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10/30/2009 02:08:31 PM · #1 |
It seems like each month it gets harder to pick a shot for the free study challenge. For the month of October I took over 1800 photos and I am still unsure what to enter. I have rounded it down to about 50 shots to choose from but I am stumped. I have some purple sky sunsets on the ocean, I have some cityscape shots, flowers, wildlife, seascapes, street shots, motion/action shots, portraits, still life, night shots and pretty much every type of picture posible, The problem is I am trying to figure out which one will be least hated here. If I submit a flower shot the anti flower crowd will vote me down, If I choose a Sunset the anti sunset group will nail me, if I submit a shot I took at the zoo that group will get me and so on etc etc... Does anyone else go through a thought process when picking your free study shot? Or do you just take what you feel is best and not worry about the people that will purposely vote down your nice photo just because they have grown tired of the subject? Honestly it is driving me crazy I have picked about a dozen already and then second guessed each one and I am back to base one not sure what or if I will even enter this month.
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10/30/2009 02:25:24 PM · #2 |
I have radically changed my thinking on Free Studies, actually. I used to go through all that, now I just choose the one I, personally, like best when it's deadline time. Generally, I don't score well in Free Studies, but I don't much care anymore. I did manage a top-20 last month, and that made me happy-dappy-doo...
R. |
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10/30/2009 02:37:06 PM · #3 |
| Some months I have nothing that will do well in a Free Study. Last month, for instance. So I entered something I really liked. Did that the month before and actually self-dq'd. (It wasn't a winner for DPC but it sure as heck wasn't a 4.3, either.) This month I've narrowed it down to a dozen or so (shot a lot, but not as much as you and don't have as many nifty categories!) and may actually try to pick the one I think might score the highest. And it still won't score very high, but hopefully higher than last month or the month before! If not, ah well. That's the way it goes, yes? |
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10/30/2009 02:39:42 PM · #4 |
| Oh, and pick the one you like the best for the month. The least "offensive" generally tends to be very awesome landscapes, preferably with water and dramatic skies. If you've got one of those you're fond of, go with it. |
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10/30/2009 02:44:53 PM · #5 |
| Free Studies are normally where I score the worst (with a few exceptions). I always have trouble choosing what to enter. And with only 1 day left I still haven't decided. |
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10/30/2009 11:25:57 PM · #6 |
| I figure I'm not competitive in the free study, anyway, so I enter what I like and hope that someone likes it too. I have about 5 shots I'm kickin' around. Two of which I really love, but won't do well. One that I think is really cool and might get high fives or even a low six. I wish I could enter all three! It's fun not caring about score. During the regular challenges, I try to pick the one that will do the best, for freestudy, it just doesn't matter. |
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10/30/2009 11:39:58 PM · #7 |
I agree with Robert. Like him I also used to go through what you do every month. Now-a-days I have refined what I want my style to be. I like to shoot landscapes and wildlife/birds. I work at getting as good at that and then as good at processing them as I can. That has at least helped me narrow down the field a bit. Many of the shots I submit end up looking great in a large print but maybe not so much for DPC. That is ok becasue I know that eventually I get one that the general public likes and it will score better here also. So as Robert said, pick the one you like best or even one that gave you the best feedback from others during the month and go with it.
As a side I get to hang some of my work at a local eatery and that has taught me what catches peoples eye. That is not always what I may like the best but generally I would not hang them if I did not at lest think they were good. Hell, I even sell a few that way even though I'm not into selling much. I'd hate it to become a full scale business and become work!
Message edited by author 2009-10-31 00:00:08. |
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10/30/2009 11:50:43 PM · #8 |
With the free study, I don't really worry about score as I'm never going to do well there anyway. I always enter the one that I'm most interested in hearing peoples comments on.
I could go to the beach and take a nice long exposure ocean picture with a colourful sky, and I"m sure that would do OK, but it wouldn't do much for me as it's not my style. |
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10/31/2009 12:24:32 AM · #9 |
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10/31/2009 01:44:03 AM · #10 |
I've not yet had the misfortune to enter a FS (not yet a paid nutter like you lot) but I've eaten up my bandwidth every month trolling DPC to understand it and it's members nuances before taking the plunge. I think fresh, unusual, humorous, crisp, all in focus, tack sharp, nude, (edit: no nude), no highlights, contrasty, no blur (intentional or otherwise), no under exposed, hyperfocally perfect, HDR that gives us 3 natural light sources, portrait with the Amazon Delta River System for a face, PS mastery wins at the end of the day. I'm off to the Circus to find my subject and taking them to Jupiter where the sun plus the three moons will give me the light I need. SB900's are so damn expensive...I'm still recovering from the cost of my glass...
 Bugzeye Bear_Music  Melethia KarenNfld vawendy jbsmithana Covert_Oddity neophyte What they said
Good for you that you no longer give a damn about the "One too many water drop" brigade and enter your pet, flower, leaky tap, ocean scene :)
This is the problem with community based mass voting anything. Nepotism and favouritism. At last search I found at least a 1/2 dozen sites that only have a small panel of judges and will enter my flower shot there...
Message edited by author 2009-10-31 01:48:14.
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10/31/2009 07:08:55 AM · #11 |
| I finally made a choice, But not until I went out today and took about 200 more photos added a dozen more to my choices and then spent 4 hours processing until I finally weeded it down to 3 pictures and I let my kids vote. Figured as long as I couldn't decide myself I would do it democratically. So now if I don't score well I can send the kids to bed early and not feel too guilty about it. :) |
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10/31/2009 07:19:13 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by neophyte:
In a word, yes. |
YES ! , I have changed my submission 3 times now ..... I am going to shut my notebook down now! |
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10/31/2009 08:43:52 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by Magnum_za:
This is the problem with community based mass voting anything. Nepotism and favouritism. |
Um.....how do you reconcile this concept with anonymous voting?
