UKC

In reply to mmmhumous:

The comments for each of the pics give some indication why people have voted what they did.

In reply to mmmhumous:

Spindrift shots have drama in abundance
5 star from me

In reply to mikehike:

Yes - those examples are quite good. It's the endless ice climbing bum-shots that do my head in.

E

In reply to mmmhumous:

In one sense I know what you mean - but only because it took me a second look to realise there was a person in the 1st link.

The last one is different, instantly recognisable, and evocative.

Both excellent images. Ok, they may not be technically perfect etc but christ do they put you in the place and the time of the shot.

In reply to mmmhumous:

Oooh that Picasso bloke. Everyone likes him but I don' geddit. Am I missing something, or do people really like pictures that I don't? Whilst none of them aren't technically bad and look ok, I wouldn't judge them as top 200 by my standards.

Sorry if it sounds harsh - I'm not meaning to be. I like a good constructive argument.

Asking 502 people who liked the photos enough to score them 5s because YOU wouldn't rank them so highly is the crux of your question - you're questioning your own ideals and possibly feeling peer pressure. And that's fine. If you don't like them, that's ok. Questioning 502 others is missing the point. Art/photography is subjective. If you like a crocheted home sweet home piece in a pine frame, good. If someone else wants to pay £20m for a Damien Hirst, then good for them too.

Does it matter though.....?

In reply to Phil West:

I'm not really questioning why I or other individuals do, or don't like specific photos... It's just my perception that in general, the bar seems to be set pretty low for what makes a good ice/winter climbing shot vs. other topics, and my question is why?

Is it:

-Because it's hard to get any shot in the conditions?
-Ice climbers have more mates to vote for their shots?
-Due to the inherrent danger. cf. would a shot given pose/move/climber get more high scores if the route was an E10 than if it was a diff?
-Something else?

Taking Nick's shot by way of an an example. It certainly tells a story, and draws the viewer in, and I can totally see why folk who empathise / have flashbacks would rate the photo highly. BUT, the climber's legs are cropped out, nothings in focus and there isn't really any sense of location (could be the freezer section at Tescos) so for a technical perspective, it's not a great photo. For a 5 from me, you have to either:

- see the fear in the climbers eyes
- have some of the spin drift in focus.
- have a sense of the position.

Obviously everyone idea of what is asthetically pleasing, but it's not a case of comparing sawn-up sheep vs pointy pictures of prostitutes. Everyones using the same media, for main part similar (mimimally edited oudorsy) pictures. While heavily photoshopped/lit/tweaked/stylised shots will split opinions as there's more artistic licence at play, the more point and click varity of shots should be less subjective, as they're more a case of capturing moment. (It's just down to the viewer whether they like what's been captured.