Disappointing Best of 2007 - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/21/2008 04:07:00 PM · #26

Understand that it is me I am most disappointed with because it is me who is at fault for my choices. Still doesnt make that bitter pill any easier to swallow. And in fact the comments I disagree with are not correct in their assumptions but isn't that always the way it is with an assumption.

Message edited by author 2008-01-21 16:07:32.

Ken

Canon EOS-7D

01/21/2008 04:09:03 PM · #27

Originally posted by apashack:

Originally posted by mad_brewer:
Chris, I haven't voted on that many yet but I haven't seen too many that are dark. Are you using a calibrated monitor?

And your assumption that many would be overexposed is probably correct. And then there's the intent of the photographer also to factor in..

My picture is running about half a point lower than expected with one of two comments being "too dark". I should have entered something I liked more instead of something to try to please the masses.

Yes it's calibrated. When I was seeing the dark ones I switched off to several other old challenges and didn't see the same thing. I did think it was my monitor at first. It may just be my taste in photography as well. I have never been a huge fan of images that are too dark. After I made the switch to digital a few years back I learned that a image may look fantastic on the monitor but when you have it printed it looks too dark or over saturated.

I'm guessing then that I haven't voted enough yet to get to the dark ones. Perhaps its just a "try to do something different" method to stand out from the crown. DPC is typically full of bright, saturated images so maybe that's why there are so many. I've been doing some darker images lately but it's because I like that dark, moody stuff.

My monitor and prints tend to look nearly identical. I'd take a look at your color management settings and see what's up. Is your colorspace set up as sRGB?

Monique64

Canon EOS-30D

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

01/21/2008 04:18:07 PM · #28

I haven't started voting yet but I have looked at all the thumbnails. My first impression was WOW, so many beautiful shots, and that impression hasn't changed. I entered one of my favourite shots from towards the end of the year and did spend quite some time on PP. Not sure if it falls into one of the darker shots, dont think so myself, but due to when and where it was taken does have more subdued lighting. Cant wait to start voting.

glad2badad

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic

01/21/2008 04:31:30 PM · #29

I entered a photo. It's being voted on. That's SO cool! :-)

Oh...was I supposed to moan a little with my comment, perhaps second guess my choice maybe?

Nope. Can't do it. Quite happy with my decision, good or bad. Have fun y'all! :-P

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

01/21/2008 04:32:18 PM · #30

Originally posted by glad2badad:

Punk! :-P

01/21/2008 05:33:19 PM · #31

Well if you compare this to the Best of 2005 or 2006 its a big disappointment but as a glorified monthly free study it's not too bad. It's got the usual retreads that we see do well every month. What's disappointing is the lack of one-of-a-kind shots that we normally get in these best of challenges. There were a couple of artsy photos that I really liked but nothing from the pros/commercial side of things at least from what I've seen so far.

hanneke

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/21/2008 05:36:12 PM · #32

Originally posted by yanko:

ya probably haven't seen mine yet ::P

mpeters

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

01/21/2008 06:03:48 PM · #33

Originally posted by yanko:

the usual retreads

Guilty! ;)

Citadel

Nikon D7500

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/21/2008 06:18:54 PM · #34

I don't know. I've seen some good shots in the mix that I have voted for and a few that would win the monthly Free studies. I agree that so far I haven't seen anything that was as incredible as what I remember from the 2006 Best of but I might be looking at this selection a lot more critically. Some of the stuff I would normally overlook I am marking down for simply because I ask myself: Is this the best shot they have taken all year?

I also have to remind myself though. My best picture and my favorite picture might not be the same. Unfortunately my best and favorite pictures were entered into challenges so that rules them out. Yes I could enter a different shot from the same session but it just wouldn't feel right. (As a matter of fact, one of the rules in my local camera club is that your entries need to be significantly different and I actually got dinged on it).

