Whatever happened to....Team Suck

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

12/23/2006 02:21:16 PM · #2502

Originally posted by klstover:

And it keeps falling.....
>.<

Sucky :(

I've turned my scores off in advance of the pattern challenge, which I know will bomb. Better just to find out at the end ;)

levyj413

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

12/23/2006 02:59:26 PM · #2503

Lemme ask the rest of the team something: are you happy with your shots? I'm concerned that the team suck concept has become simply a place to laugh that scores aren't higher, as opposed to trying to get better. I'd like to see us help each other improve in addition to being a group commiseration experience.

So if you'd like your shots to be better on any scale, how can the rest of us help you? Not necessarily better in terms of score, but better in terms of focus, composition, etc. Are there techniques you need to work on that will help bring out your own vision that we can help you figure out?

For me, I feel like I understand the basics of exposure and focus. I'm also pretty satisfied that I know how to take a photo that's good to very good in the generally accepted sense. But some of those shots (e.g., my For Sale entry) are standard things. I could go shoot Washington's monuments at night forever and get nice, high scores most of the time. Other than knowing how to use my camera, though, there's not a whole lot of individualism in them. Now I'm trying to figure out what will really excite me and others at the same time. So: what jazzes you about a shot? What makes you say "WOW" and name it a favorite?

In exchange for that info, here's how I get sharp focus: I take a LOT of shots. I often use focus bracketing, too, because manual focus on my camera is a royal pain. For studio shots (my studio is a table with some clamp lamps in my basement), I'll first get the lighting right with a bunch of test shots, then work on the focus, and then finally start shooting what will eventually be my entry. I'll often take 20 or 30 shots to get one that's sharp and well exposed. In other words, I make up for my lack of innate sense with loads of shots.

Finally, if you really, truly don't care about the score, and you really, truly don't care about improving (whatever that means to you), then why enter challenges? I'm sure there are reasons, so I'm genuinely asking, not implying anything simply by posing the question.

mist

Canon EOS-60D

12/23/2006 03:16:54 PM · #2504

Well, I'm entering pattern with a shot that I think may not score well, but I also think that I know why, I'd just like to see if what I think is what actually happens. There's another reason I'm entering the shot, but I can't really explain that until after the challenge :)

I do generally think that submitting my photos is making me better at taking them. Though my scores haven't exactly been amazing lately, I think my ability is improving.

I think that this "team" thread helps also, it is a place to be a bit less uptight about scores, but it's also a place where we encourage each other to submit, which means that we get out and shoot more. Which is the name of the game, really.

Elaine

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

12/23/2006 04:41:52 PM · #2505

I do want to improve. Challenges often make me take shots of things I otherwise would not think to shoot. And hopefully practice will make better (since perfect is far far away.) I am also going to try a photo a week and a photo-a-day blog just to make myself try to get several worthwhile shots each week.

I usually like my composition, but need to work on technicals and processing. I haven't put into words the "wow" factor for me, but my favorites page holds a lot of them.

I would love for all of my challenge entries to score 5.5 and up, I would love to get a high 6 or 7. I have had one 10th place finish and would like to have more, a ribbon (or several) would be nice.

Team Suck is a fun place to be as I hopefully improve.

xianart

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

12/23/2006 04:42:38 PM · #2506

well, levy, you have posed a good question. i suppose i'm not too worried about improving my basic photography skills - i have a bfa in it, and i think those skills are pretty good. i know my photoshop skills are growing, with a vertical learning curve. but i know what i want, can see it in my head, so the challenge there is learning how to do it.

i view entering challenges like a studio course. they challenge me to think about something i normally wouldn't. to step outside my usual mode of image making and view subject matter in a different way. to do set-ups, where i never usually do them. the challenges are like mental and imagination yoga for me - keeping me limber and fit. i may not always work in my usual 'style' in the challenges, but everything i learn in them helps my own work.

Message edited by author 2006-12-23 16:44:07.

12/23/2006 05:09:40 PM · #2507

I'll probably won't be giving up my day job any time soon.

JuliBoc

Apple iPhone 6s+

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/23/2006 10:00:07 PM · #2508

Jeffrey, These are some good questions you asked. I have given them some thought and have no hesitation saying, "Of course I want to improve." And I think I am improving. I know that because I am no longer thrilled with what I thought were great shots before I joined DPC. I can see that I have a good eye for composition, but that WOW factor is lacking in most of my work.

