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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Results >> WINNER in BRANCH II challenge: "Dead but not gone"
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 03/24/2010 01:15:27 PM · #1
I dont get it. badly vignetted; underexposed and contrasty; big round blotch in upper left quadrant; border overwhelms. nice tree I guess. this is not written to be mean nor am I a poor sport (didnt enter this challenge). I just sometimes get the feeling DPC is getting political and "friends" are getting overly hight scores for political gain, not merit. if not that, then what is going on?
jim
 03/24/2010 01:26:40 PM · #2
I think it's a fine image and I don't even know the photographer.

The vignette is most likely intentional, the blotch could have been removed, but I didn't notice it until you pointed it out. The border is a personal taste issue, these have been doing OK lately.

The composition is good, the lighting is exceptional, the tones are dramatic. all in all a very good effort, IMO.
 03/24/2010 01:28:55 PM · #3
Now Jim, lol, you should know by now that unless the photos are shared with others in advance and people know who the random photo belongs to when they are voting, FRIEND voting isn't common place around these parts. Not saying it doesn't happen, but all of the challenges are SO subjective and the voters as a whole make the final decision. :)
There are times that some of the ribbon winners, IMHO, are very unappealing, but that's just my opinion (and everybody's got one), so we shoot, we enter challenges, we hope that the majority of the voters like it as there will always be a minority that hate it, lol. Without knowing who a photo belongs to or being able to recognize a very specific style of shooting, I'm not sure how the scores can be manipulated. :)
03/24/2010 01:29:52 PM · #4
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
DPC is getting political and "friends" are getting overly hight scores for political gain, not merit.

Uh oh. Jim found out that vlado is really Obama.
 03/24/2010 01:39:46 PM · #5
Twenty-Five people gave the photo a 5 or less, so there are others who thought it was average or below average.

Just how any voting works -- DPC is the ultimate democracy.
 03/24/2010 01:45:45 PM · #6
The shape of that tree is just so aesthetically pleasing to the eye that it can overcome other shortcomings. That's how I see it.
 03/24/2010 02:26:41 PM · #7
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
I dont get it. badly vignetted; underexposed and contrasty;


Interesting . . . you say these things as criticism, but, for me, it is what elevates the image.
 03/24/2010 03:16:17 PM · #8
Originally posted by bergiekat:
Now Jim, lol, you should know by now that unless the photos are shared with others in advance and people know who the random photo belongs to when they are voting, FRIEND voting isn't common place around these parts. Not saying it doesn't happen, but all of the challenges are SO subjective and the voters as a whole make the final decision. :)
There are times that some of the ribbon winners, IMHO, are very unappealing, but that's just my opinion (and everybody's got one), so we shoot, we enter challenges, we hope that the majority of the voters like it as there will always be a minority that hate it, lol. Without knowing who a photo belongs to or being able to recognize a very specific style of shooting, I'm not sure how the scores can be manipulated. :)


many thanks for your thoughtful response. I have never spoken out against anyone let alone a "winner" - guess the subjectivity is the issue here. I know this is *eye candy country* so understand some of the voting (at least its not a topaz/hdr - zzzzzzzz) will ignore the clown that wants to make this about his "enemy" - that guy watches too much Faux News.

best of luck to all
j
 03/24/2010 03:20:28 PM · #9
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
Originally posted by bergiekat:
Now Jim, lol, you should know by now that unless the photos are shared with others in advance and people know who the random photo belongs to when they are voting, FRIEND voting isn't common place around these parts. Not saying it doesn't happen, but all of the challenges are SO subjective and the voters as a whole make the final decision. :)
There are times that some of the ribbon winners, IMHO, are very unappealing, but that's just my opinion (and everybody's got one), so we shoot, we enter challenges, we hope that the majority of the voters like it as there will always be a minority that hate it, lol. Without knowing who a photo belongs to or being able to recognize a very specific style of shooting, I'm not sure how the scores can be manipulated. :)


many thanks for your thoughtful response. I have never spoken out against anyone let alone a "winner" - guess the subjectivity is the issue here. I know this is *eye candy country* so understand some of the voting (at least its not a topaz/hdr - zzzzzzzz) will ignore the clown that wants to make this about his "enemy" - that guy watches too much Faux News.

best of luck to all
j


Just curious as what is it that you do like? Your average vote cast is pretty low and you only have one favorite.
 03/24/2010 03:36:12 PM · #10
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
Originally posted by bergiekat:
Now Jim, lol, you should know by now that unless the photos are shared with others in advance and people know who the random photo belongs to when they are voting, FRIEND voting isn't common place around these parts. Not saying it doesn't happen, but all of the challenges are SO subjective and the voters as a whole make the final decision. :)
There are times that some of the ribbon winners, IMHO, are very unappealing, but that's just my opinion (and everybody's got one), so we shoot, we enter challenges, we hope that the majority of the voters like it as there will always be a minority that hate it, lol. Without knowing who a photo belongs to or being able to recognize a very specific style of shooting, I'm not sure how the scores can be manipulated. :)


many thanks for your thoughtful response. I have never spoken out against anyone let alone a "winner" - guess the subjectivity is the issue here. I know this is *eye candy country* so understand some of the voting (at least its not a topaz/hdr - zzzzzzzz) will ignore the clown that wants to make this about his "enemy" - that guy watches too much Faux News.

