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 03/19/2007 12:22:41 PM · #1
OK...I knew about DPC from a friend in the summer of 06. I registered Feb. 11th 2007. I've taken pictures but constantly compare them to the pictures of others who do well. How long before you felt like your picture was worth an entry? I have yet to make anything worth the attention of the DCP community...but still, I wonder how most have approached this...
 03/19/2007 12:25:00 PM · #2
Originally posted by heavyj:
How long before you felt like your picture was worth an entry?

Right away. And boy was I wrong. :) You have to enter to find out your strenghts and weaknesses though.
 03/19/2007 12:27:36 PM · #3
I jumped in with both feet, and my first attempt was pretty bad. But its all about the learning, and unless you enter, you will not get comments, etc. Its not about ribboning or competition for a lot of us, we just like being a part of the community.

Message edited by author 2007-03-19 12:27:51.
 03/19/2007 12:27:47 PM · #4
Yeah I thought my pics were going to be great...and it was the exact opposite. This is a learning site, so go ahead an submit stuff even if you dont think it will do well. The people who do win ribbons will let you know what you can do to make the pictures better. The highest rating ive gotten is 5.2. So obviously Im still learning! :D
 03/19/2007 12:34:55 PM · #5
Originally posted by Louis:
Right away. And boy was I wrong.


Same here. It took me months to find my strengths, and I nearly quit in frustration before I reached that point. There is no learning without failure. ;-)
 03/19/2007 12:40:41 PM · #6
I say this partly because I bought my D80 2 weeks ago and its still in the box, unopened. I have found excuse after excuse not to open it. Mostly because I feel I don't have the talent to take full advantage of it. I think of my fujifilm now as my crutch...I do my best with it and figure, if I can't put out some good photos with that, how is a better camera going to help. So...I'm a little scared...but I suppose the support of comments would be nice. I will do my best to get a picture in the next challenge.

As for those who get ribbons...I am so envious of their talent. I often wonder if they actually plan ahead of time what they want to take. I walk everywhere with my camera and just shoot what I think might look good and hope it does.
 03/19/2007 12:52:41 PM · #7
I just went right for it, with the first picture I thought met the challenge......BOY did DPC shoot me down. I was shot down executions style with everyone taking a stab at me. Does Not Meet Challenge from every corner of the globe.

I was on DPC for almost a year before I got my first 6 (this year) and seemed to have a good grasp getting a 5.4 on my next challenge...and then my camera broke and it looked like i would be starting all over again. I think in the last 2 challenges, i'm back in the mix......okay back to the point....

Even the ribbon winners on the site get hit hard sometimes (at least that is what they say)...so you will only know when you enter. You just have to expect that sometimes you'll get good scores and sometimes you'll get creamed.
 03/19/2007 01:02:14 PM · #8
Hey heavyj,

Get the camera out of the box and start shooting. I was much like you when I started. I took my camera every and just shot "stuff". By participating in the challenges you start thinking of little things to take the shots to the next level. I haven't ribboned myself but my score has been slowly going up.

This is a great community and you will learn a lot. I know you've been reading the posts and looking at the pictures so you know what works here: Sharp images with lots of wow factor that meet the challenge. The thing to remember is to not take anything personally. Some people here are jerks just like any other online community. You'll find for the most part that people would love to help you out though.

You can enter a lot of the challenges for free (i.e. you don't need to have a paid membership). It costs you nothing except for a bit of your time so there's no loss if you enter.

edit: spelling

Message edited by author 2007-03-19 13:08:29.
 03/19/2007 01:06:42 PM · #9
Originally posted by heavyj:
I say this partly because I bought my D80 2 weeks ago and its still in the box, unopened. I have found excuse after excuse not to open it. Mostly because I feel I don't have the talent to take full advantage of it. I think of my fujifilm now as my crutch...I do my best with it and figure, if I can't put out some good photos with that, how is a better camera going to help.


I also use my two point-and-shoots to get the most out of them before I buy a DSLR. That's not using them as a crutch, but knowing that my current limitations are mine, not my camera's (well, most of the time).

But hey, you already have it, so use it! Learn how to use the manual modes, shoot everything in sight, create a whole lot of bad pictures. Everyone does. Even the ribbon winners don't usually take one shot and enter it.

