[Toad]

After many years of being a Shuttertalk supporter, I have to tell you that I will likely no longer post here. For years, this has been a fruitful ground for exchanging ideas and images, but frankly, it is a dead bore now.

I look at solid photographers that have grown here from nothing (remember Irma?) and other major contributors that have shown amazing stuff over the years and I know what this site could be - but lately it is just a drag. You get enthusiastic newbies like Nia (just like Irma 4 years ago) that don't get sufficient nurturing to grow; huge talents like Zig that just pack it in bitterly for lack of feedback, and *old timers* like me that feel it isn't worth posting a shot for the lack of response that it gets. I see these same people posting amazing things at other sites, and I ask "why not here"?"

I think that all of the enthusiastic regulars have gone elsewhere.

I love this site - I visited Julian in Australia and am still the 4th most frequent contributor - but frankly it is a drag now. Julian is far too busy with his real life to take a serious interest in his site and that is the kiss of death as far as a website is concerned. When he stopped posting every day, the site died in my opinion.

Nobody else cares enough to make this forum a success.

Enough is enough. I don't know where I will post from here on in - but likely not here. I will undoubtedly drop in from time to time - but for all intent and purpose, I am gone.

No offense to the friends that I have made over the years - but I thought it would be best to say why I disappeared rather than just disappearing.

Best Regards
Rob

[nia]

Hi Toad, I am so sad to hear your decision. Actually (even I am a new member here) I am not far from these thoughts. I have never been such a place like that before, so silent... As if we are all talking to ourselves. Mostly we post our photographs and then we leave... Of course I am not doing like that. If you check "show unanswered posts" down the page, you will see my name is ahead. Maybe my comments more than my own posts! Sometimes I didn't post anything but I gave my comments. But there is nothing to do. There are a few nice friends here and I do appreciate them and I love their photographies too. And they are also so nice people. If I am here just because of them. But how long I can be I don't know.

So once again I am so sad. But this site could be so nice place with its activities. Because there are so nice photographers. First of all I thought that because of me, but in days I noticed that no, there was a general view here.

I wish and hope everything can change here...

And Toad, this is not what I wish but this is your decision, just know this, I will be missing your photographical voyages. Where will you be, if you wish let me know.

Blessing and Happiness,
with my love,
nia

[smarti77]

Rob - I stopped posting regularly here a while ago for similar reasons but I find that I still check in occassionally (like today) to see if anything is happening. The reason I first joined here was because it was a smaller forum of friendly and passionate photographers who posted regularly. It was always my first place to go when I needed advice but (for me) it started to lack in the quantity and quality of interesting posts. I hope that it can attract enough new members to return to a constructive and inspiring forum...

Let me know where else I can see your work!

[NT73]

Sad but true words Toad. I joined just after Rufus left and wonderful photo's abounded. It has made me a much better photographer, although not to the standard of some. But as has been said Irma was like nia. She was very passionate about photography, always wanted to try new ideas and styes. She replied to nearly everyone, good or bad, but did not always get the same back. I am probably in that category (how can you critique someones work if you are not near the standard yourself) but age and tired old eyes catch up with you.
Petographer, Zig, Pol, Banded Drake, PaulRLindquist, and many many others just disappear.
Whatever the reasons, thanks to you all for inspiration and helpful advice.

[Irma]

NT, I was writing my comment in a text doc before I saw your comment.... Thanks so much, dear Friend for your thoughts about me and my photography....

Hi Toad, Hi Everyone,

At the beginning I thought people didn't comment on my pictures because they were not the kind of pictures people in Shuttertalk wanted to see. It was dissapointing to see that I was commenting in most pictures posted, and there was no the same response back... I always had comments from few very kind people, and I thank that very much for that, but not from all I had commented before...

Now I think that quality is not always a requirement to get response from ST members, there have been really great and high quality pictures from new members passing by without comments...

The last thing was a kind of project I proposed in the Mods room to work with our pictures and only EBob gave me his comment, no one else... I just felt ignored by Mods and admins, it would have been better to hear from them that my idea was crasy or they were not interested, instead of just silence... if they don't want to talk to me, what am I doing here....?? I thought then, it was time for me to go...

Why I didn't say I was leaving? Well, you always have a hope to come back to that friendly forum that Shuttertalk was one day. And I have to add, I miss a lot!

