I wasn't impressed with the shot... I am guessing the subject is supposed to look like she is under water... It does not, it looks like she is standing in front of an aquarium with an out of focus fish swimming above her head... The look on her face looks contrived or forced... I'm not convinced it speaks to the title of being stuck fathoms below... I don't really see how the shot speaks to the theme at all?
Fair enough. I took this shot without intending to use it in the contest. Later on, I decided it was "close enough" to the theme, with a fair lady below and kind of foul-looking mysterious sea creatures above. So a failure to really express the theme is arguably a big weakness of the photo. (But on the other hand, not all of the finalists went for an explicit evocation of the theme, either.)
The story behind the shot is that my wife and I were at an aquarium and I asked her to stand in front of one of the tanks and wait for a fish to swim into the shot. She got impatient and wanted to see if a fish was coming, and that look on her face is just her trying to peek at the fish without turning her head. I wasn't directing her to look that way, and I wasn't trying to make it look like she was under water. But the way the shot turned out, I thought it created an interesting contrast between the detailed, light-colored image of the woman at the bottom, and the murky, faded fish higher above, all against a simple blue background.
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photography is often finding something cool and taking a picture of it."[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Ken Rockwell[/FONT]
Thanks Kat, Sean and Joyce for appreciating my negative space. I thought the bokeh turned out so well that it actually added to the aesthetic value of the photo. I also agree with you Joyce, that the negative space and the shadows within it, produce a story in the eye of the viewer.
This has been better than the whipping post rofl
Thanks manibou and Aaron for stimulating this dialogue.
Oooo, I'm back checking in before a few days are over......This thread has become very interesting!!
I must say Manbou, I am in total agreement with your version of the crop of the silohuetted image, that is how I had it envisioned. I like your crop as it totally emphasizes the strength of the silohuette without any negative distractions. Your eyes are drawn to the beautiful plummage atop the birds head, and the background now as it is cropped brings it out even more.
My prior comment was a joke, I am not worried about feedback, but I will explain why I did something to a photo, if given Constructive Criticism, so as to make other photographer's aware of my "different" visual perspective.
I work alot with musicians and shooting that type of venue is most different than doing "studio" or shooting typical photography. You have 1 shot to capture an image. When dealing with musicians you deal with everything that might considered "distractions". My job is to capture emotion and the energy that they put forth, oh and did I mention that they love Crazy lighting and Fog...
I enjoyed your photo and understood your composition. I think, notice I said "I Think"...you were going for the foul smell of fish. The photo might have had more impact if the eyes of the girl had more of a straight up look (almost rolling up into her head), and her expression more of a "Ewwww Disgusting" look, also less empty space between her and fish.
Perhaps, some took the title too literally..."Deep Fathoms" a different title since the fish are OOF and the Girl is so focused might have played a different outtake on the visual perspective.
Myself, personally have found that "titles" play a big role with photos...Strange but true. My photo is actually entitled "Shiver Me Timbers"...but I decided to rename it here for the Dgrin Challenge.
Ok am I ramblin....Yup, I am, so I'll shut up now....Look forward to seeing your next entry(ies).
Peace,
Donna P.
You're only as good as your next photo....
One day, I started writing, not knowing that I had chained myself for life to a noble but merciless master. When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended solely for self-flagellation...I'm here alone in my dark madness, all by myself with my deck of cards --- and, of course, the whip God gave me." Truman Capote
...
This has been better than the whipping post rofl
Thanks manibou and Aaron for stimulating this dialogue.
Yep, seconding both sentiments above. This is what the Whipping Post should be like :whip
Now back at it. manibou, I liked your image. It drew me in. I basically agree with your own assessment. There are problems with the fish behind the aquarium wall that I'm sure would be possible to correct if you'd had time to set up for the shot, I'd also like to see the second silhouetted fish in the upper left corner cloned away. But I doubt it's possible to recreate the expression on your wife's face as easily. (or if it is, I'd rather not know ). My biggest single critique related to this particular challenge is that it simply didn't say Fair nor Foul to me. Same as with several other of the submissions IMHO, including some that made it through to the voting round. Simple as that.
