How Do You Rate Travel Pictures?

I like to think I do a lot of photo rating. I really enjoy looking at photos. When I'm bored, I'll just pick a state or country and go into the unrated photos and start rating. Sometimes I'll start by going back to older photos on blogs that now get overlooked and sometimes I'll start with newer photos. I think people like when they're photos get rated, I know I do, so I do it. I love seeing photos I've rated start appearing as highlighted photos. The folks who took them deserve that publicity in my opinion.

As far as what I rate...photography is an art form so five people can have five different interpretations of what is a 4 or 5 rated photo in my opinion. I prefer landscape shots or shots which are unique and country or area related. When I find several photos on a person's blog that I have found wonderful, I'll also usually leave a short note letting the person know that it caught my eye. I'm not sure if people like that but I love it when people leave me notes on my blogs about my photos.

I only give ratings to those photos I judge as a 3 or above. I don't rate anything below that. I leave them unrated if they don't score at least a 3 with me. A 3 for me is a shot that is good but just misses being a 4 or above by maybe having questionable lighting or framing or coloring issues or weak skies. 4s maybe have some lighting issues but are still excellent photos overall with great coloring. A 5 for me is a perfect photo. Something I'd gladly hang on my wall or wish I'd somehow taken (I'm a real amateur so still learning). I don't tend to rate candid shots of friends or people as you noted above or like your drink example above. Not sure if that makes sense but that's how I do it.

I know I've rated A LOT of your photos because you're one of my favorite photographers!!! Reply to this

Yeah, but the way to deal with that is to get more people's photos rated. There are so many great photos out there (especially on older blogs) that just haven't been rated yet. If more are rated, then yours would not be alone as much. Reply to this

Oh and a last thing...I feel people should definitely put their candids like those above on their blogs if that's what they want to share with families or friends or Travelblog readers. Just because someone like me doesn't rate them a 4 or a 5 doesn't mean they are not an important part of the blogging experience.

The photo rating system is just another piece of Travelblog for those who get into photography (in my opinion) and is for the higher quality photo rather than the fun candid. However, both have their place on Travelblog in my opinion. Reply to this

Wow- I in NO WAY am saying pictures of people are bad!!! First and foremost its travelBLOG... not travel! I love seeing pictures of people and couples looking their best- and worst. Keeping regular blog entries for friends and family is probably the bigges use of this site. Im just saying this: If I click on the "travel photos" link which displays the best of the best pictures on the site- I feel like a picture of me drunk with my friends with no indication of the location we are drunk in kind of isnt a travel photo- 1/5. A cute couple in front of a well lit and framed Perito Moreno glacier and surrounding mountains? 5/5! Hey Andy- why do your nuts have so much ginger on them? Reply to this

I'd give a higher score to a traveler's face because it's certainly a unique shot. Reply to this

I tend to rate photos high if they have 0 stars - unrated - if they already have a rating - then I give them a more honest rating.

5's - I'd put them on my wall, or really sums up a place.
4's - great photo, or is really appropriate for where it was taken.

1's - I wouldn't have shared this one!
0.5 - it's been "borrowed" from a brochure...

The photo shown - great travel photograph for Namibia - photos with the blogger/traveller can be great photos too - in my opinion 😉 shows the traveller, the place, is in focus - all good - and for the subject what a fantastic shot to share with family/friends. Reply to this

I'm right on board with both Ali and Tannis's comments. I have a subjective rating scale that is based on technical skill, interest and wall-worthiness. I do rate people's pictures below three but often I do that when I find a picture with a high rating that I don't feel deserves the high rating. I may try to average a rating out. If something has five stars and I think its more of a three star picture, I give it one star as a means of averaging out, what I feel, is too high a rating.

I also find that I'm harder on people who are on the front page. If you are on the front page then it is important that you take that into consideration. Yes, I still put pics of kel and I on our blogs so that friends and family can see us, but I try my best to make the first three to five pics top quality ones whenever I can. I do find it irritating when the first couple of pics aren't that great and the good ones get buried deeper in someones blog.

Ultimately, a travelblog is all about personal taste. I create our blog for me first, the front page second and my friends and family third but I know that other people have a different standard and desire for their blogs. Some people only use it as a "group email" sort of thing that allows them to keep in touch with those people who are interested at home. I think that's completely cool and applaud anyone who takes the time and effort to keep their friends and family up to speed. But, with that said, I will only give a four or a five to really good pics. It might be harsh, but I think its fair.

P.S. Tannis, I knock down any of those Bikini Clad babe pics that I find. I like a pretty woman as much as the next guy, but rarely is that a five star photo in my humble opinion. 😊 Reply to this

Personally I love my own picture of Sydney Opera House at dusk across the Sydney Harbour, but honestly I think everybody could take the same shot if they're in the same place at the same time, although I tried to do my best to create a good frame, angle, composition etc. Notice that I tried to blend the House into a silhouette, so lighting here is good (according to my intention)
Sydney Opera House is an amazing landmark, but it doen't mean that every pictures of it needs to be rated 5/5. The same thing with people, some are more photogenic that others, but it doesn't mean that every pictures that show the aforementioned good looking people should be rated 5/5.

Travelblog is an inspirational site for travelers, and the high rated pictures that worth mentioning shall capture the spirit of the place and make others eager to taste the same experience, in my humble opinion. It's not necessary has to show 'pretty pictures' of landscape or famous landmark, but like everyone else's saying, it also relates to the composition, angle, lighting, timing, creativity, etc.

Obviously the rating system is varied from person to person, but simply put, a '5/5' for me is something that LonelyPlanet would put in their books. (And for others trying to imitate the shots, LOL). Several people have sent me some emails, asking me whether they can publish several pictures in their publication etc. But do those pictures get a 5/5 rating here?

My favorite picture all times is from Sean and Shannon, showing Sean tries to depict the ancient Egyptian secret.. It reminds me of Indiana Jones, intriguing and anxiety, full of sense of exploring and adventure. And also , it is very creative way to capture a place through a mortar hole.

Do you have to use a high tech camera and lenses to worth a 5/5 rate ? Cumberland Sausage, Crazy Canucks, and Stephen Paul obviously have more camera equipment than most of the regular travelers out there. Of course there is no match with my SONY pocket camera. LOL but honestly I think I am getting better and better in picture composition/lighting just from viewing photos from Travelblog.

My .02 cents.
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I always rate the pictures for what I think they deserve. Previous ratings do not matter to me. Why make it so complicated? If a picture it rated 5 *, and I think it is a 3, I will still rate it a 3, and not try to balance it out with a 1. We all have different tastes and I don't see why my opinion matters more than anyone elses and therefore I will not oppose my rating onto the picture. I really think the only way we get a true rating is, if quite a few people rate the same picture. If a 5 was unjustified, a lot of 3s will prove it and bring the rating down by itself. Reply to this

Ha, agreed. It certainly doesn't have to be that complicated. But that's the most interesting aspect of Stephen's questions, why do we do as we do? Human motivation can be a tricky thing, whether we rate everything highly because we like the photographer, rate things a bit askew because of what we like to see on certain pages, or try to rate them as objectively as possible. Is there a right way? Surely you could argue some ways are more reasonable than others...but lacking hard fast rules (which would make the rating system obsolete anyways as there would be a subjective measure) what can you do other than encourage more participation. We can only hope that this discussion has brought attention to the existence of talent and exceptional photos on this site and possibly made each of us think about "What are our motivations for rating photos as we do?" and "What does make a good photo anyhow?" Reply to this