How to Rate Photos that are going for the "Brown"

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

03/28/2008 10:12:18 AM · #1

How do you rate photos that appear to be going for the "Brown Ribbon" intentionally?

a) Super creative: 10
b) Mess up their attempt: 5
c) Who cares? Let 'em have it: 1

This is slightly sarcastic in honor of the DNMC thread currently (once again) getting people fired up. :-D

paynekj

Pentax K10D

03/28/2008 10:22:41 AM · #2

Well I feel if it's that obvious their trying for brown, then it's not good enough for the brown, and I give a relatively high score.

Message edited by author 2008-03-28 10:23:25.

03/28/2008 10:29:09 AM · #3

I've been accused of 'going for the brown' on several shots that I thought were entirely on topic and serious entries.

I asked the now regrettably dead painter Syd Solomon, a most agreeable neighbor on Long Island for many summertimes, how to tell a good picture from a bad one. He gave me the most satisfactory answer I ever expect to hear. He said, "Look at a million pictures, and you can never be mistaken."

I passed this on to my daughter Edith, a professional painter, and she too thought it was pretty good. She said she "could rollerskate through the Louvre, saying, 'Yes, no, no, yes, no, yes,' and so on." A Man Without a Country - Kurt Vonnegut

03/28/2008 10:29:43 AM · #4

Originally posted by paynekj:

Well I feel if it's that obvious their trying for brown, then it's not good enough for the brown, and I give a relatively high score.

and how do you tell ?

03/28/2008 10:39:53 AM · #5

Real results from a recent "Brown".
[thumb]662808[/thumb]

03/28/2008 10:45:13 AM · #6

Originally posted by glad2badad:

Real results from a recent "Brown".
[thumb]662808[/thumb]

The votes on this one are quite a bit different, yet still second last

I still like that shot. It has a fav too.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/28/2008 10:49:12 AM · #7

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by glad2badad:
Real results from a recent "Brown".
[thumb]662808[/thumb]

The votes on this one are quite a bit different, yet still second last

I still like that shot. It has a fav too.

silverscreen

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/28/2008 10:51:26 AM · #8

I leave a comment and don't vote - but only when it's very obvious (like the recent black square in "Harsh Environments":

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

03/28/2008 11:10:18 AM · #9

Originally posted by glad2badad:

I still like that shot. It has a fav too.

Your image is certainly not an obvious attempt at a "Brown"...considering the challenge theme was "Impressionism". How does this relate to the thread topic: How to Rate Photos that are going for the "Brown" ???

Seems like a DNMT post. :-) [/quote]

Okay, so which of these 4 were going for a brown and which were serious, on topic, attempts ?

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

03/28/2008 11:18:38 AM · #10

I have come achingly close to the brown on several occasions. In each case I had commenters "accusing" me of going for the brown, and in none of these cases was that true. Sometimes I have images that I EXPECT to contend for the brown, but that's not why I enter them. That's not why I make them either. I just realize, going in, that they are not gonna be appreciated, but I don't care (at least at the moment I'm entering them, LOL).

R.

Quasimojo

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

03/28/2008 11:26:01 AM · #11

Originally posted by glad2badad:

How do you rate photos that appear to be going for the "Brown Ribbon" intentionally?

a) Super creative: 10
b) Mess up their attempt: 5
c) Who cares? Let 'em have it: 1

I feel really strongly about this practice of "shooting the brown". Sure, the eye candy needs a counter balance but the brownrunners aren't it. Zero value, either artistic or comedy imo. Frankly in most cases it seems like a lack of talent or effort rather than any artistic statement with any real integrity. I'm talking about black 200px squares entered as a coal mines and that sort of thing....I mean, if you're going to do that, then why not enter it at the maximum submission size to make your statement? That's what I mean about integrity...they just feel like cheap shots rather than real artistic directions.

N

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

03/28/2008 11:35:29 AM · #12

Originally posted by Quasimojo:

Zero value, either artistic or comedy imo.

they just feel like cheap shots rather than real artistic directions.

They ARE cheap shots, I don't have a problem with it. It's just a little fun and not taking things too seriously.

Originally posted by Quasimojo:

I'm talking about black 200px squares entered as a coal mines and that sort of thing....

Yea, I have to agree. I didn't like that coal mine pic either. It beat out my own brown effort.

BTW, I really enjoyed your comment. I had a harsh image of a harsh environment and it got lots of harsh comments and even harsher votes. I think it was the winner.

I promise not to make a regular habit of going for the brown, but you will have to put up with pictures of my shoehorn collection.

Message edited by author 2008-03-28 11:36:09.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/28/2008 11:40:44 AM · #13

Originally posted by Quasimojo:

I'm talking about black 200px squares entered as a coal mines and that sort of thing....I mean, if you're going to do that, then why not enter it at the maximum submission size to make your statement?

Perhaps to highlight further the dwindling natural resources on our rather tired planet ?

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

03/28/2008 12:02:44 PM · #14

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by Quasimojo:
I'm talking about black 200px squares entered as a coal mines and that sort of thing....I mean, if you're going to do that, then why not enter it at the maximum submission size to make your statement?

Perhaps to highlight further the dwindling natural resources on our rather tired planet ?

I figure it was to highlight the closed-in, claustrophobia-inducing environment of a mine shaft.

trevytrev

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

03/28/2008 12:08:35 PM · #15

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by Quasimojo:
I'm talking about black 200px squares entered as a coal mines and that sort of thing....I mean, if you're going to do that, then why not enter it at the maximum submission size to make your statement?

Perhaps to highlight further the dwindling natural resources on our rather tired planet ?

I figure it was to highlight the closed-in, claustrophobia-inducing environment of a mine shaft.

That was my take on it too, I felt it small was for a reason.