Category: Let's talk
Hmm, that's pretty cool. Makes me wish I had more money because I have probably thousands of pictures I'd love to have described like that.
Awesome idea.
I love this. Not only can you get your pictures described, you can get an idea of what people think about you from a visual point of view. Smile.
Exactly, That's always something I've wondered about. I always wonder how I'd be described in a book.
Yet another entrepreneurial venture filling a niche. Awesomeness. I just might, at some point, as I've got pics of me on the web.
wow, this is neat.
I got a couple of pictures of me done and the detail is astounding. I've never seen someone describe a picture of me in such detail. Give it a shot if you've got a few bucks lying around.
I'm going to do it! What a neat idea! Although, I did use to send pics to my boyfriend and have him go over them with me on Skype or something.
This is pretty sad.
great business venture. Can't say I'm tempted though. but maybe, just maybe, somday... I do admire the effort and I am intrigued by the creativity of this entrepreneurial venture. Thumbs up, all the way!
Think I'll wit until the description wouldn't say, "slightly chubby mom'ish looking person." lol
Melissa's pics are in the queue. Responses will be emailed privately to her. Also, I've updated the original post to state that this pricing is good through the end of the month. It may need to be adjusted slightly to ensure high quality descriptions. Just wanted to give you all a heads-up and avoid any issues.
This is pretty cool. Think I may need to find some pictures of me and send them along. Domestic Goddess, like you, I've been curious how I would be described in a book, and this is as close as your going to get to knowing it. Thanks for posting, Chris!
Very cool entrepreneurial idea! With money being tight, not something I can do at this point... but kudos to you!
Photography has always been important to me--Ironic, I know--but that's another story for another time, if you want to hear it. Therefore I jumped on this opportunity. I tested this service by submitting two pictures which are very dear to me, and which I know well because I was in them. I received responses much like the one Chris did of himself--very detailed, very honest. Sometimes they said you could tell the picture was not taken professionally. I won't say it wasn't free of bias, because there were sweet things said in mine about how happy I (and my boyfriend with me in the second picture) looked. They read those pictures like I would have written a story or read into a piece of literature. Very well done! If I am ever in a pinch with no seeing eye slave to describe a pic to me or I want a lift in my spirits, I will be submitting pics to this group again.
Chris, again, this is an excellent idea. However, one thing I will say is that there are programs out there, such as OMoby for iPhone users, which don't charge. Granted they don't give as good a description as what your volunteers have, but they are functional, depending on what the blind individual is looking for. Example: Do they want to be told what picture is what, or do they want detail like your volunteers are giving. There is also another site another user on here mentioned to me in publics which charges less for this particular service, though I don't remember the name at the moment and also don't know firsthand how the descriptions are. Finally, when I first saw this, it reminded me of what I've read about Matt Richardson's descriptive camera, which I understand is in the works, though I do not know when this will come to fruition. My reasoning for saying all this is that you may have competition, and raising the price might not be the best idea, though I don't know what kinds of costs are encurred by implementing this service. For example, do you charge per number of minutes your volunteers are spending to examine and describe these photos? If I may suggest a special rate for three pictures at a time, etc.? I feel like that might appeal to customers more, especially since the lot of us are either college students and/or dependent on SSI and hence have limited incomes. These are not meant to be harsh criticisms by any means; just some speculation from the other side of the fence.
So. How many young men will be sending in pictures of chicks and writing it off as yet another male expense in the dating game? It's cheaper than buying her dinner, boys.
Totally agree with post 10.
I personally think the asking price is somewhat outragous. Seven dollars to just have a picture described? I agree with Melissa that a seven dollars needs to have a package deal, for example, 3 pictures described and possibly offer some sort of editing. If I really want a picture to be described bad enough, I and I'm sure others can find sighted people, or people with low vision to describe them. We're not so isolated from individuals who can see that we have to avert to paying outragous amounts to have them described.
