Since APUG and HybridPhoto seem to be the only place where I can get good feedback and ideas, I'd like to propose another category.

The majority of my work right now is digital capture, digital output, with the occasional non-silver print from a digital negative.

Would it be...(pause for effect)...*acceptable*, to have a non-hybrid gallery?

(ducks head, waiting for flames...). :D

Good Day all,
I'm still on my agenda to build this site to meet your needs. Today’s request for feedback is on how to organize the gallery portion of the site.

Currently we have:
Standard
Critique Gallery
Technical
Experimental.

We could go with subject:
nature (rocks and trees)
documentation (street, event, etc)
Portrait (gallery of heads)
figure (the voyeurs home)
still life (dead flowers)
abstract (is that Jesus in my ham sandwich?)
other (I refuse to be pigeonholed)

or we could leave it alone or possibly you, the membership, have an opinion.


One item I am pretty sure about is that the critique gallery is going to be handled differently.

I am proposing we make critiques threads. The user will post what it is they were striving for, post the image in the thread and ask for a critique. This way the viewer will know what the poster was after and can intelligently respond.


Your thoughts are requested.


jdc

JD,

In visiting the galleries, it seems that the Standard Gallery is the one most used, with the others not much used according to their intended purposes. What about collapsing all the existing galleries into one, and making it possible to sort by posting date, artist, process, subject, etc. - and further making it possible to sort by combining search terms? Would that be too unwieldy?

I agree that it is difficult to expect substantive responses in a Critique gallery where images are presented without critcal context, statement of intent, or requests for attention to specific aspects of the picture. Your idea of establishing critique threads sounds like one worth trying.

Keep up the great work-in-progress!

cheers,
Ken

Since APUG and HybridPhoto seem to be the only place where I can get good feedback and ideas, I'd like to propose another category.

The majority of my work right now is digital capture, digital output, with the occasional non-silver print from a digital negative.

Would it be...(pause for effect)...*acceptable*, to have a non-hybrid gallery?

(ducks head, waiting for flames...). :D

Michael,
Thank you for asking.

I'm inclined to dissuade pure digital and pure analogue as there are countless sites to accommodate the former and at least one for the latter.

My first concern is to build an area for people who 1) love the medium of photography 2) know how to speak with it or wish to learn 3) have a willingness to share their love/knowledge or a desire to learn.

We’re building this place for artists, craftspeople, teachers, students and for any who may venture through so that they may hear the good news. We are also building this place so that the beauty of light sensitive materials will not be lost – this is something that I hope resonates with all who post here.

I have a second concern and that is to keep the site from becoming so broad as to have no focus. Please read David A. Goldfarb's comments here (http://www.hybridphoto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259&page=11).

We need to have a niche.

There are two ways to do this. One would be to make the 'club' exclusive the other would be to build artificial barriers. I'm inclined toward the artificial barrier's augmented by a don't ask don't tell policy and a site structure which will keep the site on topic.

The question becomes what is the topic and or niche. I believe the niche can be pure hybrid (the merging of traditional, modern and or unconventional methods, materials or thought to produce a photographic image) or a sophisticated or elevated dialogue about photography. I am aiming for the latter and will use the former as a filter to resort to when need arises.

The best answer I have to your question is: there will be no explicit pure digital (or pure traditional) gallery. I will allow any type of image in the critique forum.

There will be a time limit on critique forum threads as well as a limit to the number of critique forum threads started by an individual within a time frame.

JD,

In visiting the galleries, it seems that the Standard Gallery is the one most used, with the others not much used according to their intended purposes. What about collapsing all the existing galleries into one, and making it possible to sort by posting date, artist, process, subject, etc. - and further making it possible to sort by combining search terms? Would that be too unwieldy?

I agree that it is difficult to expect substantive responses in a Critique gallery where images are presented without critcal context, statement of intent, or requests for attention to specific aspects of the picture. Your idea of establishing critique threads sounds like one worth trying.

Keep up the great work-in-progress!

cheers,
Ken

Ken,
I'm not sure of the capabilities of the gallery software or search capabilities. I think it will be best to segment the gallery as proposed and add others or further segment as needed.

The best answer I have to your question is: there will be no explicit pure digital (or pure traditional) gallery. I will allow any type of image in the critique forum.

There will be a time limit on critique forum threads as well as a limit to the number of critique forum threads started by an individual within a time frame.

Wonderful!

This whole question of 'what is a hybrid', I have been thinking about it in a little different way. I am a singular photographer, yet I have parts of my image making that are digital in nature, analog in nature and a third that is a weird blending of the two.

One of the grad students in my program is putting images on ceramic with a photographic decal transfer. Now THAT is what I think of when I think of hybrid.

I have reorganized the gallery. There are now two main galleries: Method, where the subcategories are based upon process; and Intent, where the subcategories are built around the content of the print. Intent is still going through evaluation and therefore may change shortly.

