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08/12/2013 01:37:56 PM · #1 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
Because regardless of what happens with scores, it's still making me stretch in ways that I'd never do without it. My black on black entry may be the boring crap that people were complaining about in another thread, but I used my two flashes in ttl for the first time in a long time, one in a mini softbox, one as a hair light. The shot was a real challenge for me. My bokeh shot is sucking, but I experimented with different techniques. Didn't use any of them, but still experimented. Recently tied a flash into a lamp and stuck it in the river.
Over the past 4 years, I've had incredible adventures with my family, done really silly things, explored abstracts (which I never would have done), expanded my horizons exponentially, learned of some wonderful processing tips, tricks, techniques and programs, taken off my pants to wade through the water for a shot, gotten a lot more comfortable asking total strangers if I can photograph them, laid down in the middle of the street in the rain -- in front of the neighbors -- to take a picture of a vulture eating a squirrel, etc., etc.
All of this has continued to help me grow as a photographer. And I feel like I'm still growing, because I'm still pushing myself.
Why in the world would I let some low votes, or the fact that the photographs aren't resonating with everyone stop me from participating? Yes, I could quit DPC and go back to shooting just what I want to shoot. But I didn't grow very much or very quickly when I was doing that. It's getting out of your comfort zone that helps you expand.
I'm not going to let the trolls stand in my way! :) |
THAT'S why.
Thank you, Wendy!!!! |
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08/12/2013 01:40:48 PM · #2 |
Awesome...my feelings exactly
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08/12/2013 01:46:06 PM · #3 |
| As said by the person with the second highest number of ribbons on DPC. |
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08/12/2013 01:46:08 PM · #4 |
Great minds think alike. I too was going to start a thread along the same vein.
This could be a great place for people to sound off on why they enjoy DPC.
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Myself, I find that it constantly pushes me to be better. I'm often thinking while shooting "what would the DPC reaction be to this light, this sharpness, this subject, this composition, etc?" I'm not using DPC as my guiding principle for photography (That would be silly), but rather as a gut check to understand if/how I could do better.
Without DPC pushing me, I doubt I would be doing as well with photography as I am today. |
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08/12/2013 01:48:13 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
As said by the person with the second highest number of ribbons on DPC. |
Well, I'd say about the same thing, which is why I have the most entries (and only one ribbon) ... |
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08/12/2013 01:49:02 PM · #6 |
There you go!!
Who's the mind-reader here??
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08/12/2013 02:05:10 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
It's getting out of your comfort zone that helps you expand. |
Exactly why I like DPC and the reason I just renewed my membership. I have taken pictures I would never had done when it was not for a challenge. And this first year was a great experience. I would have liked to receive a higher number of comments on my entries, it really can help you to improve, but just taking pictures out of your comfort zone is another great way to learn.
So, thanks to DPC and all that people that stay put and don't give up because the voting is not according their expectations! I hope to learn from you again! |
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08/12/2013 02:08:22 PM · #8 |
Ditto. Literally, I'm not sure what I'd do without DPC, LOL. It's the particular focus I've chosen, so to speak, as a community, and it keeps me motivated, sometimes wildly and, at worst, always at least mildly :-)
They can have my DPC when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers! |
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08/12/2013 02:22:56 PM · #9 |
I had the same sentiment about "what is the problem with my photos". Fortunately, someone has adopted me and is helping me understand a few things about my images and how to make them better. I feel in my head that my images are good (I know the concepts are), but the execution of them seems to be lacking and through a few comments (after trolling for them) and the help of this one individual, I feel that I can improve my images and that is why I want to stay.
Speaking from my experience, I feel that if voters left comments, then people would know what the problems or successes were with their photos. It is very frustrating to think that your image is good and then drop into the bottom of every challenge. Two comments with nearly 100 votes does not help anyone get better. I have tried to leave comments on the challenges, but I will start leaving more.
Some of you (including me) spend many hours on this site reading and posting to things like make a sentence from the five letters or whatever thread. If we spend some of that time helping others, then I think there would be less complaining and feelings of negativity.
Now I am not saying that every image needs an in-depth critique, but a single comment on each would help. The aggregation of comments will help those that do not have an extensive background in photography. Even for individuals who are not as technically deft (like me), their comments are helpful too. Us "non-techincals" do have an eye for what we like, and though are comments may not be technical, we are ones who appreciate photography and purchase it. It is not always what is technically perfect, but something that strikes a chord with someone. For instance, I have submitted a few photos in which I received 10's and 9's, but I also received 1's and 2's. So I must have received scores from both types of judges.
This is a community of photographers (varying skill levels), maybe we should be more community based with each other.
So I am going to start a new thread in which you can post to if you would like. I will call it something to the effect of "100% comments on challenge images".
Does anyone think this is a good idea? |
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08/12/2013 02:30:52 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by emoons:
Speaking from my experience, I feel that if voters left comments, then people would know what the problems or successes were with their photos. It is very frustrating to think that your image is good and then drop into the bottom of every challenge. Two comments with nearly 100 votes does not help anyone get better. I have tried to leave comments on the challenges, but I will start leaving more. |
I think you will find that you will actually learn more from the comments you leave than from those you get.