Wow, I don't check in for a few days and look at what I've missed out on! Passion and hard work don't always get you where you want to go, but don't stop trying. Manbou, don't let yourself get too frustrated. Submit entries early for feedback from everyone, rework it with peoples comments in mind and then enter what you have come up with. If you still don't make the cut ask the judges directly why and I'm sure they would be happy to take the time to answer any questions. Its not worth getting bent out of shape because two people didn't particulaly like one of your photos. Who knows, the next set of judges just might love your next photo. No matter how you do there is always your next photo. Keep trying!
Aaron this is for you.
Now, with all of that said, here are a few of my favs from the round.
(In no particular order.)
Fair enough. I took this shot without intending to use it in the contest. Later on, I decided it was "close enough" to the theme, with a fair lady below and kind of foul-looking mysterious sea creatures above. So a failure to really express the theme is arguably a big weakness of the photo. (But on the other hand, not all of the finalists went for an explicit evocation of the theme, either.)
The story behind the shot is that my wife and I were at an aquarium and I asked her to stand in front of one of the tanks and wait for a fish to swim into the shot. She got impatient and wanted to see if a fish was coming, and that look on her face is just her trying to peek at the fish without turning her head. I wasn't directing her to look that way, and I wasn't trying to make it look like she was under water. But the way the shot turned out, I thought it created an interesting contrast between the detailed, light-colored image of the woman at the bottom, and the murky, faded fish higher above, all against a simple blue background.
So it was kind of a set up candid portrait... pretty funny when you explain it. I totally didn't get it and made assumptions that were wrong, your explanation changes the whole meaning of the shot for me. This is a good example of one of the crucial aspects of our art, interpretation... I try to make the image speak for itself... If I have to explain it then it just isn't working... of course I'm only speaking about images that convey an idea, feeling or meaning or are trying to interpret a theme...
I'd also like to see the second silhouetted fish in the upper left corner cloned away.
I actually tried to clone it out! But unfortunately, my photoshop skills were not up to the task and the end result looked blotchy and awful.
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photography is often finding something cool and taking a picture of it."[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Ken Rockwell[/FONT]
Boy, you start a thread, turn away for a few hours and all heck breaks loose.:D
Manbou, for what's it worth, I think the biggest issue for me with your picture is that it doesn't speak to the theme. First and foremost, what I've learned is that it has to hit the theme.
On a couple other notes, Steve Hatch it's good to have you back! But it's bad that I'm pushed that much farther down when I submit a picture.
I actually tried to clone it out! But unfortunately, my photoshop skills were not up to the task and the end result looked blotchy and awful.
Not to worry. There are Photoshop people here that can help you improve that skill as well. Just ask and someone will chime in with some suggestions.
— Kevin
...I am guessing the subject is supposed to look like she is under water... It does not, it looks like she is standing in front of an aquarium with an out of focus fish swimming above her head...
Winston had pretty much summed things up before I had a chance to offer my feedback.
The thumbnail shot looked great with the blue background but when I opened the photo, I couldn't get past the out-of-focus fish. It took a few passes to figure out that the scene was shot in an aquarium and not a composite image. Either a larger fish, a school of fish, or a shot showing more of the background would have made it more apparent that the scene was shot in an aquarium and added more interest to the composition as well.
The woman's expression was priceless and it was clear to me that whatever she was looking at was pretty foul to her, so you did meet the theme requirement. She was also well-shot and I like the above-the-shoulders framing. The out-of-focus fish is what kept the photo from my top 10.
use a softer brush and select off of an area that matches the gradient of the blue
And try lowering the opacity of the brush as you go... I usually start with 100% to get something out, then I start dropping the opacity and make a bunch more passes to get rid of the blotchyness... I normally wind up using anywhere from 5% to 10% opacity on the final passes.
And try lowering the opacity of the brush as you go... I usually start with 100% to get something out, then I start dropping the opacity and make a bunch more passes to get rid of the blotchyness... I normally wind up using anywhere from 5% to 10% opacity on the final passes.
