WPL4 - Team Motley Crew Official Thread

02/20/2007 11:08:48 AM · #276

I've got one chat installed, Ithink it's either AIM or MSN. I also use Skype, that's really great for voice/videos I prefer phone/internet-phone, since I type enough all day. My eighteen year old great niece can send text-messages on her cell phone as fast as typing on a computer. Such skills teenagers pick up, great for resumes.

Ive got 15 positive comments, that my Street-Photo is likable, no technical comments. The scores haven't changed much, stil hovering at 5.43xx-5.44xx.

I have an idea for LOVE-Challenge tonight. It seems so much like the GOOD/BAD Challenges. Maybe look to those Results for tips. I Love Good things and I Hate Bad things.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

02/20/2007 11:26:19 AM · #277

Here is a link from the Acronym Forum Acronym List

Or you may be able to make up a New, humorous one yourself.
I'm not sure how a new acronym invention would be voted. I used to tell people they were invented in Akron (OH).

asimchoudhri

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

02/20/2007 11:33:08 AM · #278

Originally posted by justamistere:

hmm... i wonder if some of the voters will be sticklers about the difference between acronym and just an abbreviation. while the challenge description gives dpc as an example, i consider dpc to be an abbreviation/initials and not really an acronym. i won't be strict in my interpretation when voting, but i bet some people will be.

on another note, i've still got a mental block on love/hate... i'm gonna think about this all day, because i don't want to produce a goose-egg for the team in week 3.

Tlemetry

Olympus E-300 EVOLT

Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Macro ED Zuiko Digital

02/20/2007 12:29:51 PM · #279

I have a lot of ideas for love... Just visit a card shop for ideas!

Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Macro ED Zuiko Digital

02/20/2007 12:41:09 PM · #280

Love is not just between two human beings.
I saw two coke bottles leaning on each other in Personification.

Many people love pets, ice cream, chocolates, vaction/cruise, hobbies-photography-sometimes. Try google image search for "Love is". It is many, many things, to many people. Focus on one idea with your camera.

Keep it simple like Tlmetry's light switch and a bed, could've indicated physical love. Too, bad any Member can read this.

Tlemetry

Olympus E-300 EVOLT

02/20/2007 02:19:57 PM · #281

Can you link to that image? I'm not sure which one your talking about.

02/20/2007 08:44:45 PM · #282

I just don't think Love oir Hate is working for me - I do have something. but even at my level, I know it stinks. If it needs to be sqeeked in, let me know...I have both lame attempts - but like said before, something is better than nothing.

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

02/21/2007 12:29:05 AM · #283

hey deb - you keep at it. I looked at your recent photo - will leave a comment soon. But you know - I think if you can work on getting your pics a little more sharper and in focus - you may see your score start to rise. You have some GREAT ideas!

I did not enter either Love or Hate. Tried something but it looked like crap then I ran out of time.

I am in Street photog now and I am just barely clinging on to a 6.0. (shock!) Good luck to you all! I am gonna run out and find some trees tomorrow lol

baco99

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

02/21/2007 08:56:31 AM · #284

hey guys - been a busy week for me, so i missed the Street challenge. biology close above a 5, which is a miracle since it's a lousy show, IMO.

i'm definitely shooting for Trees and the Free Study. i think i'm going to concentrate on those and leave the rest for you guys. i've found that shooting just to get something in for a challenge isn't working for me. i think i need to be a bit more selective to keep my quality up.

better to have one or two 6's than four or five 4's...

02/21/2007 10:57:35 AM · #285

Originally posted by colorcarnival:

Grrrr I know, I know - I even use the burst mode. I have a tripod and I just got a little table model to....things should be getting better - Thanks for the boost.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

02/21/2007 11:02:54 AM · #286

I'm sure that all of us feel that way sometimes lol. Real life takes precedence, you know? But I just wonder how the team is gonna go here. We all need to be selective - for sure. I didn't enter the HATE challenge because the pic wouldn't work.

I guess I am replying because of the "leave the rest for you guys" comment. Are we choosing to just kind of leave the team in the "others" hands? LOL what if we all chose to do it? That would make for interesting scoring for the week.

