Perhaps what some people forget is that not everybody is retired and has the time to spend mooching round pubs all day waiting for the optimum lighting conditions in order to take a super artistic photo of the exterior.
If I happen to be leaving a pub and notice there aren't too many people around or loads of traffic in the way I will try and snap a quick photo of the outside of the pub, but that is usually in a quick moment before traffic lights change or a group of people go walking by. Chances are I also want to move on and get to my next pub.
Similarly if I am in a pub that has some interesting features and there are not loads of people in the way I'll try and get a photo if it doesn't involve drawing too much attention to myself. But my main reason for being in the pub is to have a drink, not to set up a professional photography session.
At the end of the day this is a site that is made up of and contributed to by its users, and any criticism of people who are just trying to contribute seems somewhat unkind when those people are acting in good faith out of the goodness of their hearts. The reviews and photos reflect people's experiences of the pubs on this site at a particular date and time. This isn't the Good Pub Guide where everything has to be perfect, professional and glossy. This site is based on people's real experiences - good, bad and everything in between.
There have been several debates in the past as to what constitutes a naff photo and I don't think there is much point reopening that debate until the time comes that the site admin chooses to publish a list of "rules" that people are expected to adhere to.
One thing I will add is that it would be nice if there were some basic editing tools as part of the photo upload process. If you think about sites such as eBay, Facebook or Twitter (off the top of my head) there are tools built in to rotate and crop your photo before posting it. This would at least give some people a chance to make some quick tweaks before submitting photos for approval and perhaps reduce some of the bitterness on here as a result. It would also help when people upload photos that look the right way round on their phone or PC but then end up being uploaded with the incorrect orientation as they would see a preview of the photo before submitting it. The only way round this I have found so far is to open the photo in a basic editor such as Paint, save it, then upload it, to sort the orientation issue out. But I suspect many people wouldn't know they could do this, or couldn't be bothered, or may even assume the orientation will be adjusted by the moderators prior to being removed - though I assume the moderators don't get any of those options if the end users don't.
Last edited by RealAleRobUK; 16-09-2019 at 16:41.
Yeah I'm well aware of that thank you, but many people do expect a basic preview and manipulation tool as part of the photo upload process on a modern web site.
I was just suggesting that if that was incorporated it may tempt the more casual contributor into making minor adjustments before pressing the submit button.
Yes, I realised you knew what Paint would do, I stated it to emphasise it to those who don't. I would also emphasize that this is all about the best pictures being shown on the front page. I've taken loads of shots of the Railway porn in the Great Western but wouldn't expect any of them to be shown on the front page. Some pubs are so tucked away down narrow streets or alleyways that it's almost impossible to get a decent shot of the exterior.
I still want to get that great superbly lit shot of the Great Western framed by the bridge beneath Wolverhampton Station!
There is no need for rules it should be pretty obvious to most people what is a crap photo and all the debates have made it perfectly clear what is crap if you are one of those people who don't see it or are so incapable of self editing. Maybe we should highlight a few of the worst photos, there's really only three or four people who continually submit utter dross.
A blurry photo is always going to be crap and often worse than no photo at all. The same with bus window photos, especially where the bus is moving and the window is dirty and the camera lens is nowhere near the window!
Everyone seems to like a good old exterior shot of a pub. But where I think the distinction of naff or not gets a bit more blurred is when it comes to photos of pub signs, pub interiors, pub gardens, quirky or grand toilets, pump clips, and that's before you even mention the "F" word.
The fact that these points have been debated many times does, in my opinion, reinforce the fact that people do have differing views on the subject.
RealAleRobUK - Pub signs are an important part of a pub's history. They illustrate character and identity (except the corporate ones). I'm not suggesting everyone needs to include pub signs with their submissions, but it is good when they are included.
Absolutely: and I will defend anyone's right to take crap pictures that's their business but why they want to inflict them on the site is mystery although there is a feeling that some people will submit any old rubbish to get their numbers up.
Bit of a red herring, there are endless photo's of pub signs, urinals, interiors and gardens, the general agreement is that these should not be on the main page. We have one photographer who only submits photos of pub signs and another who only submits night shots, weird but why not!
I think that only proves some people either really haven't got a clue what a bad photo is or submit them regardless.