Another Starboard photoshop?

[Jbay]

Margareta,

Getting upset at photoshoped ads is popular of late even though unedited photography is as rare as an uncrowded lineup.  I wouldn't be too bothered by the critics.  I for one think you're catalogue is bloody awesome. 

[colas]

Thanks for the explanations!

to showcase his capabilities and highlight the purpose of the board,

Please understand the awkardness, if the intention is specifically to showcase the capabilities of the board, to use another one...
Next time, perhaps a good solution would be to append a text as is mandatory for advertising in many countries, such as "actual product may differ", "retouched photo", ...

[SUP Sports ®]

Hi Margareta,
Thanks for responding...

For the third year in a row you have produced practically a coffee table quality catalog for Starboard...orders of magnitude beyond what any other SUP company in the world is producing...both in the technical, and artistic, aspects...

I've seen first hand how hard you work to get the shot...let alone the thousands and thousands of shots that didn't make the cut...heaps of time and money in the pursuit of unique imagery...

There would be more fodder for the peanut gallery here if other companies bellied up to the bar and attempted a similar offering...so, Starboard makes an easy target, by default, for the dozen or so people who throw, or will, throw stones at your work...most of the posters have brand/shop/industry affiliations...and, none of the posters will be female...this forum is a hairy legged dudefest...not reflective of the gender makeup of the sport which is nearly split...so I would take it with a grain of salt...;-)

The replies here, by the nature of the beast, will be far more critical and negative than what we experience at the general retail level...which is obviously the intended audience for your catalog...

That said, I personally am more inclined to go by the "keep it real" mantra...not that it will make an effort such as yours immune to attack...but, it does make it more defensible...

Please comment on your mermaid shot...IMO, it stands at, or near, the top of the heap of standup oriented images...composition...execution...pure eye candy involving lots of effort...time and money...talents of Ekolu and Honora Kalama...etc...

[surfcowboy]

Thanks for the response, and I agree with WarDog on the fact that you make a catalog, makes you more open to problems. Kudos for that.

Often we learn as we go in business, Lord knows I have in mine.

In the end, maybe the lesson for all of us is to sometimes just let things be and do the best with what we have. "Forcing it" is often a great source of trouble.

Again, thank you for addressing it. I think that was also part of the issue here. We never heard from the company on the first one.

Keep up the good photo work. (I know your name from your credits.) And thanks for the work documenting the sport as it grows.

[stoneaxe]

Thank you for responding Margareta.

I think a big part of the response here is that the "peanut gallery" here do know that Starboard likely has a library of great shots available and choosing to use a photoshopped image seems strange and misleading. I understand why Photoshop is used...I use it frequently in my job. I think Colas advice though might help to avoid any future threads like this on the forums and being pro-active in your response will make all the difference . Your response here in fact is exactly what I had hoped for when I posted the question about the previous photo controversy on the Starboard forum. I did it with the best interest of Starboard in mind.

I don't think that taking the comments here with a grain of salt as Wardog suggests would be in your best interest though. The passion here and the folks involved are the ones that many that are just entering the sport look to for advice, both on the forum and likely more importantly off. As to folks with affiliations...the only affiliation I've ever had was with Starboard and I've recommended them to many, many people...not because of my affiliation but because I felt they deserved it. A good number of those folks bought Starboards. While we're on the topic of affiliations. I see more folks here that are defending what you did with brand affiliations than those that are critics. I don't blame folks that openly support Starboard and depend on their livelyhood for that though (Wardog and Easyrider). But I don't think it's reasonable to unfairly belittle the opinions of others here with a statement like that without backing it up.

Thanks again for your response. I still feel that Starboard makes some of the best boards on the water and everyone should appreciate what you have done to further the sport in general. Just keep it real...or at least explain when you can't.

Tell Svein I said hello.

[PonoBill]

What he said.

I too think Starboard is a fine company doing fine work. But criticism improves the strongest players. Without it they wander into their own little world and think whatever they do is OK. Now you know how these people feel about photoshopping product photos.

[southwesterly]

Thank you Margareta for your response,
I have owned many Starboard sailboards and a few SUP's and have been stoked with them all.
I live in Santa Cruz. The closest Starboard demo is 5 hours away. Please send some demos up here so I don't have to rely on the internet like a dweeb that I am.
  

[SUP Sports ®]

I don't think that taking the comments here with a grain of salt as Wardog suggests would be in your best interest though. The passion here and the folks involved are the ones that many that are just entering the sport look to for advice, both on the forum and likely more importantly off. As to folks with affiliations...snip...But I don't think it's reasonable to unfairly belittle the opinions of others here with a statement like that without backing it up.

Thanks again for your response. I still feel that Starboard makes some of the best boards on the water and everyone should appreciate what you have done to further the sport in general. Just keep it real...or at least explain when you can't.

Tell Svein I said hello.

