HDR "creme".......??? Really?

People. I’ve been posting on this site for a couple of years now (more or less). When i started posting here the ‘picture of the day’ was something to aspire towards producing.

Now as i speak there is a picture on the front page that is full of dust spots, does not have a straight horizon and…… to be honest….. is just plain bland. Yet this image (http://hdrcreme.com/photos/14241-Buffels-Bay-su…) is getting 8/10, 9/10?

This brings me to my question…… Are these images really the Creme of HDR?

The scoring system seems to mean nothing! If an image deserves 9/10 then this means it is damn near perfect. No?

I have to admit, a certain user named ‘rconsoli’ recently got a lot of bad press by publicly anouncing an image as a failure…… Failure, i feel, was a bit strong. But i do feel that he had a point. This site is getting soft again. You vote highly so that you, in turn, get high votes…..?

And before anyone points this out, i know that i too am guilty of dust spots and wonky horizons but those images never made front page.

I realise that i’ve opened a can of worms here and that my images will be scored accordingly but please reply with honesty.

Regards, Matt.

I agree with you Matt. Thanks for your honesty and courage to speak-out.

I really agree with you!
I am looking at site less than sometimes ago … i don’t like rconsoli and by i had to be banned because he was showing his blog and no photo here but i have to admin he was right for some little things. You are right on the photo you link.
when i see that in front page i close my browser. ( some times ago i think i had write something but now i don’t feel the right mood in here)
Sometimes ago i wrote this line in my account: “i’m really happy to be unpleasant to someone in here… go on with your cowardly way of give me 2/10 … i do photos you are jerks!” . It was beacuse I comment what i see in the same way i will comment my photos, when i say to me i was a stupid not to see dust, or horizon that need a rotation or any other “real” problem, or only searchin some “hdr effect” and not seeing my subject was a shit with misaligned parts light distortion and so on.
I see sooooooooooo many 2 on my photos.. ahah
let’s hope for better time.

R.

I feel inclined to add a comment for what it’s worth. I am relatively new to HDR and no self acclaimed expert. But I am an experienced photographer, artist, Photoshop tech and as a fine art printer/publisher I have a good eye. I too have also noticed a tendency on this site to give high score votes rather too easily, to the point that votes become almost worthless. There seem very few constructive comments where often it is needed. I guess everyone has their own opinion and expectations, and the voting system can’t really be moderated, so we will have to accept it as it is. But if anyone reads this topic and wants to add constructive comments, let’s see if a more discriminating sense of judgement can be fostered. Everyone would benefit. If Photoshop or Photomatix ‘experts’ see something that they can offer constructive feedback on, how about doing just that. I would never shy away from honest constructive feedback. How else does anyone learn anything? HDR has revived my interest in photography and many images posted here inspire me to explore it more. Regards to everyone.

Matt is right! I missed the voting for this picture ..Sorry.