I dunno.......I've finally learned not to take any of this too seriously.
I know that Free Studies are judged more harshly; I've never done particularly well in them, so it's good exercise for me to try and stretch my creative muscles and proffer something that'll resonate with the voters.
If I throw a brick, so be it!
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10/31/2009 09:02:48 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by Bugzeye:
I finally made a choice, But not until I went out today and took about 200 more photos added a dozen more to my choices and then spent 4 hours processing until I finally weeded it down to 3 pictures and I let my kids vote. Figured as long as I couldn't decide myself I would do it democratically. So now if I don't score well I can send the kids to bed early and not feel too guilty about it. :) |
Excellent plan. :-) |
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10/31/2009 09:54:57 AM · #15 |
This thread is a beautiful snapshot of the DPC lifecycle, from adoration --> obsession --> indignation --> attempted modification --> resignation --> eventually finding your art.
I gave up trying to predict the voters long ago. I've had pictures I thought would tank do well (including the only ribbon I've managed to win), and pictures I thought would soar crash and burn. This month will be a great example. Took a shot way early this month that I edited and it immediately seemed to me to have that DPC pop ... dramatic image, pretty colors, immediate impact, DPC-friendly subject. So I entered it over 3 weeks ago, expecting it has a legit chance to make it to my front page. It probably has an equally good chance of being above 6.5 as it does of being below 5.8.
Good luck to the OP and everyone else this month.
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10/31/2009 10:06:01 AM · #16 |
| I just sat down here to process some shots for FS when I saw this thread - adding to the 6 shots that are already finished. Can we please have a FS every week? |
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10/31/2009 10:35:42 AM · #17 |
| Usually my FS entries surprise me with how well they do, and for the most part I just find myself looking at a pic that I may have shot with intent to enter in a challenge, and instead going yep, that's my FS for this month. Works so far! |
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10/31/2009 10:55:47 AM · #18 |
Hi Jeb, anonimity can't drive the lemmings off the cliff, peer pressure does that!
We voted for X; we didn't. We hate water droplets, we don't. I love macro's, kill me if I see another dragonfly. And then there's the rest of us inbetween.
However, as an example, I'm not here to enter a beach/seascape because that's what might 'appear' to be faring well overall. I'll do it to give it a bash and improve my understanding of my DSLR and lenses. One group will sway another group to their way of thinking, just like an election, or sheep crossing the road, Pavlov's reaction, add more metaphors here. This is why im glad the members who posted before me aren't specifically interested in shooting for the masses or the perceived 'what will do well here' shot, they are doing it for comments and improving their craft as I do. In the few months I've been here I have noticed certain leanings toward styles, subjects and what does well. I've also commented on what I like or dislike in an entry. My preferred subject for the past 25+ years is African Game and Wildlife and landscapes, but not the bog standard hefalump amongst the bushes destroying a tree for one branch of leaves or a lazy lion taking a nap type photo. I am here to improve in DSLR and broaden my horisons, and thus far have entered four very different styles of photo's. I took a marked sidestep with my fourth entry in Triptych III to see if I'd learned anything at all. The comments I was getting during voting humbled me, peers giving honest feedback, good and bad. The fact that it got an HM was a bonus but it was the comments that spurred me on to be more creative and improve. Poor lighting and PP in PS was my weakness on it and I have spent Saturday watching videos and reading tutorials and working on Curves on my originals of that entry.
I agree > Originally posted by NikonJeb:
... so it's good exercise for me to try and stretch my creative muscles and proffer something that'll resonate with the voters. |
but I'm not going to lose sleep over it if it doesn't do well.
I agree > Originally posted by EstimatedEyes:
This thread is a beautiful snapshot of the DPC lifecycle, from adoration --> obsession --> indignation --> attempted modification --> resignation --> eventually finding your art. |
Have a great photo weekend!
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10/31/2009 11:29:23 AM · #19 |
| I never have a problem picking a shot for the Free Study. Simply because I only seem to take one decent shot a month anyway. |
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10/31/2009 04:07:20 PM · #20 |
| I'm having trouble picking a FS shot, would someone like to take a look at some of my options? |
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10/31/2009 04:29:11 PM · #21 |
I only take a few hundred photos in a month and most of them I may look at once and never again. When I enter into a FS, usually I will have a idea of what my concept will be in advance and go out and shoot. As anyone can tell from my entries I go with what I like or perhaps a experiment in a different direction. FS is a good opportunity to express what you like and not be confined to the challenge title/idea. Regardless of the score I am happy with my shot, even if it places 2nd to last...
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10/31/2009 04:41:18 PM · #22 |
| After a bollte and a bit of red wine to accompany my tea, i have given up trying to worj out which is the photo I shoutrl ente. It wil habve to be the plabe holder that ewnt in early on in the month. I had a feq I ws quite pleased with, but a coule of tem I can epaet for dec's FS. |
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10/31/2009 05:47:37 PM · #23 |
I have uploaded four different photos and keep going back to the one I put in a couple of weeks ago just to make sure I don't forget to do it at all.
What's the old addage, You can please some of the people some of the time all of the people some of the time some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time?
I go with pleasing myself (most of the time). It's a lot less frustrating. |
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10/31/2009 07:40:06 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by SaraR:
After a bollte and a bit of red wine to accompany my tea, i have given up trying to worj out which is the photo I shoutrl ente. It wil habve to be the plabe holder that ewnt in early on in the month. I had a feq I ws quite pleased with, but a coule of tem I can epaet for dec's FS. |
LOL! |
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11/01/2009 05:26:17 PM · #25 |
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