I Got KILLED! - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

05/31/2004 01:18:03 AM · #1

So my last few entries dating back to the Where U Live challenge have gotted killed int he voting and since I recieved minimal comments I have no reason as to why they have suffered to egregiously during the voting process. This last one

was my best technical shot I have taken for this site & I got MURDERED in the voting with a grand total of 3 comments (btw the way BIG UPS to those who did drop a comment).

Anyway, I have it right side up here and would love to hear some feedback as to why you might have voted this down.
Thanks in advance

Message edited by author 2004-05-31 01:19:31.

Neuferland

Google Pixel 2

05/31/2004 01:34:04 AM · #2

I gave you a 5 in the challenge and if I had time to go back through, MIGHT have bumped it to a 6 or 7. The shot is technically great but as far as interesting to me personally, sorry, not much interest at all. As far as meeting the challenge, to me only, it hurt you to rotate it upside-down, it was more interesting right side up and you could have titled it something along the line of "A Bug's Point of View".

Deannda
Hope that helps

dsidwell

Canon EOS-5D

05/31/2004 01:41:09 AM · #3

Okay, here are my impressions: I do like the right-side-up one much better--and I feel it still meets the challenge well. The lighting is a bit harsh, especially on the grass, but also on the skin and face. However, I do love the rich colors of your model's jacket. I also like the facial expression and pose.

It looks like I gave this one a 6, but looking at the other shot--I would have given that one a higher score, probably a 7 (or an 8 if I ate well just before voting ).

Esoteric questions you might ask yourself:

1. Why is the grass necessary, and why is it such an important element in the photo? It impedes our vision of the very interesting face, so it must be an important reason; I just can't figure out what that reason is.

2. Why is the photo upside down? Again, this choice is so strongly communicated, it must be really important, but I can't figure out the reason ('meeting the challenge' may be a reason, but not a strong enough one, IMO).

I hope that helps, and I hope you'll keep submitting interesting and engaging photos as is your track record!

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

05/31/2004 02:27:45 AM · #4

Thanks guys! I got lots of 3's & 4's & while I hear & agree with what you all said, feel that a 3 or 4 is seriously a low ball.
D, your comment was super thoughtful & helping to shape my thought process while taking & composing shots.
thanks much!
peace
rusia

mandyp

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

05/31/2004 03:14:14 AM · #5

I'm not a member so I couldn't vote, but I have an opinion :-)

I think I would've given you a 6 or 7. While I didn't find the subject matter that gripping I really liked the flat vibrant colours. I think that the green, brown and blue work really well together. This leads me to wonder how you'd go if you worked on a series of photos using this subject and the same types of colours.
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Prof_Fate

05/31/2004 05:52:10 AM · #6

When pics score 'average' (around 5) there are fewer comments than when one extreme or the other is approached. Since your scores have been average, or a tad below recently, prehaps you have hit a dry spell, creatively. I know i have (no entries lately...i have 2 maybes for the team sports without players..one may not be considered a team sport though). We'll see if i can break my 'writers block' so to speak.

peecee

Canon EOS-5D

05/31/2004 06:50:31 AM · #7

I originally gave you a 5,( my average for a middle of the road shot ) I would have given you a 6 or even a 7 on the original version, much better looking. Technically pretty good, but so were a lot more, hence my score.
Keep pluggin, nice picture,
Paul.
p.s. sorry for the lack of comment, but I just haven't had the time.

Message edited by author 2004-05-31 06:51:24.

asij

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM II

05/31/2004 06:55:19 AM · #8

I only got 1 comment on my photo..
Would have liked to have more helpfull comments so i could learn something out of it.

Neuferland

Google Pixel 2

05/31/2004 09:42:03 AM · #9

Originally posted by asij:

I only got 1 comment on my photo..
Would have liked to have more helpfull comments so i could learn something out of it.

Left comments on the photo.