I know this is not coming out the way I want to. I am a horrible writer most times. I am trying to get a feel for if we are a team or just a group of people who have their scores thrown together each week.

I am NOT trying to force anyone into giving up their precious free time to take pics. MAn I have so little time these days I am going nuts. I wish I had time to focus on taking pictures instead of doing what I have to do.

I'm bummed because it lookes like we really don't have a team together anymore. I guess I want to know if we really still have a team? Or maybe I just have a misconstrued idea of what this is! Must be me lol

So please - don't read this as an attack - especially you Brian. This is not directed at you but your comment there just got me thinking!

Any thoughts?

asimchoudhri

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

02/21/2007 11:16:09 AM · #287

Ms. Carnival, I understand what you are saying and think you did a good job saying it. What it comes down to is this: while we should always strive to do our best on each picture, are we willing to enter a mediocre picture that we know we could have improved upon (but maybe didn't have time to) versus score a goose-egg for the week? while a 5 doesn't help as much as a 6, it helps more than a 0. any given week life may catch up with any one (or two) of us, but overall we can each make a good contribution every week. Each of us will have times when things get tough, and that's fine... but, hopefully that won't have to be the case very often.

as for "trees" and "free study," these do not count towards WPL team scores. they are still good practice, and i'm definitely entering free study, and hope to enter trees, but the sunday member challenge and the two tuesday open challenges are what score points for motley crew.

02/21/2007 11:48:13 AM · #288

AHhhhhh I wanted to reply but some hoe I hit report post!!! They will see that report post was not intended, right?

Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Macro ED Zuiko Digital

02/21/2007 12:17:41 PM · #289

Site Council returned the post for me Yah!
...as I was saying
I'm here - I PM'ed back and forth with Asim the other night - we used Google Talk I am deborah.sterner at gmail if anyone wants to join or got2teach on yahoo IM. Someone listed MSN as a good one, so I will look around for that. It's a very light day for me today, small classes anyway in special ed setting PLUS the English department is on a field trip - so far 2 classes had no students - after lunch I'll have 3 classes with just a couple kids...so I can play a little. This might make you laugh... I tried so hard to get a "love" entry done that I took one of 1st graders, dressed him all up in his parka, boots, gloves & hat...took him outside and pitched him in a snowbank and told him to make a snow angel - it gets BETTER! I already understand my passion for "the blurred" technique I utilize to well (I prefer to call it soft focus LOL@me)...I made the kid so it for a while until eventually he cried out "Ms. Sterner, my butt is getting wet!"

Tlemetry

Olympus E-300 EVOLT

02/21/2007 12:20:01 PM · #290

This is my first time in the WPL. I'm really not to sure what to expect except we put our best in when we can. If we can't put a lot of effort in the challenge that week, its best to shoot something than nothing at all. Our best score of the 2 challenges gets counted (if we are members)

I'm not sure how much 'teamwork' is involved. I am willing to help with someones images when asked (and I have). Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions. What do you have in mind as far as teamwork?

02/21/2007 12:43:44 PM · #291

Mostly I was typing off the top of my head. And the thoughts get dicey because while this is totally a voluntary effort, we are supposed to work together as a team. So when you have a team of "volunteers", where does the line get drawn as far as levels of contribution?

I guess to me, if you choose to be on a team, then you should contribute at least one photo per week to the WPL. And this is where it gets tricky. I just created a "requirement". So do volunteers need to follow "requirements"?

Just ignore me today... my brain is full and tired and I am talking in circles.

As far as my personal efforts go, I am trying to put in one or two photos a week - 1) because I hope to help the team, 2) because I think the team concept is FUN! and 3) because it gives me a great reason to get out there an use my camera.

However I am bailing on you guys during the week of March 4 cuz I am going on vacation! ;o) I obviously need it...

02/21/2007 01:09:41 PM · #292

I only entered Steet Photography this week, I will try to ente 2 each week from now on, which was my original intention. Even with some luck and maybe more effort, one might score better then the other. I always see a 1 out of 2 chance as a better bet.

As stated before one is also better then zero. You don't turn in an assignments (gasp! homework), you won't learn as much without excercises.