Using a healing brush at the end also helps to smooth out blotchiness.
thank you for the picks on my shot in the top ten in this thread and to those that made a nice comment on the entry thread. .Dan cmorgan Daniel & Gil
I am glad that the joke came thru .It is not easy to get a bird with an expression and match the theme but oh well next time --
and manbou sorry but I did not get you shot either as to the theme and as composition
'
I actually tried to clone it out! But unfortunately, my photoshop skills were not up to the task and the end result looked blotchy and awful.
Manbou,
on the photoshop cloning... Chris is right.. mastering cloning is one of the most crucial tools to learn in photoshop.. it can save a photo..here are some tips...
When you clone try different sizes of brushes and always try to do it on an adjustment layer. Cloning is one of the most destructive things you can do to a photo, so you need to do it "carefully" and on a layer that you can trash if you dont like the results. As Chris mentioned, keep the opacity low and the hardness and work your way up carefully until you nail the right pressure, if you dont you will end up with circles everytime you stamp.. also, "don't" move the mouse around and drag it or let it slide.. this does not work on a blemish, sometimes dragging is called for with duplicating lines or paterrns etc, but very rarely...
So. stamp straight down.
One other thing.. there is a gem in learning the patch tool as well.. to me that is a miracle tool. You can literally patch in and duplicate entire sections and it is less destructive than the clone tool at times because it accomplishes the same task in one step. You might notice on my final entry photo for energy that my original photo had heavy shadowing from having to shoot it as night and in mild rain, well in order to lighten up the shadows, instead of using a more destructive method such as the dodge tool, I used the patch tool instead, to duplicate and "patch" in the brick pattern beside it...
It's not easy being green, I mean not being chosen for the finalist round. But it happens to everybody at one time or another. My consolation prize is that my entry is part of a larger project that I'm working on and not making the finalist group won't take away the satisfaction that I got from successfully creating my shot. I entered my image, "No Rest for the Wicked" in this Round- but really the shot has been on my schedule for a few weeks and just happened to fit into the theme. My image didn't make anyone's top ten list but that doesn't mean I'm pulling it from my book.
If you're here just for winning, you'll be disappointed- no matter how good you are. You've got to find another reason for entering contests.
That being said, I do wish that the images could be posted without usernames- to be sure everyone got a fair shake ya know- even people who don't post on message boards and aren't well known. There'd be no doubt that there was any bias based on who is friend with who.
"Fathoms Below" was an interesting image, I liked her cute expression.
I really like the points that Porter made in her post. I too do wish that there were a way to post our entries without our usernames. But then the problem is it would take away all the C&C / feedback threads that are posted during the competition which is fun to some people. I guess we could always post those threads under a generic username too, but of course it might take some effort to make it work. Llywellyn of course can keep a record of all the usernames of the entries and reveal them after the competition is over. These are just a few ideas that crossed my mind after reading all the posts in this thread.
Anyway, whether you like it or not, there is always the human factor involved and it is almost impossible to be 100% unbiased when you look at the usernames. A perfect example is Porter's entry itself. I thought it had far higher level of difficulty than most entries in the competition and it was right on the theme too, which is why I was surprised that it was not selected. Would her entry have been selected, had she been a longtime member on this board with a win or 2 under her belt? Something to think about …
If anybody has any idea on how to run these challenges without revealing the usernames to the public without taking away the C&C / feedback threads while the competition is still going on, I am all ears.
**Would her entry have been selected, had she been a longtime member on this board with a win or 2 under her? Something to think about …
If anybody has any idea on how to run these challenges without revealing the usernames to the public without taking away the C&C / feedback threads while the competition is still going on, I am all ears.
** I have been a long time member, and I have a few wins under my belt, but that doesn't mean anything...I believe this is my first finalist selection this year...for what this FYI is worth.
I enter the contest just to enter as I enjoy the "challenge".
I agree though sometimes very hard to be unbiased when you have made long standing friendships... but then again, I usually just pop in and pop out.
