Trouble voting.

[geoffsta]

I don't know about some of you other people. But I'm finding it harder and harder to vote in the site competitions.
When I first joined the site, and got the ability to vote a bit over a year ago, I voted completely from the heart. I voted for the images that appealed to me.

But know I look at an image and think "Gee I like that... But it has a bit of motion blur, or the exposure could be a bit higher, or they could have done this or that".
Maybe as time goes by I might be able to train the brain to not to let the technical side of images interfere with what the heart thinks is good.

Does anyone else feel the same, or am I alone with this problem. I enjoy voting in the comps, and love to see the results. As I can compare my thoughts with that of other members.

[Kym]

Classic... your skills have improved and your ability to discern technical detail has improved.
Most people see images and pick based on emotive response ... then cull back based on technical merit.
The best images grab emotionally and are technically good.

Eg. A brilliant pic of a lake and a mountain, but the horizon is not straight won't get a vote from me.
I like to see both emotive and technical elements.

[peterking]

I share some of your dilemma Geoff.
My main problem is that I look at my image and compare it to the others up for voting and like my image so little.
When I do vote on the comps now I look at all the images. Thumb the ones that don't appeal to me at all then go through those left and, on a purely emotional level, make my choices. If there is a close call between two then I will look at technicalities but at no time will I start to consider "If they did " or "They should have". These are two that I feel are very emotional.
For me the image must appeal at a very basic level first.

[ricktas]

I use the thumb nail option, I scroll through and thumbnail all those that I don't want to vote for, then I start again and look at what is left. Slowly I cull them down till I get to my final ones and they get my votes. It is hard work most weeks.