For Personification II, I did some great Ice photographs. Now that that the rain washed away most ice on land, we get an Ice-Challenge. That's why it's called a "Challenge", there is always Iced Tea and Beer on ice, and some Ice in the Lake (just add beer).

02/21/2007 02:32:43 PM · #293

I will work on our signiture and trading cards tonight, since I can do more ice photos tommorow, it's supposed to freeze overnight, then above freezing after that.

Here is link to test an example of transitions I intend to use for our trading cards. I was practicing last night taking these and others, using 2 off camera SB-800 Flash units, with camera in Flash Comander mode, and a wireless remote control. They're similar to what MAK's team did.

Example-1, Clown-to-E:

391 Kb, 14 Frames

Example-1, E-to-Clown:

304 Kb, 11 Frames

Click on them to see the animation.

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

02/21/2007 02:52:16 PM · #294

Cool effect...can't wait!

baco99

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

02/21/2007 03:05:55 PM · #295

i see your points, and i agree. i guess i just need a bye this week because the subject matter doesn't interest me as much. i forced myself to take a picture for Biology that i thought fit the challenge, only to see that 50% of the entrants submitted pictures of flowers or insects with no real connection to "school days." i could have submitted a MUCH BETTER photo if i hadn't tried to include the notebook and pen in my image. by looking at the current scoring, it could have made that 5.0 shot into a 5.7 or higher; better for me and the team.

i guess what i'm trying to say is...i want to take shots that score well and that i feel confident in. i don't want to take shots that seem to me to be "forced" to fit the challenge or meet a deadline. it's just not how i choose to do things. i fully understand the 1 point is better than none argument, and i agree 100%. so, i will make a commitment to the group to shoot as many point-scoring challenges as i can, and i feel compelled to based on my own subjective criteria.

i hope this is OK with everyone. and thanks again for your feedback. i didn't mean to detract from the team, just wanted to let you know my feelings. i want to help the team score well *AND* produce artful shots for my portfolio. if i i feel i can't contribute to those 2 criteria, i will back out of a challenge.

02/21/2007 03:29:08 PM · #296

You all should just put me on ignore... I just keep looking over what I wrote and it is awful. It does not convey everything I am thinking and I am not gonna try because I will just dig deeper and make it sound even worse. I feel bad because it looks like I was trying to single somone out - and I really wasn't!

Brian - take this apology and then ignore me after that lol. I really was NOT trying to single you out but I can see where it looks like I did.

I need a vacation because I am just spouting off everywhere!

02/21/2007 03:36:56 PM · #297

Originally posted by colorcarnival:

You all should just put me on ignore...

Sorry, can't do that. Seems like the last thing you need right now...being ignored.

I appreciate all your feedback and help. Unlike you "more seasoned" photographers, I shoot and shoot - I have no fingerprint on my index finger. I know some of my ideas are kind of a stretch and I am impatient with myself with NOT looking at the photo as though I woulld be voting on it....but then for me THAT has become my point of learning. I guess I am learning how to "behave" like a photographer and the rest will fall into place

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

02/21/2007 03:44:53 PM · #298

I see by your comments that you are learning what the audience likes. If art was only for the artist, they would starve. It can be for BOTH.

I gripe a lot that many times ribbon holders that IMHO DNMC, yet they did an excellent shot like your Sailing ship or reflection of nature in water. There is a lot of ice in some waters. Even thou 4.xxx may be low it is Four times better then zero. If we need to count someones score.

Just shoot what you like/enjoy and do it technically well (bright-saturated and in sharp-focus using the USM, except-maybe for the Low-key Challenge), with 1-3 main subjects, and less clutter. Even if it Does Not Meet Challenge entirely, it may do surprisingly well. It states in the rules that voters should not lower their scoring if the pohoto DNMC "suggestion". You like ships, I'll PM you some ideas.

baco99

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

02/21/2007 03:45:19 PM · #299

Originally posted by colorcarnival:

Brian - take this apology and then ignore me after that lol. I really was NOT trying to single you out but I can see where it looks like I did.

not necessary! i refuse to ignore.