DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Suggestions >> Favorite types of challenges?
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 25 of 44, (reverse)
AuthorThread
11/18/2007 02:56:32 AM · #1
Howdy all!

We currently have four different types of challenges:

1. Technical (such as "S-Curve" or "contre-jour" or "foreground bokeh")
2. Subject (such as "bananas" or "bicycles" or "dirt")
3. Concept (such as "failure" or "heat" or "power")
4. Other (such as "sci-fi celebration" "DPC Album Cover" or "What is this Pencil?")

What type of challenge from the list above do you find most worthwhile?
What type of challenge from the list above do you find most enjoyable?
What type of challenge from the list above do you dislike?

It'd be great to have your input!

Message edited by author 2007-11-18 02:57:02.
11/18/2007 03:32:39 AM · #2
The technical ones are the ones that I probably learn most from shhoting for (although often I will shoot, but not enter). I enjoy entering and voting on concept based themes - I am more likely to find photos thta excite me in these challenges. I don't tend to enjoy the subject based ones as much - many of the entrants are often what I would describe as 'scavenger snapshots' and viewing the photos for voting can sometimes be a bit soul destroying.
11/18/2007 04:25:47 AM · #3
I like Sara's answer. My favorite to vote is the concept challenge - as she said, they generally have the most interesting (to me) photographs. Technical challenges are good to shoot for, a bit harder to vote. But in general, I like all of 'em, and I like a mix of them, too.
11/18/2007 08:18:28 AM · #4
1. Technical
2. Subject
3. Concept
4. Other
I am impressed with this list, as posted here and in other threads where I have seen it recently. It categorizes dpc challenges in a articulate, thoughtful, obvious, efficient & useful way. It is a good broad representation of the dpc environment & a outline of what one may expect from the usually eclectic challenge descriptions.

I don't think I have any preference for dislike, worthwhile, nor enjoyable within this structure, because if I enter any kind of challenge, what ever it is, the process of discovery & exploration, seems more important.
11/18/2007 08:22:22 AM · #5
If I can shoehorn a pic of my kids into a challenge - then it's a good challenge. ;)
11/18/2007 08:28:03 AM · #6
I guess I like concept the most, but I usually don't do well in those challenges. I seem to do best with Technical or subject based challenges, but those can be very repetetive in voting. So which do I prefer? I like the mix of challenges that we currently enjoy. I like being thrown in different directions unexpectedly. :)


11/18/2007 08:41:37 AM · #7
I love concept. But the hard part is convincing voters that concept is one person's view on a subject.

11/18/2007 09:07:35 AM · #8
My favourites in this order
1. Technical
2. Subject
3. Concept
4. Other
I find I learn from the first and second and have too think about the other two.
11/18/2007 09:10:06 AM · #9
In order of preference:
-Subject
-Concept
-Technical
-Other

I dislike any contest that requires a human element (candid, portraits, etc). By dislike I mean for me to shoot, not to view or vote on.
11/18/2007 09:43:58 AM · #10
1. Technical
2. Subject (Wish we did more base colors; red, yellow, blue, green. I think those are fun.)
3. Concept
4. Other

11/18/2007 09:55:34 AM · #11
I like technical and subject challenges. Concept and others are far too subjective to such a large crowd and I hate to get undervoted for "DNMC" reasons or when voting see people making ridiculous stretches to submit their pictures in the challenge.
11/18/2007 10:35:59 AM · #12
Technical are my favourite to participate in, although I don't participate much anymore. The impression I get is that there are very few technical challenges, but that is probably because I'm anticipating them every week, and it would seem they could only account for 25% of challenges at most. Whereas subject challenges could be interesting to participate in, the obscure ones, such as "Popcorn", are a bit too narrow and even uninteresting in my opinion (note the low entry number, even lower than the latest minimal editing challenge). I enjoyed the broader subject challenges like "Single Tree" and "Sky". :-)
11/18/2007 10:39:46 AM · #13
I'd have to say probably Technical with Concept as a close tie. Most subject challenges are much ado about the same thing and it gets boring. I like it when the subject possibilities are broad enough that the photographer has the opportunity to show his or her interpretation of the idea and we aren't looking at 280 images of the same thing yet the voters don't cast it out because of the infamous DNMC. ;~D
11/18/2007 10:50:38 AM · #14
In order of preference:
-Technical
-Subject
-Concept
-Other
11/18/2007 11:00:38 AM · #15
Hmmm that's a tough one. Like Jutilda Concept & Technical would tie. Both hold strong appeal for me. Technical because it causes me to focus on learning or strengthening photo techniques. Conceptual photos are very appealing to me because I really like adding symbolism into my compositions.

