Why do people ask for C&C and then get angry?

When it isn't 100% positive?

I was on an HDR forum site and someone posted a photo asking for comments on it. It was one of those "Dramatic skies" HDR photos, you know the type, of a location that was beautiful and dramatic all on its own. It didn't NEED anything extra for 'Drama' beyond a faithful rendition of the scene.

A simpler, more natural HDR look would have been more than adequate. And actually, a well exposed photo using traditional landscape techniques probably could have done every bit as well as a naturalistic HDR or any other image stacking methodology.

Now the photographer's HDR technique seemed spot on and perfect. It was quite pretty for what it was and a well done version of that sort of thing.

I wrote "It's a bit 'over the top' for my tastes, but it is well done." I don't see my comments as being excessively negative, and my comments do reflect a widely accepted perspective on the place of the HDR techniques in photography. Furthermore, I don't think my comments were snarky or excessively cruel in their delivery. They certainly weren't intended that way, and I don't think they read that way.

And the OP ripped me a new one! I won't go into the ugly details.

So what's the point of this extended whining?

My point is if you are still in that 'delicate ego' stage of your photography, you shouldn't really be posting photos and asking for comments. It's just too soon for you if you don't have an adequate emotional distance between your ego and your photographic work.

Only your mother is likely to offer continual non critical support for you. Only she is likely to stick your photos on the refrigerator door with a magnet and show people how 'good you're getting'.

When you ask for comments and criticism, you have got to be able to accept alternative points of view, and understand that an expression of those viewpoints are not an attack on you or your character.

OK, Extended whine over.