There is currently no Critique gallery. I will build a critique forum after I've re organized the structure of the forums.

I have moved everyone’s images from the old galleries to the new ones as best I could. If I have made any errors and you'd like to move your image to a different cat please use the edit tools in the upper right hand corner of the gallery page containing your image.

I look forward to your feedback.

jdc

John, I think the new gallery layout/organisation/library is excellent. Great sub-categories as well

Thanx David... More to come.

jd:

Very nice! As you might guess if you're familiar with a couple of my old, tedious rants on APUG, I especially appreciate the decision to place prints made with "traditional" digital negatives (don't yuh love it) in the the Hand Coated Wet Prints section. That leaves the word 'hybrid' for what was called "experimental", if I'm interpreting the categories correctly.

All the gorgeous work being done with truely creative mixing of materials and techniques should get the highest praise that I believe is implied by the title "Hybrid".

jd:

Very nice! As you might guess if you're familiar with a couple of my old, tedious rants on APUG, I especially appreciate the decision to place prints made with "traditional" digital negatives (don't yuh love it) in the the Hand Coated Wet Prints section. That leaves the word 'hybrid' for what was called "experimental", if I'm interpreting the categories correctly.

All the gorgeous work being done with truely creative mixing of materials and techniques should get the highest praise that I believe is implied by the title "Hybrid".

DWR,
I did not intentionally give the wet/dry work higher ground, but I do find this work to be very compelling.

When building this out I was reminded of the disdain held by many of my audiophile friends with regard to the compartmentalization of music. I remember one bloke saying: “Why don't they create huge racks and label them: bad, really bad, gowdawful, and latest boy band?"

In any event, I have one (one and one half actually) last trick up my sleeve with regard to the gallery layout.

Watch this space...

The gallery organization is complete – for now.

I have been working with MHV (Michel) on how to create categories that would properly segment the work we create. Most folk know and care about their process. Some or maybe many identify by the process, but few would only categorize their work via the process.

Knowing this Michel and I (and mostly Michel) devised two main galleries. One that is ontological. Where the subject is broken down to a base component. This Gallery is called Entities with its bits being akin to people places and things. We chose Life, Place, Objects and Abstracts.

We felt that this would be the easiest way for most to place their images in the gallery.

The next gallery was harder to define. The idea was to create a place where one could use their intent, message or story as a guide for placement. From this Michel recommended looking at literature and to divide the subjects by mode. I'm still not certain this gallery is complete or completely comprehensive, but for me it is inspiring.

I have added our comments under all headings, as well as some from the OED, to help as a guide and I am very anxious to hear your feedback.

jdc

jd and Michel:

You've done a wonderful thing here. I think you've not only created a way to reflect different creative approaches among photographers, but also the different paths that an individual artist can travel during the Journey.

If ever there was a group of folks who would resist boxes, we're probably it, but I think your categories will be lovely organizing and unifying tools. I wholeheartedly agree with you about inspiring. I can get pretty focused and one-dimensional in my work. Just thinking about how I might fit within the different modes will probably stretch me. Seeing what other photographers do will be exciting. Can hardly wait. Thank you.

you've got me wanting to post images!!!!

which is not something I usually do outside my blog.....

Hey JD, new build looks great. Well thought out sub-divisions.

Thought I would take the time to say thanks for all the effort and work.

I am fairly new to LF and this place is becoming my defacto forum for the balance of film and digi output I currently practice and the vast knowledge base of the workflow/s, not to mention the balance of comment and reply/input of the membership.
What a refreshing change to see debate that VERY rarely turns nasty regardless of how different the viewpoint.

I noticed a typo bye the way, film seems to be for balck and white.

Gari

Thanks garri. I fixed the typo.

Hi JD,

I can't imagine the hours you've put in on the site, and I add my thanks for all you've done. You've also been great about listening to requests from users about organization and format, which is wonderful as well. I was actually pretty happy with the site as it was in it's more simple state, but apparently more categories were requested. I just hope we don't get cordoned off in our little "rooms", and miss an interesting conversation "next door".

I do have one request though, involving photogravures. I would ask that you consider moving photogravures to the hand-coated gallery. Gravures are much closer to the "hand coated" processes than the hybrid wet-dry processes. The only part of the process that's "dry" is making the positive (akin to the negative made for pt/pd and other coated processes). It begins with a wet negative, and ends with a wet print. The process involves UV exposures and vacuum frames and all the joys and headaches that go along with those things :). It's been the pt/pd folks that have been helpful to me in learning gravures because of the similarities.

Again, thanks for all the work on the site!!!

Susan

Susan,
I moved your image. If you notice that your picture is in the wrong area you can move it yourself via the edit button.

Meanwhile, I built out more galleries and forums, by request and also that threads will stay in the fore for a longer period of time, to make it easier to find things and so that the site will be easy to navigate as more people post.

jdc