why I'm here so often, the advice given is just as invaluable as their good graces towards what I'm doing, it's the confidence boost, the drive to make me a better photographer, and THAT is something each and everyone on this forum can understand.

As some of you may know me by face, I'm quite the fun-lover at heart and love the understanding of people both to and from. I personally enjoy reading comments to pick up on critiques that i personally would or would not have seen, but didn't say myself because i was unsure. End of the day, it's quite the habitual and the joy of reading posts over and over again never ceases to amaze me.

[Ant]

Reading the title, I sometimes wonder that myself...

At present it is to try and re-fire my interest in photography. I have found a lot of great inspiration in here. For the guys who say they have reached the point where they don't need critique... keep posting images, please... seeing the level of image people are comfortable with is also great inspiration.

I think the April contest (and lack of participation) really put a bomb under me as well... I had an idea for a shoot that I did not execute all month and now I am kicking myself that I did not. Comments on here tend to carry a lot of weight. I know my only POTW came from critique of an earlier version of the image. A little bit of well placed advise and criticism and I went and did it right the second time. Sometimes it takes somebody else (this forum) to take you from an average photo to a good photo.

Enough rambling.

[spasmoid]

I registered years ago, and then disappeared off this site. I just came back today, and this is my second post of the day. I think I will be spending a lot more time here.

Since I was last here, I transitioned from enthusiast photographer to full-time professional so I have definitely been keeping keen in photography you could say I think I mainly joined because a friend of mine invited me on one of your outings when I lived in Sydney. I had such a good time and met some nice people.

Anyway, I am hoping to sink my teeth into some juicy discussions here and hopefully make a contribution in the process.

Ciao.

[BullcreekBob]

Living in a remote small location, it's certainly not for the social opportunities I'm here.

I drop in once or twice a week and have a quick peruse. This is a great site for learning things so I will read posts where questions are asked and answered about cameras, lenses, suppliers...

A few years ago I used to make the occaisional post in the C&C forum when I wanted help, feedback, (C&C) on an image. But I rarely recieved any reponses. To an outsider like me, it seemed there were folks who knew each other would all look at and comment on each others images but never comment on images from someone outside "their group". Now I know it's natural to look at the images from a friend but I wondered why no one made the time to look at images from a stranger. I spent a while making regular comments on other images in the C&C section and there were certain other members I "selected" because they were on a similar journey as I and I always commented on every one of their posts. But as I said, I could not attract any of the critiques I was hoping for. Sometimes I'd just delete my posts after having been in the forum for a week and getting five views and no comments.

So, to me this forum seems a little like an old boys club, of which I can never be a member because I went to the wrong school or live in the wrong place. But I come here for the informed titbits or opinions that are shared and that is worthwhile.

When I do visit now, I will look in the C&C forum and reply to posts that have been there since my last visit and only attracted none or one comments and add some feedback. There are always some there that no body wants to look at.

[biggerry]

Reading all the responses has really re-invigorated my euthansium for this forum

For me, I found the forum in 2008 and one of the first posts (my first i think) was regarding one of the meets and whether I could attent - it all went from there, that said it was the largest meet I have ever been to and every meet from then on got smaller, do i smell?

I had a few criteria when looking for a forum to contribute to, and its not something one should take lightly in my opinion, if you are keen it will take up alot of your time and you will give your time freely to other members to critique and help out - this reminds me alot of volunteering, something which the country keeps clicking over with and for people I have alot of respect for. Now many people are time poor and have children etc, and I feel for yas...trustme.. i really do.. hence you will never hear me bitch about you poor parents...so i appreciate everyone will have differing levels of input (from a time point) and that is perfectly fine!

That said I think people often take good critique for granted, to write some semi-decent, coherent response (which I know can be hard, i struggle) on a number of images over a week quickly adds up in time, last time I checked my boss bangs me out at 15 minute increments so when you get some good critique make sure you return the favour to someone else, give them your time, that is the basic respect imo. So next time you have not been around for 3 months before dropping a bunch of images on people take the time to look thru previous images and give otehr members some time.

At the end of the day the stuff in the pink bit says it much better than I could ever..