The other observation I'd like to make is that aside from quality being down (which is debatable) I am surprised to see the quantity of images go down too. Last years offering had over 700 shots to go through. This year? 450 ish isn't it? I'd also like to point out that while I haven't had an opportunity to hand out a lot of 10's I'm also not seeing the need to hand out a lot of 3's, 2's and 1's. (The fours I have given out are a rareity with everything below that has been non-existent.)

Now that aside, quit being stingy and get my entry above six!!!

:)

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

01/21/2008 06:32:12 PM · #35

The drop in numbers is something that SC both noticed and discussed. It might be worth remembering that we had a free study "every" month, and this was the first year to have 12. Also, there were a lot more of the side challenges. People may have felt that they had already entered the "best of" either in a side challenge or the monthly study. I know I had to "dig" for one that hadn't already been seen by a lot of people.

Granted, it is not against the rules to enter a shot in a free study that has been in a side challenge, but there are a lot of people that don't feel comfortable doing that.

zxaar

01/21/2008 07:05:57 PM · #36

Originally posted by JunieMoon:

I have been frequenting other sites this past year, and, well, in all honesty, I have been spoiled by them. The images are so much brighter at the other sites, with better detail and just more interesting. So far I have voted on 188 of the images in this challenge. I have NOT been impressed. I keep on saying "So when will I get to the good stuff?"

Obviously you have not voted on my entry. So keep voting till you get impressed.

Anyway, I also was little disappointed by the quality of entries, but I had in my mind was last year's best of challenge.
Otherwise it is not so bad, I was expecting little more than this.

For me, what I entered is not my best shot. But for long time I had in my mind about this subject. So finally entered what I wanted to for few months. My best shot was a candid (I think it is my best shot), and might have done good, but not great.

Photologist

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

01/21/2008 07:11:58 PM · #37

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

But anyway, I tend to enter "personal favorites" in "Best of Year" challenges, not my DPC-pleasers. And they rarely do very well.

I abstained from BO2006, but for BO2007, I did the same as you, Robert. And yes, my personal favs don't usually fare well in challenges. :-(

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/21/2008 07:13:14 PM · #38

Originally posted by karmat:

For sure, monthly Free Studies stripped a lot of potential "best of" entries from the field. But that's all good as far as I'm concerned. Spread 'em out!

R.

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C

01/21/2008 07:27:18 PM · #39

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by karmat:
The drop in numbers is something that SC both noticed and discussed. It might be worth remembering that we had a free study "every" month, and this was the first year to have 12. Also, there were a lot more of the side challenges. People may have felt that they had already entered the "best of" either in a side challenge or the monthly study. I know I had to "dig" for one that hadn't already been seen by a lot of people.

Granted, it is not against the rules to enter a shot in a free study that has been in a side challenge, but there are a lot of people that don't feel comfortable doing that.

For sure, monthly Free Studies stripped a lot of potential "best of" entries from the field. But that's all good as far as I'm concerned. Spread 'em out!

R.

To which I say allow those to be re-entered for the best of the year challenge. It's silly not to especially when we do allow duplicates to be entered.

BHuseman

Nikon D750

01/21/2008 07:30:43 PM · #40

Why let the same entries be submitted again? Do we really want to crown the highest rated Free Study an instant ribbon? Nonsense like this makes me question democracies throughout the world.

Originally posted by yanko:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by karmat:
The drop in numbers is something that SC both noticed and discussed. It might be worth remembering that we had a free study "every" month, and this was the first year to have 12. Also, there were a lot more of the side challenges. People may have felt that they had already entered the "best of" either in a side challenge or the monthly study. I know I had to "dig" for one that hadn't already been seen by a lot of people.

Granted, it is not against the rules to enter a shot in a free study that has been in a side challenge, but there are a lot of people that don't feel comfortable doing that.

For sure, monthly Free Studies stripped a lot of potential "best of" entries from the field. But that's all good as far as I'm concerned. Spread 'em out!

R.

To which I say allow those to be re-entered for the best of the year challenge. It's silly not to especially when we do allow duplicates to be entered.

Message edited by author 2008-01-21 19:37:26.