best of luck to all
j


I think the fact that there is a blotch, that it's underexposed and contrasty points out that DPC is not necessarily eye candy land. Eye candy is the perfect, beautiful shot. I think it speaks to emotion. I think it's a very moody, interesting subject, and it makes up for problems with the photo. Sorry. I think you just made the argument for DPC being anti-eye candy. :)
 03/24/2010 04:01:24 PM · #11
Originally posted by vawendy:
I think the fact that there is a blotch, that it's underexposed and contrasty points out that DPC is not necessarily eye candy land. Eye candy is the perfect, beautiful shot. I think it speaks to emotion. I think it's a very moody, interesting subject, and it makes up for problems with the photo. Sorry. I think you just made the argument for DPC being anti-eye candy. :)


I was going to say the exact same thing. First the masses bitch because DPC is only about the "eye-candy" (I hate that phrase), and now we're bitching that the winner was not perfectly shot...

???
 03/24/2010 04:12:57 PM · #12
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Originally posted by vawendy:
I think the fact that there is a blotch, that it's underexposed and contrasty points out that DPC is not necessarily eye candy land. Eye candy is the perfect, beautiful shot. I think it speaks to emotion. I think it's a very moody, interesting subject, and it makes up for problems with the photo. Sorry. I think you just made the argument for DPC being anti-eye candy. :)


I was going to say the exact same thing. First the masses bitch because DPC is only about the "eye-candy" (I hate that phrase), and now we're bitching that the winner was not perfectly shot...

???


Just one person's view on Vlado's image. Really, who cares about a blotch. The mood carries the image. Almost dreamlike for me. It clearly appealed to all types of people based on the votes.
 03/24/2010 04:16:36 PM · #13
Hrmmmm.... I gave it a 7, warts and all. From my personal perspective it's clumsily processed, but so what? Far more than most of the images entered (including my own) it's moody and evocative. I did wish he'd cleaned the blotch out of there (if he's processing on a CRT he might not even have SEEN it) but after all, Marilyn had a mole :-)

R.
 03/24/2010 06:43:43 PM · #14
I'd like to say something on this issue, if I may.

Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
I dont get it.


Nor do I. I expressed my surprise at the score during the voting... and still don't understand.

Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
badly vignetted; underexposed and contrasty;


I think you've just described my Signature Style. ;)

Seriously though, I like the vignette, and don't think THAT part of the processing was done badly (IMHO)... underexposed and contrasty... MAYBE...

Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
big round blotch in upper left quadrant;


Now THAT I'm embarrassed by. In the 5 minutes I had to process this before going away for the weekend, I did a quick and nasty lens flare removal. Spent all of 30 seconds on it I reckon, and it looked okay on my laptop. Only when I got to see it on another scree when I got back from Canberra did I see the blotch... and that's pretty much all I've seen every time I've looked at it since. I can only assume that most voters missed the blotch when they voted... perhaps I benefited in this instance from the tendency of voters to not REALLY look at the images for too long.

If I had the time, I'd have spent more time on processing, and perhaps it'd have gotten me my first 7. Perhaps it'd be completely different and would have ended up mid-field like most of my other entries... who knows?

Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
border overwhelms.


Ah... borders... anyone got that dead horse animated gif. Some like them, some hate them... I like to use them where and when I feel they're needed and take the hit from the h8Rs.

Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
I just sometimes get the feeling DPC is getting political and "friends" are getting overly hight scores for political gain, not merit. if not that, then what is going on?


I'm flattered that you think I have either the political power or enough "friends" here that recognise my "style" to have it affect my score.

Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
nice tree I guess


And that is the MAIN thing I took from this... that sometimes, a nice, strong (if I may add) image can overcome the minor processing mistakes, and even the not-so-minor ones (like the blotch) and still do well...

I am EXTREMELY grateful for everyone that came to the defence of my image here... and for everyone that likes it despite of all that is wrong with it.
 03/24/2010 06:49:28 PM · #15
Originally posted by vlado:
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
border overwhelms.


Ah... borders... anyone got that dead horse animated gif.





Here ya go!!
 03/24/2010 06:53:00 PM · #16
Thanks Kevin. I like the border around that one. ;)
 03/24/2010 09:00:15 PM · #17
Wow Vlado - I didn't realise you had quite so many friends (and powerful ones at that)!
I don't feel quite so special now ;P
 03/24/2010 09:08:58 PM · #18
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
border overwhelms


Judging from Jim's comments there is no such thing as a good border. Or a good title... to each his own I guess

Message edited by author 2010-03-24 21:15:45.
 03/31/2010 09:15:39 AM · #19
Wow - I'm hard pressed to figure out what would please you. With an average vote of 4.14 over the 12000+ votes you have issued, you are a hard guy to please.

03/31/2010 11:20:20 AM · #20
Originally posted by Citadel:
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:
border overwhelms

Judging from Jim's comments there is no such thing as a good border. Or a good title... to each his own I guess

I don't like overworked borders or overworked titles, either. So for the most part I avoid reading the titles and I try to shrug off the borders (or visualize the image without them).

Vlado, I thought your response was terrific. Good job.
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