When you leave a comment, you are having to think about and articulate just what works and what doesn't on a photo in which you have no emotional investment. This in turn will help you incorporate those considerations when you are making your own photos, and to look at those you've already taken more objectively so that you'll know what might be done to make them "better," even if you don't yet know how to do it; for that you can ask for help here. :-) |
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08/12/2013 02:56:28 PM · #11 |
| Thanks Wendy, I fully agree even if I don't quite have your courage yet in a few if those areas! |
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08/12/2013 02:56:46 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by emoons:
Speaking from my experience, I feel that if voters left comments, then people would know what the problems or successes were with their photos. It is very frustrating to think that your image is good and then drop into the bottom of every challenge. Two comments with nearly 100 votes does not help anyone get better. I have tried to leave comments on the challenges, but I will start leaving more. |
I think you will find that you will actually learn more from the comments you leave than from those you get.
When you leave a comment, you are having to think about and articulate just what works and what doesn't on a photo in which you have no emotional investment. This in turn will help you incorporate those considerations when you are making your own photos, and to look at those you've already taken more objectively so that you'll know what might be done to make them "better," even if you don't yet know how to do it; for that you can ask for help here. :-) |
This is true. I do go through photos and think about what I would have done differently, and I know that helps me when I am thinking about composition. But if you do not receive feedback on your images, you don't know what other people are thinking and what kind of help to ask for.
I guess that is the teacher in me...I teach high school algebra. I can see it both ways. One, they can learn from others' mistakes by analyzing the work, but sometimes it would be easier and faster for that kid to learn the concept by being told what they are doing wrong. What do I want in the long run....quality work... |
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08/12/2013 03:06:06 PM · #13 |
| much more helpful is signing up for the cirque club. |
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08/12/2013 03:39:27 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Mike:
much more helpful is signing up for the critique club. |
fixed typo :-) Find Critique Club under "Community" in the menu above.
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08/12/2013 09:38:45 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by Mike:
much more helpful is signing up for the critique club. |
fixed typo :-) Find Critique Club under "Community" in the menu above. |
Hmm...nothin at all wrong with writing critiques, I should get back into it...but I seem to be better at giving others advice that lead to them ribboning (at least two members - namely [user]Ahmeed El-Ghoul[/user] and  lobrin - have publicly credited me for helping them to attain the skills that led to their ribbons).
I am stuck in the sub-7 doldrums, no matter what. I've *only* been here 7 years and still have less than 500 entries to my name, and only 2 ribbons.
So bittersweet is the irony that I can advise others to ribbons, but can't even score another ribbon.
Message edited by author 2013-08-12 21:44:36. |
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08/12/2013 09:48:29 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Mike:
much more helpful is signing up for the cirque club. |
A club so nice I signed up twice... and still wasn't let in. |
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08/12/2013 10:40:18 PM · #17 |
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08/13/2013 12:56:02 AM · #18 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
Originally posted by vawendy:
Because regardless of what happens with scores, it's still making me stretch in ways that I'd never do without it. My black on black entry may be the boring crap that people were complaining about in another thread, but I used my two flashes in ttl for the first time in a long time, one in a mini softbox, one as a hair light. The shot was a real challenge for me. My bokeh shot is sucking, but I experimented with different techniques. Didn't use any of them, but still experimented. Recently tied a flash into a lamp and stuck it in the river.
Over the past 4 years, I've had incredible adventures with my family, done really silly things, explored abstracts (which I never would have done), expanded my horizons exponentially, learned of some wonderful processing tips, tricks, techniques and programs, taken off my pants to wade through the water for a shot, gotten a lot more comfortable asking total strangers if I can photograph them, laid down in the middle of the street in the rain -- in front of the neighbors -- to take a picture of a vulture eating a squirrel, etc., etc.
All of this has continued to help me grow as a photographer. And I feel like I'm still growing, because I'm still pushing myself.
Why in the world would I let some low votes, or the fact that the photographs aren't resonating with everyone stop me from participating? Yes, I could quit DPC and go back to shooting just what I want to shoot. But I didn't grow very much or very quickly when I was doing that. It's getting out of your comfort zone that helps you expand.
I'm not going to let the trolls stand in my way! :) |
THAT'S why.
Thank you, Wendy!!!! |
Wise beyond your years! |
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08/13/2013 03:18:55 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by emoons:
Speaking from my experience, I feel that if voters left comments, then people would know what the problems or successes were with their photos. It is very frustrating to think that your image is good and then drop into the bottom of every challenge. Two comments with nearly 100 votes does not help anyone get better. I have tried to leave comments on the challenges, but I will start leaving more. |
I think you will find that you will actually learn more from the comments you leave than from those you get.
When you leave a comment, you are having to think about and articulate just what works and what doesn't on a photo in which you have no emotional investment. This in turn will help you incorporate those considerations when you are making your own photos, and to look at those you've already taken more objectively so that you'll know what might be done to make them "better," even if you don't yet know how to do it; for that you can ask for help here. :-) |
I agree with this statement altough sometimes when seeing enter a 1, 2, 3.... I ask myself what that voter finds so bad in my entry and what I could avoid next time.
Than some info would be welcome. |
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08/13/2013 03:52:50 AM · #20 |
One of the things that I have learned since joining DPC is that the shiny ,sharp,beautiful image is not the one I like best.
And for that I thank many folks here. It really has opened up a whole new dimension to the game. |
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08/13/2013 04:31:42 AM · #21 |
Originally posted by Tiny:
One of the things that I have learned since joining DPC is that the shiny ,sharp,beautiful image is not the one I like best.
And for that I thank many folks here. It really has opened up a whole new dimension to the game. |
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