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09/30/2011 02:53:54 AM · #1 |
I know this might seem lame but I get all tied up over what title to give my photo sometimes, thinking that maybe it will confuse the viewer and then attract low votes, does anyone else have this dilemma.
Does it matter to you if you don't like the title, but love the photo? |
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09/30/2011 03:09:34 AM · #2 |
I like titles, but, like borders, they do seem to divide the voters somewhat. I've been marked down for giving titles - 'the image should stand on its own' etc, which i can understand and i always study the image first when looking at other peoples before reading the title. I've also been marked down for not giving titles and calling them 'Untitled' - one commentator said something along the lines of 'by not spending the time to title my photograph it showed i had a lack of respect for it myself so why should they respect it' - which i found a bit odd.
But, anyway, i like titles as i think they can really complement an image, and i often spend a long time on them. I really enjoyed the '6 Word Memoir' challenge for example. My approach is probably slightly different from some others though as before i was focusing on photography as a main medium i was using it for lots of illustration/graphic novels/comics and graphic design type projects since the mid 90s and i think i still often see images as potentially one part of an overall narrative package (i also like diptychs and triptychs for the same reason i guess).
As to confusing the viewer- i see that as a plus point! I'm not bothered by low votes myself.
Message edited by author 2011-09-30 07:56:23. |
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09/30/2011 03:24:55 AM · #3 |
I sometimes agonize over titles, sometimes they just present themselves. Some are so mundane they might be better as 'Untitled' although I do tend to think of that as a bit of a cop out. I would never, ever vote someone down because of their title. (Well, maybe I would if it were over-the-top offensive.)
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09/30/2011 06:25:23 AM · #4 |
| i wish we had the option to not give one, but then do we fret over giving one or not? |
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09/30/2011 06:40:07 AM · #5 |
I don't change my vote because of a title as such, but occasionally I can't quite decide between two scores. Times like that, the title may very well push me over the edge. I do know that on some very few occasions I was so impressed by the title, that I WAS influenced to score higher.
I, too, think that "untitled" is a convenient cop-out, although I wouldn't penalize for that lack of thought/effort, the above rule still applies. |
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09/30/2011 07:16:58 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by Beetle:
I, too, think that "untitled" is a convenient cop-out, although I wouldn't penalize for that lack of thought/effort, the above rule still applies. |
Why should it be a copout? Of all my challenge entries, I've titled three "untitled" (that is, I've “untitled” three). In each case, I see why I did it: it's because I wanted a pure gut reaction from the viewer. I saw certain things in these images, made certain interpretations, but didn't want to bias anyone into my way of thinking. In these cases, any title would have been too much title -- would have given something away.
These three images were as carefully titled as anything else I've entered, probably more so. Not a copout, not laziness or lack of inspiration. Rather, a conscious decision.
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09/30/2011 07:49:43 AM · #7 |
| Titles are important because they can complement an image, thereby adding value to the overall presentation. Conversely, a distracting title (e.g., misspelled words, grammatical errors, etc.) can hurt the score of an image. "No title" is simply a missed opportunity to aid and assist the marketing effort. It's usually worth the effort to put a name on your work of art. Customers will appreciate knowing the artist cared enough to christen the final result of considerable effort. |
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09/30/2011 08:00:31 AM · #8 |
I hate titles!!!! I'm a photographer, not a writer. And you can tell because of my uninspired titles. Actually, I rarely look at the titles when voting. I seem to only look when the photo confuses me. I know it's not good, and I should change that. But the photos interest me so much more than the titles.
I really do wish they had an option to skip the title. Somehow, I think a blank title would go over better than some of my really lame ones...
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09/30/2011 08:09:08 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
...Somehow, I think a blank title would go over better than some of my really lame ones... |
Respectfully suggest you run your titles by a focus group (if you have one). Lacking a title, maybe others will offer up suggestions. Titles can be important. I understand not everyone likes to title their photography, but peers can assist in this effort to the benefit of the viewing public. |
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09/30/2011 09:10:47 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
I hate titles!!!! I'm a photographer, not a writer. And you can tell because of my uninspired titles. Actually, I rarely look at the titles when voting. I seem to only look when the photo confuses me. I know it's not good, and I should change that. But the photos interest me so much more than the titles.
I really do wish they had an option to skip the title. Somehow, I think a blank title would go over better than some of my really lame ones... |
i have to agree i hate titles! i'm a painter so i have to title my paintings and it just drives me nutz how people think a painting meens less without a tag on it. if as a viewer you can't form an opinion about a painting on your own why should i help you? same goes with photos, i'm not trying to convey someones life story in a photo just that moment in time you either get it or you don't. why should a title have to explain it for you? god don't make me title everything here too i'll go nutz hahaha |
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09/30/2011 09:17:20 AM · #11 |
| I love reading other people's titles, but I hate coming up with my own. I think the right title can certainly add to my enjoyment of a photo. It can help me look at the image in a new way / from a new perspective. I don't consciously downgrade images that are untitled or have a title I dislike (but I may unconsciously). There is one nice image in my DPC portfolio that I edited right up to the deadline and slapped a silly last minute title on right before submission that I wonder how it might have scored with really good title. |
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09/30/2011 09:38:57 AM · #12 |
Titles are an important part of giving the viewer as much info of your viewpoint as you can. That is why, sometimes, an "Untitled" is the considered and correct title.
