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 10/05/2006 01:21:16 PM · #1
What do other people do when they do something that is technically wrong that has been done on purpose. Like over saturation, or slightly out of focus, or white balance, or contrast etc. and you get pounded for it. It would be nice to be able to say "I did XXXXXX on purpose because I was trying to achive YYYYYYY". I have a photo being judged right now where almost every comment says the same thing but the voters don't know what I was trying to do. Just wondering how other approach this. I'm sure everyone has had it happen.
 10/05/2006 01:24:34 PM · #2
You need to be happy that you achieved what you were trying to do. Remember that in the challenges, you are playing to what other people like, not necessarily what you like. Things that you might be trying for might just not play to the senses of others.

Trust me, I know this from lots of experience here.
 10/05/2006 01:26:12 PM · #3
I grin and bear it now. I used to get real pissed but I had to ask myself, how do the voters know what my intentions are? They don't. They give me their opinion based on what they see and like. What else can I do but appreciate that they took the time to look and comment, whether they get it or not.
 10/05/2006 01:27:07 PM · #4
cryingdragon is right.

Also, I wouldn't expect any higher scores even if they knew what you did was intentional.
 10/05/2006 01:31:42 PM · #5
Originally posted by bmartuch:
What do other people do when they do something that is technically wrong that has been done on purpose. Like over saturation, or slightly out of focus, or white balance, or contrast etc. and you get pounded for it. It would be nice to be able to say "I did XXXXXX on purpose because I was trying to achive YYYYYYY". I have a photo being judged right now where almost every comment says the same thing but the voters don't know what I was trying to do. Just wondering how other approach this. I'm sure everyone has had it happen.


Stand and take it.

Either they have a point or two (your idea for it doesn't jell with the final outcome) or they're all wrong and you have cause and, possibly, a style. If you're unsure yourself, you might wish to offer the matter for discussion after the voting is closed.
10/05/2006 01:33:38 PM · #6
are you happy with the image ?
if so, don't worry about the voters .. the pictures that please here are only a subset of great photography
if not, try variations till you are happy .. including taking advise from the masses ... ;)

10/05/2006 01:33:56 PM · #7
Know that most people here don't know the differance between motion picture, and stills. Black from white, minimal from portrait.

Shoot for yourself. Don't worry about this, or that. Don't take what he said, or she said to heart. Learn your way around the camera. Learn your way around lighting. Learn what your strengths are, and know what your weaknesses are.

This site is to get technical info, practice and show what you have learned. This is not a school of photography, rather a school of general knowledge.

If you like what you have done, get more than DPC's oppinions. Seek out pros that know what a minimalistic pix is from a portrait.

Basically, if you are an artist the rule of thumb is "Don't put all your art into one basket", you will be disappointed.
 10/05/2006 01:36:25 PM · #8
Originally posted by American_Horse:
...the rule of thumb is "Don't put all your art into one basket", you will be disappointed.


Disappointment makes art too.
 10/05/2006 01:38:49 PM · #9
Originally posted by zeuszen:
Originally posted by American_Horse:
...the rule of thumb is "Don't put all your art into one basket", you will be disappointed.


Disappointment makes art too.


Disappoint ment shuld be well rounded, not focused from one source.
 10/05/2006 01:38:58 PM · #10
Originally posted by bmartuch:
What do other people do when they do something that is technically wrong that has been done on purpose. Like over saturation, or slightly out of focus, or white balance, or contrast etc. and you get pounded for it. It would be nice to be able to say "I did XXXXXX on purpose because I was trying to achive YYYYYYY". I have a photo being judged right now where almost every comment says the same thing but the voters don't know what I was trying to do. Just wondering how other approach this. I'm sure everyone has had it happen.


Just don't use that technique again for a Challenge. Problem solved.

The main problem here, as I see it, is separating your DPC (Challenge) technique from the real world. What you did may have been done perfectly well and a great choice for anything outside of a Challenge but people can't discern these subtlties when voting in a Challenge. A blur can be utilized with great intent OR maybe it's just a case of bad photography but how's the voter to know which? They can't, so instead of incorrectly crediting a bad image, it will be discredited, which makes perfect sense.

Message edited by author 2006-10-05 14:37:55.
 10/05/2006 01:43:43 PM · #11
Originally posted by American_Horse:
Disappoint ment shuld be well rounded, not focused from one source.


I like that.
 10/05/2006 02:16:22 PM · #12
Originally posted by American_Horse:
Seek out pros that know what a minimalistic pix is from a portrait.