You can add my voice to the "dive right in" group. I entered my first shot the day after I joined. It's still my lowest score. :)

You can learn a lot by studying the low-scoring shots and reading the comments. You can also learn a lot from reading tutorials here and elsewhere. But ultimately, you can't learn everything just by looking at others' photos. You have to experience taking them and editing them, and then you have to absorb comments on your choices.

You won't always agree with the comments, and sometimes commenters miss the mark simply because we don't know a lot when commenting on challenge entries. But again, without experience, you can't begin to learn how to best use the comments you get.

Message edited by author 2007-03-19 13:08:04.
 03/19/2007 01:22:22 PM · #10
Originally posted by heavyj:
OK...I knew about DPC from a friend in the summer of 06. I registered Feb. 11th 2007. I've taken pictures but constantly compare them to the pictures of others who do well. How long before you felt like your picture was worth an entry? I have yet to make anything worth the attention of the DCP community...but still, I wonder how most have approached this...


Entered a challenge on my first day here - and it's still my best scoring picture :)
 03/19/2007 01:24:51 PM · #11
Originally posted by heavyj:
... if I can't put out some good photos with that, how is a better camera going to help.


The camera is only 1/3 of the photo. The concept and the post-processing make up the rest. You're better off using the best tools at your disposal rather than holding back in any particular area.

Originally posted by heavyj:
As for those who get ribbons... I often wonder if they actually plan ahead of time what they want to take.


Shooting without planning is the photographic equivalent of playing the lottery. You might come away with a winner, but the odds are heavily against you. Even "chanace" opportunities require being in the right place at the right time with the right equipment and knowledge (and planning is more likely to achieve that result than luck alone). For that reason, I was thinking this morning about leaving a 17-85mm lens on my camera at ISO400 when I carry it around just in case I see something that requires quick action.
 03/19/2007 01:39:49 PM · #12
Originally posted by scalvert:
I was thinking this morning about leaving a 17-85mm lens on my camera at ISO400 when I carry it around just in case I see something that requires quick action.


Hey, Shannon, is that a camera in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? :P
 03/19/2007 01:41:29 PM · #13
Originally posted by levyj413:
Hey, Shannon, is that a camera in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? :P


Well that explains the soft focus. :-/
 03/19/2007 01:42:32 PM · #14
Originally posted by scalvert:
Originally posted by Louis:
Right away. And boy was I wrong.


Same here. It took me months to find my strengths, and I nearly quit in frustration before I reached that point. There is no learning without failure. ;-)


then i should be a frickin GENIUS!

:o)

Message edited by author 2007-03-19 13:42:44.
 03/19/2007 01:52:53 PM · #15
Originally posted by levyj413:
You can add my voice to the "dive right in" group. I entered my first shot the day after I joined. It's still my lowest score. :)


Originally posted by silverscreen:
Entered a challenge on my first day here - and it's still my best scoring picture :)

Interesting how you can get the same advice from people with quite opposite experiences.

If your score is the most important thing to you, then you should wait until you have "the" shot. But if you want feedback to help you improve, you'll have to enter ...
 03/19/2007 01:58:53 PM · #16
I wouldn't necessarily say that getting ribbons is the proof of good photography though. Even if your picture does really badly in a competition it still may be an intriguing moving photo that just isn't a classic dpc kind of picture. I think that there is almost a style and quality to the shots that win on here and its just about being creative and improving through experience, but just because a picture is burned in a competition doesn't mean that its not worth anything. Just submit and submit and learn from comments and scrores
 03/19/2007 02:00:42 PM · #17
Originally posted by heavyj:
As for those who get ribbons...I am so envious of their talent. I often wonder if they actually plan ahead of time what they want to take. I walk everywhere with my camera and just shoot what I think might look good and hope it does.


I do some of one and some of the other :-) I tend to enter practically every challenge I'm eligible for, so sometimes this is just a "wait until the last day and then desperately grab something" exercise, and my scores show it. Basically I'm only a good performer when the challenge works for landscapes. Of my 20 highest-placing images, only one does not include a landscape as at least part of the composition. Of my 10 highest-scoring images, all are landscapes but this one:



I guess if I was smart I'd stick to landscapes, but nobody ever accused me of that :-) Anyway, it's too much fun to play the game. I enjoy shooting banal, everyday objects in a straightforward manner, and persist in entering them in challenges...