Deannda

ElGordo

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon

05/31/2004 10:50:21 AM · #10

Technical merit seems to have only a minimal impact on the scores while the composition and interest factor have great impact.
I have seen some pretty marginal technical photos take honors because of the photogs creativity in producing the shot. A good example is the 2nd place ribbon winner in the 'Bananas' challenge.
The composition and presentation is excellent, but the DOF is shallow (purposeful?) and some of the highlights are blown out. The lighting could have been more dramatic but is adequate. For a limited time challenge,
this photo is still great, it just WORKS well! Bear in mind that any photo can be picked apart, especially in retrospect, but that does not diminish the creativity that inspired the shot. The short answer: Creativity is King!!

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

05/31/2004 05:15:12 PM · #11

thanks for the feedback guys, for the ones here & the ones left with the shots

labuds

Nikon D800

05/31/2004 10:02:18 PM · #12

This is why I gave this shot a 10:

Technically:
I can't agree with dsidwell on the harsh lighting comment. Maybe it's a monitor calibration difference, but I think the colors and tones are perfectly balanced. There is no clipping anywhere, the skin tone seems to be very accurate, which I find is the hardest thing about photographing people. The lighting is choosen perfectly and gives a sunny-day feeling to the picture, while the background prevents it to be a regular outdoors candid shot. The background draws no attention, being noise free, with a slight radial gradient which seems to be centered directly behind Rooster's sister. I like the way it was chosen to be almost black, but not quite; this gives it the neutrality of a flat black background, but without making the picture seem like a cheap studio shot (like mine usually come out). The danger here is that I'm sure 1/3 of the people have higher contrasted monitors and totally missed out on the gradiated background. Anyway, the softness of the background goes very well with the softness of the jacket. This velvety material is well chosen, as it gives of a comfortable mood, a warm feeling, which compliments the chilling-in-the-grass-and-hanging-out-on-a-warm-day atmosphere. Also, I love the way it accentuates the folds in the jacket without causing harsh highlights, as glossier material would.

Now, compositionally:
The grass in the picture is crucial. It's specifies the location and viewpoint of the shot uniquely by its foreground; something I don't recall anyone doing yet (I'm probably wrong on this one, but I can't think of any such picture off the top of my head). On a technical note, the DOF is perfect, as it leaves the grass very soft, with a sharp focus on the face and hand, while softening up the right part of the jacket. This leaves focus only on the central part of the picture, specifally the eye, which is exactly where we should be looking; as she's looking at us. Personnaly, I don't find the grass distracting at all, the DOF takes care of it for me.

Let me make a point about "flipping the picture" before proceeding. This is where I think Rooster went wrong about showing the "right side up" picture. To me, the challenge entry is right side up, while the other is upside down. A picture is right side up as the photograph chooses it to be and decides to present it. It just so happens that Rooster took the picture with the camera aligned with gravity; she very well could have taken it while standing on her head, and then the original would have looked like the challenge entry.

Anyway, getting back to the grass. Combined with the fact that the picture is what-others-call-upside-down, the grass makes me feel as if I'm there lying next to Rooster's sister (sorry if I'm getting a little to intimate). I don't feel like a 3rd person viewer, looking through the photographer's camera, as with most pictures. The way this shot was composed draws me into the scene and makes me feel like I'm there lying opposite to her (as in, our feet pointing in opposite directions) and comfortably sunken into the grass. Another thing is how she's tilted just at the limit of her eye disappearing behind her glasses. This is exactly how I'd picture chilling in the grass with someone: staring up at the sky, relaxing and talking, and once in a while just turning enough to glance at the person next to you (to see their reaction to your comment or something). The hand on the forehead is yet another factor which adds to the relaxing atmosphere. All these things make the picture seem very natural and inviting, as opposed to most picture which are there to SHOW you something.

That's the impact the composition has for me, and I can't think of a better way of achieving this sort of intimacy in a picture. Any standard composition would simply make this a regular "Oh look, she took a picture of her sister lying in the grass" type of picture.

Rooster, don't let the average voter let you down. Most of these people are infected by the stock photography syndrome (as 98% of photography we see, at least in North America, is advertisement). They don't see the artistic merit of your picture because it doesn't follow standard guidelines. There thrown off by your compositionally unconventional picture before they could even get drawn into it like I did. This could be partially blamed by bulk voting, where immediate impressions are the only thing going for you. Nevertheless, I personally think this is your best work and that you should have this one hanging on the wall along with any other family pitures.
Keep up the good work!!!

