DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Did you set/reach photography goals last year?
Pages:  
Showing posts 26 - 43 of 43, (reverse)
AuthorThread
01/03/2012 02:54:37 PM · #26
Originally posted by nightpixels:

Originally posted by Alexkc:

I know very well the difference between passion and goals: passion is my engine, what makes me alive when I plan a shot. You can see my efforts for the conference final in the WPL. That was not a goal, was only passion and respect for my teammates (to submit my Heavy Metal entry I didn't sleep the entire night). Goals are not as important as passion but they're useful and can be funny. That's all.


Alessandro has a good point. Passion is definitely what drives you, but with some goals you can take your creations to a whole new level. I think a goal can give you a direction, a plan, something to look forward to, it can push you even harder that passion alone may not help you achieve it. Passion and goal go hand in hand in my opinion. One cannot succeed with one but without other. Of course how that goal is set is totally up to the individual, it can be short term or long term, it doesn't have to be from Jan 1 to Dec 31st of a particular year. I have a shoot coming up this Saturday and my goal is to be able to generate at least 2 great images out of that. That is my goal for this Saturday and because of that I have been thinking of some ideas for it.

DPC goals are certainly nice, but setting goals independent of DPC is also important to achieve your photography goals. This way one doesn't have to wait for a particular challenge to come up to shoot for a certain theme or subject.


I like what you are saying Allen :) I have never really set any goals for my photographic progress and have simply let my passion when I have it move me forward (hopefully). I should probably think about setting some goals for myself, but most likely they won't pertain to DPC all that much.
01/03/2012 03:32:14 PM · #27
DPC Goals: I did set out to improve my average score, and to replace some of my profile top five. So far I've replaced 3 out of the 5. This FS will also go onto my front page, but will kick off another of this years' 6+. I've bumped my average .26 points from '10 to '11, and .07 over all. A lot of the improvement is in being more picky about what I submit...a lot of the low average is due to a large quantity of some incredibly bad pictures I used to submit! I have learned a lot about what is appealing, interesting, and what can just stay in the archive until a real use for it arises. Better to skip a challenge than to enter something SECOND-RATE.
Photography goals? Only to learn, have fun, sell a picture or few, and to present my vision in a creative and quality manner. Success!

Message edited by author 2012-01-03 17:29:27.
01/03/2012 04:53:47 PM · #28
Originally posted by Alexkc:

I can say I reached all my goals this year:

- a couple of 7: I got three 7 (and one more in Lego challenge then DQ'd)
- 3-4 ribbons: I got 5 (6 with the Lego challenge)
- an average score over 6 (at the end of the last 3 challenges will be over 6.10)
- top 10 in the FSM (my December entry is doing quite good, so I guess I can be in the Top Ten).
- 4 months before the end of the year I set another goal: to be in the top 25 in the DPC Ribbon Race - I'll be close but I guess not able to reach it.

A good year, but the next will be better :)
Your goals here are purely DPC-based numeric. Set your goals also in terms of mastering skills, not just getting higher numbers. High scores at DPC mean that you have improved but they are not enough to make you a good photographer. They represent an average, technically skewed mindset.

PS Obviously, I am not knocking back ribbons (I don't mind them at all! :) but I feel that in spite of my Top 10 position in DPC Ribbons Race, nine 7s etc I have a long way to go to match my results with my dreams. It is quite frustrating.
01/03/2012 04:59:23 PM · #29
Expect nothing and gain everything.
01/03/2012 05:03:04 PM · #30
Originally posted by jagar:

Expect nothing and gain everything.
blah blah blah :) Your work very hard on your expectations of nothing!
01/03/2012 05:04:01 PM · #31
The numerical goals are easily recognizable for everyone :)

Among my goals there was also 'to have fun shooting for the challenges' and I reached it from the beginning here. :)

I'm not a cold machine, I put all my heart in what I like and it's just funny to set goals. Those goals doesn't mean too much. They're just something to push me forward and give my best here. My real goals are others, but it doesn't make sense to write them on my profile page.
01/03/2012 05:33:49 PM · #32
Oh forget it... trying to post a ref image....

Linkie

Message edited by author 2012-01-03 17:36:17.
01/03/2012 08:43:18 PM · #33
but I feel that in spite of my Top 10 position in DPC Ribbons Race, nine 7s etc I have a long way to go to match my results with my dreams. It is quite frustrating.

Damn. That's impressive. Been here 8 years and haven't even come close to any of that! I'd say I feel your frustration, but, well, mine is of a different nature, I'm sure. :-)
01/03/2012 09:14:01 PM · #34
Originally posted by Melethia:

but I feel that in spite of my Top 10 position in DPC Ribbons Race, nine 7s etc I have a long way to go to match my results with my dreams. It is quite frustrating.