Please note that image critiquing is a matter of give and take: if you post images for critique, and you then expect to receive criticism, then it is also reasonable, fair and appropriate that, in return, you post your critique of the images of other members here as a matter of courtesy. So please do offer your critique of the images of others; your opinion is important, and will help everyone here enjoy their visit to far greater extent.

Anyway, i got alittle side tracked there, so my criteria was and still is:

not in any particular order either.

1) Active community with regular, real world meetups - check
2) Diverse crowd, from pros through to amatuers, in my opinion all have euqal important, there are plenty of examples of plebs seeing things differently and also having substantial input. Also, preferrably a crowd who is a little more discerning then the flickr style.
3) Something more than an ego stroke.
4) Clean, simple forum layout - this is particularly important to me, if threads are full of f'ing signatures, avatars and crap that would and is a deal breaker.

the rest is pure chaff...for me anyways..

his forum seems a little like an old boys club

yeah I hear you here, the only time I would be guilty of this would be when reviewing photos from a meet, they take first preference for my time reviewing and critiqing.

You guys have created a monster that's becoming self aware.... Watch out.

make sure that monster does not grow thin and old and disappear into the darkenss.

I just noticed that you have 11000 posts!

and the great thing about people here which have high post counts is that the majority of them have been posts with more than a 3 word response, that equates to a large deposit in the forum bank account in my books! Remember this is not twitter, flickr or facebook, they all have their place and purpose.

[Mr Darcy]

Why?
A sense of community
Great feedback (sometimes)
I learn from others.
Others learn from me (I hope)
Habit
Get out of the gardening

On feedback.
I rarely post critiques of other work. Simply because I don't feel qualified. I am at best a middling poor photographer who occasionally manages a lucky accident. I do look and study images posted here though. Sometimes, If there is not much feedback already, I will add my 2c if I feel it might be worthwhile. It usually feels like a toddler critiquing Albert Einstein on physics though. On the other hand I really appreciate feedback on my rare image critique posts. How do I handle the dichotomy? Simple. I feel I am qualified to offer technical advice as I have been playing with these gadgets for almost as many years as Gary. And I do so at length (some would say verbosely) regularly.

So, to me this forum seems a little like an old boys club, of which I can never be a member because I went to the wrong school or live in the wrong place.

You can get there Bob. You just need to post more. I note you have been here a year longer than me, but have made about a quarter of the posts. That's not the way to get known. I appreciate that you cannot get to the meets. That just means that your posts are more important. For a long time I too felt like an outsider. Not so anymore, but it's taken time and effort. Try posting into the regular Bimonthly competition. Vote even if you haven't managed to get a photo in. Get to be known as a person. Make some off topic remarks - not too far or you will be pounced on, but even that will help you to become known.

Sometimes I'd just delete my posts after having been in the forum for a week and getting five views and no comments.

If you are getting very few views, consider the timing of your posts. I (and many others) use the "Recent Posts" button to look at posts. That cuts over at midnight somewhere in the USA where the site is hosted. That's about 4:00PM here (East coast) depending on Daylight saving here and there. If I post an image at 3:30PM AEST, odds are no one will notice it. I get a lot more views (and comments!) if I post at 5:30PM AEST. SO if you are doing your posts in the early evening WA time, this may be the cause of your woes.

As for lack of comments, that happens to me a lot too. C'est la vie.It just makes me try harder to act on them when I do get critiques. And acting on them (& posting the result - good or bad) is a great way to encouraging more feedback.

do i smell?

We thought you knew. You have a nose don't you?

[surenj]

BullcreekBob wrote:So, to me this forum seems a little like an old boys club, of which I can never be a member because I went to the wrong school or live in the wrong place.

You can get there Bob. You just need to post more. I note you have been here a year longer than me, but have made about a quarter of the posts. That's not the way to get known. I appreciate that you cannot get to the meets. That just means that your posts are more important. For a long time I too felt like an outsider. Not so anymore, but it's taken time and effort. Try posting into the regular Bimonthly competition. Vote even if you haven't managed to get a photo in. Get to be known as a person. Make some off topic remarks - not too far or you will be pounced on, but even that will help you to become known.