Can you give a brief descrition of their differences here?
 10/05/2006 02:26:31 PM · #13
Ever seen any Ansel Adams photos where you couldn't tell if something was on purpose or by accident?
 10/05/2006 02:30:34 PM · #14
If your submission is that out of the DPC box and you are worried at the get-go, try titling the shot to convey your intention.
Like my Lines II submission I was worried people would judge it low b/c of the noise.
I had intentionally introduced the noise trying to make it look like B&W film grain.
 10/05/2006 03:41:03 PM · #15
Originally posted by bmartuch:
What do other people do when they do something that is technically wrong that has been done on purpose. Like over saturation, or slightly out of focus, or white balance, or contrast etc. and you get pounded for it. It would be nice to be able to say "I did XXXXXX on purpose because I was trying to achive YYYYYYY". I have a photo being judged right now where almost every comment says the same thing but the voters don't know what I was trying to do. Just wondering how other approach this. I'm sure everyone has had it happen.

Congratulations -- you seem to have clearly communicated the desired effect to your audience; that the effect is not particularly popular at DPC is of little consequence.

I'd put notes like that in the "Additional Info" area of the photo, and maybe respond to one of the comments when the voting's over, saying that the effect (whatever it is they didn't like) was indeed deliberate because ____ .

Overall, you will learn more from people saying what they didn't like than from congratulatory notes.
 10/05/2006 04:57:13 PM · #16
Originally posted by bmartuch:
What do other people do when they do something that is technically wrong that has been done on purpose. Like over saturation, or slightly out of focus, or white balance, or contrast etc. and you get pounded for it. It would be nice to be able to say "I did XXXXXX on purpose because I was trying to achive YYYYYYY". I have a photo being judged right now where almost every comment says the same thing but the voters don't know what I was trying to do. Just wondering how other approach this. I'm sure everyone has had it happen.


Except for simple snapshots -and by snapshot I mean the photographs taken for the sole purpose of recording a moment as memorabilia, such as vacation shots-, every photograph (as in work of art or craft) is a sum of conscious decisions/choices made by the photographer. That is, every aspect of the photograph -composition, lighting, focus, dof, processing, etc.- is the way it is because the photographer wanted/liked it to be that way for one reason or another. Even in candid/street/event photography in which there are many things out of the photographer's control, the photographer still has a truckload of decisions to make. Of course, the ultimate decision is whether or not to "publish" the work once it's out of the darkroom. Anyway...Long story short, by your reasoning, no photograph -or indeed, no work of art/craft for that matter- can/should be criticised because, after all, every aspect of that work is a direct result of the artist's/craftsman's deliberate choices; everybody should just agree with everything the artist has done and shut up. I don't know about you but that doesn't really work for me.
 10/05/2006 05:05:06 PM · #17
I have learned that challenge entries must be
1) shot at f22 (tack sharp ALWAYS - NO creative use of DOF)
2) must have a "perfect" histogram (not too light or too dark because people calibrate monitors to fit their taste which is not usually "right")
3) is you can fit in something cute (flower smiling, happy child) all the better.
4) Eyes Must have catchlights at least the size equal to 1/2 the pupil.
5) Neat Image is required. (But not too much)

Sorry in a bad mood today
10/05/2006 05:23:45 PM · #18
Originally posted by Tycho:
Originally posted by bmartuch:
What do other people do when they do something that is technically wrong that has been done on purpose. Like over saturation, or slightly out of focus, or white balance, or contrast etc. and you get pounded for it. It would be nice to be able to say "I did XXXXXX on purpose because I was trying to achive YYYYYYY". I have a photo being judged right now where almost every comment says the same thing but the voters don't know what I was trying to do. Just wondering how other approach this. I'm sure everyone has had it happen.


Anyway...Long story short, by your reasoning, no photograph -or indeed, no work of art/craft for that matter- can/should be criticised because, after all, every aspect of that work is a direct result of the artist's/craftsman's deliberate choices; everybody should just agree with everything the artist has done and shut up. I don't know about you but that doesn't really work for me.


I think it is fine to be critical of an artist's work, but don't accuse the artist of being ignorant or stupid for whatever they did. Anyone should be able to say "I don't like this picture because it is out of focus" regardless of the intent of the artist. But one shouldn't say "the artist is an idiot for entering this out-of-focus picture". More to the point, if the artist did XXXXXX, and I don't like XXXXXX, I will lower the score (and probably leave a comment), and it doesn't matter if it is intentional or not, I *still* don't like XXXXXX! But I'm not going to tell the photographer what to do, that's their decision.

10/05/2006 05:46:40 PM · #19
Probably this has been beaten to death, but the reality is that there is a certain look here, and if your willing to shoot everything in accordance with that look, then your scores will reflect that. However, it might not teach you much about what you can do photographically.
If you want to keep yourself happy, look at previous winners and every so often enter a dpc friendly photo. It will get higher scores, and you will be up for the week. Generally, though, sharing your vision is what it is all about. Dpc friendly or not, we don't want to place ourselves in a narrow peghole by repeating popular images over and over. The vision of all the people here is refreshing and motivating, even if the masses don't comment or seem to like your images. They actually might like them, but just don't feel like making a comment.
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