I have always liked the "anonymous" entry idea, and have always supported it, and I believe this was a topic of conversation many moons ago, and the powers that be found it would be a bit difficult to incorporate...(Don't quote me, I don't remember the exact convo or result of that thread, you might find it if your up to searching..lol)
Peace,
Donna P.
You're only as good as your next photo....
One day, I started writing, not knowing that I had chained myself for life to a noble but merciless master. When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended solely for self-flagellation...I'm here alone in my dark madness, all by myself with my deck of cards --- and, of course, the whip God gave me." Truman Capote
Hey there Allen
Well, I cannot disagree with you. I brought this up once on here and was basically told that if people do that, then it is on their bad conscious and to live with it and that it is a fact of life " the human factor that is"... so I tried to breech the topic too... I have to agree that I do like the C&C part of this board and it is what keeps me going and encouraged and learning... so I don't envision a foreseeable way to keep it all anonymous. We are just going to have to have faith that everyone is mature and fair... and for the most part I see that on here....
the only way to truly avoid this is to have select judges like with the mega challenge or the mini challenge... I think what you are talking about shows in the polls maybe some, but then those are opened to more people than just the group here... so I think it works..
just my 2 cents....
I don't know of anyway to do challenges without user names that wouldn't make it more trouble than it is worth to these mods. Their job is heavy enough trying to keep things moving and working in the right direction.
I can say that in the time I have been on here I have seen some of the best photographers on here get told that things were wrong with their work also. I have seen some of their work that I thought was great not make it to finals.
I don't always agree with the choices of the judges, but it isn't my choice... unless I was to win... then I would get to choose.
I don't expect everyone to love my work. I am always a bit suprised when someone does. My style is different than most on here. I do not use Dgrin as a sole source of feedback for what I do. I am very actiive locally with the arts and that helps me see that we all are not the same style. I also use very little PP, partially because I am not adept at it, yet. Part because I don't want to really too heavily on it. If I can't get a decent picture first, then no amount of PP is going to help.
How many of us have shown a group of friends or family an opinion on a group of photos? I used to do that before I had a show or contest coming up. I soon realized that I could not get a majority vote on any one picture. In other words, everyone has different taste. I just keep trying and working to make my work better. I enter the contests so that I have a goal and deadline. Hopefully I improve, sometimes I don't, but I always learn something.
ok, on with the show...
Jag, hawkeye, I'll share my popcorn
:lurk
I've been on popcorn patrol too for this one. Most of what I think on this is in the thread which Aaron linked, so I'll leave it at that. Pass me some chocolate ice cream, will you?
Hey
Hey how come I don't get offered any popcorn!
:poke
fine I will get my own...:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk
I'm taking my ball and my bat, and I'm going home..!
I...A perfect example is Porter's entry itself. I thought it had far higher level of difficulty than most entries in the competition and it was right on the theme too, which is why I was surprised that it was not selected. Would her entry have been selected, had she been a longtime member on this board with a win or 2 under her belt? Something to think about …
[Enters stage right, mounts soapbox center stage]
Anyone who has participated in these Challenges for any amount of time will have been surprised more than once that a particular image was not selected for the final round, whether the image came from a longtime member or a new entrant. For example, Shatch is back after a long absence with a delightful image. But for quite a few past challenges I saw a number of equally delightful images of his get passed over for the final. For some reason, his vision for those challenges did not catch the judges' attention. On the other hand, there have been relatively simple entries and entries from newcomers that have won. So there really doesn't seem to be a problem of bias or favoritism.
In fact, there doesn't seem to be a problem at all. We all come here to get as big a sampling of diverse opinions about our images as possible. With all the opportunities for feedback both before and after the contest, that mission is well served.
Yes, the judging and voting help to raise the stakes a bit and, sure, it's always fun to win something. But the stakes here are akin to a neighborhood game of poker: the winning is fun, but it's not life-changing. You probably wouldn't keep playing the neighborhood game if you couldn't stand hanging out with the guys/gals. Likewise, if these Challenges are only about the winning, and the feedback and interaction of the community is valueless to someone, then they are going to be disappointed with the whole venture.
