You mean on top of riding, writing and actually submitting.....?
I'm not talking about the content of the photos, but the actual quality. Some photos look like they were taken on a hamburger.
You're out riding for many hours. It's possibly been raining, your camera is likely in a jersey pocket, you've probably been sweating. You see something and think that'd be a good picture. Sometimes you just take one as you'd like to capture something of the ride. You're riding a long way so the camera needs to be lightweight or perhaps it's your smartphone. So it's highly unlikely you have high quality camera on you. The lens is possibly smudged, and you don't carry a lens cloth on an Audax. You don't want to stop too long, you've got a ride to complete.
People rarely do a ride with thoughts in advance of writing an Arrivee article, so photos are rarely pre planned. Thoughts of writing an article come later. So articles are what they are, the photos are what they are, and very much incorporate the rider's or volunteer's view of that particular event at that time.
I very much appreciate that the magazine is for the members, and that we all have the opportunity to submit our ramblings and snaps of events. The more varied the authors the more interesting the content I think. I appreciate that I've been able to submit my articles and photos and had them published.
There are many members I meet on events whom I think would tell wonderful stories, if they were to write it down and submit it to Arrivee. But when I gently suggest this, they lack the self confidence in most cases. Maybe they've seen people criticise others articles as boring or poor photos and this puts them off.
I never think to bemoan the articles in the magazine. I love the variety of writing styles and different views of what we do. We all have the power to submit articles. I'd hope we'd support those who do, and encourage others as well.
I for one am enjoying this edition, as I have the ones before it. Well done to Sheila and the contributors.