Clarifying my package idea: I mean if they are going to continue asking for $7.10 or higher per image, that if someone wishes to do multiples a discount might be ideal. This is not wholly self-serving, either; everyone wins with this logic. Customers are less intimidated by the unit price if they want multiples; business takes an initial loss, maybe, but then prospers because people keep coming back. Would you rather make $7.10 on a single photo and hear from a customer rarely if ever again because they are attempting to be frugal and responsible, or $16 for three, and have the customer keep coming back for more and recommending your service to others who will benefit from it? There's a kind of psychology behind that, you know? It's like, "Buy two, get one almost free," as opposed to being intimidated by the price $7.10 per image. I hear this logic in shoppers every day. Someone may even say, "Oh hell, it's only $16; I'll do six pictures then!" What do you think of this idea, Chris? I am honestly curious.
How can you suggest that it's expensive? as someone involved in the initial trial of this, I was surprised at how much chris spent in testing the possibilities. Often descriptions aren't as flattering as you'd hope, but they're honest and unbiased. You're spending so much money for the descriptions, and so much money for chris to spend his time and effort offering this to you for no more work than a paypal message with the money and a link.
You really should try it, it's well worth the small expense.
That's not expensive. The amount of time taken to do the descriptive essays was evident. You had quality you never get from just asking someone to look at something for you. I'd say it's pretty cheap, to be honest.
You aren't just paying for it to be described. You're paying for five descriptions from five different people. This allows you to pick up on details or points of view that you might not get if you were to ask one person. I'm willing to consider alternative pricing models.
Ah, so see if you send in that picture of that chick you'll get 5 opinions on her. If she's, Ah-Hmm, ugly, she's ugly!
Of course you'll be getting an opjective opinion and they'll not say so.
Everyone, even sighted people ask others what they think, so this is no different? Smile.
I think it's worth it. You're paying for quality.
Desperation much?
I'm all for entrepreneurship, but I think this kind of thing is a little off putting.
First off, couldn't you just ask a sighted person you know to describe the pictures?
Secondly, do you really wanna send your personal photos off to someone you don't know?
Just saying, this seems a little sketch to me.
Answer to both questions No, and yes.
When you ask a sighted person you know to describe a picture many aren't artistic enough to give you an objective opinion. Maybe they know the person you want to know about, or know your personal feelings about things.
Example, maybe you don't like skinny girls. They think the girl is to thin for your taste, so instead of saying she's slender, brown hair to her sholders, they say, well you'd probably not like her, she'd to skinny for you. That doesn't tell you anything about her.
Maybe she's not the same race they feel you should be with, or they like,so they don't give you an unbias description.
Hopefully these people are professional and just call it as it is. They have no idea what you like, think, or want.
Next, sure, you send a picture to a professional and you get back a professional answer, so why not send your personal photos?
Unless it is a picture of you nude in the buff, and I don't suppose you'd send this type, some one took that picture, so it's been scene?
That is a good question, does this company have a line they draw on types of pictures they will or won't describe as long as the photo is legal?
No issues as long as it's legal.
Yes, for me, it's having a viewpoint from someone who has absolutely no interest in my feelings on the pic. I would be happy with 3 responses instead of 5, which may be a way to save money.
Perhaps you could do 2 or 3 responses for half the price?
I also agree with the idea that if you have a certain amount of pictures give some sort of a discount.
Great ideas in post 29 and 30.
Here's another aspect as to the unique value of a service such as this. For really special photos, it's fairly priced.
I wonder how they would describe animals. For instance, I've got a picture of Digby standing in a field of bluebonnets. I'd love all the different descriptions. Would he be described as standing regally in his harness, or would he be described as looking like he's about to make a run for the chilidog wrapper someone dropped.
To me, for certain charished photos, a service like this is worth the price. Perhaps it's because one of the things I enjoy most about reading a good book is the descriptions, especially of things like expressions, orah, etc. Much like a visual image to a sighted person, a good description just brings special pictures to life. What better things to have described than special photos of what we love?
This is all somewhat negotiable, especially since it's new. If you have a lot of pictures, say five or more, I'm sure we can work out a deal.
Another clarification: In my explorations above, I was not at all insinuating that they were too pricy or not well-done or not worth it; as I said before, this service has been of particular interest to me, and like one of the posters above, I appreciate the story-esque descriptions because it is like reading a book, and although these are meant to be unbiased, I did see some personal relation to the photos on the describers' behalf, and that in itself was interesting and appreciated. My wanderings were more to find middle ground, since I have heard so much talk here and on publics about the concern in price. I don't want anyone to get the idea that I am criticizing this in a negative way or that I dislike how this is being done. The things I wrote above were simply ideas. End of disclaimer. *Happy face.*
lol interesting idea; at first when I read Chris' post, I thought it was a bit stupid but the more I think about it, the more I like it.
