Remember when...

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  • Remember when this site had a really awesome function called Photoshoots where photographers could submit and entire photoshoot and your views would range between 200-4000ish per photo? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

  • I remember, don't worry. How could I ever forget? It was the first time, the last time we ever met.


    (I don't actually remember)

  • I graduated high school when that song was released...but I digress. I never really used this site for posting photoshoots but I recall pursuing the photo section and noting high view rates.

    I wonder if cosplay sites are just so saturated with pictures that it's become meh to search-out the really good pictures. Sites like ACP are probably stealing-away views as well.

    Quality camera phones and cheaper dslrs may also contribute to less interest in site postings. People just take their own pictures of friends and themselves and post on Facebook for their friends to see immediately. Again, the pictures are usually "good enough".

  • This site just doesn't have the prominence it once did, and beyond that it's any number of factors.

    If you are willing to actively promote a photo, then it can get some views, but I honestly don't have time for that. The photos of mine that get a lot of views are typically because someone else promoted them.

    I don't know that people still browse through photos a lot, other than photos that are in some way connected to them or others in their immediate social group. I mean, I can post a slideshow on youtube and that gets more views than all the individual photos in the slideshow combined. Personally, I occasionally do check out photos I see on the front page of this site, and/or follow a few people who post touhou photos, but that's only because it's stuff I'm interested in. There's dA and fb groups for that too, and those are generally better or at least more focused than this site.

    In general there has been a move away from singular sites, which makes sense if you ask me, the work necessary and the power structure, but these things can be rather inefficient / ineffective.

  • This was really just a criticism about the dropped support of photoshoots. That's the thing I liked most about this site and they just abandoned it.

  • I remember when everything was separate and you had to do everything on your own.. Oh wait that's now!

    But yeah. Pissed away opportunity. Happens all the time. Of course the "other sites" try to capitalize on the "me" factor but they all end up with the same fate. There is a balance between photo showing and community. Just I don't know how to code. And to get it done you need to know the team that can do and understand it while checking ego's at the door. Which would be a very expensive proposition.

    The plus side is you know the advertisement still going on here is profitable enough for this place to keep the lights on.

  • I try to post the links to the photo sets I end up taking at various conventions throughout the year as I get them done, and post them in the appropriate group for each specific convention, but as far as actively promoting photos, I end up just posting some in the "photo of the day" thread and that's about it. I just take too many of them to worry about views and hits. :D

  • In addition to the Photo of the Day thread, we could start posting extended shoots, each in their own thread. Just to share amongst ourselves, discuss techniques, etc.

    I even wouldn't mind seeing some non-cosplay shoots. I know Patrick has had the opportunity to do some fun non-cosplay stuff lately with the Atlanta Meet-n-Shoot group, I've been watching that on Facebook.

  • I'd post some of the non-cosplay stuff here, but this is "cosplay.com" so my portrait photos being non-cosplay would not be appropriate, but it'd be cool to have a thread dedicated to non-cosplay photography just to spice things up, I suppose. I shoot non-cosplay because it's now colder and no one likes to cosplay in the cold, and it keeps my 'tography skills from atrophying too much before it's time to hit the cons again in 2-3 months time. :D

  • [QUOTE=nathancarter;4799959]In addition to the Photo of the Day thread, we could start posting extended shoots, each in their own thread. Just to share amongst ourselves, discuss techniques, etc.

    I even wouldn't mind seeing some non-cosplay shoots. I know Patrick has had the opportunity to do some fun non-cosplay stuff lately with the Atlanta Meet-n-Shoot group, I've been watching that on Facebook.[/QUOTE]

    question is why on this site, given everyone seems to agree that it's going downhill and all? and besides, the image processor behind the galleries here sucks big time. why not to create a cosplay pictures only site - no words, no arguments, just pic submissions?

  • [QUOTE=shibuya;4801498]question is why on this site, given everyone seems to agree that it's going downhill and all? and besides, the image processor behind the galleries here sucks big time. why not to create a cosplay pictures only site - no words, no arguments, just pic submissions?[/QUOTE]

    Because the idea is to actually get feedback from fellow cosplay photographers ?
    I used to get feedback on deviantart but now the cosplay photography groups are so crowded that you barely have any visibility (and you can't post sets there, only individual photos ; plus many comments are from cosplayers and they're not really pertinent from a photography point of view) ; I've tried general photography websites too but rarely got useful comments there (if I got any), once again lost in the sheer mass of photos and sets.
    I would love to have actual feedback and constructive criticism from people who know what cosplay photography is about, on my sets as a whole because I work on sets rather than individual pictures, and on storytelling rather than making pretty things. Of course I like it when people see my pictures, but what I really want to know is how they react to them. And a no-comment website is exactly what I don't care about.

  • [QUOTE=shibuya;4801498]question is why on this site, given everyone seems to agree that it's going downhill and all? and besides, the image processor behind the galleries here sucks big time. why not to create a cosplay pictures only site - no words, no arguments, just pic submissions?[/QUOTE]

    I meant, create a thread with a half-dozen representative images for a shoot, perhaps with a little explanation for the shoot or even for each image. Not using the cosplay.com image hosting, but instead embedding images that are hosted on Flickr, or your own site, or whatever other image hosting gallery.

    For me, it would be very little additional work, as I often post the same thread on another forum that I use.

  • [QUOTE=Ashurachan;4801796]
    I would love to have actual feedback and constructive criticism from people who know what cosplay photography is about, on my sets as a whole because I work on sets rather than individual pictures, and on storytelling rather than making pretty things. Of course I like it when people see my pictures, but what I really want to know is how they react to them. And a no-comment website is exactly what I don't care about.[/QUOTE]
    Have you tried your local photography club(s)? Today this is where I have the most meaningful interaction with other photographers. My local club has more than 50 active photographers and another 50 or so members who just like to see the photos of others and comment on them. So you get both perspectives; and it's not very hard to get exposure - if your photos are interesting or offer something different. The only caveat is that you are only allowed to post between 5-10 photos per day or event.

    I've tried all the online places but have come to conclusion that they aren't worth it unless you are willing to spend a lot of time and put a lot of thought into promoting yourself and your photography.

  • Frankly, I have had very little luck getting useful feedback from people outside of cosplay circles. Probably because my style is nowhere near traditional fashion photography - I focus on expressive rather than pretty.

  • You mean back with EBK was one of the people in charged of that section, where his photos would the front page over others and that some how his photos were getting approved faster while other photoshoots were in the queue, why yes I do remember.

    I don't really use many sites anymore. ACP is like just a few steps better than here but not worth using. DeviantArt is now full of pervs and ghost profiles that I rarely get anything more than someone attempting to hit on "me" in the photos. Flickr gets me some great stat tracking but not much feedback. Facebook gives me more feed back but at a cost of quality. Cospix is starting to look promising but we will see how useful it is and how long it will last.