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Canon

01/21/2008 07:36:20 PM · #41

Originally posted by yanko:

the usual retreads

Maybe it's time to reward original subjects and creative takes ... if you see something new you like ... just give it a 10.

apashack

Canon EOS-20D

01/21/2008 07:49:15 PM · #42

IMO the best of is located in one of the previous challenges. There are photos in previous challenges that blow the entire field away. Not being able to enter photos from a previous challenge seems a bit odd to me. In the movie and music industries you can win multiple awards for the same film or song. (Sometimes two years in a row)

There are many very impressive photos on this site that can't be entered. I think a rule change for "Best Of" should be just that, "The Best Of previous entries only" The Best Of should be the Granddaddy of them all. Or you could rename it "The Best Of 2007 I didn't enter because I didn't think it was that good at the time I shot it" challenge. That should change IMO.

LanceW

Nikon Z9

Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D

01/21/2008 07:52:46 PM · #43

Who/where/when was it mentioned that you could NOT enter previous entires? It's not listed in the rules. Anywhoo, I agree with the last poster, the true "Best of" is not in the challenge. I went through expecting to see it and was surprised when I didn't.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/21/2008 07:55:36 PM · #44

Originally posted by da rules on da rules page:

You may not
*use the same original image in more than one challenge.

bassbone

Nikon Z8

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120 f/4 S

01/21/2008 07:55:51 PM · #45

Right in the rules for each of the rule sets..

You May Not:

"use the same original image in more than one challenge."

LanceW

Nikon Z9

Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D

01/21/2008 07:56:57 PM · #46

Originally posted by bassbone:

Right in the rules for each of the rule sets..

You May Not:

"use the same original image in more than one challenge."

Ah, I was under the mistaken assumption that that rule was lifted for "Best of's." Guess not. Thanks!

trevytrev

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

01/21/2008 08:07:05 PM · #47

Maybe they should have two seperate challenges in January. Maybe one challenge the first week, vote the second week and then another challenge the third week and vote the fourth week. The first could be a 2007(or whatever year) freestudy were you can enter any photo from 2007 that has not been submitted to a previous challenge that year, just as it is in a regular monthly freestudy were you can't re-enter a picture from another challenge that month. The second challenge could be the "Best of " were you enter a picture that was entered in a challenge that previous year. You can enter the pic as it was entered before or re-edit the picture to tweak some things to make it better. You would be able to enter in both challenges as they are at diffrent times. Just an idea to make all happy. Trevor~

01/21/2008 08:10:47 PM · #48

Originally posted by BHuseman:

Why let the same entries be submitted again? Do we really want to crown the highest rated Free Study an instant ribbon? Nonsense like this makes me question democracies throughout the world.

Originally posted by yanko:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by karmat:
The drop in numbers is something that SC both noticed and discussed. It might be worth remembering that we had a free study "every" month, and this was the first year to have 12. Also, there were a lot more of the side challenges. People may have felt that they had already entered the "best of" either in a side challenge or the monthly study. I know I had to "dig" for one that hadn't already been seen by a lot of people.

Granted, it is not against the rules to enter a shot in a free study that has been in a side challenge, but there are a lot of people that don't feel comfortable doing that.

For sure, monthly Free Studies stripped a lot of potential "best of" entries from the field. But that's all good as far as I'm concerned. Spread 'em out!

R.

To which I say allow those to be re-entered for the best of the year challenge. It's silly not to especially when we do allow duplicates to be entered.

The point is you can do it now if you have a duplicate shot of your ribbon winner (i.e. a shot taken during the same burst mode/sequence). Maybe you haven't noticed but there are some like that (i.e. past ribbon winners/high scorers) in this challenge.

Message edited by author 2008-01-21 20:11:33.

01/21/2008 08:12:18 PM · #49

Originally posted by Dr.Confuser:

Originally posted by yanko:
the usual retreads

Maybe it's time to reward original subjects and creative takes ... if you see something new you like ... just give it a 10.

I do assuming of course it's also executed well and not just an idea in the rough.

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800