I will certainly do it myself if I can find a good picture of me; I'd be curious as to what they'd say. :)
I'll say this, it certainly is a good business and most creative business venture but it kind of seems like its preying on blindies who don't have very many sighted peers around. Moreover, I don't know of very many blindies who really care how they particularly look like. In regards to myself, all I really care about is if my clotheing aren't matching and nothing more. For that, I have sighted friends who will tell me. Beyond that, I could really care less how I look.
That was kind of my thought as well. Seems a little predatory.
You guys don't have to pay this guy to look at your pictures, just remember that. Be secure enough to find this info for free.
Predatory? Extreme much? No one is saying, "You must, absolutely, send all your pictures into us," or, "We are the only way you'll ever get anything described to you." Preying on blind people? Again, that's way extreme. For those that have tried this, no one is forcing them, pressuring them, manipulating them. Blind people who send in their pictures are doing it of their own free will, because they're curious, just want the information for it's own sake, or whatever.
Calypso, glad for you that you don't really care what you or others look like. That is your personal choice. But I, and most of the blind friends I know, do get curious what others look like, or how they themselves would get described from a totally unbiased point of view.
And to those blind people who do use this, or even want to use this, I doubt it's because of a lack of sighted people in their lives. As has been said many times, most sighted people we know are connected to us in some way: they may be family, or friends. So there will be some bias in how they describe a picture to us. I've seen that myself when I've asked for descriptions. They usually don't satisfy me, because it's not the kind of detail I'm looking for. That's the whole point of this, a bias-free description. Most blind people I know have plenty of sighted people in their lives, so I don't think using a service like this is a sign of too few sighted people, either.
I live in Nashville. Let's say a guy knows several blind people here and hears all their horror stories about taking cabs or public transportation. He decides he will offer his services and drive people around, for a small price, of course. Now anyone can do this. Any blind person can find a sighted person to take them where they need to go, so is this guy preying on blind people?
I think what ChrisN is doing here is great. Anyway, for a lot of things I would rather ask a stranger with qualifications than ask someone who is close to me and more than likely to opine.
My only comment doesn't have to do with pricing, but while starting with us blind folks is a great idea, why not consider the prospect of getting a description for anyone? After all, many want to know what impression they give off by how they look, or how something looks, and getting several responses from anonymous sources is a worthwhile expenditure sighted or not.
Just hoping you consider that part of it, so your venture doesn't die on the vine due to tiny market audience.
Oh, and to those who think his entrepreneurial idea is weird? Welcome to the club: Colonel Sanders heard from people just like you. We have a pizza place out here that originated the selling of pizza by the slice as a walk-up place (no tables). It's called Pizza Schmizza. It was called that because it's owner, then a young man college age, was told by his father: "Pizza schmizza, go get a real job!"
As one who is currently a nondescript corporate puke, having owned businesses in the past, all I can say is some of you fools have a lot to learn. Nothing makes a person feel more alive than entrepreneurial ventures, sonething they personally create and own, and something they can be proud of.
Thanks, Sister Dawn for saving me the time it would have taken me to type exactly what you just said. lol
Leo, you as wel. Good points about branching out into other markets.
Here is an example of how I'd use a service like this.
If you do unline dating people are always posting pictures of themselves.
Okay, from my side I would like to make sure my picture I'm going to post is focused, and in the correct order. Meaning you can see the picture.
Next, when I receive a picture from someone, I'd love to know what it is like. She said she was A, and B and she had C. If I send it to an un biased service, I can learn exactly what she is from the point of view of several people, not what she wants me to believe or how she sees herself.
Next, if I had several pictures on my computer I want to catalog, I can send them in and get back what they are.
I personally have lost of sighted people in my life, but sometimes I'd love to just keep things to myself, such as that dating sight I'm using. It is not like I have anything to hide, but I'd like to see it from a private setting and not get my friends opinions on the person's looks.
Now, lets check pricing. This is really not much, and even sighted people might use it to get an opinion.
If you're interested in using a service like this, use it. If not interested, don't use it and move on. It's that simple...
