Zeus' Top Pic(k)s: Insects - DPChallenge Forums

09/15/2003 12:18:18 AM · #1

As often happens, and more so recently, I come across excellence in photos, which, by my standards at least, have not received the attention they deserve. Sometimes their placement posted in the official challenge results coincides with my (personal) evaluation, sometimes there is distance. Occasionally, a gem has been subjected to severe 'oversight' and/or prejudices, whatever the voters' motivations may be.

To remedy this and to pay respect to those who have made my world a little richer by sharing their works, I want to post an alternate award after and for every challenge (or at least as many as I can handle).

Here are the winners:

Zeus' Top Pic(k)s: Insects

1. Place

2. Place

3. Place

My comments on the respective images are posted, where they usually are, beneath the image.

09/15/2003 12:23:05 AM · #2

Who cares?

timmi

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

09/15/2003 12:28:54 AM · #3

Well, pitsaman, you may not care, but I certainly do.

Thank you zeuszen, at least someone appreciates my photo. I was so close to a ribbon this time, but that doesn't really matter. I had good time shooting this and learned a whole wack of stuff in the process.

Thank you all who commented, sometimes it feels great to hear this kind of stuff.

Firstrich1

Nikon D610

09/15/2003 12:34:38 AM · #4

Originally posted by pitsaman:

Who cares?

Not Nice!

ChrisW123

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

09/15/2003 12:40:38 AM · #5

I thought these two should have done better, and for sure be in the top 10:

I really love the light coming through the wings in this shot:

The simple colors in this one is great:

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

09/15/2003 12:41:04 AM · #6

Originally posted by timmi:

Lot of people appreciate your photo,4th place isn't bad ! :-)

dsidwell

Canon EOS-5D

09/15/2003 12:42:54 AM · #7

I thought there were a lot of good shots this challenge. Look at the scores. Mine ended up a 6.3 something; that's usually good for a top 20! What fun to have such good photos to look at all week!

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/15/2003 12:52:35 AM · #8

Originally posted by dsidwell:

I thought there were a lot of good shots this challenge. Look at the scores. Mine ended up a 6.3 something; that's usually good for a top 20! What fun to have such good photos to look at all week!

I feel the same, David. It was definitely less of a true alternative take, for me, since the subject left so little room for this.

I found my own shot overrated, really. Perhaps, I should thank mother nature for the kudos. ;-)

ScottK

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

09/15/2003 01:07:02 AM · #9

Originally posted by pitsaman:

Who cares?

Zeus cares, and that's all that matters, isn't it?

timmi

09/15/2003 01:57:41 AM · #10

I would like to join zeuszen and point you to these very well done photos that were on my "top list":

by quadangle
by ellamay
by pinback
by Shizzzaaam
by ScottK
by zeuszen
by chuck
by timj351

Imagineer

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

09/15/2003 02:48:13 AM · #11

Originally posted by ChrisW123:

I thought these two should have done better, and for sure be in the top 10:
I really love the light coming through the wings in this shot:

This is just great - beautiful, smooth tones and killer focus.

There were some superb shots in that challenge - and Zeus's pic[k]s were worthy too.
This one by ellamay was in my top 3 (from Timmi's list):

Her list reiterates the high standards in the challenge and the staggering beauty in the insect world. A sci-fi creature designer could not come up with more fascinating critters than those already existing on earth!

vonautsch

Nikon Coolpix B500

09/15/2003 07:17:48 AM · #12

Just out of curiosity, did some people vote lower on this photo because they thought I did something 'illeagle'? I had several disqualification requests on it, which really brought my spirit down since it's only the second time I've posted to a challenge. On the other hand, thanks to all those who voted high on it.

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/15/2003 12:24:41 PM · #13

Originally posted by vonautsch:

I don't really see how anyone would think of two's and three's, yet seven voters did, apparently without explaining why. The 4 and 5 vote, I'm speculating, may have come from those who detected something in this shot they didn't expect and were threatened by it?-

The graph, however, shows that not all is lost, vonautsch. ;-)

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

09/15/2003 12:27:28 PM · #14

Originally posted by vonautsch:

I think you got more than one DQ request due to a glitch/ new DQ system we brought in last week - so I'd just like to apologise for that! I thought it was pretty obvious how you did it and we did vote to not DQ your picture. I think the second request was from the switch over to the new automated request system.

