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01/04/2012 12:33:21 AM · #1
Most of the time I know why I score poorly. But this time? Not so much. Not a ribbon winner, but bottom 30%? Why?

01/04/2012 12:38:40 AM · #2
something about the large sail makes it resist the miniaturization effect? other than that, they're not too tolerant of dusky pastels. but on the bright side, welcome back to team suck mellie! ...just have yourself some fun and fuhgeddaboudit.
01/04/2012 12:48:26 AM · #3
Welcome back? I never left. :-)
01/04/2012 01:02:12 AM · #4
Score is unusually low. I would have guessed a 6.2-ish finish for it. Can't explain why which is what you are asking :)
01/04/2012 01:11:28 AM · #5
I don't get it either. I scored it a 7 and figured this would do much better.
01/04/2012 01:24:06 AM · #6
Left a comment on the photo.
01/04/2012 01:36:47 AM · #7
If it is any conciliation you scored much better than me in this challenge with a similar theme. I decided that Tilt & Shift does not have to mean MINIATURIZATION! But that's DPC, once one general interpretation sticks you can't win with that. I regret entering this challenge and will now be entering much less in any topics that favor very narrow interpretation.
01/04/2012 01:53:09 AM · #8
Originally posted by MargaretN:

If it is any conciliation you scored much better than me in this challenge with a similar theme. I decided that Tilt & Shift does not have to mean MINIATURIZATION! But that's DPC, once one general interpretation sticks you can't win with that. I regret entering this challenge and will now be entering much less in any topics that favor very narrow interpretation.


I have the same sentiment sometimes, and i find myself looking through past challenges to see what the "wins" were just to get a what to shoot for to know I am getting it "right?". I think if we wanted to prevent this level of frustration/confusion on the part of the entrant there could be more detail in the challenge desc. Basically laying down what the expected is... or what the expected DOES NOT have to be (breaking the mindsets and bias).

Looking at your profiles both of you are outstanding photographers, tilt shift is just an odd-ball category where I think most people generally look for the miniature model looking photos just like in HDR they look for the WILDEST vivid tones, colors, old cars and clouds.. i think that would be anywhere not just DPC :) I have my Fiance and occasionally friends look at photos with me when I score the challenges and their comments remind me that I need to think about the photos I am taking from a viewer standpoint (expected aesthetics) as well as the photographer standpoint (technical skill display). Sometimes I am so focused on the crop, noise, sharpness, etc... that i forget the one next to it that is not as sharp, not as well composed, and has noise!!! is the one they said they liked best anyway!... hard for me to process sometimes but they like what they like :)
01/04/2012 02:01:13 AM · #9
Originally posted by MargaretN:

If it is any conciliation you scored much better than me in this challenge with a similar theme. I decided that Tilt & Shift does not have to mean MINIATURIZATION! But that's DPC, once one general interpretation sticks you can't win with that. I regret entering this challenge and will now be entering much less in any topics that favor very narrow interpretation.

I agree with you on most of those points, Margaret, but you said it yourself - "that's DPC". I believe Deb's was a victim of not meeting the immediate visual expectations of most voters. It's been said a zillion times - if you want to score high, follow this formula:

Blatantly meet most voters expectations (typically means literal interpretation) of the challenge topic, superb technicals (comp, focus, etc) = 6ish
Same as above, but with an obvious high level of effort or luck or both = mid-6ish
A very high degree of both of the above = 7ish, ribbon.

There's always exceptions to this. Sometimes an absolutely stunning photo with a very loose or non-existent topic relationship can ribbon using the title as a shoehorn.

