How important is the title? I mean really...

01/17/2006 07:08:07 PM · #76

...here is a typical example of how xion displays his untitled work. A clean presentation, a thoughtful elimination of extraneous and unecessary words such as "untitled" or letter number.jpeg. Created simply by not entering anything in the title space. A perfectly beautiful way of presentation.

01/17/2006 08:02:47 PM · #77

Originally posted by undieyatch:

Is this accomplished by entering a space (rather than --)?

undieyatch

Olympus E-10

01/17/2006 08:31:12 PM · #78

Originally posted by KaDi:

Originally posted by undieyatch:

...here is a typical example of how xion displays his untitled work. A clean presentation, a thoughtful elimination of extraneous and unecessary words such as "untitled" or letter number.jpeg. Created simply by not entering anything in the title space. A perfectly beautiful way of presentation.

Is this accomplished by entering a space (rather than --)?

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/17/2006 08:41:43 PM · #79

Originally posted by undieyatch:

Is this accomplished by entering a space (rather than --)?

Erase anything which may appear in the title window and enter nothing, zip, zero, zilch, none, empty. However, this may only work for non challenge fotos. I have never tried it for a challenge entry. The challenge formating may probably require a title. The site should fix that so a title is unnecessary if one so chooses. [/quote]

I was specifically thinking of challenge photos (since it's the thread topic) and was just wondering if one could render a "blank" title. Though, I have no objection to "--" in the title space and slightly prefer it to "Untitled"...either way. For the record, as one has said earlier in this thread, I'd rather have no title (however it is rendered) than a bad title.

bucket

Canon EOS-30D

01/17/2006 08:51:04 PM · #80

Originally posted by pawdrix:

Originally posted by bluenova:
I love this photo But it was voted down, I can only guess because of the title.

I like to take photos, but I sometimes find it hard to add a title to it. I like it when a picture can speak for it's self, and I don't think it should be mandatory to add a title. In future I will put 'untitled' if I don't want to specifically say something (in words) about a
picture.

JPR's my main man...I love his work but that is a Full Metal Stinker of a title (LOL...too funny) but I would have nailed him for bad taste on that one without question....RFLMAO...(I can't stop laughing at that one and people here at work are starting to stare)

EDIT: In fact, I did nail him with a 4.

I have to say calling it a nice photo and giving it a 4 is the complete opposite of how I vote and view this site.

undieyatch

Olympus E-10

01/17/2006 08:55:56 PM · #81

Originally posted by KaDi:

.....time to experiment - try some blank spaces and see if that is an acceptable title for a challenge.

Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Super Wide Angle Zoom

01/17/2006 09:11:47 PM · #82

Originally posted by undieyatch:

Originally posted by KaDi:

.....time to experiment - try some blank spaces and see if that is an acceptable title for a challenge.

Acceptable technologically....or under the subjective scrutiny of the voters?

JPR

Sony Alpha a55

01/17/2006 09:12:55 PM · #83

I really like my title for the signs challenge. now if i only had a good photo to go along with it :)

saintaugust

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

01/17/2006 09:16:54 PM · #84

Originally posted by JPR:

I really like my title for the signs challenge. now if i only had a good photo to go along with it :)

just press that 'awesome' button you installed in your camera.

01/17/2006 09:17:58 PM · #85

Originally posted by JPR:

I really like my title for the signs challenge. now if i only had a good photo to go along with it :)

"Signs, signs, everywhere a sign..."
"Some say do this, some say 'don't'"

....bet there's a lot of "Sign of the Times"...(of course, that's another thread.)

01/17/2006 09:20:19 PM · #86

Originally posted by bucket:

Originally posted by pawdrix:

Originally posted by bluenova:
I love this photo But it was voted down, I can only guess because of the title.

I like to take photos, but I sometimes find it hard to add a title to it. I like it when a picture can speak for it's self, and I don't think it should be mandatory to add a title. In future I will put 'untitled' if I don't want to specifically say something (in words) about a
picture.

JPR's my main man...I love his work but that is a Full Metal Stinker of a title (LOL...too funny) but I would have nailed him for bad taste on that one without question....RFLMAO...(I can't stop laughing at that one and people here at work are starting to stare)

EDIT: In fact, I did nail him with a 4.

I have to say calling it a nice photo and giving it a 4 is the complete opposite of how I vote and view this site.

