I think you're saying what a lot of people at DA are thinking. So, time for a community within a community?

Definately!

Coldie

Lee [link] comments remind me that DA has a great many niches.Ask yourself this, if I gave you an honest critique could you hack it?I started out at DA asking for full criticism and I have tended to get a fair bit.I reply in full in either defence or explained acceptance.You have to be hard to get hard but for that you have to choose who you deal with in DA.Mate do a bit of math on how big and popular this place is and you are still only a member - it hasn't cost you a cent - at the very least become a subsciber and show commitment.
You actually show up on so many friends lists that I can only think the real complaint is living in Perth.I live in Brisbane and I have lived in Perth and what they share is registering a constant straightline on the creative pulse meter.
The lack of challenge is not DA.You are just a bit beyond where you are...

I would love heavy crit, so bring it on!
I have been trained to not take the crit personally.
I should become a subscriber you are correct, but I as the name
suggests "coldcanvas" looking for work so I'm not in a financial
situation to do much more than pay the bills and eat.

The person I was talking about specifically was not myself, he
is a subscriber and feels as I have expressed.

I would agreee that my geographical position is a problem for
having any other interest than football, cricket or the pub!

Thanks for the feedback.

Coldie

Good one Coldie!I have a few watchers(friends) that give me good straight critiques and I am lucky.I know what you guys are talking about though,all the superlatives and honey drive ya' mad after a while.My geo-political reality in Brisbane is worst,it is too comfortable for art and the only thing on peoples walls is the shot of the latest investment unit.
At the same time remember that your subject matter is hard for people to criticise in any depth beyond like and dislike but here are a few things to try so at least you can see more in your work (it helps if you have photoshop);
*Desaturate your work and start using tone quality,contrast and brightness.
*Try putting three or four images side by side and see what works as tryptichs etc.
*It is only $30 per annum to subscibe to DA (58 cents a week).
*Take some shots other than 'Urban Abstact' to see if you get inspired.
*DA is best used with a broadband connection,it is just too big to wait on downloads.
*Give criticism to others and see what they say.
*Read the comments on work that you like and look for the critics then check out their work.They are usually the sort of people at DA that you will be closer to in style and understanding.
A lot of people leave DA and come back later.there are a lot of other similar sites out there.None of them seem to have the depth of this place though...
Hang in there Dude and where I can I will throw a little mind acid your way

*I do play with desaturation, contrast, brightness in photoshop.
*The tryptich idea I haven't done and do enjoy works on DA that have that play between works, I 'll have a go!
*I will get someone to give it to me for a Birthday present this year!
*I am hearing you about the expansion of what I photograph, I'm not keen on people photos, that would be the obvious nest step. Landscapes seem either to look like a snap shot or something that should be put on a calendar. I will think this over more.
*I have broadband
*I do give crit to others and when I get a harsh response back, I back off. Some love it but don't give the same crit back.
*I have been searching, also asking others who they watch, checking out peoples favourites if I like there work sometimes I am interested in who they watch as well.
*Mind acid sounds good!
Thanks

Excellent Smithers,excellent...I mean't to ask you how that exhibition went for you?I have been doing a lot of fiddling with levels/colour balance/saturation and filterslastic wrap/ink outlines/smart blur/median noise,I do lots of subtle changes through a couple of hundred actions.I think it is the long process that opens up new paths and ideas.
I cracked a joke once with some Deviant and he came at me pretty serious and being the touchy artist(he wasn't even good) and I blitzed him with high vitriol.It felt good at the time and he was upset that I used big words.I apologised in the end simply because he was not someone I should deal with,my point being that there are plenty of like minded creatives here and this site is about creativity for the most part.
Lee.you have a good eye and you work your genre really well,there are bound to be flat and negative times.
Why don't you get together with a few others' and create a club for 'urban abstracts' ...I will even do a journal piece about it,by the way I did a rap on you in my last journal,check it out!

yeah you don't get a great deal of constructive criticism on dA. I went to a camera club for a few years and the photos were judged quite harshly i think. But it helped me to improve a lot. I try to give some CC on here when it's appropriate. I usually don't if it's set to "Critique Welcome", but if the image is set to "Advanced Critique Encouraged" then i try to think of at least one thing.

Well, I've given rough critique only a few times - when the image could have been easily made into something 10X better than it already was.
However, for myself, I have to fight to get comments. The best way to promote comments is to comment on everybody's work, go on the random browse looking for things.