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10/04/2004 03:33:18 PM · #1 |
I'm curious: about how much time do you, when voting, give each picture?
Do you give it a few minutes each? 30 seconds? a glance?
It'd be interesting to see if that many hours of work to get the photos just right comes down to a vote that takes 5 to 10 seconds (if that). |
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10/04/2004 03:38:57 PM · #2 |
Usually I go through every image once fairly quickly and give each an initial score. Sometimes I use the full scale sometimes I just lump everything into 3, 5 and 7 on the first run through.
Then I go through every image again and give it a little more time thinking about what other entries there are (flame me, but in a challenge situation I take into account the quality of the other entries, I don't judge each image in a vacuum). At this stage I'm definitely using the full scale (though I very rarely give out 1s and 2s).
Then I go through thumbnails and pick images that I made mental notes to revisit and do my fine tuning. At this stage images can sometimes fall by 1 or 2 but also go up by at least that much.
Basically, because I know that some images tend to grow on me over time I prefer to use this multiple pass approach.
I always vote all entries or none at all (with the exception of occasionally giving a score to add a comment when I'm not voting the challenge but have pulled up the voting rather than commenting only page and I know those scores will be discounted because of the 20% rule so I usually give a 5 in that case so that the owner of the image doesn't unfairly think he/ she will finish higher than they actually will.
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10/04/2004 03:39:25 PM · #3 |
| I am lucky to have Broad Band Internet so viewing the pictures at 1.5MB/sec goes quickly. I usually make a pass through all the pictures giving each a 4, 5 or 6. That takes about 30 seconds each. Then I gothrough the 6's and bump until I get about 10% in the 8, 9, 10 range. Then I go to the 4's and bump until I get about 10% in the 1, 2 or 3 range. These bump rounds take about a minute each. Then I try to go back and comment on 1-3 and 8-10 plus others that interest me in some way. Commenting takes a few minutes a picture. All told, I may spend 4 - 8 hours total voting on a challenge. |
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10/04/2004 03:41:46 PM · #4 |
| I can't really answer that in a time frame. What I can tell you is I have a very high speed connection allowing me to view a picture [large] in about a half second giving me more time to vote. I go through the photos three times on different days so I can adjust the scoring I have give the photo. I spend more time looking at photos in the "gray area" than I do if they clearly meet the challenge or clearly don't meet the challenge. I also spend more time going back and looking at a photo that I may have voted low to make sure I understood the photo giving the photographers picture time to talk to me [I hope that makes sense]. |
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10/04/2004 03:42:42 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by RobCoursey:
It'd be interesting to see if that many hours of work to get the photos just right comes down to a vote that takes 5 to 10 seconds (if that). |
Unfortunately (on average) it probably does. I normally do two passes, first pass at the start of the week with maybe a 10-20 second viewing (I know I know) then I will always return to revist submissions later in the week and alter my votes if I think they need it.
Also, if I submitted to the same challenge and am having a hard time I'll refrain from voting until my anger at low votes have passed (no point in channelling my frustration into others work).
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10/04/2004 03:51:48 PM · #6 |
I do at least a couple of passes. Sometimes first pass I just vote on those that catch my eye, other times I do a 4/5 run, plus a few exceptional ones get 7/8. Average time, 20/30 seconds
Second run thru, usually a couple of days later, I bump the best, but rarely downgrade any. Final run, if there is one, I look thru the lower ones and will bump those that have met the challenge. Those that don't, usually stay where I first scored them. Average time 30/60 seconds
I don't try to identify who took the photo and score accordingly. Voting is done purely on the grab factor, composition and focusing. I will not vote highly for effects...if the photo is good, it gets a higher vote. |
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10/04/2004 04:21:26 PM · #7 |
Voting is best done in a systematic manner. First you must group images because the need to return is crucial. By taking one's time you are able to see ideas and technique that will prove invaluable.
To vote without final comparison will allow many images to escape. To vote one image at a time is beyond my comprehension, though many do do it. I feel the need to sleep on many of the images and to make fine adjustments.
I do guarantee that taking your time will have a subliminal positive effect on your own work because the need to match the superb studies will rub off on you. |
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10/04/2004 04:29:20 PM · #8 |
My process:
1-If I vote on a challenge I vote on all images in the challenge.
2-For most images I rarely spend more than one or two seconds to score it on the first pass. (That is right, 1 or 2 SECONDS!)
3-If I make an error I prefer to score on the high side rather than the low side.
4-There is usually a group clumped at 6-7 so I make a second pass of them and those above that. Those are reviewed a little longer and they are usually upgraded and/or readjusted to 7-9.
5-Some lower scored images are revisited looking for scoring errors and readjusted as necessary.
6-I usually comment more on higher scoring images than lower, but I do select and comment on lower and middle scored images specifically for constructive criticism.
Agreement with the masses is not my goal, consistency in scoring is. As time has progressed I have been slowly scoring images higher and higher. I'd much rather score a 6.05 quality image as a 7 than as a 5. But I do want my score to be relevant.
The final numeric score an image receives is the single most important feedback that a photographer gets.
