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10/30/2006 09:13:21 PM · #1 |
ok, judging by the views and comments, more than a few of you saw my last challenge entry...
yes, i took a mulligan, and it's not the first time, either. as far as i'm concerned, it's a personal decision as to whether or not you ride your own train wrecks--and if the rules allow me to jump off every now and then, well, i'll jump.
in this particular instance, i simply failed to connect. why? i haven't a clue. but, the disconnect was enough for me not to want to hang around to the end...especially considering the history of the shot. and there's no real entertainment value for me to watch a photo that ran above the fold on the front page of the Richmond Times-Dispatch hanging right at 5.0.
the funny thing is...i've already sold two copies of that photo--in addition to getting paid to shoot it in the first place ;-)
and it gets better...the director of the National Folk Festival in Richmond called me today, wanting to know if I would be available to shoot for the festival next year. of course i will be available! she also told me to expect someone from the Richmond Visitor's Bureau to contact me. well, they did, wanting to know if they could license one of my images for an upcoming visitor's guide. this is what they wanted:
the bureau's art director is also the art director for Richmond Magazine. in conversation with him, i told him about another image i had that had run in black and white when it really needed to be seen in color. he asked to see it, and after showing it to him, he requested a license to run it in an upcoming article.
also, before hanging up, he asked if they could put me on their list of freelancers. of course they can! (if you're curious as to what got their attention, you can see some here or almost all of it here.)
so, what's the point? well, my membership is due to expire in a couple weeks, and i most certainly am going to renew, mainly just to try to give back to dpc. as i've said time and time again, it's not getting scores and comments that help you grow here. it's your willingness to take advantage of everything the site has to offer that will help you grow. and, if i can help anyone get past the frustration of having a subpar outing and find their way along the paths i've found, it's worth the effort, and more than worth my $25.
Message edited by author 2006-10-30 21:22:33. |
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10/30/2006 09:18:37 PM · #2 |
Far out Skip! Thanks for the positive words. Glad you are renewing.
The images rock btw. :-)
Message edited by author 2006-10-30 22:30:23.
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10/30/2006 09:25:49 PM · #3 |
Skip IMO you are by far the best asset DPC has ever had. It is a joy to view your work and read your words. You are mainly what keeps me going even though sometimes I feel like I suck. I am glad you that are staying.
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10/30/2006 09:27:14 PM · #4 |
Skip,
I'm glad you keep such a great perspective on things. It's really nice to see. I admire your work.
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10/30/2006 09:43:52 PM · #5 |
Hmm... Yeah, it was a bad score, but a quote from this one guy who seems to know what he's talking about applies here..
Originally posted by skiprow:
this is for all those participants who are frustrated with their scores...
FUGGIT ABOUT IT!!! |
Nope, no point to this post, just sayin'. :p
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10/30/2006 10:06:46 PM · #6 |
it's disappointing that this was pulled, as i think it was a great shot. hopefully many others would feel the same way. one thing to keep in mind is that, from what i see, only 21 votes were cast at the time you withdrew this submission. from a quick look at the statistics for the challenge, an average of 230 votes were cast per submission (70295/305), so the average of 5 was after less than 10% of the expected votes. a cynic would even say that the trolls are often the first to vote... regardless, in my limited time in this community i've noticed that the average score increases after the first ~12 hours. i wish i could have seen where this ended up. don't give up... the photo, and you, deserve better!
don't be too afraid to get a bad score that you will prevent yourself from getting a great score... |
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10/30/2006 10:28:45 PM · #7 |
| I don't really mind if you want to sit out challenges, but I really do hope you'll continue with your ought-to-be-patented nice long stories and pictures that show what you've been up to. I love those. And thanks for renewing. |
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10/31/2006 08:25:55 AM · #8 |
Way to go, Skip!
Grins from ear to ear and gets ready to start my day...
all's right in the world again.
Alice |
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10/31/2006 08:36:10 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by Melethia:
... I really do hope you'll continue with your ought-to-be-patented nice long stories and pictures that show what you've been up to. ... |
I think he's writing a book - REALLY. You know, like the kind that gets published. :D
A pleasure Skip. Keep on keeping on...
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10/31/2006 09:14:49 AM · #10 |
why are you allowed to self-dq?
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10/31/2006 09:21:15 AM · #11 |
Context.
It's a great shot in context, knowing what it was for and why it was taken, but standing alone all by itself it (obviously, as you pointed out) isn't connecting with everyone. Sometimes, a picture is better as part of a whole series than it is by itself. Sometimes, a picture needs words to go with it to tell the whole story.