R.
 03/19/2007 02:08:33 PM · #18
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I enjoy shooting banal, everyday objects in a straightforward manner, and persist in entering them in challenges...
R.


Whereas I manage to shoot awe-inspiring, amazing objects in ordinary ways. ;)
 03/19/2007 02:15:26 PM · #19
I started a thread similar to this one - When to Enter A Challenge

I joined up a while ago (Feb. 6th 2007) and had the same problem of just watching and watching and watching. I don't know if my photos will ever be as good as the ribbon winners but this week I have finally managed to actually submit a photograph and now I am eagerly awaiting the voting process!

For me I have decided that I would rather learn how to make my photos better rather than only showing my very few good photos that I take (as that might only happen once in a blue moon!). I feel there are so many great photographers on this site and I would love to get different' people's opinions on the photos that I take and perhaps others would like the same from me!

Happy shooting and good luck to you.

D

03/19/2007 02:34:17 PM · #20
Hi Jason,

I have another suggestion if you're a bit anxious about submitting to a challenge (my first submission did pretty well, and I haven't been able to match it since then). If you want to get comments, good, constructive, helpful comments, go to the "side challenges" forum, and join a project. One recently finished one is the 30 day "where you live" project. Each day we all posted a photo from where we live, and we all commented and talked about it. Right now there is a 7-14-28 day "minimal editing+" project going on. What these do is let you get your images out there for others to see and comment on, and people will comment the way you want (for example, "nice shot" or "I can see room for improvement" type comments if you ask for critical reviews).

The commenters are much more supportive than you'll find in a challenge (where you might get a comment like I did in a recent challenge, which was one word: "very" -- not particularly helpful), and you'll get to meet some nice people who shoot some amazing photos. Most will even let you in on their shooting and processing "secrets" (though there are some who will not, but that's life).

So, take a look at the side challenges forum (there's a lot of other stuff there that you can probably safely ignore for now), and look for side challenges. Here's the forum:

Side Challenges and Tournaments

Here's the current "minimal+" project:

Minimal Editing Official Thread

Here's the "30 days where you live" project (now sort of closed, but not):

30 Day Where You Live Challenge

Have a poke around, read a little, and think about whether something like that might help your confidence a bit.

Sorry this is so long, but welcome to DPC (and oh, open the camera already!!)

Rob
 03/19/2007 02:41:00 PM · #21
I joined nearly a year ago and am sooo paranoid to enter! Why? Because of the great talent here, I know I can't live up to that at this point. But on the other hand I know if I don't enter and get constructive feedback I won't get better. I have been taking pictures for most of my adult life and only just the past year or so have I finally decided to really crack down and learn what it's all really about. Knowing my camera functions and also the ins and outs of PP. I practice all the time and am learning more (especially from this great place) everyday so hopefully soon I'll gain the courage to enter.
 03/19/2007 02:56:26 PM · #22
The other issue is defining what "good photography" is. Personally, my favourite subjects aren't necessarily very DPC-friendly, nor are my processing methods. And, there are tried-and-true criteria for what makes a winning photo, such as stunning landscapes with bright colours, crisp studio portraits, or unusual setups (like deapee's light bulb).

While these individual examples may constitute good photography, that isn't to say that all good photography would find itself winning ribbons here. So if your goal is to shoot ribbon-winning pictures, your best bet is to emulate how that's done here as best you can. If your goal is to take pictures you like, get shootin' and don't stop until you find out how you do that. Either way, you'll have to unpack that D80. :)
 03/19/2007 03:53:38 PM · #23
I can completely understand the sentiment here - I'm typically terrified of sharing anything creative I do with anyone at all - and especially strangers! I'm also a notorious (well, not notorious) lurker - so the day I decided to actually join (I'd been lurking for several months), I decided that I would enter photos, if only to learn the techinical aspects of photography. In addition, I'm also a bit of a slacker, and DPC seemed the perfect motivating vehicle. I get assignments every week, and through my own stubbornness, I won't let a week go by. The second I do, I know I'll stop shoting altogether, and then I'll never get better.

So, I say, jump in!
 03/19/2007 08:52:39 PM · #24
Interesting how everyones experiences turned out. I will be jumping in soon...

@rheverly

I will take a look. Thanks.
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