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09/16/2004 07:44:38 PM · #1 |
It's apparent that I cant take a photo compitent enough to be good for challenges, but it is obvious that I am a decent photographer. What are some ways that I can improve the quality of work when I actually HAVE a theme picked out?
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09/16/2004 07:47:23 PM · #2 |
Don't ask me! I'm in the same boat you are.. Of course, I don't think the ability to understand and play to a mob, like one has to do a lot of the time on DPC, is really an ability one can learn.. for the most part.
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09/16/2004 07:49:10 PM · #3 |
| To be honest I can't understand why you get so low marks on your shots, I for one love your work, at least the top five should have got better places and higher grades in my opinion. So I'll guess I can't help you, just keep on shooting. |
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09/16/2004 07:52:10 PM · #4 |
There is no secret recipe on how to score well. It's just a matter of trying and trying, once you get lucky and boom.
Personally, I think that happy,nice and smooth scores better then hard, evil and dark. :-)
Message edited by author 2004-09-16 19:52:44.
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09/16/2004 08:06:18 PM · #5 |
explain your photo as best as possible in your title!
(I'm gonna try that, I'll get back to you if it works)
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09/16/2004 08:32:28 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by ericlimon:
explain your photo as best as possible in your title!
(I'm gonna try that, I'll get back to you if it works) |
Interesting thought, I try to deliver a good title to my submissions but am not sure they 'sway' the voters. I do however hate titles like 'flower and bee' when there is a flower and bee in the shot.
My last submission actually did better than I thought but wonder if my alternative title would have helped? some commenters didn't know what it was!
Submission title was 'Backdraft' alternative was 'Candle in the Wind'
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09/16/2004 08:37:23 PM · #7 |
Kirbic's Guide to Appealing to the Masses:
- Excellence in exposure, focus, composition are first but certainly not all!
- Do think about the emotion and message you want to convey, BEFORE you shoot.
- Do ask youself if the shot you want to submit conveys your intended message compellingly
- Do keep the "message" positive.
- Do ask yourself if the message is evident within 5 seconds. If not, you may lose your voters before they understand your shot.
- Do use a simple composition, and pay attention to ROT and other compositional techniques
- Do concentrate on making the lighting for your shot the best it can be. Great lighting separates exceptional shots from mundane ones.
- Do use the maximum amount of pixels and file size allowed (or nearly so)
- Do choose a short title that is not just a bland description. The title should help to enhance the emotion or message of the shot.
- Don't shoehorn a shot into a challenge. Shots that have a tenuous connection to the challenge tend to do poorly.
- Don't re-do something that's "been done" without a very original take on it.
- Don't use "sidebar" descriptors like "[unedited]" in your title.
- Don't use any border but a very simple one. Be SURE your border enhances the shot if you use one at all. If unsure, go without.
- Don't submit shots that have been edited to the point of being "unphotographic" in their appearance.
- Don't mistake technical difficulty for excellence. It is only one component of the elusive "wow" factor, and the difficulty may not be apparent to many voters
- Don't submit politically-charged shots. You'll p!ss off at least half the voters.
If I could bring myself to follow my own advice, I'd prolly score higher myself, LOL. Some of the above are good guidance in general, however some are just a fact of life when you're trying to create a "universally-liked" shot, and they can stifle creativity. I suggest that always aiming for the highest score is not always the best path, but it ceratinly is fun to have a contender! That is not to be for me this week, as I submitted a shot that I knew would be voted down by some for not meeting challenge, even though I felt it met it quite well. I'm very happy with the shot, that's what counts. |
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09/16/2004 08:38:54 PM · #8 |
| I agree with the title part, it sure helps your score. |
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09/16/2004 08:41:42 PM · #9 |
I think becoming a student of the work that scores well at this site is a must if a numerical score is important to you. If that percentage number is a driving factor, study the top ten percent finishers from each challenge, especially those that might be close in theme to what you are currently shooting. Look at what you are about to submit and see how it compares to other high scoring photos along the same vein.