Aleks

Message edited by author 2004-05-31 22:03:11.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

06/01/2004 12:19:31 AM · #13

wow I am blown away!
Aleks it seems as tho you took the picture after having envisioned it. Your thoughts are very akin to my prethoughts of what I wanted to do. My sister is always a reluctant model but she did a really good job expressing the mood I wanted.
Thank you very much. This is defintiely a moment in my life as this is the first time someone has seen my fotography as I originally intended it to be seen.
I hold no hard feelings despite my dissappoint for my score.
Thanks Aleks & thank you again everyone that took to hook a sista up!
peace dpc!
rusia

melismatica

Minolta DiMAGE F200

06/01/2004 12:32:29 AM · #14

I actually thought this was a really good photo ---turned right side up. I went through the trouble of downloading it and rotating it just to be sure when I cast my vote. My reasoning for not voting higher was because it seemed kind of like a cheat on the spirit of the challenge of unusual viewpoint. Someone else did this for a photo I thought it equally unnecessary to tamper with.

Ironically, had you left it right side up most people probably would have considered it an unusual viewpoint anyway, because of having to be practically on your belly to take the shot. To me, there wasn't anything about the upside down image that made it a more appealing photograph. It had the effect of diminishing its appeal to me.

ChrisW123

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

06/01/2004 12:42:43 AM · #15

The "upside-down" one probably got voted down because it doesn't make any sense when you look at it. The other one (rightside up) is a LOT better because you can instantly tell she's laying in the grass.

I didn't vote on this one, but if I did I'd probably have given it a 6. The lighting on the girl is great, but the light spilled over to the grass a little too much. I would have tried to run an adj layer (levels or curves) on the grass and toned it down a little.

ChrisW123

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

06/01/2004 12:55:18 AM · #16

Originally posted by labuda:

Rooster, don't let the average voter let you down. Most of these people are infected by the stock photography syndrome (as 98% of photography we see, at least in North America, is advertisement). They don't see the artistic merit of your picture because it doesn't follow standard guidelines.

I disagree with this statement. If the image appears to be impossible to the brain, the viewer will simply disregard the entire image as soon as they see it (unless the challenge is called "impossible viewpoint", etc. It's not "an unusual viewpoint", it's a completely impossible viewpoint. I will agree that laying on the grass isn't much better since it's not that unusual but it is still better because most people will be able to at least relate to it.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

06/01/2004 01:07:33 PM · #17

thanks MM & chris!

Spork99

OM System OM-1

06/01/2004 01:36:10 PM · #18

My original impression was that this was someone from Australia and that this was a play on being "down under", but as it is, it just makes me want to turn the shot right side up.

hannafate

Nikon D70

06/02/2004 09:43:29 AM · #19

I, too, react to the "cleverness" of turning a photo on its side or upside down with annoyance.
I would probably have just skipped voting on the upside down image, because of that.

And, you who are getting very few comments, take that to mean that your image is technically good, but your image is not exciting overall.
Images that get a lot of comments either have obvious technical flaws, or are so exciting, people want to just say "Wow!"

So, if you are not getting a lot of comments, start looking for ways to make your images more dramatic. Greater contrasts, bolder composition.

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/02/2004 10:20:39 AM · #20

I confess that I am one of the individuals who gave this image a 4. I will also say that contrary to labuda's opinion, I am not infected with "stock photography syndrome". The right side up shot is great and I would have given at least a 7. I believe it meets the challenge and it provides a nice intimate feeling of being down in the grass right next to the model. These days most people don't have time to lay in the grass and enjoy such a simple pleasure.. making it unusual and perhaps a reminder of when we had time for such things. The 180 degree flip got me... it seems forced and I thought it took away the intimate feeling.

The 4 may have been a little harsh... but I think I reacted because the 180 flip took away from an image that I would like to have spent more time with.