Should we just take 'pretty' pics of England ?

very debatable, I am pesonally much more selective these days than when I was in earlier days, when the members did not have their own pages, which shows how the site has grown  to become one of the best sites on the web, I do now try to concentrate on views.   I do know that some members who no longer post nor  upload pictures have previously uploaded some wonderful scenic pictures which I think would be a great loss to the site if they were removed, better to try and encourage them to come back  (Just an opinion)

So many varied and interesting opinions

   I'm with Peggy on not deleting member's photos, i.e. pics of Edinburgh were taken, I think, by a tourist. I don't think there are any other pics of the capital of Scotland. Didn't we decide to accept photos of the entire island of Great Britain about a year ago? The photographers of Scotland seemed to upload their photos and never post again. Peggy asked for encouragement, I agree. Is there still such disharmony on the island that folks from Scotland and Wales still won't join in and submit photos of their villages and towns?

   I'm with Dave on pics of huge cooling towers and grand electrical pylons. They belong, too. But I must admit I fell in love with Lavenham, Suffolk today. I love 16th C. villages with a 15th C. church. Great pics on that tour. But I've seen some railroad yards without any working people there hence boring, also no train. I wish there were a way to vote on photos that are boring or poor right to you Mods without making a comment. Comments are sent to the photogs. I got a nasty reply once when I gave a pic 2 stars. Yikes! It was a poor pic and should not have been uploaded. Only pic to which I ever gave 2 stars. I'll not do that again. To blazes with commenting on poor or boring pics when the member gets sent the comment!!  

Taking your points Linda-Mary, if people don't want to upload we cannot make the. POE opened up to Scotland and Wales, but decided to keep the Pictures of ENGLAND name presumably because it had been on the web for so long and people new where to find and what it stood for. I can to a point understand the varied opinions on this.

As to voting for images I have to admit to being as guilty as everyone else. I tend to give most pics 5 stars and a few 4's even when they are not really worth them. I have to say I am always amazed when i get 5's for a lot of mine, but maybe that is just a self crtical thing. I don't necessarily agree with just voting as i think if a viewre thinks a shot is only worth 2 then they should put that and make a relative comment. Afterall as photographers we never stop learning and as long as comments are made sensibly i see no problem. 

Whati would not want to see is this great site getting dragged into realms of a PHOTOGRAPHY site as such where people are more intersted in criricising that appreciating.

But i have to say i am glad thate there is someone else out there who likes the more gritty industrial scene. Only problem is they are best in B&W and POE prefers not to use B&W althoigh I am sure if a really good one came along Ron would let it slip through 

I agree with Dave 100% about avoiding the risk of PoE becoming a Photography Criticism Site. And Linda-Mary's comments about poor photos being uploaded, I guess the person submitting the photo thought it was a great photo. Remember that for the person submitting the picture, the picture is important to them for all sorts of reasons.

The problem with harshly critical comments is that they can be very off-putting to someone starting out in photography. With this in mind, I only comment on the pics which I think in my opinion are very good, and like Dave I give four or five stars. If I see a pic which is in my opinion bad (either technically or compositionally) I do not comment.  There are so many good pics on PoE I can only comment on some of the ones which really stand out. As I browse the site, I am constantly amazed by the talents of our contributors.

On the last point Dave there have been some really nice B&W pictures that in fact I deleted shameful that it was, but right now the POE policy says no B&W in an attempt to keep costs down. That said, we probably don't get that many so maybe C&S should reconsider that one? I will mention it.

And as for POE becoming a 'photography' site with the criticism and niggling that you refer to Dave, well it's just not going to happen. POE is to be enjoyed by all and we have a great bunch of members that continue to make sure it remains that way.

That said there was somebody who joined within the last month, who submitted pictures where he changed the colours beyond belief and/or acceptance. Countryside pathways through the woodlands were purple in colour, the skies were black, the colours were just so far out! I approved a few of the 50 or so that he submitted for members comment, explained to him why I had deleted the others and well, in a nutshell he got the hump, deleted the few that I had approved and then said remove me from the POE site. He had a string of letters behind his name re photography!

Fully agree with everything that has been said. Along with Edward i try not to do too much 'photoshopping' but at the end of the day it nothing we didn't do in the good old days of film. But I am not getting drawn into that debate, that is for the 'techy photo' and magazine sites. As you say Ron this must not turn into a critique site. Again with Edward I tend to comment, when i get the time!!!, on the good shots and leave what I consider to be the lesser shot alone. Although I often feel that something could be said to help a particular contributor improve their photography. We have had one or two new members over the last few months who have specifically asked for help.....DebbieA for one and we did as she asked, gave her advice, and she took the comments on board. The main criticisms as I see the images would be based around composition, horizons that are horizontal and possible lack of focal point.

Again I go with Edward, HDR can make for really lift pictures giving great depth but the vast majority you see are so 'overdone' that they loose all sense of reality and thus would not be suitable for POE

Strings of letters after a name mean nothing apart from the holder of the letters has passed some exam probably from a body that most people have never heard of. 

As to B&W I was brought up on B&W and by and large prefer it to colour.  It definitely still has a place in today's digital age. It is a medium that can get far more emotion and feeling across to the viewer.

Well that's enough babbling for now let's see how this thread goes on, it a good one....well done Edward