I'm glad to see that these Challenges continue to attract a passionate bunch of photographers. That's why I'm here.
Soap Box.. lol
I agree... I love the C&C and it has been the deciding factor of me wanting to stick around, more so than the challenges themselves... this group is awesome at feedback....!
Just popping in so folks know I'm following. Unfortunately on the usernames, I need them to verify people are registered here. With the new gallery format, I have no way to know who shot an image if their name isn't in the caption. Any other solution would likely involve sending me all the images so that I can track names and then post everything so it's anonymous for everyone else, and that just isn't a realistic scenario that would allow me or any mod, I imagine, to run things. Unless we start getting paid to do so.
I'm still listening, but let's keep this thread on round #25 feedback. I'll start a general challenge feedback thread once I'm good and ready to tackle it, I promise.
Comments
The story behind the shot is that my wife and I were at an aquarium and I asked her to stand in front of one of the tanks and wait for a fish to swim into the shot. She got impatient and wanted to see if a fish was coming, and that look on her face is just her trying to peek at the fish without turning her head. I wasn't directing her to look that way, and I wasn't trying to make it look like she was under water. But the way the shot turned out, I thought it created an interesting contrast between the detailed, light-colored image of the woman at the bottom, and the murky, faded fish higher above, all against a simple blue background.
This has been better than the whipping post
Thanks manibou and Aaron for stimulating this dialogue.
http://danielplumer.com/
Facebook Fan Page
I must say Manbou, I am in total agreement with your version of the crop of the silohuetted image, that is how I had it envisioned. I like your crop as it totally emphasizes the strength of the silohuette without any negative distractions. Your eyes are drawn to the beautiful plummage atop the birds head, and the background now as it is cropped brings it out even more.
My prior comment was a joke, I am not worried about feedback, but I will explain why I did something to a photo, if given Constructive Criticism, so as to make other photographer's aware of my "different" visual perspective.
I work alot with musicians and shooting that type of venue is most different than doing "studio" or shooting typical photography. You have 1 shot to capture an image. When dealing with musicians you deal with everything that might considered "distractions". My job is to capture emotion and the energy that they put forth, oh and did I mention that they love Crazy lighting and Fog...
I enjoyed your photo and understood your composition. I think, notice I said "I Think"...you were going for the foul smell of fish. The photo might have had more impact if the eyes of the girl had more of a straight up look (almost rolling up into her head), and her expression more of a "Ewwww Disgusting" look, also less empty space between her and fish.
Perhaps, some took the title too literally..."Deep Fathoms" a different title since the fish are OOF and the Girl is so focused might have played a different outtake on the visual perspective.
Myself, personally have found that "titles" play a big role with photos...Strange but true. My photo is actually entitled "Shiver Me Timbers"...but I decided to rename it here for the Dgrin Challenge.
Ok am I ramblin....Yup, I am, so I'll shut up now....Look forward to seeing your next entry(ies).
Peace,
Donna P.
Yep, seconding both sentiments above. This is what the Whipping Post should be like :whip
Now back at it. manibou, I liked your image. It drew me in. I basically agree with your own assessment. There are problems with the fish behind the aquarium wall that I'm sure would be possible to correct if you'd had time to set up for the shot, I'd also like to see the second silhouetted fish in the upper left corner cloned away. But I doubt it's possible to recreate the expression on your wife's face as easily. (or if it is, I'd rather not know
Aaron this is for you.
Now, with all of that said, here are a few of my favs from the round.
(In no particular order.)
— Kevin
My Site, My Book
So it was kind of a set up candid portrait... pretty funny when you explain it.
Winston
Okay, let's keep it constructive. We were doing really well here. Let's not follow a poor choice of words with more. :thwak No call for that.
use a softer brush and select off of an area that matches the gradient of the blue
Manbou, for what's it worth, I think the biggest issue for me with your picture is that it doesn't speak to the theme. First and foremost, what I've learned is that it has to hit the theme.
