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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Suggestions >> Tired of "obvious" pictures?
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10/10/2002 03:38:16 AM · #1
Maybe we should have a no "obvious" pictures challenge. :

No "cute", no pets, no sunsets, no flowers, no landscapes, no kids...

No more "it's cute so it'll make a nice pic" BS.

Maybe it would force us to get out there and find "SOMETHING ELSE* to photograph. I'm tired of sunglasses reflections and puppies. Aren't you? (No offence meant for sunglasses reflections types!)

I think it's sad to see creative pictures ranking 75+ when "cute" pictures are ranking top-25...


Louis


* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 3:38:12 AM.

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 3:38:53 AM.
10/10/2002 03:47:12 AM · #2
My definition of SAD is that this issue keeps coming up.

Let people photograph whatever they want to and don't worry about it. What is OBVIOUS to you may not be obvious to everyone else. If i'm a beginning photographer, what am I gonna photograph first? I will probably work with things that are readily avaialable to me. Things where I can get quick feedback and reshoot to perfection if I want to.


10/10/2002 04:04:19 AM · #3
Cute,Sad,obvious...Coke sure took a bashing this week. I might have won the contest if I'd gotten a shot of myself stomping the stuffing out of a stuffed animel with a Disny logo on it. And the smokeing bashers! I'd like to flip my ashes on their carpets! Maby we should all just take pictures of what you think is right. Next challenge: Do as Louis says! Maybe a shot of the puppy choking on sunglasses.........
10/10/2002 06:39:38 AM · #4
I agree with Setzler. Let people photograph whatever the want to and then it´s up to you to vote high or low.
Can´t a "cute" shot show up to be a really beauty?
10/10/2002 06:46:10 AM · #5
jeesh - there is so much of this going on in this place! This is a weekly site and that seems to create great hopes and anticipatn for eveeryone. No results for a week seems to focus folks on the nits of the results and comments - and the negative and disappointment that flows from any show gets exaggerated. It seems pretty clear that an additn;l show or two would fragment that effect, and make a busier, more anonymous place - & maybe a happier more constructive pattern of posts would spring out. I mean talk about overanlyisis! Everyone is creative or they wouldnt be here and I think a subcategory or two running monthly or weekly but falling once or twice between the sundays would kick up visits and reviews in quantity and quality - it just seems so too bad that negative posts go on all the time. The danger i see is that creative participants willget tired or the site will establish a personality at some point. In a thinble - frequency would create opportunity for renewal - essential to el braino - and infrequent leaves group in its juices(to cook - lol!) Like the rest of you I go for renewal evryday - why not enable it ont this site?
10/10/2002 09:28:24 AM · #6
I think that is what I will enjoy most about this next challenge. I don't think a "cute picture" will be appropriate. People are going to be challenged to like a picture they normally wouldn't. Sin ain't pretty. I don't plan to score high on this next one, if I submit, but I do plan to make a point.
10/10/2002 09:36:23 AM · #7
Originally posted by sgtpepper6344:
jeesh - there is so much of this going on in this place! This is a weekly site and that seems to create great hopes and anticipatn for eveeryone. No results for a week seems to focus folks on the nits of the results and comments - and the negative and disappointment that flows from any show gets exaggerated. It seems pretty clear that an additn;l show or two would fragment that effect, and make a busier, more anonymous place - & maybe a happier more constructive pattern of posts would spring out. I mean talk about overanlyisis! Everyone is creative or they wouldnt be here and I think a subcategory or two running monthly or weekly but falling once or twice between the sundays would kick up visits and reviews in quantity and quality - it just seems so too bad that negative posts go on all the time. The danger i see is that creative participants willget tired or the site will establish a personality at some point. In a thinble - frequency would create opportunity for renewal - essential to el braino - and infrequent leaves group in its juices(to cook - lol!) Like the rest of you I go for renewal evryday - why not enable it ont this site?

Might I suggest that then the best approach would be to comment and
join the more positive discussions, rather than posting to the negative
threads which just puts them back on the front page and reinforces
the effect that you don't want to see (and which I've just extended
by this post? )
10/10/2002 09:45:56 AM · #8
so that picture of my wrath-ful cat at the vet that i took the other day wouldn't be a good submission? even though he growled like a dog, he was so angry to be there? darn. :)

Originally posted by MarkRob:
I think that is what I will enjoy most about this next challenge. I don't think a "cute picture" will be appropriate. People are going to be challenged to like a picture they normally wouldn't. Sin ain't pretty. I don't plan to score high on this next one, if I submit, but I do plan to make a point.