A low score tells you that your technical quality is flawed or that you chose a subject that lacks GENERAL audience appeal or which cannot easily be connected to the challenge topic. Correct all those things and you still might not get a ribbon but your chances are greatly improved. :)
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10/04/2004 04:35:24 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by stdavidson:
My process:
1-If I vote on a challenge I vote on all images in the challenge.
2-For most images I rarely spend more than one or two seconds to score it on the first pass. (That is right, 1 or 2 SECONDS!)
3-If I make an error I prefer to score on the high side rather than the low side.
4-There is usually a group clumped at 6-7 so I make a second pass of them and those above that. Those are reviewed a little longer and they are usually upgraded and/or readjusted to 7-9.
5-Some lower scored images are revisited looking for scoring errors and readjusted as necessary.
6-I usually comment more on higher scoring images than lower, but I do select and comment on lower and middle scored images specifically for constructive criticism.
Agreement with the masses is not my goal, consistency in scoring is. As time has progressed I have been slowly scoring images higher and higher. I'd much rather score a 6.05 quality image as a 7 than as a 5. But I do want my score to be relevant.
The final numeric score an image receives is the single most important feedback that a photographer gets.
A low score tells you that your technical quality is flawed or that you chose a subject that lacks GENERAL audience appeal or which cannot easily be connected to the challenge topic. Correct all those things and you still might not get a ribbon but your chances are greatly improved. :) |
A well thought out post, and one that reflects (in a general way) my voting behaviour as well...
I must admit that I concern myself more with the accuracy of my 6+ scoring than of the 4- scoring. This is a subconscious thing as I'm much more likely to muse over the photos I enjoy looking at. |
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10/04/2004 06:08:17 PM · #10 |
I vote only on images I feel I can relate to on one level or another and on those that move or commote me, positively or negatively - it does not matter.
I enjoy seeing things I have not seen before as much as I delight in recognizing familiar objects, scenes and beings in an unfamiliar light. In a good challenge, I may feel like a gardener seperating azelias from chickweed, careful not to trample anything small, young or too old not to be frail as well. In a poor one, I wear protective gear and glasses using a chainsaw to cut out rank growth, blowing the rotten wood.
I tend to work slowly and patiently, usually in a very small area of the garden. Since I fall in love very easily, I distrust rioting flower beds, lurid blossoms and feckless perfection. When I do fall for something, I like to fall thoroughly, without ropes or reservation. When this is the case, I may feel the urge to sing and write the lyrics into the comment box.
This, too, takes a good while, since I'm neither musical nor does the same song fit every affair.
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10/04/2004 06:21:34 PM · #11 |
I forgot to put my process down on the initial post ;)
1) If I've entered the challenge, I don't vote. If not, I hit all the images. I decided a while back that subconsciencely if I am competing in the challenge, I was putting votes down lower than I would if I hadn't entered. So, I make it a general rule of thumb to not vote if I'm competing.
2) I skim thru the images and hand out 1 to 8 (about 3 seconds each). 80% are in the 4 to 7 range with an occasional <4 and >7. Very rarely do I give a 1 or 10.
3) Give it a day or so and revisit. Most of the time I'll bring many images up and send a select few down. The ones that stand out will receive at least a min or two from me. Several of the more outstanding ones will be revisited several times (and are likely to get higher scores).
Overall, I'd have to say that in a given challenge, each image (outstanding or not) will receive an average of 20 to 30 seconds. Of course, most of those will be on the much lower spectrum time wise. |
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10/04/2004 06:30:25 PM · #12 |
I only have a dial up connection , so voting takes time.First I have a look at all the photos , and if possible I do it twice , and only after I vote , this can last 2 or 3 days.
I never give 1 or 2 , (only one time a 3 because the photo disliked me a lot). Comments come after. |
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10/04/2004 07:23:19 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by RobCoursey:
1) If I've entered the challenge, I don't vote.
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I am the opposite and vote on challenges that I enter.
Your one vote has a minimal effect on the final outcome anyway so it is not hard to give them the scores they deserve. I have more interest in the challenges I enter than the ones I do not and always like guessing the top three finishers.
I find voting more enlightening in challenges where I have a stake in the outcome. It helps me better distinguish what I do from what people really like.
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10/04/2004 07:25:01 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by zeuszen:
I vote only on images I feel I can relate to on one level or another and on those that move or commote me, positively or negatively - it does not matter.
I enjoy seeing things I have not seen before as much as I delight in recognizing familiar objects, scenes and beings in an unfamiliar light. In a good challenge, I may feel like a gardener seperating azelias from chickweed, careful not to trample anything small, young or too old not to be frail as well. In a poor one, I wear protective gear and glasses using a chainsaw to cut out rank growth, blowing the rotten wood.
I tend to work slowly and patiently, usually in a very small area of the garden. Since I fall in love very easily, I distrust rioting flower beds, lurid blossoms and feckless perfection. When I do fall for something, I like to fall thoroughly, without ropes or reservation. When this is the case, I may feel the urge to sing and write the lyrics into the comment box.
This, too, takes a good while, since I'm neither musical nor does the same song fit every affair. |
What a wonderfully poetic description of the thought you put into voting! I plan to keep your reflections in mind as I move onto the next challenge and the inevitable refining of my voting style.
Thank you! |
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