On a couple other notes, Steve Hatch it's good to have you back!
Oh, and JAG, you ate all the popcorn!!!!:cry
Website: Tom Price Photography
Blog: Capturing Photons
Facebook: Tom Price Photography
Not to worry. There are Photoshop people here that can help you improve that skill as well. Just ask and someone will chime in with some suggestions.
— Kevin
My Site, My Book
:harry IT WASN'T ME IT WAS THE PIGEONS!!
The thumbnail shot looked great with the blue background but when I opened the photo, I couldn't get past the out-of-focus fish. It took a few passes to figure out that the scene was shot in an aquarium and not a composite image. Either a larger fish, a school of fish, or a shot showing more of the background would have made it more apparent that the scene was shot in an aquarium and added more interest to the composition as well.
The woman's expression was priceless and it was clear to me that whatever she was looking at was pretty foul to her, so you did meet the theme requirement. She was also well-shot and I like the above-the-shoulders framing. The out-of-focus fish is what kept the photo from my top 10.
http://lrichters.smugmug.com
And try lowering the opacity of the brush as you go... I usually start with 100% to get something out, then I start dropping the opacity and make a bunch more passes to get rid of the blotchyness... I normally wind up using anywhere from 5% to 10% opacity on the final passes.
SmugMug QA
My Photos
Using a healing brush at the end also helps to smooth out blotchiness.
Website: Tom Price Photography
Blog: Capturing Photons
Facebook: Tom Price Photography
I am glad that the joke came thru .It is not easy to get a bird with an expression and match the theme but oh well next time --
and manbou sorry but I did not get you shot either as to the theme and as composition
'
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
http://jwear.smugmug.com/
Manbou,
on the photoshop cloning... Chris is right.. mastering cloning is one of the most crucial tools to learn in photoshop.. it can save a photo..here are some tips...
When you clone try different sizes of brushes and always try to do it on an adjustment layer. Cloning is one of the most destructive things you can do to a photo, so you need to do it "carefully" and on a layer that you can trash if you dont like the results. As Chris mentioned, keep the opacity low and the hardness and work your way up carefully until you nail the right pressure, if you dont you will end up with circles everytime you stamp.. also, "don't" move the mouse around and drag it or let it slide.. this does not work on a blemish, sometimes dragging is called for with duplicating lines or paterrns etc, but very rarely...
So. stamp straight down.
One other thing.. there is a gem in learning the patch tool as well.. to me that is a miracle tool. You can literally patch in and duplicate entire sections and it is less destructive than the clone tool at times because it accomplishes the same task in one step. You might notice on my final entry photo for energy that my original photo had heavy shadowing from having to shoot it as night and in mild rain, well in order to lighten up the shadows, instead of using a more destructive method such as the dodge tool, I used the patch tool instead, to duplicate and "patch" in the brick pattern beside it...
Hope this helps you out some....
Kat
Anyway, whether you like it or not, there is always the human factor involved and it is almost impossible to be 100% unbiased when you look at the usernames. A perfect example is Porter's entry itself. I thought it had far higher level of difficulty than most entries in the competition and it was right on the theme too, which is why I was surprised that it was not selected. Would her entry have been selected, had she been a longtime member on this board with a win or 2 under her belt? Something to think about …
If anybody has any idea on how to run these challenges without revealing the usernames to the public without taking away the C&C / feedback threads while the competition is still going on, I am all ears.
Los Angeles dance photographer
Website: http://www.allenparseghian.com
** I have been a long time member, and I have a few wins under my belt, but that doesn't mean anything...I believe this is my first finalist selection this year...for what this FYI is worth.
I enter the contest just to enter as I enjoy the "challenge".
I agree though sometimes very hard to be unbiased when you have made long standing friendships...
I have always liked the "anonymous" entry idea, and have always supported it, and I believe this was a topic of conversation many moons ago, and the powers that be found it would be a bit difficult to incorporate...(Don't quote me, I don't remember the exact convo or result of that thread, you might find it if your up to searching..lol)
Peace,
Donna P.
