My suggestions... - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

06/23/2010 08:31:27 AM · #1

I love this site and I love shooting for this site, but some of the recent challenges have been... well, uninspiring. Personally, I don't feel anyone should complain unless they have a suggestion to make it better, so here are some of my suggestions:

1. More music themed challenges. Music is very powerful thing and I think if you look back on the challenges where some type of music theme was involved you will see good participation and high quality entries. You could go about this many different ways (specific song, favorite song, lyrics, etc...), but my suggestion is to have challenges based on certain musicians like we've done in the past here. I know everyone has different musical tastes, but having challenges like this could also be a way of introducing people to new musicians. These would be my suggestions:

Bruce Springsteen
Bob Dylan
David Gray
Johnny Cash
Eric Clapton
Janis Joplin
Bob Seger

The challenge description would read something like this:
Create an image inspired by the works of "*". The title of the image should be the title of the song that inspired the image.

These are some of my personal favorites because they are storytellers, but you get the idea. There is an endless list of musicians who have inspired people...

2. More movie themed challenges. People love movies. Again, look back on past challenges and you will see that these types of challenges have always been great. The challenges could ask you to create an image based/inspired by a:

Specific movie - This is another endless list
Favorite movie
Made up movie
Movie poster

3. Books. See 1 and 2.

4. She Walk in Beauty by Lord Byron - create an image based on/inspired by the famous poem:

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

5. Portrait Triptych - Create an portrait triptych that tells a story.

6. More challenges that deal with love and romance. What inspires people more than love and romance? Nothing... well, maybe money, but...

I just feel like the types of challenges that dig deep into the human soul will draw more entries than a "Green IV" challenge. Green is a great color and all, but I would rather shoot something that moves me instead of a green pepper and I think there are a lot of people on this site who feel the same way.

I've done my part... now I am free to complain.

Nikon D200

06/23/2010 10:29:22 AM · #2

Just curious, why couldn't you just decide that during Green IV, you were going to pick a favorite movie or song that incorporated the color green and make your image with that in mind?

06/23/2010 01:37:06 PM · #3

Originally posted by L2:

Just curious, why couldn't you just decide that during Green IV, you were going to pick a favorite movie or song that incorporated the color green and make your image with that in mind?

Sure, I could have done something from the Green Mile or something and gotten a bunch of DNMC comments, but that isn't really my point here. My point is to lead people with challenges that encourage emotional shots. Green does not scream emotion to me, but Bruce Springsteen's "Straight Time"... that song can move me.

I do understand that challenges are essentially what I put into them and up to my interpretation, but if I am putting a shot in that I have an emotional attachment to I don't want a bunch of comments centered around how it doesn't really fit into a challenge.

I hope I didn't offend, I'm just trying to offer my suggestions and what I think would make good challenges.

FourPointX

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

06/23/2010 01:48:47 PM · #4

i personally think your ideas are fantastic and readily second the idea of an artistically themed challenge, whether it's movie/book/music based. opens a wide variety of subjects and encourages creativity. during the paul simon challenge i particularly enjoyed listening to my simon cd's all week for inspiration, though ironically i didn't get a shot for that challenge....

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/04/2010 10:29:03 PM · #5

I just wanted to bump this one last time in hopes of possible having one of these suggestions used for a future challenge. I would be willing to bet my ribbons that any of these challenges would have more entries than the Operator Challenge.

Am I off my rocker in thinking they would be good?

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

08/04/2010 10:35:03 PM · #6

Originally posted by toddhead:

Am I off my rocker in thinking they would be good?

Nope and I just might enter something in one of those ... Byron could bring me back after a year plus of not entering.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

08/05/2010 08:53:19 AM · #7

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Nope and I just might enter something in one of those ... Byron could bring me back after a year plus of not entering.

I would love for them to choose Byron. It is such an enchating poem.

Yo_Spiff

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

08/05/2010 09:01:47 AM · #8

My opinion on the music themed challenges is that they get high levels of participation not because they are popular subjects, but because the wide variety of songs available essentially makes them freestudies. That being said, I would still love to see one with a country music theme.

Message edited by author 2010-08-05 09:02:15.

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

08/05/2010 09:45:51 AM · #9

I like the idea of choosing a specific poem (and She Walks in Beauty would be an excellent choice) for people to illustrate as they see fit - there could be a wonderful variety of photos that result, and viewing people's differing interpretations would be really interesting.

10/20/2010 08:49:00 AM · #10

Bump because I think that any of these suggestions would have more than 34 entries.