My two nickels worth.
01/04/2012 02:08:43 AM · #10
The irony is that we, being members of DPC, decry the narrow interpretation yet look at past challenges for inspiration. ;0
01/04/2012 02:21:56 AM · #11
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

The irony is that we, being members of DPC, decry the narrow interpretation yet look at past challenges for inspiration. ;0

Not everyone decries the narrow interpretation of most challenges. I'm a bit of a DNMC Nazi and make no apologies for it. Some of us are just not much of abstract thinkers. The tilt-shift challenge description did leave some room, but also set the expectations. If it isn't a "miniature scene" then it's just a photo with some blur in weird places.
01/04/2012 02:22:38 AM · #12
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

The irony is that we, being members of DPC, decry the narrow interpretation yet look at past challenges for inspiration. ;0


Hellz yes I go with what I see for past challenges, when I think I have an idea good enough to fit the bill and possible do well. I am still new here... After all... ART Roflmao is correct in what he said about "if you want to score." But it is fun to do whatever you want within your own stretching limits of the challenge title from time to time, and we shouldn't be too hurt when our experiments don't yield 6's! BUT sometimes with the random *luck* ART speaks of you get more than you expected in votes, we can always hope for that :)
01/04/2012 02:42:07 AM · #13
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

If it isn't a "miniature scene" then it's just a photo with some blur in weird places.
LOL! Now I can see why my score was so low! The diagonal blur must have thrown off the DPCers completely! :))) (I do agree it was a weird idea)
01/04/2012 12:29:33 PM · #14
Thanks for the honest feedback. I'll not try so hard next time. Hurts less when you fail! :-)
01/04/2012 12:33:01 PM · #15
I think most scorers associate "tilt-shit" with pictures that seems to be looking down on the subject emphasizing the miniature-ness. This image is straight on which, I think, led to lower votes in this particular challenge...
01/04/2012 12:37:57 PM · #16
Originally posted by MargaretN:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

If it isn't a "miniature scene" then it's just a photo with some blur in weird places.
LOL! Now I can see why my score was so low! The diagonal blur must have thrown off the DPCers completely! :))) (I do agree it was a weird idea)


Here's the really sad thing: when using tilt/shift in a studio, for product photography, a diagonal placement of the zone of sharpness would be the norm, not the exception. When using tilt in architectural photography, a typical subject would be diagonal to the film/sensor plane, and the tilt would allow sharpness along that diagonal and increasing blur diagonally in front of and behind it.

Really, the only problem with this challenge was the TITLE of it :-(

R.
01/04/2012 12:41:47 PM · #17
Originally posted by sinistral_leo:

I think most scorers associate "tilt-shit" ...


ROFL! A Freudian slip?
01/04/2012 12:43:37 PM · #18
Originally posted by Bear_Music:



Really, the only problem with this challenge was the TITLE of it :-(

R.


Oh, Bear, you have hit the nail on the head. The user expectations for the challenge were really along the lines of "tilt-shift miniaturization" or some such wording.
01/04/2012 12:46:06 PM · #19
Originally posted by sinistral_leo:

I think most scorers associate "tilt-shit" with pictures that seems to be looking down on the subject emphasizing the miniature-ness. This image is straight on which, I think, led to lower votes in this particular challenge...


Usually true, but this was not the case with the red (soon to be blue) ribbon winner and that is why I think this is one of those crapshoot challenges.

p.s. Nothing against Jon_H's entry. I love his image. My point is there is simply no well-defined line for a challenge like tilt-shift so the results can be totally unpredictable.

Message edited by author 2012-01-04 12:47:26.
01/04/2012 12:50:06 PM · #20
True, That is a pretty well executed exception though, he even has the "dreaded" diagonal blur line. It is a great picture that attracted well deserved scores. But in order to emphasize the mini effect most people like to see downward.
01/04/2012 02:35:43 PM · #21
I donno, I think even Jon's shot does the miniaturization thing, though not as artificially as most of the entries did. It's at eye level, for one thing...

R.
01/04/2012 10:14:15 PM · #22
If it makes you feel any better, most people not voting in hot or not photography contests would certainly not consider this a "below average" image. :)

01/04/2012 10:14:16 PM · #23
If it makes you feel any better, most people not voting in hot or not photography contests would certainly not consider this a "below average" image. :)

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