Well, I cannot disagree with you. I brought this up once on here and was basically told that if people do that, then it is on their bad conscious and to live with it and that it is a fact of life " the human factor that is"... so I tried to breech the topic too... I have to agree that I do like the C&C part of this board and it is what keeps me going and encouraged and learning... so I don't envision a foreseeable way to keep it all anonymous. We are just going to have to have faith that everyone is mature and fair... and for the most part I see that on here....
the only way to truly avoid this is to have select judges like with the mega challenge or the mini challenge... I think what you are talking about shows in the polls maybe some, but then those are opened to more people than just the group here... so I think it works..
I dunno... but I see what your trying to say..
Kat
I don't know of anyway to do challenges without user names that wouldn't make it more trouble than it is worth to these mods. Their job is heavy enough trying to keep things moving and working in the right direction.
I can say that in the time I have been on here I have seen some of the best photographers on here get told that things were wrong with their work also. I have seen some of their work that I thought was great not make it to finals.
I don't always agree with the choices of the judges, but it isn't my choice... unless I was to win... then I would get to choose.
I don't expect everyone to love my work. I am always a bit suprised when someone does. My style is different than most on here. I do not use Dgrin as a sole source of feedback for what I do. I am very actiive locally with the arts and that helps me see that we all are not the same style. I also use very little PP, partially because I am not adept at it, yet. Part because I don't want to really too heavily on it. If I can't get a decent picture first, then no amount of PP is going to help.
How many of us have shown a group of friends or family an opinion on a group of photos? I used to do that before I had a show or contest coming up. I soon realized that I could not get a majority vote on any one picture. In other words, everyone has different taste. I just keep trying and working to make my work better. I enter the contests so that I have a goal and deadline. Hopefully I improve, sometimes I don't, but I always learn something.
ok, on with the show...
Jag, hawkeye, I'll share my popcorn
:lurk
My SmugMug
I've been on popcorn patrol too for this one. Most of what I think on this is in the thread which Aaron linked, so I'll leave it at that. Pass me some chocolate ice cream, will you?
BEN & JERRY'S CHUNKY MONKEY!
My Site, My Book
What are you, blind or something? Sheesh.
Hey how come I don't get offered any popcorn!
:poke
fine I will get my own...:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk:lurk
I'm taking my ball and my bat, and I'm going home..!
[Enters stage right, mounts soapbox center stage]
Anyone who has participated in these Challenges for any amount of time will have been surprised more than once that a particular image was not selected for the final round, whether the image came from a longtime member or a new entrant. For example, Shatch is back after a long absence with a delightful image. But for quite a few past challenges I saw a number of equally delightful images of his get passed over for the final. For some reason, his vision for those challenges did not catch the judges' attention. On the other hand, there have been relatively simple entries and entries from newcomers that have won. So there really doesn't seem to be a problem of bias or favoritism.
In fact, there doesn't seem to be a problem at all. We all come here to get as big a sampling of diverse opinions about our images as possible. With all the opportunities for feedback both before and after the contest, that mission is well served.
Yes, the judging and voting help to raise the stakes a bit and, sure, it's always fun to win something. But the stakes here are akin to a neighborhood game of poker: the winning is fun, but it's not life-changing. You probably wouldn't keep playing the neighborhood game if you couldn't stand hanging out with the guys/gals. Likewise, if these Challenges are only about the winning, and the feedback and interaction of the community is valueless to someone, then they are going to be disappointed with the whole venture.
I'm glad to see that these Challenges continue to attract a passionate bunch of photographers. That's why I'm here.
[Steps down from soapbox; exits stage right]
I agree... I love the C&C and it has been the deciding factor of me wanting to stick around, more so than the challenges themselves... this group is awesome at feedback....!
Kat
I'm still listening, but let's keep this thread on round #25 feedback. I'll start a general challenge feedback thread once I'm good and ready to tackle it, I promise.
http://danielplumer.com/
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