Hi Bob,
I back up everything that I say...so here goes...
I don't think Margareta spends much time on this forum, so I was providing her with information that I have observed here...not unfairly belittling anyone's opinion...just trying to help put it in perspective as social forums are rife with a handful of posters leveraging their opinions into group think...;-)

The vast majority of our customers aren't even aware of this forum...or, the fact that most responders here do have a direct or indirect industry hookup or bias...the first page of this thread alone had responses by no less than 3 people with strong connections to the Naish product line...;-)

The casual reader here is not going to be immediately aware of the history or nuances of the individuals...

Heck, between you and your brother there are almost a collective 8000 posts!
You guys are hardly casual observers...lots of grains of salt there...;-)

A way bigger response is going to come from someone with an emotional investment in the social landscape here with 1000's of posts under their belts than somebody stumbling by on a Google search for product...

I see items in the SUP publications all of the time that BS could be called on...however, the last time I looked I didn't see a price tag on any of the Starboard catalogs...;-)

My .02 worth of peanuts...;-)

[PonoBill]

It's just a cheap way for Bob and I to have conversations.

Oh, crap, I went over 4000. I've got to find something else to do with my sit down time. This forum is like eating cashews. Easy to start, hard to stop.

[stoneaxe]

Hi Bob,
I back up everything that I say...so here goes...
I don't think Margareta spends much time on this forum, so I was providing her with information that I have observed here...not unfairly belittling anyone's opinion...just trying to help put it in perspective as social forums are rife with a handful of posters leveraging their opinions into group think...;-)

The vast majority of our customers aren't even aware of this forum...or, the fact that most responders here do have a direct or indirect industry hookup or bias...the first page of this thread alone had responses by no less than 3 people with strong connections to the Naish product line...;-)

The casual reader here is not going to be immediately aware of the history or nuances of the individuals...

Heck, between you and your brother there are almost a collective 8000 posts!
You guys are hardly casual observers...lots of grains of salt there...;-)

A way bigger response is going to come from someone with an emotional investment in the social landscape here with 1000's of posts under their belts than somebody stumbling by on a Google search for product...

I see items in the SUP publications all of the time that BS could be called on...however, the last time I looked I didn't see a price tag on any of the Starboard catalogs...;-)

My .02 worth of peanuts...;-)

I know you backup everything you say. That's why I was curious. I know of DJ and DW's passion for Naish but I'm not convinced it rises to the level of an affiliation. I know you're going to pay a lot closer attention to that than I do so you likely look at these things more critically. I also understand that frequent posters (some should be called imposters) push forums one way or another with their frequency of comments. I think the admins here have tried pretty hard to police that but its not easy. Not many things on forums piss me off more than BS posts and I for one try hard to wear my biases on my sleeve and tell everyone that asks to demo. I hope people take what I say with a grain of salt....

I think you actually make my point though with the Google reference. The casual buyer looking for general info on standup boards Googles "standup paddleboards" and most of the 1st couple of pages is manufacturer or sales sites...revise your search to "standup paddleboard reviews" and the zone is on the 1st page...google "standup forums" and its #1. Start looking around and you see a post that calls into question Starboards honesty and it will affect sales. Starboards a great company and I can appreciate what an undertaking it is to pull together a catalogue like theirs but they have to keep it real (and I see you agree) or it will hurt. It's preciseley because the casual observer doesn't understand the background of individuals posting that not providing ammunition to your critics is important. I know how I view forums when i'm looking for info on a product....throw out the highs and the lows and look at the average. The average here didn't paint Starboard in a good light until Margareta's post and this post has 1375 reads in less than two days.

BTW...I love your bold honesty Wardog. you may come across as hardcore sometimes but its a believable and lovable hardcore...

[pdxmike]

I think everyone is right.

[pdxmike]

This forum is like eating cashews. Easy to start, hard to stop.

From the sound of it, surfing in crowded spots is also like eating cashews.  Nuts everywhere, and occasionally you might get a salted. 

[joeag]

Do people really buy a board based on a photo in a catalogue, and even more worrisome, would a reputable shop actually sell someone a board based on a catalogue or photo in a catalogue? 

What does the quality of the catalogue have to do with the quality of the board?  One is marketing (meaning BS) and one is reality.  Spend less on brochures and more on making demo boards available to your dealers.

Pick the board up, hold it and look at it.  Ask the shaper or shop about it, tell them what your level is and what you want to do with it. 

Demo if possible.

NB - this is not an attack on Wardog.  His shop is great and they do many demo days of many brands.

[Easy Rider]

Thank you Margareta for the response.

Having been present for a Starboard photo shoot session - I can comment on how hard Margareta works at getting 'the shot'.
 

And as others have said - Starboard puts out - by far - the best brochure / catalogue in the industry.

Keep up the fantastic work.

'Canadian' Warren

[southwesterly]

What he said.

I too think Starboard is a fine company doing fine work. But criticism improves the strongest players. Without it they wander into their own little world and think whatever they do is OK. Now you know how these people feel about photoshopping product photos.

I agree with PonoBill.
Thanks Starboard for owning up and just telling the truth.
Bottom line, you put a great product and I hope I can try out both of the new Wide Points someday.
Long live skinny paddles and fat boards.