Message edited by author 2004-09-16 20:42:03. |
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09/16/2004 09:43:51 PM · #10 |
And a Guide to Popular Subjects
- close-ups of water, milk or chocolate drops and effects, ice cubes, female nudes in latex boots, female nudes without the boots but with vacuous faces, nudes in contrived poses, personal pictures of little girls dressed in pink with or without hats;
stereo-typical 'postcards': cityscapes at night, especially those including light trails of passing cars, sunsets and images of pretty flowers, sweet idylls, portraits of people which do not convey a character or true feeling but a sentiment, insects with at least one body part in focus, cutlery, cups and glasses, frogs, chimps. cats, dogs and birds, especially eagles (even really good ones);
eggs, various fruits and vegetables, rulers, pencils and crayons, bright, midday action shots, sharp perspective shots of tall office buildings, chrome objects, anything shiny and reflective, reading glasses with a little text, isolated objects without a background or context, sepia-toned Americana and RR photos, electronic gadgets, light bulbs, cars, planes, golf balls, traffic signs, any sentiment as long as it's red, blue and white;
close-ups or overly saturated abstracts of gift ware items with purple as one of the dominant hues.
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09/16/2004 09:50:24 PM · #11 |
wow Kirbic!
You've put some thought into it!
this is my process....
1) think of about 20 different shots of whatever the challenge is
2) throw away those 20 and combine a few together
3) envision what it will look like before I've even taken the camera out
4) narrow it down to a couple of ideas
5) decide if it will actually stand out somehow from 300+ other entries
6) think think think how do i do it?
7) make it happen
8) mess up try again
9) keep trying cause you'll never learn unless you do it
10) get the shot and grin cause it looks good
11) learn something along the way
12) think of a tricky title (I'm giving up on that one!)
13) post and refresh every few hours!!!
BTW - I usually wait till about 9 pm on the last day and rush to get a shot. I work way better under pressure.
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09/17/2004 12:18:03 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by zeuszen:
yadda yadda yadda ....chimps. yadda yadda... |
I havent actually won a ribbon with a chimp! The flying motorcycle is obviously far better. :P |
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09/17/2004 12:48:00 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by moodville:
Originally posted by zeuszen:
yadda yadda yadda ....chimps. yadda yadda... |
I havent actually won a ribbon with a chimp! The flying motorcycle is obviously far better. :P |
Your chimp cannot be touched by my sarcastic post. He is, decidedly, an 'elect subject'. It's also evident from the photo, that the photographer was motivated by other considerations than 'popularity'.
Is the distance I put between your chimp and mine sufficient now? ;-)
Message edited by author 2004-09-17 00:51:50.
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09/17/2004 03:01:51 AM · #14 |
Everything what kirbic said plus have a smart or original concept.
Some time ago scalvert posted a message that he had discovered how to get high scores here. I suggest you have a look at his recent entries....
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09/17/2004 03:14:52 AM · #15 |
I also try to be original. When I am voting and see 20 of the same image, after a while I get sick of seeing it, & probably mark it down for unoriginality.
Bend over backwards to use the rule of thirds. Voters appear to worship this concept.
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09/17/2004 08:39:35 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by ericlimon:
explain your photo as best as possible in your title!
(I'm gonna try that, I'll get back to you if it works) |
Interesting idea. I generally ignore the title. To me the photo should speak for itself, however a good title could possibly give the viewer a nudge as to what they are looking at not how to look at it.
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09/17/2004 11:27:19 AM · #17 |
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
I generally ignore the title. To me the photo should speak for itself, however a good title could possibly give the viewer a nudge as to what they are looking at not how to look at it. |
One of the most famous photos of all time Migrant Mother most likely wouldn't have found that fame if it had been titled "Seasonal Farm Labourer's Family", as it was in a later reprint in 1965. The original title adds far more to the image than the weaker, later one. Titles do have a place in photography. To ignore them would be to dismiss a large part of the various political/ ideological/ social/ semiotic meanings inherent in photography. |
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09/17/2004 11:34:56 AM · #18 |
There was another thread on photos which were inseperable from their titles...I completely agree.
Some people say that 'the work of art should speak for itself' and I agree, adding that the title can often be a dramatic part of the work of art. |
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09/17/2004 11:38:03 AM · #19 |
Here's that thread
In the thread, the importance of titles was debated.
Message edited by author 2004-09-17 11:38:40. |
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