Too many Photo's Called Lucky or 7

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

12/08/2004 05:34:53 PM · #1

In the Lucky 7 Challenge I have looked at the top hundred
41 have either "lucky" or "7" in the title.

I gave up counting then, as I have become disheartened with what seems to me a limited lack of origination in naming an image.

I find it odd that people obviously spend considerable time on thinking about a challenge, executing the shots and then editing the image. Then, putting it on the web, and then it seems to me as almost an afterthought, giving this photo the first name that comes to mind.

I do not mean to be harsh with these comments, but there does seem to be an imbalance between the effort in producing the image, and the effort in naming it.

Let's get more creative in this area.

(ducks for cover, I hides behind the sofa)

peecee

Canon EOS-5D

12/08/2004 05:38:12 PM · #2

heh heh, I find the titles sometimes are very amusing.
It may be an excellent photograph yet I agree, very little imagination in some of the titles.

now I will hide :)

Pug-H

Pentax K10D

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Pentax

12/08/2004 05:46:31 PM · #3

What gets me, before I too duck down, are the spelling and grammatical errors we sometimes get. It's not hard to look up a dictionary, papaer or web. (Er, I am slightly guilty in this respect - who ever heard of a monocycle?)

Geo_Griffin

Panasonic Lumix FZ45

12/08/2004 05:49:15 PM · #4

Somehow I made the top hundred :0, without a 7 or Lucky :D

Sometimes more effort goes in to my titles that the pictures :lol:

I was quite proud of this one :)

Geo

Message edited by author 2004-12-08 17:51:54.

yeoua

Canon PowerShot G2

12/08/2004 07:52:07 PM · #5

I actually made certain that my title was as unoriginal possible. "Seven Pieces of Paper". It was a poke at how a lot of artists named their works ... something like "Two Cats and a Cheese Wheel" or some obvious nonsense. My picture itself was incredibly unoriginal as possible as well... I suppose I went a bit overboard with being unoriginal however :)

hardwaybets

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

12/08/2004 07:55:33 PM · #6

With all due respect....who gives a crap about the title of an image...hell, if the title has to carry the image...then the image isn't worth a very high score in the first place...

just my 2 cents...

Gauti

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

12/08/2004 08:23:06 PM · #7

I put some (ok, a lot) of thought into my titles and sometimes get rewarded for it, at least in comments:

jmsetzler: Sometimes I wish titles were taken as seriously as the photos are :)

edit:
just go a perfect comment:
Simply stunning and elegant. Perfect title that enhances it even further.

Message edited by author 2004-12-08 20:57:47.

Gatorguy

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

12/09/2004 05:57:40 PM · #8

Originally posted by hardwaybets:

With all due respect....who gives a crap about the title of an image...hell, if the title has to carry the image...then the image isn't worth a very high score in the first place...

I think a good title can be the finishing touch that completes the work. It can serve to give the viewer insight into the thoughts of the artist and aid as an understanding of the intent. It's all well and good to say that a photograph must stand on it's own, but many times, especially with the more creative and original entries, the average viewer would not "get it". Is that wrong? Not in my book.

On the other hand, a title can't be used to force a photo into compliance with a challenge, nor can it turn a bad photo into a good one. I will have to honestly say that I have never given a lower score due to a bad title. I have, however, given better scores due to a good title (for reasons mentioned above).

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

12/09/2004 06:11:40 PM · #9

Yes - an image should be able to to work on its own.

Yes - a good tittle can assist assist in supporting the whole presentation.

Yes - A title should not be the reason that an image is shoe horned into a challenge.

I feel the title is the finishing touch to the presentation of the whole Photograph.
it provide the opportunity for the photographer to add their personal touch and give an insight into their thinking.

An image is there for us all to see and interpret, but the photographer should also assist in shaping that perception.

For me, and I stress this as a very personal but still highly strong feeling, an image which is given a very poor , or obvious title, gives me the impression of a half finished piece of work.

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800

12/09/2004 07:29:34 PM · #10

Some months ago I made myself a promise: "I will never name a photo using a word or phrase from the challenge title!" So far I've kept it and been happy with the results. Going to be hard in the Broken Challenge, but I hereby renew my vows!

Mendel's Legacy

I was especially proud of this name in the Lucky Seven challenge, although there were some commenters who didn't recognize Mendel's name.

Message edited by author 2004-12-09 19:32:18.

whatdewuc

12/09/2004 08:15:00 PM · #11

I agree that the title shouldn't force the image to meet a challenge. Yet a title certainly grabs a voter's attention, and hopefully slows them down to study the submission. I can't say I consciously awarded or subtracted points based on the title, but subconsiously...

BTW, Mendel's Legacy is a perfect title. My 12 year old even commented as he passed by during voting, "hey thats the genetics guy". Nice to know my school tax dollars are working.

Titles distinguish the mediocre, embarrass the superior, and are disgraced by the inferior. -George Bernard Shaw

kyebosh

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 80-200mm f/2.8L

12/09/2004 08:17:04 PM · #12

mine was Pixy Stix iirc.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

12/10/2004 12:14:11 PM · #13

A title is not just there to identify a photograph with a challenge; the photograph should be strong enough to achieve this on its own. For me the title assists in identifying the journey from the photographer vision to the end result, it assists in portraying the "how" and "why"

To illustrate why I feel the title is an important part of a photograph, I would like to use the following...

Submitted under the Advanced Editing Competition Hero's - "Be they firemen, costumed superheroes, or just a personal idol, we all understand the concept of a hero. Submit a photo that illustrates a "hero".

Consider the following photograph with a number of grave stones, all neatly lines up in rows and columns; - none of the inscriptions can be read.

The photograph is in black and white, except for 1 bunch of red flowers laying in front of one of the grave stones.

Now consider the following 4 different Titles for this Photograph.

1. (no title ...)
2. Hero
3. Lest they be forgotten
4. Granddad

All of these a perfectly good titles, but they all give different perspectives.

So what do these titles suggest to me?

1. The neatly lined up graves stones suggest that these are war graves commemorating those who died in action serving their country. The red flower singles out 1 grave in particular suggesting that the person in this grave is the hero.

2. This suggests exactly the same as number 1, and the title of Hero, in the singular, assists in confirming that suggestion.

3. This title does not single out one grave in particular but suggest that all the graves are heroes, but the red flower in the photograph will obviously draw out attention to one grave in particular. The title assist in helping us reflect on what these people must have done, and the sacrifices that they made, to try and make things better later generations.

4. This title is more emotive and personal, and evokes images of a small child having placed the flowers on the grave on their granddad. A man who was loved and worshiped, and is still greatly missed.

1 photographs,
4 titles,
4 thought processes,

.. but for me 1 winner ..

lebowski

Canon EOS-10D

12/10/2004 12:39:59 PM · #14

I agree that title is a very important part of the image, not an optional... I always take lots of time when it comes to give titles to my works, also when submitting to a challenge

Bud

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

12/10/2004 12:43:19 PM · #15

Hmmmm... Here is my humble 89th place finish called (drum roll please) "Seven Eggs". My thought is the title should fit the photo. True, a good title can be more enticing to the viewer. And, true, the title can help direct the thoughts of the viewer. But, some of the topics are much less emotional than "Heros" or "Poverty" or "Touch". "Lucky 7" is one of them.

That being said, I do like a nice title. I appreciate your interesting thoughts and points.

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

12/10/2004 12:50:25 PM · #16

Doh! I had Luck in the title of my entry, too. No wonder I finished so low. ;-)