An Exercise in Frustration

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

Thought I would post a small rant/rave after my posting an entry to LPS8 and before losing (again).

I've only been 'into' photography for a few years and have been enjoying the process of trying to become a better photographer. That is, until the LPS contest started.

Shay lured me in with offers of free stuff and so I began entering...and losing...each and every time. At first the losses weren't too bad. Then my photos got better and even the judges liked them. But I kept losing.

However, a funny thing happened as I started shooting with a theme in mind. I saw the world a bit differently and took photos I never would have otherwise. My favorite photograph of Boston and one which I intend to hang in our new home came out of the irregular/picturesque contest:

Another one of my son that I was 'forced' to take as a silhouette became an instant favorite as well:

I almost called it quits after LPS7 when another photo of my son didn't make it. I knew I shouldn't have entered it as it would hit to-close-to-home if I lost and I would take it more personally. It was especially hard to take as I made most of the 'fan favorites' lists for this one.

On the 4th, I went out to shoot fireworks in DC having moved here just 4 days ago for work. I set up with everyone else at the Carillon Bells and got a standard shot.

Granted, it's as good of a firework shot as I've taken in the two times that I've had opportunity to shoot the 4th of July. Then the darn contest theme hit me and I thought...alright, just one more try! I ran over to the Iwo Jima memorial and managed 4 snaps before the show ended. I did get my LPS8 entry and another favorite shot:

Looking back on the LPS contests, I realize that some of my favorite photos have come directly from those efforts. I also see that the learning curve I was happily traveling on at a fair pace has been pulled much higher and I've been forced to start running just to keep up with the people on this board. For all of that, I wanted to thank Shay and the dgrin community for setting up this incredible contest and forcing me to become a better photographer.
Rant/rave ends here and I hope to keep coming back stronger for each entry. Though I'll keep taking a few days off after losing in each round....
E

Shay Stephens · July 6, 2007

eoren1 wrote:

Shay lured me in with offers of free stuff and so I began entering...and losing...each and every time. At first the losses weren't too bad. Then my photos got better and even the judges liked them. But I kept losing.

I almost called it quits after LPS7 when another photo of my son didn't make it. I knew I shouldn't have entered it as it would hit to-close-to-home if I lost and I would take it more personally. It was especially hard to take as I made most of the 'fan favorites' lists for this one.

That photo was in my top 10

Your growth is evident! And as with many things, ultimate success comes from repeated attempts. So my advice to you and to all is to keep trying. It is the failures that you learn the most from and derive the most motivation to improve. Every contest builds practical experience and realistic expectations that grow with the time and effort put in. It also leaves behind a body of work that one can appreciate and even leverage to their own benefit, as you have demonstrated.

So bravo! Great post

saurora · July 6, 2007

eoren1 wrote:

Looking back on the LPS contests, I realize that some of my favorite photos have come directly from those efforts. I also see that the learning curve I was happily traveling on at a fair pace has been pulled much higher and I've been forced to start running just to keep up with the people on this board. For all of that, I wanted to thank Shay and the dgrin community for setting up this incredible contest and forcing me to become a better photographer.
Rant/rave ends here and I hope to keep coming back stronger for each entry. Though I'll keep taking a few days off after losing in each round....
E

A really nice post E....seeing your images grouped together really does show that you are a winner in spite of the resulting votes. Putting together a great portfolio is no small task and is not easy to motivate oneself into doing. Yes, we are all disappointed, and yes (darn it) we get our feathers ruffled at not being chosen. We beging to doubt ourselves, which is the worst part for many of us. Keep on pluggin' you have more to gain (as you have seen) then just winning the challenge. Good luck on your current entry!!!

richtersl · July 6, 2007

Thanks for the great post! It was also nice to revisit those wonderful photos of your little boy.

All those photos are exhibit- and contest-worthy.

You have some terrific material from which to choose for future contests/exhibits. That's the way I'm looking at it for my stuff.

I have an exhibit I want to enter later this month and I'm going to be submitting some of the photos I've had on display here. It certainly isn't the end of the world if you don't get into the top 10 of a round here. I see it more as a beginning of a portfolio for future use.

JillG · July 6, 2007

Great post

with beautiful pictures. I have a couple of keepers too

. Your #8 entry is wonderful. Good luck in this round.

Jill

Xia_Ke · July 6, 2007

Excellent post. You've put together an excellent collection of images that you may not have done otherwise if not for the contest. This contest has definitely been "an excercise in frustration" for me as well. Went from round 6 of being very excited about my entry. Had tons of time invested into that shot between sitting out waiting for the right light and then about 30 or 40 different edits only to wind up with not a single vote. Then last round, even though it was a shot I liked a lot and meant a lot to me, I only entered it because I couldn't shoot anything better.That shot ended up going over well and making it through. It's been a definite rollercoaster ride but, I wouldn't change the experience for anything. It's proved to be an excellent motivating factor and a wonderful learning experience. Keep shooting like the shots above and I'm sure you will make it through. FWIW, your entry for this round is definitely my top pick out of the entries so far. An amazing capture

Aaron

HoofClix · July 6, 2007

How quicly we come in to support!