I didn't call it a nice photo. I said "I love his work". I was stating how a photo's title can be a turn off. I'm not a terribly consistent voter btw, so I couldn't honestly say why I gave it a 4...at the time. That title is still making me laugh...for what it's worth....now I love it "10"!!!

Message edited by author 2006-01-17 21:23:45.

mycelium

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

01/17/2006 09:27:30 PM · #87

The title is part of the presentation.
The processing is part of the presentation.
Especially for prints, the framing is part of the presentation.

Like it or not, agree or not, these things all matter to some people, and if you overlook them, you will turn these people off.

01/17/2006 09:34:37 PM · #88

Again...there are billions of trillions of dollars in amazing art being proudly displayed in museums, all over the world as we debate this, without titles.

...and nobodys being turned off by them or scratching their heads wondering..."where's the title...???"

Well....maybe some people are?

Message edited by author 2006-01-17 21:45:16.

mycelium

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/17/2006 09:48:09 PM · #89

Originally posted by pawdrix:

Again...there are billions of trillions of dollars in art being proudly displayed in museums, all over the world as we debate this, without titles.

If you mean to imply that most art is untitled, I'm not sure that's true.

Even so, the decision to not title something is still a decision, consciously made, not the result of negligence.

What to do with the title space is something that everyone has to figure out. In some cases, though the best thing to do is leave no title, that does not mean that the title is unimportant. It just means that the best title is "".

edited for grammar

Message edited by author 2006-01-17 21:49:11.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

01/17/2006 09:52:52 PM · #90

Originally posted by pawdrix:

Again...there are billions of trillions of dollars in amazing art being proudly displayed in museums, all over the world as we debate this, without titles.

Gee, most of the art I've seen in museums has the title posted somewhere near the piece, and probably mentions it in the exhibit catalog as well. Seems to me an awful lot of famous pieces of art are known by their titles, even by people who've never seen the actual piece:

The Thinker
David
Blue Boy
Irises
etc.....

magnus

Canon EOS-30D

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon

01/17/2006 09:52:54 PM · #91

Originally posted by mycelium:

Well said! And it's not just that a bad title actively distracts from the image, there's also a subconscious level to this. An obvious typo or blatantly wrong grammar in a title is going to bias the viewer against the photographer, whether the viewer realizes this or not (unless, of course, the mistake is obviously deliberate). The viewer is going to feel there's something sloppy about the photo.

So no title is probably much safer than a bad title...

01/17/2006 10:02:43 PM · #92

I never said that most art is untitled. I went to two museums over the last two weeks and a gallery or two and saw easily, 100 pieces or more that were without title.

Maybe they wanted me to think whatever I wanted to think, they allowed me to make my own choice...it the artists perogative and that's perfectly valid.

Since someone mentioned it already....and I agree I wouldn't mind if DPC didn't make you choose a title if you don't wish to. I used "Untitled" twice and felt that somehow it might be percieved as a statement...which was something I didn't want either.

Rae-Ann

Fujifilm FinePix S9000

01/17/2006 10:04:33 PM · #93

I have had people comment that they have given me an extra point for a clever title.
I don't think I would either detract or add points for a title but I think it speaks to the entry as a whole.
I am glad some people do give points for titles, tho! I can use all the help I can get!!

Olympus 17mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko

01/17/2006 10:05:43 PM · #94

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Seems to me an awful lot of famous pieces of art are known by their titles, even by people who've never seen the actual piece:

The Thinker
David
Blue Boy
Irises
etc.....

I could name a bunch too but then there's also
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled....

Are you doubting that I saw many pieces of untitled work this month?

ubique

Olympus PEN-F

01/17/2006 10:06:50 PM · #95

Ever notice how many books have no title? The authors probably just do it to piss off librarians.

01/17/2006 10:12:15 PM · #96

Originally posted by ubique:

Ever notice how many books have no title? The authors probably just do it to piss off librarians.

Nope, library patrons. Librarians have Dewey and Library of Congress numerical classifications--neither of which depend in any way on a title to provide a consistent shelving/classification methods for published works. :)
(But, yeah, books have titles...and should. I saw a book I'll never have to read, titled "Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow"...the publisher outdid themselves on that one!)

01/17/2006 10:13:48 PM · #97

Untitled

Gary Winnogrand

I suppose my point is while titles are nice...not every artists wants to spoonfeed his or her meaning to the viewer and maybe...possibly they don't even have a meaning to begin with.

Message edited by author 2006-01-17 22:21:44.

mycelium

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT