| Author | Thread |
|
|
11/24/2003 04:05:15 PM · #1 |
I was surprised to see so many photos in the surprise challenge, which don't show the EXPRESSION of surprise or astonishment.
Instead, people have interpreted/extended the challenge to mean the "source of surprise". The instructions were:
Details: Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment. Try to capture the essence of surprise in your shot this week.
Webster says "Essense" is the properties or attributes by means of which something can be placed in its proper class or identified as being what it is. A thing or event isn't necessarily a surprise. It depends on the situation, and what the person being surprised knows and doesn't know. I can't tell that in a photo unless I see their face, or some part of them ;)
I don't see any discussions of this before hand, so that surprises me even more. I'd like to hear opinions from anyone, but especially from those who didn't submit a photo. I note there are only 58 entries or so.
I hope this isn't innapropriate to discuss now, but I do factor in whether you have met the challenge in my scoring, and I don't want to score unfairly.
Regards--Neil |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 04:22:08 PM · #2 |
| yeah, i didn't submit to the challenge for exactly that reason, well, sort of. I had a few shots that showed the expression of surprise, but I wasn't able to come up with a photo that I liked that showed both the look of surprise and the surprise itself without doing something I thought was cliche, so I'm sitting it out. I don't think I'm going to vote on this one either. It was a really hard challenge, which is why there are only 58 entries, many of which don't really meet the challenge all that well. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 04:30:29 PM · #3 |
The way I interpreted was, if you are in the photographer's shoes and came across the situation presented, would you be surprised? If so, you have captured the essence of surprise. In other words, there need not be a surprised subject in the photo. The viewer can fill the role of the surprisee.
Maybe if you taped a little mirror on your monitor it would help. ;-) |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 04:37:57 PM · #4 |
I think it's precisely because there was no extended discussion beforehand about what wouldn't be accepable that you actually see some creativity going on here ... I encourage repeating the process as frequently as possible.
I'm surprised at how well my entry is doing! |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 04:54:22 PM · #5 |
I am surprised about the amount of rubbish in a member challenge. It is one of the worst since a long time, altough is seems to be getting worse every week. Not only subject choice, but most of all very, very, very bad photography.
Message edited by author 2003-11-24 16:54:30.
|
|
|
|
11/24/2003 05:34:45 PM · #6 |
Well, im not suprised. I thought that only ONE photo showed genuine suprise.
|
|
|
|
11/24/2003 05:41:32 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Azrifel:
I am surprised about the amount of rubbish in a member challenge. It is one of the worst since a long time, altough is seems to be getting worse every week. Not only subject choice, but most of all very, very, very bad photography. |
I mentioned this in a thread a while back, but as I see it the reason for declining (?) or at best average quality is that there is no motivation for participants to concentrate their efforts on a specific subject or approach to photography. If you jump around seeking to make photos to meet challenges and win points/ribbons every week it's unlikely that you'll progress as a photographer.
I'm aware that there are a number of very talented and flexible members here, but in general my point is true.
|
|
|
|
11/24/2003 06:08:14 PM · #8 |
I am surprised about the amount of rubbish in a member challenge. It is one of the worst since a long time, altough is seems to be getting worse every week. Not only subject choice, but most of all very, very, very bad photography. Azrifel
mentioned this in a thread a while back, but as I see it the reason for declining (?) or at best average quality is that there is no motivation for participants to concentrate their efforts on a specific subject or approach to photography. If you jump around seeking to make photos to meet challenges and win points/ribbons every week it's unlikely that you'll progress as a photographer. ronners
You make me feel that I should be ashamed to be on this site. I am not the greatest photographer by any means, but I am a paying member here and feel I have the right to enter the Challenges I want. I hope I̢۪m not so bad that I offend some of Finer Sensibilities around here. If the site is only for the best photographers then people like myself should not have been allowed to enter.
|
|
|
|
11/24/2003 06:34:48 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
Webster says "Essense" is the properties or attributes by means of which something can be placed in its proper class or identified as being what it is. |
The essense of a surprise, one of the "properties or attributes" that make for a surprise, is as much the object which causes the surprise as the reaction that results. I see lots of expressions in this weeks challenge that don't show (to me) the essence of surprise, but the essence of play-acting. A couple looked natural enough to work, most didn't. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 06:41:13 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by jmritz:
You make me feel that I should be ashamed to be on this site. I am not the greatest photographer by any means, but I am a paying member here and feel I have the right to enter the Challenges I want. I hope I̢۪m not so bad that I offend some of Finer Sensibilities around here. If the site is only for the best photographers then people like myself should not have been allowed to enter. |
I was thinking the same thing. Frankly, it's not a requirement to have x years of experience or a list of references to be a member. All you need is a credit card with twenty some dollars of credit left. Personally, the main reason I joined was because I liked the site and felt that they could use the extra money for providing us with it. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 06:44:03 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by ronners:
If you jump around seeking to make photos to meet challenges and win points/ribbons every week it's unlikely that you'll progress as a photographer. |
So... why waste your time with this site?
Message edited by author 2003-11-24 18:44:30. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 06:50:12 PM · #12 |
The shot I wanted to set up for this challenge was a pregnancy test showing positive. I then wanted to hold it and spin on a dolly to give a whirl effect of the background, while keeping the test result still visible at arms length. (this would be shot from a first person perspective)- I was hoping for a feeling of dizziness as the result of the test.
The more and more I thought about this, the more I wanted to show someone's surprised expression on their face. I see at least one entry that used the pregnancy theme, so I wasn't alone.
I wanted to, however, create a more artistic shot than I was finding possible for this challenge so I let it go. I think this challenge topic almost begs for snapshot quality photos. I would disagree with a previous poster about the quality of images lately. I've seen some wonderful shots, particularly in the urban landscape challenge. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 06:59:44 PM · #13 |
I know we are not allowed to dicuss our images in the current challenge: surprise. But I think some people just take a quick look and mark low while others look for the surprise and mark accordingly
I thought the idea was to surprise the viewer and with my photo I think I did but some people with the comments they leave obviously didnt take a good enough look.
Regards
Sally |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 07:02:48 PM · #14 |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 07:04:06 PM · #15 |
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Jacko
HEhehaha:) |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 07:22:10 PM · #16 |
I consider myself well and truly spanked Ha ha
|
|
|
|
11/24/2003 07:28:47 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
I was surprised to see so many photos in the surprise challenge, which don't show the EXPRESSION of surprise or astonishment.
Instead, people have interpreted/extended the challenge to mean the "source of surprise". The instructions were:
Details: Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment. Try to capture the essence of surprise in your shot this week.
Webster says "Essense" is the properties or attributes by means of which something can be placed in its proper class or identified as being what it is. A thing or event isn't necessarily a surprise. It depends on the situation, and what the person being surprised knows and doesn't know. I can't tell that in a photo unless I see their face, or some part of them ;)
I don't see any discussions of this before hand, so that surprises me even more. I'd like to hear opinions from anyone, but especially from those who didn't submit a photo. I note there are only 58 entries or so.
I hope this isn't innapropriate to discuss now, but I do factor in whether you have met the challenge in my scoring, and I don't want to score unfairly.
Regards--Neil |
Why should it shock you just for this challenge? It happens all the time on here that people do their own interpretting regardless if their interpretation is rational or not. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 08:14:37 PM · #18 |
I'm surprised to see so many ridiculously uptight and closed-minded people in this thread, who think that their personal, off-the-cuff definition of "the essence of surprise" is the end-all, be-all of what must be entered in the challenge. You all sound like you're lobbying for a challenge with 100 identical photos. Let everyone decide what the essence of surprise is for them, and then accept that it may differ than your idea, but that's why you can stand to look at 100 "surprise" photos this week. First, you complain about people being creative, then you complain about people losing their creativity. Sheesh!
Message edited by author 2003-11-24 20:25:06.
|
|
|
|
11/24/2003 08:43:54 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by StevePax:
I'm surprised to see so many ridiculously uptight and closed-minded people in this thread, who think that their personal, off-the-cuff definition of "the essence of surprise" is the end-all, be-all of what must be entered in the challenge. You all sound like you're lobbying for a challenge with 100 identical photos. Let everyone decide what the essence of surprise is for them, and then accept that it may differ than your idea, but that's why you can stand to look at 100 "surprise" photos this week. First, you complain about people being creative, then you complain about people losing their creativity. Sheesh! |
I guess I've just never seen astonishment ("Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment") in an inanimate object before. |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 09:06:02 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
I guess I've just never seen astonishment ("Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment") in an inanimate object before. |
Obviously you never walked into your house and found a cadaver lying in the hallway. ;-) |
|
|
|
11/24/2003 09:30:03 PM · #21 |
Obviously you never walked into your house and found a cadaver lying in the hallway. ;-)
LOL! LOL! LOL! |
|
|
|
11/25/2003 02:02:09 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
I guess I've just never seen astonishment ("Unanticipated; suddenly and without warning; astonishment") in an inanimate object before. |
But again, by your definition, "unanticipated" and "suddenly and without warning" point as much, if not more, to the source of the astonishment as they do to the reaction. |
|
|
|
11/25/2003 03:15:29 PM · #23 |
Surely, you can show either the reaction of surprise, or a thing that is surprising. Either is a valid approach to the challenge. What would be a surprise is if we didn't have one of these threads about a challenge ...
Ed
|
|
|
|
11/25/2003 03:17:07 PM · #24 |
Oh, and what really surprised was the poor quality of the submissions.
Ed
|
|
|
|
11/25/2003 05:08:09 PM · #25 |
i posted a picture that probably has no business being in the challenge. i went against everything i stand for on this site by doing so.
am i ashamed? nope. is my score hurting? yup. am i surprised? nope.
do i need people to recite dictionary definitions of every day words to me? NOPE.
the entire attitude of this site has been critical and mean lately and i, for one, don't care for it.
if you're so freakin' offended by photos in the challenges either DON'T VOTE or GO AWAY. whining and complaining is not going to change things one bit. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/01/2025 12:43:47 AM EDT.
