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11/10/2005 01:35:16 PM · #1 |
Can't we keep political views out of competitions? I mean, I have voted on several challanges now and all but pumpkins has ciggarettes, drugs, and alchohol as not only an entry, but making it into personal viewpoints about "dead ends" and "garbage". I am surprised no one carved a ciggarette butt, a syringe, or a beer can in a pumpkin for the "horror shock" value of it all.
I am a smoker, but I abhore alchohol and drugs too. However, I don't let my views affect my entries. I am really tired of all the views being portrayed in a venue where I expect the hobby of photography to be more relevant. It reminds me of watching the Emmy's or the Oscars and have some idiot take the platform and talk about abortion when it isn't the time or the place.
Surely there are many more entries that can be submitted for dead ends and garbage then a personal type of metaphoric view. I just don't think this is the time or place for such view points. Not so much even in the pictures, but the titles. One title was something like "slow and certain death" with ciggarette butts, or the like for booze and drugs. SO cliche` and tiresome. For that matter, why did no one place a hot dog as a dead end or garbage entry? Do you not know that hot dogs are made up of scraps from what isn't readily eaten off the cow and can cause fatal ailments? How about a twinky? Do you not know that the creamy inside of a twinky is made of pork fat and byproduct, also which can be just as fatalistic? I could go on and on as to even air, which can carry contagious toxins, smog, to even cat dander for crying out loud.
I am SO sick of everything being about ciggarettes and booze and drugs and personal views coming across in entries, like this is the haven for such discussion. I am here to have fun, and not to see personal medical viewpoints.
I know this is a free country, and this is just my view, but I would rather a hobby be used for relaxation then to be used for once again the redundancy of such political views.
Just MY opinion.
Rose
Message edited by author 2005-11-10 13:39:00.
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11/10/2005 01:39:11 PM · #2 |
Hot dogs are made of lips and a-holes. :-)
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11/10/2005 01:41:21 PM · #3 |
That's right, they are - and other obnoxious things as well! LOL...OH yum yum *NOT*.
Rose
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11/10/2005 01:43:43 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by Rose8699:
I know this is a free country, and this is just my view, |
And as fortunate or unfortunate as that is, being a "free country" just like you everyone else can also state thier view (be it verbally or photographically). No one has to agree with either view, nor adhere to it. And no one is likely to do so either. |
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11/10/2005 01:48:39 PM · #5 |
I think the community here at DPC is very creative, certainly emotive, and that comes out in the images people take. A very diverse group is going to have multiple ways of looking at a particular challenge subject.
Garbage and Dead End are prime candidates for some wide-ranging views. If all the images were of the inside of a trash can, or a piece of litter on the ground, it would be a bit mundane. No offense to images that meet that example...just the first thing that came to mind when I thought of garbage.
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11/10/2005 01:49:30 PM · #6 |
| To me one of the main purposes of photography (as opposed to snap shot type of stuff) is to allow the photographer to say something. Regardless of which side of the issue, a photo with a clear statement is better to me then one where I can see nothing. If you want to say something you think is positive and uplifting then go for it but allow others to say something that you find negative since they may not. |
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11/10/2005 02:02:22 PM · #7 |
Don't get me wrong, I actually like our President, but I wonder how well a picture of him would score in the garbage challenge. Would definitely be unique. Some voters would find it amusing, others would not at all.
In my opinion though, any political view shot (even if it is perfect in composition, lighting, etc.) is only going to get you about a 5 score on average, because of the voters on either side of the line.
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11/10/2005 02:05:30 PM · #8 |
Guess you missed this one:
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11/10/2005 02:11:48 PM · #9 |
I don't want anyone to miss my point. My point is not to shut off creativity and have it narrowed down to just garbage cans. Certainly there are SO many more metaphoric ways of being artistic then the cliche` advertising of ciggarettes, alchohol, and drugs, and that is my point. AND many did that without using such advertising and easily.
What if I don't feel a can of beer meets the challenge theme of a dead end? Then should it be my vote to mark it as low as a one or even ask it be DQ'ed? What if I was offended, being a smoker, by the advertisements placed in the challenge and this site, one I pay for and one in which I come to in order to get away from the mundane? Should I ask for a DQ or give it a one?
I think the political and antaganistic views, although they may not stop, will certainly not bare any good voting numbers, and that is the reason for the competition. It isn't all about the technical aspects of the photo, but what the theme is and how it is artistically portrayed. I personally don't find anything artistic within a political viewpoint made into a theme photo. I also don't agree with abortion, but to see it used in a venue like the Academy Awards, simply because they have the platform and the camera and the star status to do so, I find offensive.
Save the political agendas and photographic values for medical magazine cover photo contests. I, personally, when I see one, just shake my head, and to be honest, they are lucky to get any vote from me. If they do, they get low scores just for making such statements in a place I don't feel it is warranted.
