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10/27/2006 11:05:46 AM · #1 |
| I'm really getting bored with the Wow factor...not all of life is a Wow nor is all photography a Wow...sometimes it is subtler than that. |
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10/27/2006 11:12:12 AM · #2 |
| If you think the Wow factor is boring, just try the Boring factor for a while. I'm more likely to think Wow! on a beautiful presentation of a mundane subject than I am to find beauty in a subtle photo that doesn't Wow me. JJBeguin has lots of subtle images with a Wow factor. Subtle images that don't Wow get 4-5 scores and few views. |
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10/27/2006 11:14:58 AM · #3 |
Wow factor can be subtle too. To me, the wow factor is anything that makes me drawn to an image. It doesn't always have to jump off the screen to do that.
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10/27/2006 11:18:51 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by dragonlady:
I'm really getting bored with the Wow factor...not all of life is a Wow nor is all photography a Wow...sometimes it is subtler than that. |
Depends on your audience. WOW is going to get mentioned here in DPC challenges because many viewers/voters only give each entry a couple of seconds viewing time. Need some WOW to grab their attention, make them slow down and find the higher numbers on the voting scale. :D
There are other examples that have been pointed out here in the forums from time-to-time about photographs winning an award somewhere else, or selling for big $$$ - and these photos weren't necessarily WOW images when it came time for voting here at DPC. Some that were considered very middle of the road here have done quite well elsewhere.
Guess what I'm saying is pick your audience and also go with what you're comfortable with as a photographer. To score high here make it simpler, sharp, and have a healthy dose of WOW. If scores aren't that important all the time, then shoot for yourself and be happy. Once in awhile that subtle message will rise to the top! :D |
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10/27/2006 11:19:29 AM · #5 |
I think the so called "Wow factor" is anything that draws you to the photo, keeps you interested, makes you want to keep looking at it.
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10/27/2006 11:23:17 AM · #6 |
The difficulty with trying to discuss the Wow Factor is that everyone defines it differently. I define it simply as a picture that wows me. This does not mean flashy eyecandy. The picture can surprise, amaze, grab me in any way. So I will never tire of Wow factor and will always look for it. But supermodels don't wow me. They just make me want to boil pasta.
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10/27/2006 11:24:14 AM · #7 |
WoW factor is too personal and subjective to quantify. or even try. I uaually dont find wow in the landscape shots that do so well here but obviously others do. this shot of yours has a LOT of wow for me but someone else may be like.."ehhhh. its just a plant" .you know? 
dont worry yourself so much about wow. just take shots you like. thats all you can do. |
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10/27/2006 11:34:21 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by scalvert:
..JJBeguin has lots of subtle images with a Wow factor... |
although... I'm confident he wouldn't use the term for anything 'subtle'.
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10/27/2006 11:37:11 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by zeuszen:
Originally posted by scalvert:
..JJBeguin has lots of subtle images with a Wow factor... |
although... I'm confident he wouldn't use the term for anything 'subtle'. |
It would be the "wowito" factor, you know, a little bit of wow, just the right amount :) |
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10/27/2006 12:09:13 PM · #10 |
Subtle works in a private collection of four or eight pictures. Subtle does not work well in a collection (ie. challenge) of two hundred to six hundred photos. It just gets lost.
Wow does not have to be the subject, it can be the composition, processing, color, etc, but it likely needs to be there when you have thrown yourself in with hundreds of other people shooting a picture with the same theme.
So while I agree that life is not all about wow, photography challenges are.
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10/27/2006 12:31:56 PM · #11 |
| But why the wow factor? Is this just trying to stand out and do something different? What about the subtle image that's stuck in the mess of wow pictures? Isn't wow then the norm? |
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10/27/2006 12:38:44 PM · #12 |
If I say in a comment that the image doesn't have "wow factor" then I normally mean that it's just not a photo that stands out from others.
A photo could stand out because it's garish, or it could stand out because it's subtle and effective. It depends. |
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10/27/2006 12:40:43 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by mad_brewer:
But why the wow factor? Is this just trying to stand out and do something different? What about the subtle image that's stuck in the mess of wow pictures? Isn't wow then the norm?
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If your own photos please YOU, then that's a WOW factor. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... |
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10/27/2006 12:45:44 PM · #14 |
My experience tells me there's a lot of difference between a 36" print and a 640 pixel image.
Subtle in large, detailed proportions is a celebration of the ordinary - because I can see the nuances of texture and light I can stand there and say "wow, I've never noticed that thing really looks like that before" - the subtle wow factor.
At 640 pixels it's hard to even see that kind of detail - so the wow has to be larger to stand out.
I agree with mad_brewer that subtle would stand out from a field of wow. I've yet to see any challenge where the whole field was wow - although the Free Study challenges do come close.
I just sold a macro photo of a scrub oak leaf - the most "un-wow" photo I've ever submitted for sale. Obviously there was an audience that appreciated it enough to plunk down some dough on it.
My point is you have to know your audience. Smearing red oatmeal paste on a model wouldn't work well for most catalog shoots - you wouldn't even try it, but those Vogue fans think it's genius. I'm starting to think the same thing for subtle in a DPC challenge - it just won't be appreciated like it should - it's the wrong audience.
Message edited by author 2006-10-27 12:47:04.
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10/27/2006 12:58:15 PM · #15 |
sometimes the 'wow' factor doesn't pop out until i look at the image again.
that's why i look at all challenge entries twice and adjust votes. |
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10/27/2006 01:17:05 PM · #16 |
The big problem is that in 200-400 images you have 3-5 seconds to make your impression. Subtle doesn't work in 3-5 seconds.
Some photos are just awesome, but only get that way when you have looked at them for 3 mintes, 5 minutes, or 20 times over a few days. Those photos are very subtle and very excellent, but will get overlooked in voting.
They are probably better presented in the forums so people who want to can take their time and respond.
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10/27/2006 01:26:50 PM · #17 |
It is all about the journey the photo takes you on...it could be a quiet stroll with subtle discoveries or a roller coaster ride of fun and excitement. They are both equally enjoyable in their own way.
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10/27/2006 02:07:18 PM · #18 |
I also really appreciate "wow factor" photos that are simply extraordinary captures, that hold their merit by being in the right place at the right time (or patiently waiting for the right time) without relying on the processing to make it stand out. This is an excellent example:
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10/28/2006 09:07:41 AM · #19 |
| I guess what I was looking for is a synonym for wow; thank you all for responding and giving me another perspective on this...I think that my impression of wow factor was incorrect...it is the same as 'visually striking' or 'eyecatching'. |
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