Not really, honestly. I take care of myself, and I'm not out to impress people. Plus, I have enough confidence and self-esteem within myself. I don't need people to tell me how I look, because my opinion about myself is what is more important.
No, no. I think you mis understand.
The service is not telling you how you look, or even giving you an opinion. They simply describe you.
Giving an opinion is not description. Smile.
exactly. An opinion and a description of someone are *not* the same thing.
and who's to say people will only send themselves? Why not inanimate objects you want described? Want a piece of furniture online? Want that humidore you don't want the wife to describe to you with words like "I'd rather you didn't?" Harvest the image and send it to ChrisN. I guarantee I will be using this.
I love small entrepreneurial ventures, but hate seeing them die on the vine for being too niche. This is profoundly great and I know a lot of sighted people who "aren't that good with image," "Just want to see what the common person thinks of ..." or anything else where the objective description tells them what they could not see, because they were emotionally invested. Damn the more I think about this, the better it gets.
Actually they both give a description and provide an opinion, but separate the two. You can take or leave either as you wish.
When you send in your pictures do you specify what you want?
Should a customer include instructions for the feedback they wish?
In the opinion are wordsor frazes used such as, "He's a bit fat or over weight." or "she appears to be plain, but clean looking?"
"She is shabbily dressed, but has a nice smile." Or "He is clean cut, well groomed, and looks prosperous."
I ask these questions in all seriousness
while I'm not one who thinks or cares about how I look to others, I do applaud Chris for this. best of luck, man.
The easiest thing is for you to send in 1 picture and $7.10. Given this, you will receive 5 essays covering the picture that you sent. If you'd like to divide the five essays among multiple pictures, or set up something else custom, email me in advance. forereel, phraises such as the ones mentioned are often used.
Thank you.
Catching up:
Reel Wayne, excellent points in Post 41. Also in Post 42, TechUser. Leo, Post 46, totally seconded. What if I just wanna know if I need to frickin' rotate a picture, for example? Thumbs-up to Chelsea in Post 49. I have nothing else to add, because there doesn't need to be for the time being.
Very neat! I agree with a discount thing..and/or, using the 5 essays over multiple pictures would be neat as well! I'll def. have to try it at some point. :) Claps go to you for thinking of this business idea! and, I think you should do some kinda package deal.at first.
I can spread the 5 essays over multiple pictures.
I agree with some of the disenting opinions not that I think it's a bad idea. I wouldn't use it personally because I am not really interested in that kind of stuff but I think it's a good start to an idea but yet I think you could be a better business man.
I think flexibility is a key and is really one of the main components to being successful and will get you to a good start. a package and being cheaper and having several deals always makes people happy and being able to say we offer it so many ways is something that really helps you if anything. I also think it could be more professional as a lot of choices on the form I haven't looked but you should make it custom like okay how many picktures how many opinions and descriptions do you want? do you want opinions or just descriptions or just opinions and no descriptions?give options to your descriptions and opinions. what do you want described? do you want more descriptions on somethings rather then others? what kind of opinions? how long do you want your essays? maybe you can price all these things or most of them differently and be very flexible.
also other techniques I'd try is to make the first one a bit cheaper as a trial.
God, my head hurts after that!
Fantastic idea!
Sister Dawn, you made your points well; though I just want to point out something; I would say the people who say they don't care about how they look simply mean as they have been blind probably all their lives, they don't know any different; their world isn't visual at all; this is how I am to a certain extent. Though because I work in a sighted community and have a lot of sighted friends and basically understand this is a sighted world, I would be curious as to what i look like from an unbias point of view.And, I know this is going to sound conseeded and I don't mean it in that way but people tell me I'm pretty, so I get curious about that.
Yes I think this is a simple business idea but hey, if it works, good on Chris.
I still would love to do this myself.
I've all ready been told by several people what I look like to them, without even asking them to describe what I look like. But, people are genuinely curious, so I do see this business working out quite well.
I guess the way I phrased that was weird, so let me ellaborate. Most of the people who have told me made it in to a question. For example, they would say, do you know you have blond hair? Do you know you have blue eyes? Do you know that shirt you are wearing is striped? I'm sure some of you have experienced that, too, along with people asking you if you wanted to feel their face so you have a better idea of what they look like. Lol.