Those are all great photos, E. Your entry in this round touched me immediately as I'm a former jarhead. Funny that I hadn't even imagined such a photo. Keep in mind that whether you get selected in a round or not, in the process of trying to fit into the theme, you've probably come up with a number of great photos to add to your body of work. I hope you've also had as good a time taking them as I have!

BistiArt · July 6, 2007

As Gary Cooper said, "Yep...!"

Shay Stephens wrote:

That photo was in my top 10

So bravo! Great post

Yep, I agree wholeheartedly...

E, thanks for sharing your woes; they point out some of my own frustrations, so I can't imagine everyone is having a smooth ride.

But, I hope to be able to GROW to imagine the last round...

BistiArt · July 6, 2007

Patriotism

eoren1 wrote:

I did get my LPS8 entry and another favorite shot:

Again E,

Used to live in DC as a military man one or two millenia ago...

Dat der image tugs at all our patriotic heartstrings.
I think it truly speaks to so many deep convictions and heart held feelings of this incredibly Great Land of Ours...

Good Work, MAN!

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

Shay Stephens wrote:

That photo was in my top 10

Your growth is evident! And as with many things, ultimate success comes from repeated attempts. So my advice to you and to all is to keep trying. It is the failures that you learn the most from and derive the most motivation to improve. Every contest builds practical experience and realistic expectations that grow with the time and effort put in. It also leaves behind a body of work that one can appreciate and even leverage to their own benefit, as you have demonstrated.

So bravo! Great post

Thank you Shay. High praise coming from you!!! Appreciate the comments and I agree that this is building practical experience.
E

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

saurora wrote:

A really nice post E....seeing your images grouped together really does show that you are a winner in spite of the resulting votes. Putting together a great portfolio is no small task and is not easy to motivate oneself into doing. Yes, we are all disappointed, and yes (darn it) we get our feathers ruffled at not being chosen. We beging to doubt ourselves, which is the worst part for many of us. Keep on pluggin' you have more to gain (as you have seen) then just winning the challenge. Good luck on your current entry!!!

Thanks saurora and I agree that we are all gaining from the exercises even if we can't all win...
E

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

richtersl wrote:

Thanks for the great post! It was also nice to revisit those wonderful photos of your little boy.

All those photos are exhibit- and contest-worthy. You have some terrific material from which to choose for future contests/exhibits. That's the way I'm looking at it for my stuff.

I have an exhibit I want to enter later this month and I'm going to be submitting some of the photos I've had on display here. It certainly isn't the end of the world if you don't get into the top 10 of a round here. I see it more as a beginning of a portfolio for future use.

Hi Linda. Thanks for the nice words. Good luck on the exhibit - is it in Boston? Do you have a thread going for what you plan to show? E

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

JillG wrote:

Great post with beautiful pictures. I have a couple of keepers too . Your #8 entry is wonderful. Good luck in this round.

Jill

Thanks Jill. Good luck to you as well. E

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

Xia_Ke wrote:

Excellent post. You've put together an excellent collection of images that you may not have done otherwise if not for the contest. This contest has definitely been "an excercise in frustration" for me as well. Went from round 6 of being very excited about my entry. Had tons of time invested into that shot between sitting out waiting for the right light and then about 30 or 40 different edits only to wind up with not a single vote. Then last round, even though it was a shot I liked a lot and meant a lot to me, I only entered it because I couldn't shoot anything better.That shot ended up going over well and making it through. It's been a definite rollercoaster ride but, I wouldn't change the experience for anything. It's proved to be an excellent motivating factor and a wonderful learning experience. Keep shooting like the shots above and I'm sure you will make it through. FWIW, your entry for this round is definitely my top pick out of the entries so far. An amazing capture

Aaron

Hi Aaron. Glad to see someone else sharing in the frustration! And thanks for the very kind words about the LPS8 entry....
E

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

HoofClix wrote:

How quicly we come in to support!

Those are all great photos, E. Your entry in this round touched me immediately as I'm a former jarhead. Funny that I hadn't even imagined such a photo. Keep in mind that whether you get selected in a round or not, in the process of trying to fit into the theme, you've probably come up with a number of great photos to add to your body of work. I hope you've also had as good a time taking them as I have!

Hey HoofClix. I'm glad you were touched by the Iwo Jima photo. And you're right about having fun as you're going being a good enough reward.
E

eoren1 · July 6, 2007

BistiArt wrote:

Again E,

Used to live in DC as a military man one or two millenia ago...