I am lucky, my titles fall out of my brains onto the keybord, no prompting necessary. [Oohh, don't let Art see that sentence, hehe] I forgive spelling and grammatical errors, as I probably made 3-4 in this sentence. |
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09/30/2011 09:46:07 AM · #13 |
In a challenge with a topic, there is no such thing as an "untitled" photo -- they all automatically take on the name of the challenge if not given another. The only time (here) you can have a truly untitled picture is in a Free Study.
That said, I am probably better at making titles than pictures -- anyone who wants help with a title should feel free to contact me for suggestions. |
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09/30/2011 01:34:38 PM · #14 |
I am not a fan of titles for photographs, other than maybe a simple time, location and subject where it is useful to provide that context. Anything more takes away my freedom to simply view the work and connect with it in my own way.
For example... I may shoot a portrait of a young woman on a trail washed in warm evening light. One view may connect with the warmth of the light because they are buried in snow up to the neck. Another viewer may connect to the trail because it resonates with a scene from their past. A young man may find the girl beautiful and connect with the image for that reason. If I call the image "Summer's last light" does it help or hurt. Worse yet, does a viewer that has a limited understanding of English now get frustrated because they feel they are missing something.
Of course this could all just be a justification for the fact that I hate trying to come up with titles and the titles I do come up with seem to minimize what I was really trying to capture in the first place. |
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09/30/2011 03:16:30 PM · #15 |
I had an art professor in college who said that to get published and sell a painting, the title was almost as important as the painting.
He favored slightly risque titles for his abstract paintings. "Angle of the dangel" was the only one I can remember, but they all tended towards that sort of sophomoric humor. Needless to say he was far and away the worst teacher I had at university.
Here at DPC I have found simple titles are best. They can point the viewer towards what you want them to notice, making it easier to get your point across. If you misspell them it can cost you points, if they are slightly clever, humorous or punny they can get you a few extra points. |
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09/30/2011 09:48:54 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Here at DPC I have found simple titles are best. They can point the viewer towards what you want them to notice, making it easier to get your point across. |
 Yes, I completely agree ... ;-) |
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09/30/2011 10:12:52 PM · #17 |
It's a photography challenge. Not a writing challenge.
I wish titles were against the rules.
Either the photograph meets the challenge... or not. :D |
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09/30/2011 10:14:16 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
...
That said, I am probably better at making titles than pictures -- anyone who wants help with a title should feel free to contact me for suggestions. |
May I please have your address, phone number and cell phone number? Thanks.
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09/30/2011 10:25:46 PM · #19 |
| Personally, I'm all for titles. I put a lot of thought into the titles of my shots, and I feel that it helps make my photo relevant to the viewer, and it puts context into your shot where there otherwise might not be. Plus, in photography, especially online digital photography, it is one of the few places where I can place a signature on my work. That being said, I've had some awesome titles to some shiteous pictures, and a title doesn't get you as far as you think ;) |
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09/30/2011 10:57:38 PM · #20 |
| My most hated title, after "You Lookin' at ME?," is a descriptive title. It's like you can't trust me to see it for myself, you have to tell me what I'm looking at. Or like you're using keywords for the title, so you can find it. The title should make me glad I read it, not sorry. |
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10/01/2011 02:14:31 AM · #21 |
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10/01/2011 12:04:14 PM · #22 |
Anita, your concern for titles is well justified. It shall play second fiddle. But an untitled image remains a bit orphaned. How do we create the balance? I would think that simplicity is the answer. There are great title that stem from the origin of the picture, from the gut feeling of the moment when we pushed the button or form the studio work in preparation of the shooting.
IMO, giving a nice sunset image or a peaceful landscape or seascape title such as Quietude, Tranquility, Meditation, Majestic, Peace ... and such is redundant and robs the viever of the spontaneous remark of delight. Why not give as title the name of that lake, or mountain. To a truly magical image you won't give the title "Magic". If a picture is worth a thousand words it's clear that it needs little reference to its feeling. On occasion, the title comes spontaneously to our minds - a sudden memory, a quote from a book, a little verse, a joke.
If not, simplicity is the answer. |
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10/01/2011 12:05:49 PM · #23 |
Sorry, double post
By the same token, borders, are our friends and foes. Generally speaking, a border is an added feature. An afterthought. We look at the image and think how we can make it more powerful. Or prettier. Sometimes a bit of black helps. Or a line of white. But the pastel colored things adorned with two types of borders, inside and outsidethe image ... are surely meant for a Hallmark card. It's not a criticism per se. Nothing wrong with Hallmark cards, but these features have to be applied to the right images, to the right challenge.
Message edited by author 2011-10-01 11:48:51. |
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10/01/2011 12:59:47 PM · #24 |
remove titles during voting thread
awhile back I suggested that during voting, "how about no titles".
not the finest reception to that Idea, but a fun discussion |
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10/01/2011 01:27:10 PM · #25 |
| So, where is the "Let's have an "Untitled Free Study Challenge"," challenge suggestion thread? |
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