I will say one thing about this service. I have had friends forward their results to me and, though this is meant to unbiased, some of the comments were quite rude. Rather than focusing on how obese a person is, simply say they are "heavy set," rather than describing how their arm bulges out of their shirt sleeve because of how it is positioned. Another I saw, "her hair looks terrible"; may I remind someone that though we are seeking truth, we are paying a great deal, so it's all in how things are said; so how about "her hair is windblown and a messy?" Also, it's quite interesting; I have submitted two different batches of pictures, and in one, the responses said I was beautiful, and the other, that I was unattractive. Maybe say "the lighting in the picture does not flatter her"; give a reason why someone appears unattractive. You are working with human beings. I can't help wondering if these people are already getting tired of describing. I know teachers get tired of grading and start writing snarky comments like that. I don't know of any solution for it, but I did want to bring it up.
Definitely good comments.
The issue of bias is a little tricky. I mean unbiased as in the describers have no connection to the person in the image, so they are unable to be influenced by who you are. For example, if you ask members of your family for a description, they may be less likely to point out negative comments and they may be more likely to point out positive comments. The descriptions are supposed to include objective comments about the person, objective comments about the surroundings, and subjective comments on the particular describer's reaction to the image. Given that, if the person finds the subject of the image to be attractive or unattractive, that will be pointed out. A minimum of three describers are used so that you will have multiple points of view.
Posting this in the FAQ.
I would prefer honesty; I wouldn't want to be told I was beautiful or attractive if I really wasn't, but that's just me. Would you rather be told your outfit is perfectly matched when in reality you were wearing the most mismatched clothing you could possibly where? Seriously.
Let's say you can see, and someone asks you if this dress makes her look fat. Would you be honest about it?
why should people shy away from honesty, just cause it's sometimes more brutal than a person might typically be used to? I don't agree with that, at all. if you don't want that specific detail when a picture is being described, don't bother using the service.
I am in no way saying that people shouldn't be honest. I am merely suggesting more careful wording.
again, why?
Because there's honest, which is totally reasonable, and then there is...well, insensitive. Now I am not saying every statement I have seen, which spoke of blemishes or what have you, has been rude. I just mean some of them have been. If that makes sense? I quoted a few in one of my last posts. Anyway, I suppose we can all agree to disagree, but I am approaching this from the standpoint of constructive criticism. I feel like if I were describing a photo to a friend or editing her/his writing (the latter of which I actually have done), I point out the good and the bad, and don't go to the extreme with either. If that makes sense?
no, it doesn't make sense. what you view as rude, I see as people calling it as they see it. I can't say your outlook surprises me, though.
Of course the people who are describing these pictures are not having the intent to put people down and make them feel like crap because of how they dress, having a messy hair due, etc. But if you get a picture taken, and any one of those or any other factors are noticeable, you should know they are there to call it as they see it. It's part of their job. It's like a health inspector's job, in my opinion. If the inspector notices mold, or any other health hazzard, he/she will fail the food company. They can't let that go on. That's a bit of an exaggerated example, but I feel as though it is applicable.
I agree, as long as its done in a civil way it should be fine. I would rather know the truth than have it sugar coated and not know I had yellow teeth or something.
Civility is precisely the point I am endeavoring to make.
Well as pointed out the person describing the picture has no connection to the person.
If you were on the street and saw a person dressed in dirty clothes you'd not say, well he looked like he's been working hard, you'd say he's dirty. You have no idea why, just that it is a fact.
When you are asking for a description you want exactly that, and wording can get it across.
Again you get, he was looked to have been working hard. What does that describe? now if you get, he's dirty, you understand that point blank. Rude has not place here, because the describer as posted is like an inspector. The food is nasty, the inspector's gonna say so.
Think about it. People in general are constantly judging people around them because of the clothes they wear, the way they talk, and even by things that aren't within their control. You are being judged at times without even realizing it. Some are more up front about it and will let you know what they think, while others keep their thoughts to themselves. That includes those who claim to not be judgmental. They make judgements without realizing it. In my opinion, there's no such thing as a person who does not judge people, however, there are people who do not judge them in a negative way, just because they want to be a pompous ass.
Is this site down?
Haven't been able to get on it for awhile
The site has been working well as usual. The only time it goes down is at 9:25 AM US eastern time for back ups.
I mean the photo description site.
I can't get on it.
Can anyone else?