10/10/2002 09:50:02 AM · #9
Originally posted by louis1470:
Maybe we should have a no "obvious" pictures challenge. :

No "cute", no pets, no sunsets, no flowers, no landscapes, no kids...

No more "it's cute so it'll make a nice pic" BS.

Maybe it would force us to get out there and find "SOMETHING ELSE* to photograph. I'm tired of sunglasses reflections and puppies. Aren't you? (No offence meant for sunglasses reflections types!)

I think it's sad to see creative pictures ranking 75+ when "cute" pictures are ranking top-25...


Louis

Well, Louis, I may take offense to what you said.
I happen to be one of the ones who ranked in the top 25 with a picture that was considered "cute" by one commentator. Others thought it was creative, had good lighting, etc., etc. I believe the ranking of the pictures by the voters speaks for itself. The majority of the voters thought it was worthy of a high score. And I feel certain that just the "cute" factor could not have gotten me in the top 25. I think my picture was very creative, as did others. In fact, I think all the top 25 pictures were creative. It sounds a bit like you are whining, Louis, because you had a creative picture that didn't score as high as you had hoped. It happens.



* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 10:13:10 AM.
10/10/2002 10:23:29 AM · #10
Originally posted by Marsha:
Originally posted by louis1470:
[i]Maybe we should have a no "obvious" pictures challenge. :

No "cute", no pets, no sunsets, no flowers, no landscapes, no kids...

No more "it's cute so it'll make a nice pic" BS.

Maybe it would force us to get out there and find "SOMETHING ELSE* to photograph. I'm tired of sunglasses reflections and puppies. Aren't you? (No offence meant for sunglasses reflections types!)

I think it's sad to see creative pictures ranking 75+ when "cute" pictures are ranking top-25...


Louis

Well, Louis, I may take offense to what you said.
I happen to be one of the ones who ranked in the top 25 with a picture that was considered "cute" by one commentator. Others thought it was creative, had good lighting, etc., etc. I believe the ranking of the pictures by the voters speaks for itself. The majority of the voters thought it was worthy of a high score. And I feel certain that just the "cute" factor could not have gotten me in the top 25. I think my picture was very creative, as did others. In fact, I think all the top 25 pictures were creative. It sounds a bit like you are whining, Louis, because you had a creative picture that didn't score as high as you had hoped. It happens.

[/i]


Marsha, I think looking at your picture, that you are taking offense
where none was directed at you. Your picture shows thought, composition,
is well 'produced' and looks great. I don't think it falls into the
'cute snapshot' that Louis is ranting about.
10/10/2002 02:27:28 PM · #11


You are absolutely right, GordonMcGregor! Must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Sorry, Louis.


* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 2:25:48 PM.
10/10/2002 02:55:28 PM · #12


Marsha, I think looking at your picture, that you are taking offense
where none was directed at you. Your picture shows thought, composition,
is well 'produced' and looks great. I don't think it falls into the
'cute snapshot' that Louis is ranting about.


And you're right, it didn't, as a matter of fact I scored that picture an 8.


All I was trying to do here is to feel the pulse of the community to see if some other people were feeling the same way I'm feeling... By the different threads I see in the forums, it seems that there are... It's just that most of them just won't voice their opinions maybe....

And as for whining, well I'm sorry if this came out feeling like whining to some of you. Universal appeal isn't really that important to me in the votes, and so far some of the comments I've received showed that some people really appreciated my pictures and, well, that's quite enough for me.

My original point was that I thought it would be great to try to "up the ante" for a week, to see what it would give and maybe force some people in here to think "differently" just once. It seems you people don't want that. That's ok. I will sleep tonight!

