My Second Foray Into DMU Groups

Sea Smoke Around George's Island, a photo by Iguanasan on Flickr.

A couple of years ago in November 2009 when I first started sharing images on Flickr I joined a Delete Me Uncensored group as I had heard that it was a good way to get better. The "sales pitch" is that the members of the group provide uncensored critique of the photo which helps you get better as long as you have a bit of a thick skin.

I was very insecure about my photography back then - not that I'm much better now - and so when I got trashed - and trashed hard - I decided that it simply felt too negative and I quit the group and ran away with my tail between my legs.

Fast forward to 2011 and I get an invite to join DMU3, yet another Delete Me Uncensored group. I figure that I've been getting critique for the last couple of years, my images have improved a bit as well, and my skin is a little thicker so in I go for round two.

The group is new and small and it is taking a while for the images to make their way through the pool. A few comments and votes seem a little out of left field and a few seem almost useful so I'm trying to stick with it.

The image above was added to the pool and I started getting comments like "Black frame + loss of details in mist = flush" and "Just the loss of detail for me. Flush."

This shot was taken at minus twenty-six degrees Celsius shortly after dawn causing fog or "sea smoke" on the harbour. How the hell are you going to get landscape detail in the fog? And even if you could, do you want it? I wanted the foggy, misty atmosphere to give it an ethereal feeling which is what it felt like when I saw it live. I immediately pulled the image and myself out of the group.

I'm sure if anyone from the DMU group, who enjoys being part of that group, were to read this blog they would say that I was a wimp and cry-baby. Honestly, life is just too short to put up with people who get their kicks out of insulting people. The reward is not worth the pain of hanging out with that crew. They seem to know and like each other so I'll let them play with themselves. I have many other places to get good honest critique from people who are nice and friendly.

Goodbye, DMU. I won't be back again.