Dat der image tugs at all our patriotic heartstrings.
I think it truly speaks to so many deep convictions and heart held feelings of this incredibly Great Land of Ours...

Good Work, MAN!

Thanks Joe!

Tentacion · July 6, 2007

I LOVED that picture of your little boy, I thought the grayscales were awesome, the crop was fantastic, great detail, and your son's happy happy joy joy dance made me smile and sometimes giggle every time I went to look at it...just as I loved, and I think, only watched Ally McBeal show to see the dancing baby, I came to love that photo of your son....it is one to cherish...

I wish you LOTS Of luck with your ENTRY.

Donna

PS: Isn't it funny how we all perceive and relate differently to the themes....

CookieS · July 6, 2007

Thank you for the inspiring post. I am always awed by the talent here and rarely feel up to par to compete in LPS, But I love mini assignmnets and should take the opportunity to use the themes to get myself "outside the BOX" and shoot different types of things. I had forgetten how much you can learn by pushing yourself to do something a bit out of your comfort zone.

HoofClix · July 6, 2007

CookieS wrote:

Thank you for the inspiring post. I am always awed by the talent here and rarely feel up to par to compete in LPS, But I love mini assignmnets and should take the opportunity to use the themes to get myself "outside the BOX" and shoot different types of things. I had forgetten how much you can learn by pushing yourself to do something a bit out of your comfort zone.

Rather than the assignments, which seem to focus on a specific skill to stretch, and the Whipping Post, which seems to help folks learn which skills they need to learn, think about the LPS themes as though it were a poetry contest, where each two weeks you are asked to write a poem along a particular style, such as hai-ku or a sonnet, having to fit the words into the proper rhyme and meter, BUT, your creativity revolves around the subject you choose to write about......

Dee · July 6, 2007

Great post
Hey, I'm right there with you. And I've won contests before (on another site) and gotten Photo of the Days (on another site) It's now become a "how many times can my photos never be picked" contest

I am impressed by a lot of creative thinking in this current challenge though. Things I would never have thought of.

Keep at it...

dlscott56 · July 6, 2007

Great photos E. Beautiful! Definitely something to be proud of.

It seems to me, as a relatively new DGrinner, this IS a place for learning. With lots of help, comments, and suggestions all intended to help us get better at something we really love to do. No matter what your level of skill is. And plenty of incentive to push yourself!

Hmmm ... speaking of being pushed to get better, I have to go now to get some twilight photos for the Assignments thread!

Great post E.

Felicia · July 7, 2007

I really enjoy your photos. Being a mom of small boys, the picture of your son dancing in the fountain really resonated with me. Also, having grown up in a foreign country and finally coming to terms with the fact that I am an American (born but not necessarily bred), I really love the Iwo Jima Memorial shot.

Do keep posting in the contests, seeing such beautiful art is very inspiring to us newbie photographers.

urbanaries · July 8, 2007

E, I'm right there with you too, its been a hard pill to swallow sometimes, when you feel like you *really* have a winner (and some judges agree too) but round after round it doesn't happen...hopefully some of us "almosts" get thru this time!

Before I read this thread, I poked through the entry thread and thought yours was the best fireworks shot hands down...it was an amazing, unconventional capture, and the image speaks more than just the theme. It's the Independence Day concept....full circle. Nice one, I'll be pulling for ya!

eoren1 · July 10, 2007

Still very frustrated
So another loss - getting closer though...number 12!

Have to admit that I am very disappointed this time around. Not to take issue with any particular photo that did make the final 10 but I was surprised that a landscape of a firework made it over my entry. Guess I should have posted the 'cleaner' version of two fireworks exploding over the monuments and kept this Iwo Jima one to myself. That and the other shots of fireworks (except the boy standing in silhouette) felt detached whereas putting the explosion where the flag went into the ground gave me much stronger feelings and pulled me into the photo.
I really don't mean to sound like a poor loser but, like I said, I'm pretty disappointed with the results. I'll take my week off to sulk and hope to come back strong for LPS9. Almost have to enter being in DC now....
Thanks for all the comments in this thread. They do mean a lot to me and I really appreciate them.
E

pemmett · July 10, 2007

[FONT=&quot]I feel your pain. I've put my heart into each of the first 7 rounds, got into one semifinal and was really enjoying myself. I've scored points in most rounds and thought I had a definite winner in round 7 and only got 1 point - very disappointing. This last round I was away so clicked something that may have fit the round, gave it a brief edit and then posted it. No thought, no passion and guess what - no points:D [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It was a good exercise for me to take a step back and not care, because for some reason it has given me the freedom to choose to put my effort into the photos again.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I really enjoyed learning from this competition and this was the main reason I entered - to learn. After getting a few points here and there I lost focus on why I had joined and only focused on why I was not winning - instead of understanding why I wasn't getting points and improving from that.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As I've hard my father say so many times - "No pain, no gain" and although sports advocates may disagree with this, I feel that it is very appropriate for me in this context.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I have a great set of photos which I am in the process of getting framed for my house. I have learned many lessons from some of the most talented and friendly people I’ve met on-line. I have come to appreciate that great photography is done by choice and very very very rarely by chance.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thanks for the thread and the ability to get this off my chest and listening.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Have a great next two weeks - shooting and creating art.[/FONT]

