Where has the creativity gone? - DPChallenge Forums

08/14/2006 10:59:54 AM · #1

I am hoping that this does not offend anyone...but if you have to start with that statement....it is going to happen. My question is "where has the creativity gone?" In all the challenges that I have voted in thus far, I see the same pictures over and over. Maybe a little different setup, but basically the same shot. And what really bewilders me is that they score high everytime. What gives?

Don't get me wrong...they are great shots and I usually vote for the quality and challenge criteria, but I am trying to understand why this happens.

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 11:02:23.

Jaded_Housewife

08/14/2006 11:06:31 AM · #2

well there are definately still some out of the box shots. I know because they are usually mine. lol. the reason people do the same things over and over is BECAUSE they score well. There are certain shots that appeal to the majority and if done well are certian to garner a high score so if average score is important to someone they tend to recreate variations on those shots. thats my opinion at least. nothing wrong with it if thats what they want and it works. creativity gets rewarded sometimes too or I wouldnt have a ribbon. it's impossible to figure it all out.

Jaded_Housewife

08/14/2006 11:09:35 AM · #3

wanted to add. I've tried to do "DPCish" photos in an attempt to get a high score and failed miserabely. It's actually harder than it looks to fidn the perfect balance to get the majority of votes. I've found I do better when I'm not trying.

Elvis_L

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/14/2006 11:12:48 AM · #4

When 200-400 people try to take a picture of one subject there will be repeats. It doesn't mean they didn't try to be different. Also sometimes people like to out their own spin on a proven photo.

Of course sometimes people just yet to copy a ribbon winner and there is much learning to be had from that as well.

If I look at shannons work and try to do the same thing it could help me figure out how to accomplish ideas I have. (now if I could just get a huge printer)

By the way my stopped motion was pretty original and it tanked sometimes it is Ã¨asier to avoid the heartache.

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 11:15:48.

hopper

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

08/14/2006 11:14:35 AM · #5

this is one of the most asked questions on dpc - with the most amount of independent answers :)

i will say this - if enough people get sick of a style (say grundge, or studio, or whatever) and start voting them down ... people will stop submitting them.

you don't see too many shots with the wooden dummy anymore, huh?

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 11:15:27.

elsapo

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f1.2L

08/14/2006 11:14:39 AM · #6

well for the fire challenge I did a cliche shot because I've always wanted to try it.... Let me tell you, it is NOT scoring well. ;)

08/14/2006 11:15:51 AM · #7

I haven't tried to do some of the shots yet due to limited lighting and equipment. And there are a few that I want to do. I just purchased some lights, umbrellas, diffussers, and backdrops so we will see soon if I can do these type of shots. I am sure some of them are extremely difficult to take and that is why I want to attempt. Maybe I can learn a thing or two:) But I don't know that I will enter them in challenges or not.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120 f/4 S

08/14/2006 11:17:20 AM · #8

Originally posted by hopper:

The dummy is cool :)

ericwoo

Nikon Z7II

08/14/2006 11:18:14 AM · #9

Certaim types pf images do well on here, and certain types do not. It is a challenge site, so it is more of us trying to make others like our images ratehr than shooting them for ourselves. Vivid colors, third world homeless people, striking children images, etc, etc, etc, typically do well, so they are all shot time and again. Then there is me...I am just not very creative at this stage in my life. Whatever comes to mind is what comes out. Great question, though. I have thought the same thought over and again.

hopper

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

08/14/2006 11:18:42 AM · #10

you will :)

but there's no shame in that at all
- submit what you think will score high. The object is to win.

Originally posted by jkw2466:

But I don't know that I will enter them in challenges or not.

bucket

Canon EOS-30D

08/14/2006 11:27:18 AM · #11

here is where the creativity is...

it is all around...look through a challenge and certainly you will see people mastering technical aspects and creating pretty looking, fairly uninspired images...but if you look hard enough you will find shots that you will simply wish you had taken...and of course that is simply a matter of personal taste...
because this site is a popularity contest, it is less diverse than say photopoints or other such sites, and that is simply a reality of what happens...
KEEP LOOKING...sometimes what inspires you isn't on the front page..and just because a shot gets a 5.2 or finishes around 50% doesn't necessarily make it a worse shot..less popular, usually not as technically perfect, maybe stretching some people's concept of what the theme of the challenge means..
It is a bit like comparing an indie film to a Hollywood hit..

note: I used ribbon winners as visual examples just to point out that ribbon's aren't only mainstream shots..and I am not infering every other ribbon shot before and after is a carbon copy shot-these two I simply found to be quite unusual..

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 11:30:28.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

08/14/2006 11:31:59 AM · #12

Originally posted by bucket:

It is a bit like comparing an indie film to a Hollywood hit..

Well put Robert...

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 11:32:24.

Rebecca

Nikon D80

08/14/2006 11:32:03 AM · #13

Well, my "creative" Fire entry is scoring in the 4's at the moment, so where's the incentive when creativity isn't rewarded?