Will what I am saying change anything? I doubt it. There are pros and cons to our countries Free Speech, and with that and free thought, to me it is a con in this instance - whereas to you it may be pro. I am just stating that I really think that it is going to hurt the submitter of such an entry, and I know it will as long as I am voting. With that, those that want to go ahead and keep making such statements, be my guest.
Rose
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11/10/2005 02:12:45 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by KaDi:
Guess you missed this one:
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LOL..AND there you go. I am sure it most likely got a 2 score from me. LOL...
Rose
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11/10/2005 02:13:23 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Don't get me wrong, I actually like our President, but I wonder how well a picture of him would score in the garbage challenge. Would definitely be unique. Some voters would find it amusing, others would not at all.
In my opinion though, any political view shot (even if it is perfect in composition, lighting, etc.) is only going to get you about a 5 score on average, because of the voters on either side of the line. |
Precisely.
Rose
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11/10/2005 02:17:34 PM · #12 |
Me thinks you need to hit the thread "The Bar Is Open". At least there we don't discuss the 3 most deadliest things in life.
1. Religion
2. Politics
3. The Great Pumpkin (as seen on TV)
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11/10/2005 02:24:41 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Rose8699:
What if I don't feel a can of beer meets the challenge theme of a dead end? Then should it be my vote to mark it as low as a one or even ask it be DQ'ed? |
Not meeting the challenge isn't grounds for a DQ.
Originally posted by Rose8699:
...and to be honest, they are lucky to get any vote from me. ... |
They would be luckier receiving your 'No vote' rather than getting a 'one'. ;^)
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11/10/2005 02:29:46 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by robs:
To me one of the main purposes of photography (as opposed to snap shot type of stuff) is to allow the photographer to say something. Regardless of which side of the issue, a photo with a clear statement is better to me then one where I can see nothing. |
Funny you should say that. LOL...My garbage entry..LOL. I have a HUGE piece of garbage in it. Takes up more than 1/4th of the photo. One of my comments was "Where is the garbage? I don't see the garbage in this entry!" LOL....Mine is clear as day yet it isn't seen because they simply didn't LOOK at the photo. But I guess had I been so cliche` as to place that good old ciggy in there, then it would have been SO much more obvious. LOL....
Rose
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11/10/2005 02:35:27 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by glad2badad:
Originally posted by Rose8699:
What if I don't feel a can of beer meets the challenge theme of a dead end? Then should it be my vote to mark it as low as a one or even ask it be DQ'ed? |
Not meeting the challenge isn't grounds for a DQ.
REALLY? LOL...Then I have to wonder why someone asked my photo for dead end be validated this morning? The comments I had spanned from "WOW, what a mood you set! I am giving you a 10!" to comments like "I think you just gave this photo a title to meet the challenge!" LOL....Certainly, if the challenge is that of flowers and someone posts a photo entry of a lipstick tube, I would offer it a reason for DQ.
Originally posted by Rose8699:
...and to be honest, they are lucky to get any vote from me. ... |
They would be luckier receiving your 'No vote' rather than getting a 'one'. ;^) |
Then I will make sure to give it some kind of score, in any case.
Rose
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11/10/2005 02:51:24 PM · #16 |
| A cigarette butt is garbage--most end up in a garbage can or on the streets. That is not political, just a fact. A drug addict usually ends up only thinking about his/her next fix, not the kids, the job, school, the community. It may take years to get to that point, but it usually happens. Same with an alcolic. That says dead end to me, and really doesn't have anything to do with politics. The only political theme would be that of someone smoking, and since most agree that smoking often leads to serious health problems, it is not a far stretch to also call that a dead end. You may not like these images, you may think they are overused or in poor taste, but I am not sure why you are calling them political. |
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11/10/2005 03:15:00 PM · #17 |
| Sounds like someone needs a hug {hug} |
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11/10/2005 03:29:33 PM · #18 |
If anything, photography is about photographers' views - even political.
If those views produce strong reactions - so much the better.
If someone doesn't like someone elses views - too darn bad.
If photographers are expected to shoot only mild pinky-pink one-size-fits-all images, I think it's time to pack away the camera and find something else to do. I mean if, through your photos, you can't say what's really on your mind or heart, what's the point of doing it? |
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11/10/2005 03:31:35 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Rose8699:
I am really tired of all the views being portrayed in a venue where I expect the hobby of photography to be more relevant. It reminds me of watching the Emmy's or the Oscars and have some idiot take the platform and talk about abortion when it isn't the time or the place. |
Photography has been used as a medium to express opinion since it was invented. It is, in fact, a very powerful tool for doing as such. Had I entered Garbage II, and had my wife let me (she put a big nix on it), I was going to have a portrait of my 2-year old daughter with a cigarette in her mouth and title it "Garbage before it's lit". I haven't tried much along "editorial" lines on this site, but it's a valid avenue. (You could probably put the Dr. and the cig opinion together.)
