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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Results >> This was an interesting experiment
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02/10/2010 09:06:48 AM · #1
Knowing that blur shots often do poorly in challenges without a blur friendly theme, I entered non-identical twins into two challenges this week. I was very curious to see what happened. "Pieces of the human form" got a sharp, clear image, while "Hot" got the version showing motion blur and dramatic sparks flying.


I'm pleased with the outcome on both entries, but as anticipated, the motion blurred version came in with a significantly lower average, and a much larger percentage of sub-5 votes. I think the motion blur was the largest factor involved, and I suspect for many voters, blurred=flawed. There were certainly other factors involved that may have had an effect:
-The blurred version has a mortar visible on the right that may have been a distracting element.
-One was an advanced editing member challenge, while the other one was a basic editing open challenge, resulting in a different cross section of voters.

Any thoughts?
02/10/2010 09:31:33 AM · #2
You may be right, though another factor to consider is the other photos entered in the challenge.

EDIT: Also, you are dealing with two separate pools of voters.

Message edited by author 2010-02-10 09:32:43.
02/10/2010 09:52:57 AM · #3
Personally with my voting I gave your pieces of the human form entry a 9 and the hot II entry a 7. Both good scores with the blurred coming in 2 points lower. For me it was the noise and background in the hot II entry that brought it down to me. Overall I think you placed quite well in both challenges. Much better then my entries :)

I do agree that artistic blur, noise or anything that isn't "stock photo quality" gets lower scores then the eye candy. But I am pretty new here so what do I know.
02/10/2010 10:06:16 AM · #4
Originally posted by jminso:

For me it was the noise and background in the hot II entry that brought it down to me.

The slight noise grain was an element I hadn't considered. Not shabby for ISO 1600, however. I've been fairly impressed with what the 50D can do in low light.
02/10/2010 10:07:21 AM · #5
Originally posted by citymars:

You may be right, though another factor to consider is the other photos entered in the challenge.

EDIT: Also, you are dealing with two separate pools of voters.
- Sorry, I should have finished reading your OP! :-)
02/10/2010 10:29:59 AM · #6


Judging by the one comment on this photo, someone seemingly confused motion blur with being OOF. Maybe if a percentage of voters in that certain cross section didn't understand the difference, perhaps some education is necessary to enlighten the audience.

Personally I think they were both well done and the still, sharp Free Sstudy photo is clearly superior to the action oriented Hot II photo. One reason may be that you got more of the body placed in the first zone of thirds in the free study shot than you did in the hot II entry. So it's possinle composition could have been a factor in the scoring difference as well.
02/10/2010 10:30:06 AM · #7
I agree with jminso, the gnarly noise in the hot entry isn't pretty. Even if the shots were identical otherwise, that's enough to knock a few points off of the score for a lot of people, I would imagine.
02/14/2010 12:08:04 AM · #8
I agree with jminso too. I scored the Hot entry at a 7 and the Human Form entry at a 9.
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