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens

08/14/2006 11:33:37 AM · #14

Originally posted by karmabreeze:

Well, my "creative" Fire entry is scoring in the 4's at the moment, so where's the incentive when creativity isn't rewarded?

Perhaps what you consider as "creative" simply isn't in the eyes of others?

On a related note, sometimes people confuse "being clever" with "creativity." I personally think these are two separate entities.

skewsme

Canon EOS-6D

08/14/2006 11:36:47 AM · #15

Originally posted by ergo:

On a related note, sometimes people confuse "being clever" with "creativity." I personally think these are two separate entities.

Clever is not clever without some creativity.

08/14/2006 11:37:26 AM · #16

Originally posted by hopper:

you will :)

but there's no shame in that at all
- submit what you think will score high. The object is to win.

Originally posted by jkw2466:
But I don't know that I will enter them in challenges or not.

I am sure at some point I will, when I actually take something that really looks great to me. Like I said, this was not meant to offend anyone. There are alot of very talented people here, at least to me they are, and even if I have seen the shot before, I still try to learn from the new takes.

You guys have hit the nail on the head with "the eye of the beholder".

08/14/2006 11:39:08 AM · #17

Originally posted by meanwile:

Originally posted by ergo:

On a related note, sometimes people confuse "being clever" with "creativity." I personally think these are two separate entities.

Clever is not clever without some creativity.

Most people immediately recognize "clever." It hits you on the head with how "clever" it is.
But the cleverness of a "creative" shot perhaps require more than just a 3-second viewing, which I believe is what the average image gets from the average voter here.

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 11:40:57.

Mick

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/14/2006 11:40:50 AM · #18

Where has the creativity gone?

I took it! I'm stockpiling it for the future. When I finally get time to shoot for challenges I'm going to use it to become a ribbon hog!

Or, I might sell it. I dunno. Money is good too.

Heh heh heh...

modurn

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

08/14/2006 11:40:58 AM · #19

I guess I see a difference between creativity and originality. I think you can do something that is very similar to what someone else has done and be creative about it (a 5 Guys hamburger is not the same thing as a McD hamburger despite both being hamburgers for example). Its much harder to be original than it is being creative.

Also remember that a lot of challenges are repeats from previous challenges, Lines IV for example, and so people have a pretty large pool of images that have previously scored well, that people can look to see what worked and what didnt work. Finally, I know from personal experience, that if you fail to clearly show what was defined in the challenge, it doesnt matter how good the image is, it probably wont score well precisely because it didnt follow the criteria of the challenge.

All this means that people become adverse to straying to far from the established "rules" of the challenge.

In some ways I think what you are seeing is the price that DPC is paying for its success :D

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/14/2006 11:42:25 AM · #20

I consider my entries a failure if I don't get at least one "creative," "clever" or "original" comment. I've had a number of recent failures. It might have something to do with a lack of effort though... ;-)

bucket

Canon EOS-30D

08/14/2006 11:44:54 AM · #21

Originally posted by karmabreeze:

Well, my "creative" Fire entry is scoring in the 4's at the moment, so where's the incentive when creativity isn't rewarded?

I think the biggest problem with this statement is the expectation of being rewarded...awhile ago I suggested there should be a DPC Underground..meant for those who wanted to explore the themes without worrying about the scores..I do this on a regular basis, and certainly never even pretend that I will get a good score...
My satisfaction comes from the exploration...and for those who argue it is a contest, what is the point...I can only say you don't win anything here...
I entered an out of the box shot in the Best of 2005 and finished way down here..entered it in a bigger contest (more entries) that used judges at photoworkshop.com and won a prize (a lot of high quality paper and an annual membership)...my point...the scores here are not definitive of anything...nor are they definitive anywhere else...the history of art is riddled with great artists struggling to find an audience...
The only way to be happy with your shots is to shoot shots that appeal to your sensibility...

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

08/14/2006 11:51:14 AM · #22

Originally posted by bucket:

the history of art is riddled with great artists struggling to find an audience...

At the risk of ass-kissing, I find

to be quite a sublime image.

hopper

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

08/14/2006 11:53:38 AM · #23

clever

Originally posted by scalvert:

Cutter

Nikon D700

08/14/2006 11:55:52 AM · #24

I got so creative, had such a good image for fire, that chose not to enter it. It would have scored so high and revolutionized the site, that I said, "no, no, not yet".

Okay, I am joking. But seriously, there are no-DPC friendly photos. i firmly believe that. We have such a wide variety of contributors and entries, that I think it is an insult to our collective creativity and the effort of many to demean them as "DPC-ilized". That's crap. Just as someone said, you come up with what you believe is a DPC-friendly entry and it will not win. At the odds are in my favor when I proclaim this. Even imitation takes skill and respect. And no two pieces of photography or art are the same. So people, embrace a good photo regardless. We all know it when we see it.....