Everybody has their water drops and wine glasses

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

06/13/2012 10:49:47 AM · #1

I've seen it numerous times, the old "I'd be happy if I never see another picture of water drops or wine glasses again".

Well, I don't mind those shots too bad, they are overdone for sure, but I don't cringe when I see them. What does make me cringe is the street level shot straight up the side of a building with the camera at a tilt. Sorry, but not much in the world could be more boring than that. Ugh. The "Straight Lines" challenge may as well been called the "stand on the street and take a shot shooting up the side of a building" or Hell it could have just been the "Mundane" challenge. Anyway, that's just my opinion, which matters little.

What is your version of water drops and wine glasses?

Message edited by author 2012-06-13 10:50:41.

Venser

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

06/13/2012 11:01:53 AM · #2

I take offence, Straight Lines is my only ribbon.
In all honesty, I didn't like the shot but figured it would resonate with the voters, and it did. Now I've got cred, like the kids say. I had a much better idea but went with the vote grabber.

For me, it's challenge dependent.
Yellow Still Life - Voted anything without flowers and lemons higher for originality alone.

Ansel Adams - The only self portrait got a huge bonus.

Upside Down - Water reflections took a hit.

In The Rain - Really wanted to see someone raining money on a stripper.

I guess what I'm saying is the originality of the concept plays an extremely important role in what I think of the photo. So unlike

chazoe, wine glasses and water drops aren't the culprit, but the context in which they're used.

CS

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

06/13/2012 11:06:45 AM · #3

Originally posted by chazoe:

i hate them becuase the voters love them and its an easy high score or ribbon. its playing to the voters just as much as a pretty landscape shot is, not hard to light a wine glass and make it look pretty. water drops are a bit more of a challenge, however i dont see the appeal to shooting them either.

i did a glass setup once, found it extremely boring, the only thing that got me excited was that i got to eat and drink the setup when i was done.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/13/2012 11:14:07 AM · #4

Originally posted by mike_311:

...its playing to the voters just as much as a pretty landscape shot is...

Hey, I take exception to that! :-) I retired and moved to Cape Cod specifically SO I could take "pretty landscapes" (and seascapes). I was taking these long before I had voters to pander to.

But, seriously, I think land/seascapes are in a whole different category than water droplets and splashes. They are a recognized genre of art that goes back thousands of years...

R.

Ecce_Signum

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

06/13/2012 11:15:47 AM · #5

I'll give the drop people kudos for creating unique images. Yes, the whole idea of a water drop shot might seem cliche but they are actually unique. With my setup I can reproduce the exact timing of a shot/collision however the result is never the same. Yes, they can be seen as overdone and not always well done (I count myself in the not always good group btw).

We all have our own favorite and least favorite type of shot but wouldn't life be boring if we all thought the same? My bug bear is using toys in an average image, they don't get a 1 but nor would most/any get a 10 from me.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

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

06/13/2012 11:17:26 AM · #6

Flowers. Pretty but boring. Wine glasses are up there right behind them.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

06/13/2012 11:21:20 AM · #7

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by mike_311:
...its playing to the voters just as much as a pretty landscape shot is...

Hey, I take exception to that! :-) I retired and moved to Cape Cod specifically SO I could take "pretty landscapes" (and seascapes). I was taking these long before I had voters to pander to.

But, seriously, I think land/seascapes are in a whole different category than water droplets and splashes. They are a recognized genre of art that goes back thousands of years...

R.

they are and I love them. i love to shoot landscapes.

however its not only the good ones that get high scores, its the bad ones, it continues to amaze me that a bland shot of northern lights or some exotic location will score high even though the image (colors, contracts, tones, sharpness) looks pretty plain.

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/13/2012 11:24:30 AM · #8

Knickknacks. Unless it's pretty spectacular and shot in a unique way.

lilysmom

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

06/13/2012 11:38:48 AM · #9

Originally posted by Ecce Signum:

My bug bear is using toys in an average image, they don't get a 1 but nor would most/any get a 10 from me.