10/10/2002 03:45:29 PM · #13
I personally don't mind all the flowers,kids. The animals well I don't much care for the furballs. I just started to take photos of something besides my kids playing or family on holidays. Taking pictures of flowers is something new to me. I am loving it. Don't vote my picture down because you are a step ahead of me and have grown to other subjects. Look at your photo compared to the photos that won this week. You will grow past useing a bowl for reflection. How do you think others felt when they seen yours. "Doesn't he have more of an imagination." All I have to say is give us a brake. We all grow in different areas at different times. :)
10/10/2002 04:33:34 PM · #14
To me it's not the subject matter as much as it is the execution of the shot. Uncommon and original subjects can still look boring with bad composition or lighting and often used subjects can look fresh and creative if enough imagination is put into them. A lot of people put too much empahasis on their preferences in subject matter and not enough attention to how a shot was photographed. Somebody made a good analogy to music in one of the forums. For example, just because I don't like country music doesn't mean that I can't appreciate the country music that I think is very good. If we are going to grow as photographers we need to learn to appreciate quality when we see it and judge it accordingly.

T
10/10/2002 05:19:58 PM · #15
Originally posted by Sonifo:

Taking pictures of flowers is something new to me. I am loving it.

Yep, flowers are real nice, I love flowers. But you've got to admit, most of the times they're easy targets. That doesn't mean I never take pictures of flower, I did and still do.

Don't vote my picture down because you are a step ahead of me and have grown to other subjects

Well, on a scale of 10 points, for me there's 3 points for creativity, 3 points for technical quality and 3 points for challenge relevance. The last point is the "wow" factor. If you take a really NICE flower picture, It might still get a good vote, provided it fits the challenge, is of good quality and gives me a "WOW" feeling. But most times you'll probably loose points on creativity. It's the same thing for Pets and Sunset pictures.

Look at your photo compared to the photos that won this week. You will grow past useing a bowl for reflection.

Of course, I can even say I surely hope I never take another bowl reflection picture in my life. Though you have to admit there weren't many "bowl" reflections compared to "calm lakes" ones in the last challenge...

How do you think others felt when they seen yours. "Doesn't he have more of an imagination."

Well those people probably didn't understand anything, because my picture was a re-creation of something (HAL from the 2001 movie) using the challenge's theme to give me an angle to do it. Those who, with the help of the title, figured out what it was gave me great comments about it. And those comments made it worthwhile... Those who didn't understand, well they didn't understand and that's it. It made for funny comments at best...


Louis
10/10/2002 05:28:58 PM · #16
How many of those who "got it" you think know/remember what HAL stood for? (Hint: I think it's actually a kind of lame acronym -- you'd think Mssrs. Clarke and Kubrick could have come up with something better.)
10/10/2002 05:33:58 PM · #17
Originally posted by GeneralE:
How many of those who "got it" you think know/remember what HAL stood for? (Hint: I think it's actually a kind of lame acronym -- you'd think Mssrs. Clarke and Kubrick could have come up with something better.)

I know if you increment the letters by 1 it makes "IBM", but I don't remember what "HAL" means...

Louis


* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 5:32:02 PM.
10/10/2002 06:39:29 PM · #18
I think the score just reflect the GENERAL PUBLIC opinion, the same way they prefer Britney Spears and N Sync versus classical music :)

If we vote on a painting by Picasso versus a Painting by Rembrandt and not tell the viewer which one it is but by saying "two person painted it recently", the majority of viewers will select Rembrandt painting to be more interesting becuase they can see "oh, it's a naked woman lying htere" versus "What the hell is this? looks like a guitar witha horse and a person's face?"

The question is, do you want to get good votes or do you want to present what you want to present? It's like my SIN idea, which i haven't made the photo but i ahve a very good idea what it will look like and would possibly offend people and possibly end up getting a very low score :)

(I am thinking about introducing a flower or a teddy bear to see if i can boost the votes just because i have a cute item in the photo even though the main element is going to be disturbing :))


Originally posted by louis1470:
Maybe we should have a no "obvious" pictures challenge. :

No "cute", no pets, no sunsets, no flowers, no landscapes, no kids...

No more "it's cute so it'll make a nice pic" BS.

Maybe it would force us to get out there and find "SOMETHING ELSE* to photograph. I'm tired of sunglasses reflections and puppies. Aren't you? (No offence meant for sunglasses reflections types!)

I think it's sad to see creative pictures ranking 75+ when "cute" pictures are ranking top-25...


Louis



10/10/2002 06:57:42 PM · #19
Originally posted by louis1470:
Originally posted by Sonifo:

Of course, I can even say I surely hope I never take another bowl reflection picture in my life. Though you have to admit there weren't many "bowl" reflections compared to "calm lakes" ones in the last challenge...

