Talk Photography Forum www.talkphotography.co.uk

I'd come here a while ago, and hoped it was a good resource. Dipped in and out. There are some good bits, but there is also an undercurrent of clique. There's a jokes thread that recycles sexist stuff from the last century.

The film and landscsape areas are good. The Street phots are almost always disappointing, but that doesn't deter posters from posting more and more and chipping in with how good they are.

Equipment advice can be patchy, not a patch on DPReview. The classifieds, which I have to admit I haven't used, look like a good resource, and are well used.

But whatever you do, don't venture into the off topic section, unless you lean to the far right. The moderation favours some fairly vile views - not a place to hang out in.

Could be an excellent forum but since the new owners have taken over it has gone dreadfully down hill. Nothing worse than seeing an arrogant nobody push his weight around because he owns the forum.

I tried to include some of the comments made by the owners to individual members but the swear filter on this site would not allow it!

Hate speech towards minorities is actively encouraged.

Been a member since early 2017. Thousands of posts. Hundreds of sales on there. I leave somebody negative feedback as he messes me about. The feedback was deleted as it was “deemed unfair”. The person is well in with the moderators I’m told. I pm the moderator and just state this “Deleting my honest feedback just makes a mockery of the feedback system. Please delete my account and any of my posts. Thanks”. It’s been deleted and my threads are still there but my username has been purposely changed by the mod to I spat my dummy. Wow. Really good advertising there for your forum that, by the way, has about 10% of active users as it did in 2017. Good people skills there. No problem. Will be setting my own photography forum up, I know lots in the industry. Your loss.

A very heavily moderated forum which could be good but the Moderators are completely biased and have their own sycophantic followers; if you dare to express a different opinion to this clique you really won't last long before you are banned.

A very,very biased forum that is comical in the way it is run. The moderators are so childish and full of their own egos I always refer to them as Bully Beef & Chips!

Bullying is rife from the gang of about 10 members who can do no wrong in the eyes of the moderators.

Usual forum type of over zelous power mad mods, who suck up to the people with thousands of posts (clealry nothing else to do) these mods treat people who dont conform as children banning them from posting ect, and there is a group of about 5-10 peopel who if you question their expertise, usually most have none, then you are in real trouble, most users are ok, but as is the forum bullies that rule.

I would strongly advise people to keep clear of this forum. Whilst some members go out of their way to help with constructive advice there are too many who make it their life's work to make banal, abrasive and often insulting comments. These people are self appointed experts in all forms of photographic media, brand names and equipment. Their advice is often gained from reading reviews and not from real world experience of the subject. It is usually worthless

It gets extremely frustrating when these trolls take over a thread and post all forms of irrelevant comments. Trying to sort the wheat from the chaff amongst the posts is a time wasting exercise.

The moderators will not consider reasoned argument and there is a clique of their favorite members who can do no wrong. Others can do no right.

Their registration system requires no actual proof of identity. It would be extremely easy to register using false names and addresses and then to exploit the forum's classified section at will. Should any scams occur the forum simply is not interested.

Avoid like the plaque.

I agree whole heartedly with this review. I cannot emphasise how much this forum was of a great help to myself and to others that I knew. People were happy to accept C&C on their photography and regular members were willing to give plenty of their valued time helping others.. Now however there seems to be a small band of people that spit the dummy at the slightest mention of something not quite right with their work, this being more prominent in the Bird section. A real shame as so many talented members have left the forum. If you are looking for constructive C&C for your work I suggest you look elsewhere as on TP you get more help in the out of focus section where people can advise you on more serious issues such as, how big a screw you will need to put a shelf up or what colour car should you purchase next. I`m done!!

It's such a pity that this Forum, being very informative, has a clique of complete tools. Should you disagree or critisize them, they report you(from the safety and anonymity of behind their keyboards - They know who they are.) to the Mods who, regardless of the actual source of the problems, tend to come down on the side of the clique. It's pathetic and I assume some of these folk either have something on the Mods or are involved with them in some respect. Time after time the results are the same.

The Mods don't listen to any counter argument. They patronize, disrespect your views and talk down to you as if you're some kind of effin' idiot or school kid with threats of 'be a good boy/girl' or you'll go on a short holiday (suspension)'. PLEASE!!!!

If you want to kiss @arse of have yours kissed then this is the place for you. If you want to be able to speak your mind and have constructive debate (and the occasional bit of adult banter) then don't bother, you'll be wasting your time.

After you wait patiently 60 days and post 25 posts you think it's ok to sell equipment in the classified section. I did this and responded to PMs regarding the equipment. I thought this was OK and polite to do so. Unfortunately one of the moderators took offence and simply banned me from the classified section for a month (during which time I had to post regularly in other areas to prove something). Apart from obviously reading all my private messages, I felt that I was being victimised by responding to other's messages. I felt that this particular moderator was abusing his power in this case.

On a positive note, I found the normal members to be helpful and kind in their comments. It's just a shame that my fleeting brush with this mini Hitler of a moderator has resulted in such an appaling experience.

Too many rules and, it seems, a large dose of making up new ones to suit, makes this a frustrating forum.

There are a few good members but the majority are very opinionated, arrogant and are exceptionally good at portraying bravery and sprouting threats from their armchairs at current events.

You may be able to find some good information but it is always ruined by the same old members and moderators who think they are the ultimate authority on everything in life and flood the threads with drivel.

If ever there was a place with rapid fire criticism of everything then this is it and coming from sad, overweight, balding middle-aged men it is very amusing.