I bet your shot would have done much better in a "Photojournalism" challenge. |
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10/31/2006 09:24:52 AM · #12 |
You don't know the effect you have here. You picked my photo "laundry Day" as a favorite and it was nothing short of an inspiration for me. I always doubt my abilities but to have someone with your talent chose one of my photos was a lift that helped me realize that maybe I could develop my "photographer's" eye. I never said thanks so I will now. Since then I've had a few requests for my photos for web sites and advertising. A couple are ones I entered here and did good for me but still scored below a 6. Not bad for an old point and shooter. I also really like and admire your work and tenacity.
Message edited by author 2006-10-31 09:28:06.
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10/31/2006 09:24:58 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by achiral:
why are you allowed to self-dq? |
It's in the rules, around the middle, in the section on Disqualification:
You may request removal of your own photo, for any reason, if:
ΓΆ€ΒΆ You make the request during the voting period. Requests made after the close of voting typically will not be considered.
ΓΆ€ΒΆ There has been no rules violation and you have not been asked to submit proof on your entry. If you report a rules violation on your own entry or request removal after receiving a proof request, the request will be treated as a normal disqualification.
ΓΆ€ΒΆ None of your last 25 submissions have been disqualified or removed.
Remember that subsequent DQs within the next 25 submissions may incur a penalty as set forth below. |
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10/31/2006 09:32:49 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by achiral:
why are you allowed to self-dq? |
It's in the rules, around the middle, in the section on Disqualification:
You may request removal of your own photo, for any reason, if:
ΓΆ€ΒΆ You make the request during the voting period. Requests made after the close of voting typically will not be considered.
ΓΆ€ΒΆ There has been no rules violation and you have not been asked to submit proof on your entry. If you report a rules violation on your own entry or request removal after receiving a proof request, the request will be treated as a normal disqualification.
ΓΆ€ΒΆ None of your last 25 submissions have been disqualified or removed.
Remember that subsequent DQs within the next 25 submissions may incur a penalty as set forth below. |
I see, okay. Sorry to rob the thread Skip! Congrats on all your success and you're right, low scores are better off laughed away, especially given your show of success here.
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10/31/2006 09:33:05 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by achiral:
why are you allowed to self-dq? |
basically, if you find yourself regretting entering a challenge, you are allowed to pull it. however you can only do it as long as you're following the rules.
i don't mind low scores--i've had plenty of them. for me, pulling an entry comes down to 1) some photos mean a bit more to me than the score that would be associated with it, or 2) the entry is so god-awful that i really never want to see it again.
the point here is pretty much the same as in the previous thread: don't judge your photographic worth by your dpc scores...especially when the real world is a lot more forgiving.
and it's not that i would totally abandon challenges, it's just that i will be a lot more judicious when entering, rather than shoe-horning something in just for the sake of having something in a challenge. and this has nothing to do with scoring! what it has to do with is simply not entering anything that wasn't shot with a challenge in mind. really: how do you expect to get good photos without some sense of focus...
thanks for all the comments and notes, they are greatly appreciated! |
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10/31/2006 10:14:43 AM · #16 |
I thought John hit the reason why this did so badly pretty will in his comments.
This isn't a shot 'about' lighting. It is a good shot, people, interest etc. But it isn't 'about' lighting in any real way.
Good scores come from shots that find the challenge theme, take it, smack it around and generally hit it right between the eyes. blatant. Obvious.
If you asked a random sampling of people to describe your entry and one of the first couple of phrases was the challenge theme, then you've got a shot that's good for that challenge. Voters look at the image for seconds - it has to be totally 'on topic', really obvious, arresting, to score high for a given theme.
I wouldn't even mention the lighting in your shot -it just ain't about that. So while holding DPC up to the real world can be an interesting thought experiment - consider if you had to put a picture in the dictionary beside the term 'lighting' - would you use this one ?
Message edited by author 2006-10-31 10:15:57. |
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10/31/2006 10:34:50 AM · #17 |
Originally posted by skiprow:
so, what's the point? well, my membership is due to expire in a couple weeks, and i most certainly am going to renew, mainly just to try to give back to dpc. as i've said time and time again, it's not getting scores and comments that help you grow here. it's your willingness to take advantage of everything the site has to offer that will help you grow. and, if i can help anyone get past the frustration of having a subpar outing and find their way along the paths i've found, it's worth the effort, and more than worth my $25. |
Glad you're hanging in there. I think it does particularly "hurt" when a photo you are very proud of doesn't do well here on DPC. I know I'm steeling myself for a low score on my freestudy entry - even though I've already sold a couple of prints and I love the shot. The problem is that if I DON'T enter it, I will always wonder "what if..." It would be nice for a change to have a photo score HIGHER than I expect it to. :) I agree that the best thing I get out of this site is not the scores, but the information, inspiration, and confirmation that I'm not the only one who stands in the middle of the road at 3am in the snow to get a shot (or similar type goofiness non-photographers don't quite "get") :) |
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