I have noticed over the past couple of months that I am looking at the world differently. Each challenge has required a different perspective, and these are building on one another. For instance, the diagonal challenge broke the horizontal/vertical box, and the HDR challenge opened a whole new dimension. I am paying more attention to light now, and am less tolerant of soft focus (except for deliberate effect.) I had never heard of Bokeh, and now I am watching for it.

Another aspect of the education I am receiving from DPC comes from scoring all the photos every week. It is forcing me to examine and evaluate what makes one photo better than another. This caries over into my evaluation of my own work. And I have learned a lot from reading though the other forum threads and the tutorials. This sight is a gold mine of information and experience and talent.

As for helping each other, you have given me excellent help, which I have used. I am happy to do whatever I can to help you and anyone else who is in a position to learn from me. But since I really am a novice (and I have learned that here), I think I am taking more than I am giving at this point. The time will come when I will be in a position to help others.

I treasure Team Suck for the positive reinforcement, the gentle constructive criticism, and above all the friendship. There are some extraordinary artists on this team. Scores reflect mass appeal, but the job of an artist is to hold a mirror up to society, and the image is not often popular. Team Suck has an appreciation of experimentation, expression, and creative thinking. I find it interesting that Team Suck members have an uncanny knack for scoring each others work high during the anonymous voting.

Thank you, Jeffrey, for your question that has lead me to reflect on the value of DPC and Team Suck. I am learning and improving here, and I am having a very good time doing so. You are a valued member of the team, and your portfolio if full of wonderful photos. I hope you will stay, and that we will be able, in some small way at least, help you find what you are looking for.

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

12/23/2006 10:18:31 PM · #2509

Of course I would also like to improve. But, the thing with me is that my pictures are for pleasure. It's not a job, it never will be a job. I like to do the challenge simply to try to challenge myself. I usually don't like the challenge picture per se, because they are not the things that I like to photograph for myself (if that makes any sense). But I do enjoy putting myself out there. The scores aren't any big deal for me and never will be. Don't get me wrong, a high score would make me happy but, it's not the end of the world when I don't get one. When I do get a high score it's usually something that I took for my own pleasure that happened to fit in. See my hippo shot for an example. I occasionally get my feelings hurt here. Some comments are uncalled for (though there are many who say any comment is a good comment, I disagree with rudeness). I love team suck for the positiveness. I also feel like I can be myself within this group. I feel like we probably are a different variety of photographers here. The oddness pulls us together.

Sorry for rambling.

noraneko

12/23/2006 10:56:32 PM · #2510

Jeff,

I'm really glad you brought your questions to the table. I am one who does not want to continue to just take picture for fun - although the pleasure of getting out there is part of it - my real goal is to get to the point where what I visualize in my mind's eye actually comes out of a camera. I have a lot of creative ideas, but I lack the technical expertise to get there yet.

I am blown away at how much a short, focused course can help. I just finished a lighting course online where I learned about white balance, light temperature, and the importance of bright areas in a photo. I also learned how to use fill flash and how front, side and backlighting work in different situations. The course was only four weeks and it opened a whole new world for me!

Then I invested in a good tripod. My upcoming Free Challenge entry is taken with that tripod, and I combined what I learned in my lighting class with the ability to have a much longer DOF in low light due to a totally steady camera. Will the result wow people? Probably not yet. But I know it is a real step forward for me - not just a snapshot, but something planned, executed...and pretty close to what I envisioned!

In reality, I don't think most of Team Suck sucks at all. I just like Team Suck a lot because we all have turkeys now and again, and it's nice not to feel alone. Moreover, I get great comments and my confidence boosted over and over by you guys. You've made a big difference in my photography.

It is also really rewarding to see other teammates improve. I'm going to use

juliboc as an example. Her photos keep getting better and better, and she's using a point-and-shoot. Pretty impressive in my book.

Although I have little to offer in the way of techniques, I am happy to comment on any photo at any time, as constructively as possible.

klstover

Panasonic DMC-FZ8

12/23/2006 11:17:10 PM · #2511

Sorry.. I know that wasn't specifically to me but I also know I tend to complain too much.

JuliBoc

Apple iPhone 6s+

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/23/2006 11:37:12 PM · #2512

Originally posted by noraneko:

It is also really rewarding to see other teammates improve. I'm going to use juliboc as an example. Her photos keep getting better and better, and she's using a point-and-shoot. Pretty impressive in my book.

Wow, Catherine, thank you. Santa Clause does exist. You made my Christmas! :D

xianart

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

12/24/2006 10:36:42 AM · #2513

ok, i'm in for occupation. should be an interesting challenge...