The best to you all,
Irma.

[Wedding Shooter]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for all your contributions and I am going to miss your positive attitude - but totally understand your thoughts. As for me - I try to help out when I can, but with a 60-70 hour working week and a family, forums are time I just don't really have.

I still like to visit every day though.

[jericho]

Rob,

I pop in regularly but left for many of the same reasons you mentioned. In saying that, I too am guilty of stopping in over the past year and not adding photos or constructive criticism. I check in because of the familiar faces. But that is not enough.

You were/are one of the pillars of this site. I miss many of the old gang, and am happy to see all the new faces.

Would you reconsider? I know this has been a kick in my butt to step up and contribute in a much more interactive manner.

Too little.. too late?

[nia]

Hi Irma, it is nice to hear you, because I heard your name so much here and they were all nice things. And also I saw your works too. I don't know what can I say but I understand that I didn't live something different from you, of course, this doesn't make me happy. But who knows maybe it is the time for change... I hate to be in silence. I may be a worst photographer, I may not deserve to get comment, should I think like that. No. This is not true and right. I may be not a great one, but at least I am a member here and as it says (everyone who is photographer welcome to the forum) on the site home page. Of course everybody can't be same. But this shouldn't make a silence. On the other hand we all come from different countries, different cultures and also different languages. This is a kind of richness. I do not learn only photography but I also learn the world and the world people in different cultures, this is so precious.

Anyway, I am glad to hear you Irma, hope you stay here with us, especially with you I would feel better I really wish to change something here, because there are so nice and so beautiful photographer friends and I love their photography but also them too.

Blessing and Happiness,
with my love,
nia

[nia]

Toad, please think again. Love, nia

[shuttertalk]

Hi all, just wanted to say thank you for your honesty and for sharing your feelings. I totally understand how everyone is feeling and a little part of me dies as this site diminishes little by little. I really treasure each and every one of the friendships and memories made in these very forums, and I fondly reminisce of the good old time and antics that everyone used to get up to here.

I feel that the blame falls squarely on me, so I sincerely apologise. Since the little one came along it has been a question of time (or thelack thereof) and priorities, and unfortunately I have chosen to place family, church and work (only by default) first. Sadly, this means that hobbies such as photography and Shuttertalk get pushed to the side, to be visited with the little that remains at the end of each day.

I also feel that the strong point of the site - a small tight knit community of members, is also its weakest. This lack of critical mass means that it's always down to the same established core members to provide the quality discussion, and newer ones tend to get turned off or just disappear when they do not get the volume or quality of comments that they're expecting. And when it's this same members who are called upon to critique time and time again it can feel like a bore, as it has been pointed out.

Because there still seems to be some activity going though on I've been loathe to just give up on the site, and I've been happy to let it just keep it ticking along. There are many options of course - closing down, selling the site off, entrusting it to or employing someone to administer and run full time, but secretly I've been hoping and dreaming that one day this site could be revived to its former glory and beyond. In fact, since the start of the year I've been working on a site redesign but it's been going slower than I've hoped. Once this redesign is complete, my hope is to give an all out concerted effort to revive the community again - with the support of present and past members - which will hopefully attract the critical mass. Once it becomes self sustaining I would then transition the running of the site to someone who is able invest the time and effort for the long term. I am always open to ideas and discussion too so please feel free to chip in.

Believe me - Shuttertalk is always in the back of my mind and I still make an effort to visit the site every day even if I do not post to make my presence felt.

For those that are still a part of the site, I thank you for your continued efforts and contributions. For those who have moved on - I just want to say that I understand and respect your decision, and that there are genuinely no hard feelings. Please know though that there will always be a place for you here and that you are always welcome to drop in whenever you are able.

Sincerely,
Julian

[EnglishBob]

Life has certainly kept me away from this site, it's only the last few months I have started checking the site at least 2-3 times a week, but still don't have much time to post or critique.

My own Photography has taken a back burner over the last couple of years... to Golf of all things.

[nia]

Julian, I am so glad to hear you and to read all these happenings, I hope and I wish everything would be fine, again.
Good Luck for all your works and plans, I'm not going to leave the site but I don't know what can I do more.
Thank you,
Blessing and Happiness,
with my love,
nia