Louis

You know Louis, my entry was one of those "calm lakes." I traveled a thousand miles by bus and another 100 miles by train to get there.While there I took some pictures. I have no intention of giving up taking photos of lakes, rivers, sunsets, flowers, bumblebees or leaves floating on the water. I may lack creativity, but my ability to enjoy the beauty of the world around me is quite well developed. There is a sunset every day. While the subject itself is not creative, the moment is unique, and for us non-studio photographers, that is an important factor. What a shame it would be to become so jaded that beauty becomes so commonplace that an artist must ignor it.
10/10/2002 07:04:51 PM · #20
Originally posted by GeneralE:
How many of those who "got it" you think know/remember what HAL stood for? (Hint: I think it's actually a kind of lame acronym -- you'd think Mssrs. Clarke and Kubrick could have come up with something better.)

HAL = Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer
(I'm such a nerd)


* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 7:04:20 PM.
10/10/2002 07:07:19 PM · #21
Originally posted by GordonMcGregor:
Originally posted by sgtpepper6344:
[i]jeesh - there is so much of this going on in this place! This is a weekly site and that seems to create great hopes and anticipatn for eveeryone. No results for a week seems to focus folks on the nits of the results and comments - and the negative and disappointment that flows from any show gets exaggerated. It seems pretty clear that an additn;l show or two would fragment that effect, and make a busier, more anonymous place - & maybe a happier more constructive pattern of posts would spring out. I mean talk about overanlyisis! Everyone is creative or they wouldnt be here and I think a subcategory or two running monthly or weekly but falling once or twice between the sundays would kick up visits and reviews in quantity and quality - it just seems so too bad that negative posts go on all the time. The danger i see is that creative participants willget tired or the site will establish a personality at some point. In a thinble - frequency would create opportunity for renewal - essential to el braino - and infrequent leaves group in its juices(to cook - lol!) Like the rest of you I go for renewal evryday - why not enable it ont this site?


Might I suggest that then the best approach would be to comment and
join the more positive discussions, rather than posting to the negative
threads which just puts them back on the front page and reinforces
the effect that you don't want to see (and which I've just extended
by this post? )
[/i]


OK Gordon - I can go for that - and what I think I see just might (not be there at all or) go away I guess - somehow anyway! And - I didn't think I'd get a response from the bossman (adminisn itself) on this thought! Thank you!
10/10/2002 07:07:49 PM · #22
(I am thinking about introducing a flower or a teddy bear to see if i can boost the votes just because i have a cute item in the photo even though the main element is going to be disturbing :))

Believe me, it ain't gonna help much. Note my
lowest score to date. :-) I actually thought it was kind of a cool shot and more original than the new bike I originally went to the toy store to shoot, but the voters didn't agree...lol. I don't really see too many pet, kid, cute shots do that well, so I'm not sure where you're coming from. I shoot what grabs me at the moment. Sometimes it's set up, sometimes it's not. But I don't judge what others choose to shoot.
10/10/2002 07:12:04 PM · #23
Originally posted by louis1470:


Well, on a scale of 10 points, for me there's 3 points for creativity, 3 points for technical quality and 3 points for challenge relevance. The last point is the "wow" factor.

This is a little off topic but something that I have been thinking about quite a bit today. I have finished my initial voting and have been going back over to change some of my vote, higher or lower.

My question is this: If a picture was very creative, technically perfect or near enough, didn't meet the challenge what so ever, but had lots of wow, would you, by this scale, still give this pic a 6 or 7?

Also, if a pic was dead on challenge wise, very creative, but needed to work on the technical aspects and then improve the wow, would you score it lower than the previous pic?





* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 7:10:58 PM.


* This message has been edited by the author on 10/10/2002 7:53:50 PM.
10/10/2002 07:22:31 PM · #24
I was setting up this shot of a baby, surrounded by stuffed animels, holding a puppy, sitting on a bed of flowers, on the steps of a church which has been decorated in a patriotic theme. In the background there was harbor with ships sailing off into the sunset. It was all going well untill this old hippy started kicking the crap out of a legless Vietnam vet on a skate board. Ruined the whole shot!
10/10/2002 07:40:48 PM · #25
sorry i ruined your shot - but that dude was whistling the ballad of the Green Berets, and i couldn't hear my Jefferson Airplane 8-track -- harshed my buzz!
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