Damn. That's impressive. Been here 8 years and haven't even come close to any of that! I'd say I feel your frustration, but, well, mine is of a different nature, I'm sure. :-)


I understand it completely. I want to be something I'm not. I want gyaban's creativity, I want jagar's town, I want tanguera's and lvicari's portrait skills, I want, I want, I want. :)

Maybe that's what makes a photographer instead of someone with a camera -- they always want more. :)
01/03/2012 09:27:27 PM · #35
regarding the original question: I set goals for 2011, but they all seemed pretty silly. They definitely weren't serious, yet I met all but one.

I have no idea what goals to set for 2012. I should set more useful goals -- like figure out how to do portraits. I suck and portraits. I really suck at portraits. :) But that doesn't sound like a fun goal, that sounds like work. Maybe I should just leave it as getting a squirrel back on my top 5 profile. :P

Goals are only fun if you make them doable or ridiculous. Yet if you set a doable goal, and don't achieve it, it can make things even worse. That's why I like the occasional DPL or WPL. It's a way of pushing, but for a shorter period of time. I had a goal that I didn't post, because it wasn't a goal until towards the end of the year. Around September, it looked like I stood a chance at getting a yellow ribbon in the free study marathon. I worked hard at it, pushing myself, and was within a couple of points going into December.

The problem is, I had nothing good for December. I went with a shot that I didn't particularly like over a shot that I really, really liked -- something fun and a little funky for me. But since I was close in the marathon, I entered the shot I didn't like. It's not good enough to get back up to the ribbon in FSM, and I lost out on the fun of putting in something different than my norm.

It was a lose/lose situation. I was disappointed that I didn't go for what I liked best, because I had another goal. But had I entered the shot I liked, I would have been disappointed when it didn't do well and would have wondered what would have happened with the other shot.

Sometimes goals get in our way. :)

01/04/2012 02:16:23 AM · #36
My goal for 2011 was to take more pictures which I failed miserably.

I was ill for half of August and most of September. I avoided the out doors after that because my immune system got a bit dodgy and then my semester went wild because I missed so much that I'm probably flunking every subject even though I have never invested so much time on studying :S I actually missed three photowalks in the last two months because every single time I had exams.

01/04/2012 04:14:51 AM · #37
Originally posted by vawendy:

I want jagar's town
Just the town? I thought he's got more on offer than just the town!
01/04/2012 04:45:17 AM · #38
Originally posted by MargaretN:

Originally posted by vawendy:

I want jagar's town
Just the town? I thought he's got more on offer than just the town!


No, just the town :)

About what I said about goals: this year I plan on having none and trying to do just what I please without thinking about ribbons and scores, a difficult task I know but i'm sure art can only come from a mind of none attainment, naive perhaps? we'll see how it goes.
01/04/2012 05:08:11 AM · #39
Originally posted by jagar:

Originally posted by MargaretN:

Originally posted by vawendy:

I want jagar's town
Just the town? I thought he's got more on offer than just the town!


No, just the town :)

About what I said about goals: this year I plan on having none and trying to do just what I please without thinking about ribbons and scores, a difficult task I know but i'm sure art can only come from a mind of none attainment, naive perhaps? we'll see how it goes.


I'm really looking forward to seeing what you produce this year John, hope you do post more of what you want.

I for one want to ribbon with a non mainstream photo, that would be just AMAZING !
01/10/2012 11:28:03 AM · #40
Not really a goal but just got a commen on my toy story pic from AlexSaberi who's article in a uk photo magazine was the reason why i found and joined this site and has seen my skil come on leaps and bounds

:) :) :)

it was a great article and he mentioned dpc at least 5 times if not more hehe

proper chuffed

article here sorry just iphone snaps, if you do view all sizes then original should be able to read it


Untitled by gilesbert, on Flickr


Untitled by gilesbert, on Flickr


Untitled by gilesbert, on Flickr


Untitled by gilesbert, on Flickr


Untitled by gilesbert, on Flickr
01/10/2012 11:37:37 AM · #41
I also joined DPC after reading that article from AlexSaberi. I am very pleased I read it:)
01/12/2012 12:07:18 PM · #42
I've never had goals, but I think I'm going to set one for this year. Participate in at least 10 challenges. I would say 20 here but I don't think I'll have a lot of time this year or at least until September(planning a wedding is crazy).
01/12/2012 01:33:43 PM · #43
Here is a link to the PDF version of the article:
Alex Saberi's Article
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 07/29/2025 07:29:57 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 07/29/2025 07:29:57 PM EDT.