I applaud your trying to remain impartial even when you disagree with the statement. I can get caught up as well. I have very little use for guns (being a pediatrician) and I can sometimes let that fact cloud my voting on pictures with guns in them. I should take a step back and try to be more unbiased.
Don't take away the ability to editorialize though. It's a very cogent appication of our hobby. |
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11/10/2005 03:48:50 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by chaimelle:
A cigarette butt is garbage--most end up in a garbage can or on the streets. That is not political, just a fact. A drug addict usually ends up only thinking about his/her next fix, not the kids, the job, school, the community. It may take years to get to that point, but it usually happens. Same with an alcolic. That says dead end to me, and really doesn't have anything to do with politics. The only political theme would be that of someone smoking, and since most agree that smoking often leads to serious health problems, it is not a far stretch to also call that a dead end. You may not like these images, you may think they are overused or in poor taste, but I am not sure why you are calling them political. |
Ok, so we won't call them political views. We will call them antagonistic statements.
And you have made your views on the subject of ciggs, booze, and drugs, and you did it right here in the rant section where I could have passed it on by if I cared to instead of placing it in a contest entry simply because your "statement" to the world happens to coincide with the theme.
While voting, the next picture just pops up on the screen. When that happens, and its title and photo are such ranting type views, it is just a turn off for me. An abortion is a dead end as well, but would you like to have seen a photo flash on your screen depicting a dead fetus? No. Not pleasing to the eye, not pleasing to the voter. AND we all know it is out there and happens, but it is not something I would care to see in this particular forum. Yet, I can say to you as well that "it is a dead end" so whats your problem with it??
What I am saying here is that it is my view that agendas of this type, on redundant issues that surround us all in every day living and dying, should not be used in such a forum where it is supposed to be pleasing to enter and offer up discussion. I want to see a creative outlet in photography that bypasses the mundane. Something outside of the box, and no matter where you look today all you see is someone with an agenda to hopefully change the world. You see it in commercials, on prime time shows, in awards shows, in pageants, in pop ups, in e-mail, in snail mail, etc. So when I want to have a pleasing hobby the last thing I want to do is over and over again see the same agendas being stated.
It is like going on vacation and taking your work with you...LOL. Then its no vacation, right? I also took my child to the carnival last night. I didn't see anyone picketing, or signs up about alcohol abuse. LOL...It is supposed to be pleasing & fun, and it was. We get enough of that stuff day in and out everywhere else. I joined here to have a pleasing & fun outlet to show creative works of art and see them. Things that are beautiful to see, to think about, to enter, and gives the mind another place to go. That is all I am saying.
I KNOW it will not be done. In the future I will most likely bypass contest themes that may have agendas within now that I know they will be used for platforms. It is just sad that has to happen. Heck, you know, maybe it was just those two themes or three themes since I joined, who knows. Maybe it won't happen again for a while. Don't know. At least in landscapes I didn't see anything that had an agenda or borish and distasteful entry. LOL....
Edited to add for another poster while I was writing this: I KNOW that photograhy has been an outlet to platforms for years. What I am saying is that there is SO MUCH more out there in and to life then to be consistantly killing the same horse on certain issues. Let's have a bit of beauty and fun. I am certainly not saying that every photo must have bubblegum and roses, and certainly there were other statements made in "dead end" such as lonliness and despair. Not everything has to be about sex, drugs, and rock & roll? I mean, hearing the same joke over and over? You eventually stop laughing.
Rose
Rose
Message edited by author 2005-11-10 15:56:53.
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11/10/2005 03:58:07 PM · #21 |
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11/10/2005 04:00:57 PM · #22 |
Ohhh, that is darling!! LOL....How do you get that smiley?? !! LOL...
Rose
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11/10/2005 04:12:42 PM · #23 |
| I would much prefer that people promote their political agendas through their photos rather than through thread after thread in the rant section. This is, afterall, a photography site. |
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11/10/2005 04:21:24 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Rose8699:
What I am saying here is that it is my view that agendas of this type, on redundant issues that surround us all in every day living and dying, should not be used in such a forum where it is supposed to be pleasing to enter and offer up discussion. |
Where does it say that we are supposed to offer up "pleasing" images? That is NOT one of the goals of the site AFAIK. |
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11/10/2005 04:34:34 PM · #25 |
| I was going to enter a shot of alcohol and pills, but I just couldn't get the setup right. I don't have a problem with so many using that theme for dead end, and since we are still voting I won't comment on my opinions of the various shots. I will say that some people hate shots of cats, or dogs, or children, or waterfalls, or flowers, or ... While you may want the prettier side of life, others might wish there were even less "pretty" shots. Your opinion is right for you, and you certainly have the right to state that opinion, but I don't think we should limit ourselves to just what is pretty or might not be offensive. |
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