Best way to get known is to create some controversy.

BullcreekBob wrote:his forum seems a little like an old boys club
yeah I hear you here, the only time I would be guilty of this would be when reviewing photos from a meet, they take first preference for my time reviewing and critiqing.

I am also guilty of this.
I am also weary of offering my thoughts to strangers. Sometimes they react strong, perhaps because my comments are direct and short. But then, one of the criteria for posting on the C&C section is thick skin....

[dawesy]

I come here for knowledge and a little inspiration. The contents of my kit are largely down to information from here, and I've picked up a lot of info along the way that I think have made me a better shooter.

I'm not particularly active and probably never really have been. In large part that's simply because I don't take enough photos and often when I do, they don't need C&C as I can see plenty of room for improvement without it. My lack of shooting is also why I rarely make the challenges. I try to offer C&C when I can but with the number of experienced people here, often I don't have anything new to add and repeating the same criticism isn't really helpful.

I think in many ways the lull here is part of a natural cycle. Few people here are primarily photographers so the rest of their lives will always take priority - their interest in photography with wax and wane. They guys that shooting professionally are probably too busy to be in here a lot, though they offer us a great wealth of knowledge that really helps the place. I don't think telling people they aren't being active enough really helps. People engage with something engaging, not out of obligation.

I do understand the club mentality mentioned above and I too felt it was a barrier to entry for some time. For a long time it seemed my posts were rarely looked at or commented on, but that changed after time and I've had some issues solved by posting right here. Entering the comps and hitting up a meet certainly helped on that front.

There are a lot of great people here with a wealth of skills to offer and it will keep me coming back in some capacity for a long time to come.

[phillipb]

It's good to see that the most common reasons are for knowledge, friendship and help. I dare say a few years ago it was mainly for the bargains and freebies. Glad to see we have evolved in the right direction.

[sevencolours]

Why do I visit

I am a muddling photogarpher, Photography is teaching me how to see things.

I do not offer much critique as I am in no way knowledgeable enough to do that. But I learn how to frame a better image from the others who do offer critiques.

I think the thread Prophoto RGB is another very good example of why I visit.

I enjoy the few meetings that I can get to. I hope to be back in Australia for one of the June meetings.

Slowly I learn more by taking photgraphs, seeing photos others take, and reading both about the photos and the technical side as well

So thank you to all who contribute.

Philip

[whitey]

I visit a couple of times a week even when I am not using my camera. The reasons I come are
-To check out the POTW, always a great shot
-check the bargains pricelist and dream of 70-200, 85 1.4 etc. Its a shame that Poon has changed his business focus.
-inspiration and ideas to shoot
-check out the meets, only been to a few but like them
-get some pp advice on the rare occasion I feel I have a keeper

Photography for me is a hobby. But I have other hobbies, a job and a family. Unfortunately I never spend as much time as I like with my camera - and its usually in bursts. On my way to Tassy for a week in June so I am hoping that I will get lots (well OK a couple of keepers) of nice shots and be able to share a few worthwhile ones.

[rookie2]

because you get a fair hearing from people who dont have their heads up their artistic butts
I will always be a rookie and this is the best site I know to get impartial helpful advice
the serenity
friends made along the way who don't care if other commitments mean you cant be online or at meets 24/7
the bargains - pearls of wisdom - jousting sticks - sage advice - all for a grand total of $0.00 a week

keep it going Gary even tho some of us are slack or otherwise committed and not posting like we should

[petermmc]

I have visited this 'DSLRusers' since its' D70users' days when the most compelling reason for my interest was its name which shared my camera's name. It is one of the least complicated and most straight forward sites around with few pretentions. Genuine inquiries are met with good positive responses and the harsh negativism, which is evident on some international sites, simply isn't here. Although I don't contribute much, I listen a lot and enjoy the discussions. When people get too annoying or rude, members tell them to 'pull their heads in' or Gary tells them to 'piss off'. I concur with both of these reactions. I have seen many come and go and think this community is now more about quality than quantity. We should commend those who keep it going and give them every support and encouragement.

Peter Mc