12/24/2006 10:42:23 AM · #2514

Originally posted by klstover:

Sorry.. I know that wasn't specifically to me but I also know I tend to complain too much.

Relax, have fun, and don't take anything said here very seriously.

Tamron AF 55-200mm F4-5.6 LD Di-II for Canon

12/24/2006 10:46:35 AM · #2515

Pink Floyd

Votes: 170
Views: 228
Avg Vote: 5.4000
Comments: 4

Proud to suck!

Wildcard

Canon EOS-20D

12/24/2006 11:12:29 AM · #2516

Jeff,
Good question, I'm here to improve and I've found that since joining Team Suck I don't feel as alone here with my sucky scores. The encouragement I've received from suck members has boosted my confidence in my ability and therefore my scores, if things keep going the way they are this week I'll nab not one but two of those of those elusive 6 scores :)

I want to improve as a photographer but not necessarily in the DPC voters preferred style, personally I like the out of the box images and this is a place where I can enjoy those times that the voters disagree with my vision of things. It's also where I can learn so much of the technicals that I'm lacking and if I don't get it right this time at least I can celebrate the effort and intention.

I'm a long way from being a "good" photog but here I can celebrate each little step and there is plenty of encouragement from Team Suck on those occaisions when people get good scores.

Thank you Team Suck for making the learning so much fun.

bmartuch

Nikon D7200

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

12/24/2006 12:00:06 PM · #2517

Originally posted by JuliBoc:

I treasure Team Suck for the positive reinforcement, the gentle constructive criticism, and above all the friendship. There are some extraordinary artists on this team. Scores reflect mass appeal, but the job of an artist is to hold a mirror up to society, and the image is not often popular. Team Suck has an appreciation of experimentation, expression, and creative thinking. I find it interesting that Team Suck members have an uncanny knack for scoring each others work high during the anonymous voting.

I think that

juliboc is on to something here. There are several of us that don't take main stream pictures. Many of the voters don't like any deviation from main stream. I think that is why you see so much of the same shot over and over. When someone finds something that works, they just keep putting out the same type of photo.

Yes, I would definitely like to get better scores but I feel I will have to go more mainstream for that to happen. My two highest scoring photos are a lake scene at sunset and a water fall. I really wasn't going to take the shot of the waterfall but they were doing so well in the voting that I thought I would try one.

Another problem that I have is that I don't have the time for elaborate set-ups and I don't have a studio. I wish I had more time but I have to take what life and family give me.

My one goal, other than satisfying myself, is to get a 6. Lately I haven't even come close but it is nice to be with other team suck members that are in the same boat.

GO TEAM SUCK!

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

12/24/2006 12:46:16 PM · #2518

I'm in occupation - definitely going to have heaps of abuse about this one.

And in patterns - nice and safe and dull photograph.

Went out to photograph a harsh environment - fell on my buns in mucky, muck while going out and when I got there the environment that was harsh last winter was no longer harsh since it was covered with water. Of course, going into a mall today to me might be a harsh environment.

Message edited by author 2006-12-24 12:52:05.

JuliBoc

Apple iPhone 6s+

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/24/2006 01:09:03 PM · #2519

Originally posted by quiet_observation:

Of course, going into a mall today to me might be a harsh environment.

I think you may be on to something here, and definitely OOB.

levyj413

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

12/24/2006 02:50:49 PM · #2520

I'm in occupation. It might seem cool to at least a few folks, but I predict low 5.

I have an idea for batteries that looks smokin' hot in my head. Once again, the difficulty is time to shoot and edit, and skill to pull it off.

noraneko

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

12/24/2006 05:02:44 PM · #2521

Just entered one in pattern. Hoping for some good OOB comments if nothing else.

bmartuch

Nikon D7200

12/24/2006 05:44:19 PM · #2522

Just checked my Pink Floyd shot. It is sucking right along. I knew my processing would not be well recieved. The interesting thing is that

zoomdak left a comment saying he thought the processing was interesting and he liked it. Even if one person likes it, it makes you feel good.

Pink Floyd

Votes: 173
Views: 251
Avg Vote: 4.8497
Comments: 5
Favorites: 0
Wish Lists: 0

Message edited by author 2006-12-24 17:47:48.

Elaine

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

12/24/2006 09:41:47 PM · #2523

My Brown has climbed to 5.3. I am interested to see what people feel about my occupation entry. Might be a little OOB for me. Not a great shot, but it has grown on me over the past few days. Also have an entry in pattern--not sure it will be considered a pattern, but I am living dangerously!

Merry Christmas to all on Team Suck (and anyone else who reads this!)