Agreed. Specifically Legos. Lol

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

06/13/2012 11:42:31 AM · #10

Originally posted by Kelli:

Knickknacks. Unless it's pretty spectacular and shot in a unique way.

+1

Message edited by author 2012-06-13 11:42:58.

KarenNfld

06/13/2012 12:37:24 PM · #11

I'm probably in the minority but I usually don't like pics of people. I rarely find photos of strangers interesting. I have a couple in my favourites but they are few and far between and had to have some wow factor for me to like them.

I especially don't like shots of weddings, pregnant women's bellies or snotty nosed little kids (literally snotty nosed, LOL).

goinskiing

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/13/2012 12:38:58 PM · #12

Originally posted by KarenNfld:

Made me laugh. :)

What's funny is that all those pictures are the real money makers (for most of us anyways) in the world outside of DPC.

eschelar

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

06/13/2012 12:40:58 PM · #13

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Oh and I take exception to that!

Haven't you been keeping up with your (sn)archaeology? Look what they found a few years back in the a cave on Mt Killimisofflai in the the Zildjian range. I think they were estimating 10-15000 years. Give or take...

Yah. Wine Glasses and water droplets have a legacy too! ;) Imagine how hard it would have been to setup up a flash system to make that cave painting!

Message edited by author 2012-06-13 12:43:28.

KarenNfld

06/13/2012 12:44:26 PM · #14

Originally posted by goinskiing:

Originally posted by KarenNfld:
I'm probably in the minority but I usually don't like pics of people. I rarely find photos of strangers interesting. I have a couple in my favourites but they are few and far between and had to have some wow factor for me to like them.

I especially don't like shots of weddings, pregnant women's bellies or snotty nosed little kids (literally snotty nosed, LOL).

Made me laugh. :)

What's funny is that all those pictures are the real money makers (for most of us anyways) in the world outside of DPC.

Yep, I know that's where most photographers make their money, but they're selling them to the people they photographed, not to strangers of those people. If it was my favourite niece in the pic I'd probably like it a lot more. Strangers? Not so much.

sjhuls

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/13/2012 12:45:32 PM · #15

Originally posted by chazoe:

What does make me cringe is the street level shot straight up the side of a building with the camera at a tilt. Sorry, but not much in the world could be more boring than that.

+1 I just haven't found 1 of these types of shots that I have ever gotten excited about definitely my wine glass and water drop shot. I also don't like cars photographed at car shows and really most city lines are pretty boring to me unless they are really done well.

RyanW

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

06/13/2012 12:45:42 PM · #16

For me it's the blurry image "dpc sub-culture" upvoting for things that have no clear image/focus/connection/anything and they still score higher than people (not just me, but others as well) who try, and are trying to learn. Meanwhile you see the During voting comments for these ridiculous shots and see things like "one of your better shots in a while" or something of the like. The image itself isn't being voted on, as much as the viewer's knowing "this is a PERSON-X image, therefore i'm going to vote it higher because they always do this, it's just their style".

UrfaK

Canon EOS-650/T4i Rebel

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/13/2012 12:50:52 PM · #17

That's why I come with a disclaimer *looks down at signature*

ETA: I love the fact that I can appreciate both the blur and the water drops

Message edited by author 2012-06-13 13:58:13.

KarenNfld

06/13/2012 12:57:15 PM · #18

Originally posted by RyanWareham:

+100!!!!!!

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

06/13/2012 01:13:20 PM · #19

Originally posted by RyanWareham:

So you don't believe people actually like these shots?

I hate the building shots that I talked about in my OP but I understand other people value them, and do so honestly. I just don't personally like them, that's different than what you're saying.

RyanW

Nikon D7000

06/13/2012 01:19:50 PM · #20

Originally posted by chazoe:

Originally posted by RyanWareham:
For me it's the blurry image "dpc sub-culture" upvoting for things that have no clear image/focus/connection/anything and they still score higher than people (not just me, but others as well) who try, and are trying to learn. Meanwhile you see the During voting comments for these ridiculous shots and see things like "one of your better shots in a while" or something of the like. The image itself isn't being voted on, as much as the viewer's knowing "this is a PERSON-X image, therefore i'm going to vote it higher because they always do this, it's just their style".

