Posting Pictures of bad fish

Ever notice all the lousy pics being posted on some auction sites or dealer sites? It doesn't make any sense to me and whenever the issue of the quality of these pics comes up we hear the same old "sorry, I'm not a great photographer". That's not the issue. I tried to allude to this point before but I had some time so I figured I'd spell it out. If you post a crappy fish of a good fish then you're a fool. What's the point of posting the picture at all and then saying "the fish is much, much better then in the picture"? Or saying nothing at all until someone criticizes the picture. In my opinion it's very possible for a great fish to look lousy in a picture. But anyone who posts such a picture either has not got the ability to choose a good fish, since they don't notice an awful picture... or they're just lazy. Neither is a quality that I look for in someone who is choosing my fish for me. So either get some quality pictures or don't post any at all. Just my opinion. But here's an example of what I'm saying. Here's the lovely Yasmine Bleeth of Baywatch...

And here she is in a mugshot... makeup excluded, hair not done, face in a more relaxed pose.

Now let's say that poor ol' Yasmine is posting a picture on a dating service. Is there any point at all in posting the second picture and then explaining to the horrified male customers that she isn't a very good photographer and she looks better in person? No point at all.

Merry Christmas,

Dave

[Cormorant]

Dave, I agree with you completely but... doesn't male customer have a right to know what he would wake up to every morning?

Albert

[Wahter]

Well, that mugshot was taken after she'd been pulled over and I think she was high on drugs; I think she'd look nice without makeup ONCE she's cleaned out her system.

I think the reverse is true too (in my opinion) women with too much make up look like a discus with hormone induced/ artificial coloring - not right.

Just my opinon.


Walter

Ha ha, the point isn't whether Yasmine would get kicked off of the beach, nor the reason she looked the way she did. The point is that it would be stupid to post the mugshot photo in an attempt to find a date. Similarly it is stupid to post a picture that makes a fish look like a cull or is so fuzzy that you can't even distinguish the shape of the fish and then explain that your picture taking skills aren't all that. Or you're new to the digital camera world. If you don't have a good picture, don't post it. If you can't tell that you have a bad picture then don't choose fish for others. I'm not referring to hobbyists that want to show a picture of their pet. I'm referring to people that are in the business of selling fish and then post crappy pictures and say "hey, I breed Discus, I'm not a photographer". It doesn't make sense. Yasmine was just an unfortunate example... I'm sure she's a beautiful person inside and I'd be willing to give her a chance. :-*

Dave

[Carol_Roberts]

There was a golden lavender discus on Aqua Bid that I wanted to see really, really, really bad, but I never could get the pictures to open - just a box with a red X . . . . .
Carol

[Cormorant]

Dave, you are right that some people, by posting bad picture, do more damage than good to their business.
But on the other hand, there is the buyer; and, like you said, picture, no matter if bad or good, tells us a lot not only about the fish but also about the seller. Since auction is a risky way to buy fish, that picture may be just what the person needs to think twice before placing the bid.
So I’d say, keep them pictures coming; after all, bad picture is better then no picture (from the buyers point of view)

Albert

[Jeffery_Doty]

Dave,

Excellent example, love that mug shot! I agree with you, and nothing sells like a really nice picture.

Jeff
Oregon

[redlines]

Dave,

Great post. I completely agree. I think at times I.m a poor photographer becomes an all too convinient excuse to cover up the reality that the fish simply sucks and is a cull that they want to unload on some unsuspecting schlep who is taken in by a fancy name.

Great pic example too. I think some Metro, Prazi and a Hyde bath would do her some good. Gotta clean those nasties out of her system before trying to breed with her.

Andy

As photo moderator, I would just like to say that I agree if someone is selling fish, the better the picture, the more likely to attract a buyer than a bad one. A picture is better than no picture, which leads only to one's imagination - which in most cases are way off base!

However, I encourage everyone on Simply to post pictures in the photo thread for viewing purposes only. Not everybody takes good pictures, but we are not requesting magazine quality photos in the photo section area either! I personally just like looking at pictures that [glow=red,2,300]EVERYONE[/glow] posts. So, please keep posting.....

Here are a few tips:
If you are wanting your fish critiqued, the better the photo the easier and more accurate to identify the flaws, to better accomodate the person wanting the criticism. Taking a picture from an angle, can either enhance the shape of your fish or make it worse. If you are wanting response on shape, post a picture of the fish from its side view.

If you want to sell your fish, then you need to post your pictures in the Buy, Sell, Trade section or where ever and like Dave said, post a good picture of the fish being sold. Digital cameras are fantastic because the beauty of it is that you can take hundreds of pictures and delete all but the few that look fantastic. Practice makes perfect, and it costs nothing to waste pictures by snapping a bunch, just be sure to delete the bad ones.

If you just want to post pictures to share with others, post like crazy. Those who do not like your picture quality can always close the thread and not respond. If you have not asked for criticism, then the person posting the picture should be respected with no negative response, or no response at all. When it comes down to fish quality, unfortunately, not everybody has perfect fish, and not everybody knows what good quality is. Some like their fish, while others consider them culls. We are here to learn on Simply, and we are lucky to have people with us that are experts and can teach us. If people want to learn about "culls", we should start a cull thread in photo and have everyone post their fish that is a cull and tell what's wrong with it. I personally, have quite a few I could show!!!!

If you are new to taking pictures, and would like help, the moderators in the photo thread are here to help you. If you do not want to post help publicly, then you can always click on one of the photo moderator's name and post them a private message and we will be more than happy to help you.

Have a great Chistmas everyone..... and please continue to join us and participate in the photo section..... again... a place to just post your favorite pictures for others to see..... learn from pictures and to see what all is out there. The photo moderators appreciate everyone of YOU who post and join our love for pictures!!!!!!!

Weezy ;D