ellamay

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

09/15/2003 12:30:28 PM · #15

Thanks for the acknowledgement on my shot! What a pleasant suprise, this was my best rated shot so far and to be be acknowledged but such great photographers even more satisfying!! Thanks, and there were MANY EXCELLENT shots this challenge.
(pitsman- is it so awful and offensive for someone to acknowledge beauty in others shots?? Zeus offers superb comments if you take the time to read, they alone are worth his posts)

ScottK

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/15/2003 12:51:56 PM · #16

Originally posted by ellamay:

is it so awful and offensive for someone to acknowledge beauty in others shots?? Zeus offers superb comments if you take the time to read, they alone are worth his posts

I'll state my criticism of this thread series again, hopefully a little less sarcastically than before. :) I don't object to anyone posting their favorites from a challenge after its over - anyone's free to do that, and with all the encouragement these threads have been getting, more people are. (Just get ready for 100 threads every challenge someday soon...)

What I do object to is the holier-than-thou, "I'm smarter than the average dumb-as-sheep voters" attitude in the canned intro to these threads. It puts the selected pictures out not as "these were my favorites", but as "these are the shots that deserved to win, and the ones that got ribbons don't really count".

And I'll stop there, to the thundering silence of allmighty Zeus, before I get carried away again....

Message edited by author 2003-09-15 12:52:21.

09/15/2003 12:59:26 PM · #17

Originally posted by pitsaman:

Who cares?

Like I said,who cares!?

We have FAVORITE list for all personal filings and ability to write comments....
Fellow DPC-Er's who are starting these threads have empty favorites lists.

Message edited by author 2003-09-15 13:06:55.

Imagineer

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

09/15/2003 01:19:02 PM · #18

What's the problem here? People can ignore threads just as easliy as read them, and if they're not popular they'll go away.

Apart from that - Zeus's opinion gave me my only two 'virtual ribbons' to date (but that doesn't mean I'm biased)! ;)

glimpses

Sony DSC-F707

09/15/2003 01:21:15 PM · #19

Well done Zeus.

I wrote a similar thread just after the "Oops!" challenge and, time permitting, I will do the same after the "Nostalgia" challenge (both are Open - I do not feel fair to comment the "Member" ones, because I am just a registered user).

There were a few differences though between yours approach and mine which I will list to invite you to think about it.

I did not propose "alternate winners".
I think it is excessive and contrasting although, of course, I completely share the spirit behind this kind of initiatives which basically is: "how good the scrutiny was?".

I simply exposed my actual votes to the winners and that, in some cases, can be embarassing (I rated four the "blue ribbon"...).

Also, I listed which, in my opinion, was the most underrated pic of the challenge.

I am not telling you should do the same.
Your approach is interesting too, even if a little too aggressive in proposing alternative winners.

I think that, if Pitsaman gives it a second tought, he will realize being a sensible and intelligent person, that these initiatives can end up in one of two situations:

[1]
Become ridicolous if the photos proposed as alternative do not excel (and then the initiative itself would make no harm to the site).

[2]
Identify some problem in the scrutiny process if the photos proposed as alternative are of an excellent quality not reckoned at challenge time.
(and that would underline that the site is suffering somehow, but it would certainly not be the cause of the pain).

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/15/2003 01:23:35 PM · #20

Originally posted by ellamay:

(pitsman- is it so awful and offensive for someone to acknowledge beauty in others shots?? Zeus offers superb comments if you take the time to read, they alone are worth his posts)

Same to you,read my previous comment!

Sonifo

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

09/15/2003 01:59:01 PM · #21

ChrisW123
I really like sher's shot of the purple flower and yellow butterfly. The colors are just beautiful.
I think that the ones that won did a fine job and deserve a ribbon. Way to go folks!

edit to fix my signature

Message edited by author 2003-09-15 14:00:44.

shutterfly

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM III

09/15/2003 02:31:35 PM · #22

Thanks Zeuzen for making my shot #2 in your eyes and for putting a smile on my face today.

Message edited by author 2003-09-15 14:31:50.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

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

09/15/2003 02:33:48 PM · #23

Originally posted by pitsaman:

Fellow DPC-Er's who are starting these threads have empty favorites lists.

Ya know...at first, I was like "oh let's not get into silly arguments" but now I realize how wrong that was.

People are starting 'these threads' to bring attention to photos they like. I don't have an empty favorites list and I do appreciate these threads. I think they are very well labelled and easy to ignore. Don't bring the hate down on them - there's no reason.

M

clues56

Sony DSC-F707

09/15/2003 02:36:07 PM · #24

Are you in a bad mood today, Pitsa?