Other would be the third because it also gets my creative mind fired up and it can sometimes be really fun.
11/18/2007 11:14:20 AM · #16
Other is my favorite, by its very nature. I once lived for three years in a Miscellaneous folder. I suggest more genre/style challenges, like Film Noir and Impressionism.

Technical is probably second.

Concept is usually a good bet.

There is an art to picking a good subject. "Popcorn" and "Batteries" are not well chosen. Colors are better. Subject challenges should be the exception, not the rule. It's a terribly limiting assumption to say that a photo should even have a subject.
11/18/2007 11:31:30 AM · #17
I by far prefer technical challenges. They almost always interest me. Subject challenges rarely interest me. Concept challenges can be interesting.

I'd be in favor of changing the way challenges are presented so that in the exclusive open challenges one of the pair is ALWAYS a technical challenge. I think they should be run every week, and that the key techniques should repeat on a regular (and frequent) rotation. I think these are the most useful challenges for the DPC learning curve.

R.
11/18/2007 12:24:34 PM · #18
I'll echo the prevailing view. My order is:
- technical
- subject
- concept
- other

That tends to be my preference for voting as well, as it is much easier (for me) to distinguish between the photographs when there is less of a subjective element in regard to its fitting the challenge theme.
11/18/2007 12:37:23 PM · #19
Without question the Nude challenges. When can we have another? :P
11/18/2007 12:48:25 PM · #20
Technical
Subject
Concept
Other
11/18/2007 01:13:57 PM · #21
My preference would be:
1) Concept
2) Subject
3) Technical
4) Other

11/18/2007 01:34:37 PM · #22
Not concept. I think they cause the most problems with the DNMCs. I think the technicals are great for helping photoography skills, and the Subject and Other challenges are pretty fun as well.

EDIT: I revoke my answer. After looking at other posts a second time, I agree that concept challenges have some of the more interesting results regardless of the DNMC problems.

Message edited by author 2007-11-18 13:36:16.
11/18/2007 04:05:09 PM · #23
Originally posted by Larus:

Without question the Nude challenges. When can we have another? :P


W00t!

And consider mine a vote for more technical challenges. Not only technical technicals, but compositional challenges, such as Dynamic Balance, figure and ground, dynamic tension, triangles...

I like concept challenges a lot too, as they tend to make people think more. I'm still waiting since '05 on "You Might Be a Redneck"

Subject challenges can have their shining stars, but tend to get a big monotonous in voting.

Other: bring it on! And MORE nude challenges.
11/18/2007 04:30:24 PM · #24
1. Free Study
2. Genre/Style challenges (Portrait, Landscape, Nude, Film Noire, that sort of thing)

I dislike subject-themed challenges, especially those attracting a myriad of trite cliches (like pictures of popcorn, wine glasses and newborns with pink haloes, pet or otherwise).

Message edited by author 2007-11-18 16:30:47.
11/18/2007 04:46:03 PM · #25
Originally posted by posthumous:

I suggest more genre/style challenges, like Film Noir and Impressionism.



Film Noir would probably be considered a "Concept" challenge, and Impressionism would probably be considered a "technical" challenge, since it requires some technical finesse to pull it off properly without a lot of post processing.

EDIT: on the other hand, they are both "genres", and both require some finesse, so now I've just bamboozled myself!

Message edited by author 2007-11-18 16:48:54.
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 01:07:07 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 01:07:07 PM EDT.