So you don't believe people actually like these shots?

I hate the building shots that I talked about in my OP but I understand other people value them, and do so honestly. I just don't personally like them, that's different than what you're saying.

That's not at all what i said. What I said is that there's a clear sub culture and many people know "this is a PERSON1" or "this is PERSON2" and it's evident in the "DURING challenge" comments. I don't like the shots much myself (the odd one is interesting to look at for a few minutes but thats about it for me). Nothing there at all in what i said can be misconstrued as the fact that nobody likes the shots (as you indicated), but there ARE people here (and you know who you are) that WILL upvote these images because they know who it is. There are some (others in the blurry sub group) that like them and vote accordingly.
What I said is absolutely no different from what you said except that i apparently hit a nerve with you, and i didn't start a brand new thread to discuss it.

*edit: i will acknowledge that based on a period not being there, what i said may be kind of blurry with regard to the sub culture upvoting. perhaps it should read( "sub culture". upvoting for...... ). Oh the irony, bashing a blurry sentence about blurry image bashing.

Message edited by author 2012-06-13 13:24:50.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

06/13/2012 01:29:21 PM · #21

Originally posted by RyanWareham:

Originally posted by chazoe:

Originally posted by RyanWareham:
For me it's the blurry image "dpc sub-culture" upvoting for things that have no clear image/focus/connection/anything and they still score higher than people (not just me, but others as well) who try, and are trying to learn. Meanwhile you see the During voting comments for these ridiculous shots and see things like "one of your better shots in a while" or something of the like. The image itself isn't being voted on, as much as the viewer's knowing "this is a PERSON-X image, therefore i'm going to vote it higher because they always do this, it's just their style".

So you don't believe people actually like these shots?

I hate the building shots that I talked about in my OP but I understand other people value them, and do so honestly. I just don't personally like them, that's different than what you're saying.

That's not at all what i said. What I said is that there's a clear sub culture and many people know "this is a PERSON1" or "this is PERSON2" and it's evident in the "DURING challenge" comments. I don't like the shots much myself (the odd one is interesting to look at for a few minutes but thats about it for me). Nothing there at all in what i said can be misconstrued as the fact that nobody likes the shots (as you indicated), but there ARE people here (and you know who you are) that WILL upvote these images because they know who it is. There are some (others in the blurry sub group) that like them and vote accordingly.
What I said is absolutely no different from what you said except that i apparently hit a nerve with you, and i didn't start a brand new thread to discuss it.

*edit: i will acknowledge that based on a period not being there, what i said may be kind of blurry with regard to the sub culture upvoting. perhaps it should read( "sub culture". upvoting for...... ). Oh the irony, bashing a blurry sentence about blurry image bashing.

How can I misconstrue "upvoting". You are clearly saying people vote the image higher than what they actually think the image deserves. How do you know this? Because the image gets a higher vote than you think then it must be people "upvoting"?

RyanW

Nikon D7000

06/13/2012 01:38:02 PM · #22

Obviously this conversation is not going to go anywhere short of a "pitchforks and torches" riot if it continues (because in order to prove any point i would have to individually call out a number of people) and I will not do that.
There's already a bloodthirsty mob on the loose in another thread, i'm not about to go stick up a wanted poster with my own face on it for them.
The simple fact is you started a thread discussing things you don't like and asked for input from others. I gave input and it struck a nerve with you. I have seen comments by people praising individuals during voting for their great lighting or excellent composure, while other images that are true to theme and recognizable, technically good images get lower votes.
I have taken a shot like i mentioned disliking for a challenge and scored unreasonably high with it, just to see if it would score where i thought it would (and it did).
I have a very different opinion on this than you do (apparently) and neither of us will change the others mind without every voter coming forward and honestly admitting if they are upvoting certain images because of who the perceived person on the other side of the camera was.
This is the last i'm saying on this matter, reply if you like but it won't get a reply if you're trying to change my mind or asking for specifics.

Message edited by author 2012-06-13 13:39:45.