WAG Social Group for Photography

[aksaunders]

I'm not sure if I should say something here or not but it worries me that so many new posters want to be on this social group, maybe I am overly cautious but.....

Taking pictures in a poorly lit gym without flash is very hard. Getting help from people who know what they are doing is the idea of the group I think. I think you are correct about being overly cautious.

 

[Noideaaboutgym]

Really??? Perhaps you should look in the mirror, you look a little new as well.............

Yes I am fairly new, but I guess I meant more towards the people with no posting history.

Taking pictures in a poorly lit gym without flash is very hard. Getting help from people who know what they are doing is the idea of the group I think. I think you are correct about being overly cautious.

This is what I assumed it would be for, knowing which feature button to use on the camera, I too would like to know, but the only children I would be photographing would be my own and I am not sure I want to share those on a social group when some people have no "history". Although equally from what I have heard, having history on here doesn't necessarily make you legit either .

To the OP, sorry, I don't want to take away from the great idea for a group, just that I have repeatedly thought about asking to join and can't quite decide whether I should....

 

[Dr Maleficent]

It's always a difficult question, but the reality is that there is no safety on the internet, and no matter how long someone has been around you can't know for certain who they really are and what they are really like. In the UK recently several celebrities from the 70s have been discovered to have been getting up to all sorts of horrific things, and these were well-loved figures in the public eye - imagine how much easier it is to hide behind an avatar. The only solutions are either to decide not to post pictures of your children, or to post pictures which are not identifiable or in which you have blurred the facial features - there is software to do this, then you can share in relative safety.

 

[Mama Duck]

As others have stated, gymnastics is a very difficult sport to photograph. I am happy to say that to date this group has met the intended purpose of helping each other out. Some of our newest members are very experienced and talented photographers and we are so happy they are willing to share their expertise.

 

[Mama Duck]

Invites have been sent to all that have requested, however, I noticed that there are quite a few invitations that show as still pending. If you requested to join and have not received an invite or are having trouble joining, please pm me.

 

[Gymsanity]

Well, maybe that's how you say 'Hi, welcome to the forum, glad you are here' in your country, but we don't usually do that here. Casting aspersions, innuendos, and making accusations against people you don't even know, isn't really the preferred method here. We have a rather silly notion around these parts that people are innocent until proven guilty, and as far as I know, no one has done anything wrong.
I'm not exactly sure what it is you are paranoid about, as I believe everyone is clothed, but I'll share a super secret website with you. It's called 'Google.' (please don't tell anyone else) Not sure if you have it across the pond, but if you do, type in 'gymnastics' and see what you get. Oh my! :O
I belong to a couple of other video/photo forums, so I'll be sure to see what they think of taking everyone's beautiful pictures and blurring them all out before submitting them. That would be great, then all the photos would look like what they did before everyone joined!

 

[Dr Maleficent]

I think everyone has to make their own decisions about what they feel comfortable sharing - yes we know that some people decide to post videos of their 4 year olds on youtube, whereas others would never consider it - to each his or her own. I was not suggesting that everyone should blur out photos, just that this is a way to be able to learn about how to improve your photography from an angle/ lighting etc point of view without posting identifiable pictures if you don't want to. I don't think anyone was accusing anyone of anything, just expressing caution!

 

[Noideaaboutgym]

Sorry if my cautiousness has caused you angst gymsanity it was not my aim, I commented because I was struggling with making a decision to ask to join the group as I would like to be able to take good photos of my children doing their sports. Thank-you to all for your response. I guess the question has become rhetorical now and my answer is that I am not comfortable sharing my kids photos with a group of people I don't know. I would love to know more about the subject but don't think joining a group and adding nothing to it is the aim of having private groups. This is my comfort level.

 

[Mama Duck]

I guess the question has become rhetorical now and my answer is that I am not comfortable sharing my kids photos with a group of people I don't know. I would love to know more about the subject but don't think joining a group and adding nothing to it is the aim of having private groups. This is my comfort level.

Nodieaaboutgym - Internet comfort level is not a "one size fits all" and everyone must make their own choices so I respect your choice not to join.

I think your comments may be a bit misleading to others that might be interested in joining the group so I want to clarify that this group is NOT about "posting" photos of your kids, but about learning and educating others about the process of photographing gymnastics ... the good, the bad and the blurry! Posting of photographs is NOT required ... and not the "focus" (couldn't resist) of the group. You can still learn a lot through the written word. And for those that are comfortable posting photos as examples, as the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words"!

 

[Gymsanity]

Sorry if my cautiousness has caused you angst gymsanity it was not my aim, I commented because I was struggling with making a decision to ask to join the group as I would like to be able to take good photos of my children doing their sports. Thank-you to all for your response. I guess the question has become rhetorical now and my answer is that I am not comfortable sharing my kids photos with a group of people I don't know. I would love to know more about the subject but don't think joining a group and adding nothing to it is the aim of having private groups. This is my comfort level.

I appreciate your post and point of view. However, I just like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and felt your original post felt accusatory to people you had no negative knowledge of. I'm not a big fan of letting one apple spoil the bunch as it were. Besides, what's the worst that's going to happen? Someone is going to see your child, and then what? Can't they be seen at gym, school, public, etc? Everyone has a different comfort level on this sort of thing, and I understand and respect that. I hate fear, and have tried very hard with my children to see that they don't fall victim to it. A good head on their shoulders, some common sense (not so common anymore), and an open mind is how I try and have them face people and the world. Having said that, I understand and respect your decision, but hope you will still join. As Mama Duck has said, there is no requirement or mandate to post anything here. Read, ask, learn.

 

[SignHere]

I clicked on the link and got a thread about poems.

 

[Mama Duck]

I clicked on the link and got a thread about poems.[/QUOTE

Another poster had the same thing happen. Mods - any idea what the problem might be?

 

[Gymsanity]

I clicked on the link and got a thread about poems.

Do you mean the links to the book and course? If so, they both worked fine for me.....

 

[Mama Duck]

Do you mean the links to the book and course? If so, they both worked fine for me.....

No. The link for the invitation to join the group is apparently linking to a thread about poems.

 

[wnl256]

I guess the question has become rhetorical now and my answer is that I am not comfortable sharing my kids photos with a group of people I don't know. I would love to know more about the subject but don't think joining a group and adding nothing to it is the aim of having private groups. This is my comfort level.

The photography group is not about posting photos of your kids. It is for discussing techniques to improve your own gymnastics photos. It is possible to contribute your own ideas and techniques without posting a single picture. We discuss camera models, lenses, settings, equipment, focusing techniques, etc.

Let me say this again to make it very clear: there is absolutely no expectation for participants in the photography group to post pictures. None.

 

[StringBean'sMom]

No. The link for the invitation to join the group is apparently linking to a thread about poems.

I got that poem thread when I clicked the invitation link on my iPad app but it worked fine when I used it actually on the computer.

 

[CCGymbug]

I would really love to join!

 

[twinmomma]

For what it's worth, there hasn't been a ton of posting of actual photos in the group. Sounds funny I know. But it's mostly talk about equipment and settings and such.

 

[CCGymbug]

That is why I am interested! !! I am a big novice photographer. I have done several jobs for friends. However I love using my flash so I am interested in how to get good high quality shots of my daughter during a meet. Yes I could just read up but I often think real world I did this experience the best. For example, how to get a good shot w/o flash with sun coming in from behind with moving subject.

 

[Sam's_Dad]

I'd like to join the photography social group, but don't see it listed. Is it still active?