Travis · July 10, 2007

E,

I can definitely relate. I've been competitive all of my life and I doubt that people who never take a chance to put themselves out there will ever know the intense satisfaction of winning and the incredible, heartwrenching feeling of loosing. Oddly enough, I think that is what draws all of us to create art in one way or another - the attempt to capture that pure emotion of a moment in time that we feel. If not, then we would all be content snapping candid pics at the family BBQ with the Kodak 110.

Photography and other art competitions are different though from the other competitive pursuits in that it is 100% subjective. If we all viewed the world exactly the same, then each of our photos would be of the same subjects, with the same lighting, in the same perspective. There are technical components that can be measured but even those, if it was the true intention of the photographer, can be misinterpreted by a judge.

I compete in saltwater fishing tournaments, poker tournaments, and volleyball matches. At the end of each, there is a clear cut, mostly indisputible winner that was the best on that given day. The loss in these events hurts no less but is completely explainable (and yes, I take losses hard). Photography competitions are murkier in that the selection is based on the personal experience, preferences, and interpretation of the judges (which, by the way, has got to be difficult). I have taken a different approach in my thinking for photography contests - there are no losers - just differences in vision. It still stings but as long as I use the experience to grow, then it was worth pain (growing pain?).

Your work is excellent and judging by the feedback on this thread, others definitely agree. Shoot for the love of the image, use the contests to push yourself in new directions, accept criticism with appreciation, and let the praise of your fellow photographers be your reward. Judging by your images, you will eventually have your win.

Okay, I'm done rambling. Now I have to go find something of Freedom or Oppression that the judges will reject in the next round........

eoren1 · July 10, 2007

Hey pemmett and Travis,
Thanks for the thoughts and continued encouragement.
In a month, I know that this shot will hang on my wall (with two others from that night) - I really like it that much. But for now, it's a 'loser' for not making it into the top-10 and that just sucks. Though I know that the LPS is pushing me hard to get better, I can't help the nasty, bitter thoughts that come on the night/morning when the semifinalist list is posted. Guess I'm just a sore loser and will have to accept that as a personality flaw and move on. It does keep me from pushing forward immediately to the next theme though.
I'm not sure what would happen if I actually won either....would I just rest on the fact that I was in the semifinals and 'phone-in' the rest of the entries? Maybe I need to keep losing until the last qualifier round each time

E

Felicia · July 10, 2007

Travis wrote:

E,
Your work is excellent and judging by the feedback on this thread, others definitely agree. Shoot for the love of the image, use the contests to push yourself in new directions, accept criticism with appreciation, and let the praise of your fellow photographers be your reward. Judging by your images, you will eventually have your win.

Well, said, Travis!

Xia_Ke · July 10, 2007

Felicia wrote:

Well, said, Travis!

Keep on pushing yourself E. With the photos you have been posting, it is only a matter of time until you make it. You can't look at it as your photo wasn't good enough, just that those selected as judges don't necessarily share the same vision a you. Just keep on trying and I look forward to your entry THIS round

Aaron

PS - FWIW, yours made my top 10

HoofClix · July 10, 2007

Let's all keep our heads up! As I said, Eo, yours hit me right on when I first saw it. But don't discount the bit of luck it takes in creating an image. The ones that I've actually tried to do haven't won, and the one I took when I wasn't trying got selected. I also can't forget the fun I had taking all of my entry shots.

For the next round, my current idea revolves around a photo session that involves the act of freeing some folks after a short stint of incarceration. That should make for some powerful action shots. So if I could get some assistance rounding up all the past judges into a paddock or stye near Frederick Maryland this weekend, we can all see what photos might come of it......

Seriously though, lets all have fun with it!

eoren1 · July 10, 2007

HoofClix wrote:

For the next round, my current idea revolves around a photo session that involves the act of freeing some folks after a short stint of incarceration. That should make for some powerful action shots. So if I could get some assistance rounding up all the past judges into a paddock or stye near Frederick Maryland this weekend, we can all see what photos might come of it......

Seriously though, lets all have fun with it!

Interesting......

An Exercise in Frustration

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