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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Results >> Okay, a little upset about the surprise challenge
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Showing posts 1 - 15 of 15, (reverse)
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 12/01/2003 12:24:03 AM · #1
Okay, in the challenge descriptions is says "Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment. Try to capture the essence of surprise in your shot this week" SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING.. not set up.. alot of the photos that were in the top 20 were set up surprises.. how can you catch a surprise and set it up? I dont get it.. next time I guess they have to specify what they REALLY mean. The photos that really WERE surprises were thrown at the end.. I dont get it I guess.. why bother having a challenge topic if it's JUST going to be judged by perfect photo and not both? Oh well..
 12/01/2003 12:27:10 AM · #2
The "essence of surprise" doesn't mean literally necessarily. If the element of surprise was captured either for real or in a way that didn't make it look set up, or "fake", then I see no problem with it fitting the challenge.
12/01/2003 12:28:38 AM · #3
Originally posted by FullyFocused:
Okay, in the challenge descriptions is says "Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment. Try to capture the essence of surprise in your shot this week" SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING.. not set up.. alot of the photos that were in the top 20 were set up surprises.. how can you catch a surprise and set it up? I dont get it.. next time I guess they have to specify what they REALLY mean. The photos that really WERE surprises were thrown at the end.. I dont get it I guess.. why bother having a challenge topic if it's JUST going to be judged by perfect photo and not both? Oh well..


I'm sorry not everyone thinks exactly the same way you do. I love the creative interpretations - that's what makes the voting interesting. Maybe it's time to open your mind to at least respect other people's opinions about the challenge topic?
 12/01/2003 12:56:02 AM · #4
No, don't get me wrong, I love ALOT of photos on these challenges.. great setups, great photo taking.. GREAT idea's.. but this topic to me was to catch a surprise.. I guess I read it wrong.. next time I will go differently I guess
 12/01/2003 01:03:14 AM · #5
Originally posted by FullyFocused:
No, don't get me wrong, I love ALOT of photos on these challenges.. great setups, great photo taking.. GREAT idea's.. but this topic to me was to catch a surprise.. I guess I read it wrong.. next time I will go differently I guess


This is normal. When one reads the description, they usually form an idea of what the photos should look like.

Some will allow their own interpretation to flex as they see different ideas that were outside of their interpretation.

12/01/2003 01:04:00 AM · #6
FullyFocused, this is a one week challenge. The chances of catching a genuine surprise on film (or digital equivalent) are extremely slim. Granted one could hide behind a wall, wait until someone comes by, and jump out snapping a picture. But aside from that, I really don't see how you can anticipate the surprise in order to take a picture of it.

Then again, what makes you think mine was set up?
12/01/2003 01:12:41 AM · #7
Yes mine was set up but only because I didn't have my camera with me and trained on my face when I got the news at the vet's office and picked the cat up myself and looked.

Deannda
Sides, my daughter loves to act and play in front of the camera
 12/01/2003 01:23:46 AM · #8
I interpreted the challenge to mean to catch the expression of surprise, and that is difficult to do for real. So I don't see what's wrong with a setup, as long as the capture gives one the impression of surprise. I was surprised, as I mentioned earlier, however, that the challenge would include the situational aspects of surprise as well as the expression of it.

I thought my photo was more solid than it rated. I thought it had some interesting compositional elements and interplay between the three characters. I liked the b&w hitchcockian aspect of it. Most people thought the expressions were totally made up and they were looking at nothing. But they were looking at something quite shocking and disgusting: a dead deer. Well, perhaps I was the most shocked and disgusted of all, and I wasn't on camera.

I'd be happy to hear all post-hoc critiques.

12/01/2003 01:36:02 AM · #9
Well the blue ribbon photo was awesome (and I gave it a 10), but this time I was totally off on my voting with the other pictures. I must have missed the boat somewhere.
 12/01/2003 02:47:06 AM · #10
My suprised photo got beaten badly by suprisingly unsuprised snapshots,which tells me it's time to take break and recharge the batteries!
Voters suck as always,(Who is the President anyway ?!!) :-)

Message edited by author 2003-12-01 02:54:04.
 12/01/2003 03:04:21 AM · #11
I'm really surprised at your reaction. Don't take too long on your brake, I'll miss you.
 12/01/2003 04:42:55 AM · #12
Originally posted by sonnyh:
Well the blue ribbon photo was awesome (and I gave it a 10), but this time I was totally off on my voting with the other pictures. I must have missed the boat somewhere.


Not at all - you just brought a different opinion to it, which is way more valuable than being the same as the majority. There is no correct opinion, just a most popular opinion.

Ed
 12/01/2003 08:17:36 AM · #13
This goes to Trinch - I said "alot of the photos that were in the top 20
" not all of them.. but I guess I understand how the challenge worked now, I guess I thought one thing, not knowing it meant both.. my mistake.. lets move on..
 12/01/2003 08:24:25 AM · #14
This is how I read the challenge description, for what it's worth. (Probably not very much as I didn't enter, but hey ho).

Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment.

This part of the description seemed to me to be there only to describe what is meant by "Surprise"; to give some varied definitions of the word itself; to convey, in words, what the essence of surprise actually is.

Try to capture the essence of surprise in your shot this week

This part of the description seemed to be the instruction about what to do.

I.E. Having explained what is meant by "surprise" we want you to enter an image that conveys it.

I read it that way because, to me, "capture the essence" means "create an image that conveys the definition of surprise" - so someone looking at the photo thinks of that emotion.

In my mind, that could be done by recreating a reaction, showing a subject that would be readily understood to cause surprise or by capturing a real life surprise happening.


12/02/2003 09:45:50 PM · #15
Originally posted by coolhar:
I'm really surprised at your reaction. Don't take too long on your brake, I'll miss you.


I'm skipping Soft Focus,Money and Giving Thanks for now,no you will not miss me :-) , nothing to miss here,recently I did run out of ideas ....
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