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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Disappointing Best of 2007
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 01/21/2008 10:24:06 AM · #1
After voting on the Best of 2007, I was disappointed at what I saw. I was expecting to hover around 7-8 but that just wasn̢۪t the case. I would have never expected to find so many shots that were blurry, too dark and just overall bad. Maybe it̢۪s just me today but does anyone else agree with this? I couldn̢۪t help but notice that there were a lot of really dark shots. I thought it might be my monitor but then again if it is, there are a lot of shots that are over exposed????? I̢۪d like to hear what others think along these lines as well. I found myself all over the scale with this one.
 01/21/2008 10:29:40 AM · #2
I do think there are a lot of really great shots (I've only gotten about 1/3 of the way through so far) but I also think there's a lot of heavy processing. Obviously everyone was going for the wow factor- in a "Best Of" people know it needs to stand out. Maybe some went a little too far, but I guess the results of the challenge will tell!
 01/21/2008 10:33:47 AM · #3
mostly dissapointed in the score :P
 01/21/2008 11:22:05 AM · #4
Originally posted by biteme:
mostly dissapointed in the score :P


Amen!
 01/21/2008 11:30:13 AM · #5
Speaking for myself, I didn't shoot that much in 2007, I realized in going back though the year's images, and most of what i did shoot was challenge-directed. So most of what I think of as my best shots were already entered in challenges. It was sort of a wakeup call for me actually; GOT to get out this year and do more work just for me.

But anyway, I tend to enter "personal favorites" in "Best of Year" challenges, not my DPC-pleasers. And they rarely do very well.

R.
 01/21/2008 11:39:55 AM · #6
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
It was sort of a wakeup call for me actually; GOT to get out this year and do more work just for me.

R.


I had the exact same revelation.
 01/21/2008 11:40:48 AM · #7
Originally posted by Nobody:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
It was sort of a wakeup call for me actually; GOT to get out this year and do more work just for me.

R.


I had the exact same revelation.


glad to know i was not alone!
 01/21/2008 11:47:07 AM · #8
I entered a DPC-pleaser rather than one of my personal favorites. So sue me. It's doing well but not fantastically. No excuse about not shooting much, though!
 01/21/2008 11:47:08 AM · #9
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Originally posted by biteme:
mostly dissapointed in the score :P


Amen!


I second that Amen! and raise it a Damn!
 01/21/2008 11:50:07 AM · #10
I can't vote on them as my subscription ran out, but I was pleased with the number of favorites I got to add to my collection. Lots of good shots and, as with any challenge, lots of mediocre. Still, peoples styles and tastes are different.
 01/21/2008 12:08:36 PM · #11
I've come to the disappointing realization that I've been living a lie [melodramatic much!].. my monitor does not show me what my pictures really look like..

My best of looks like it's been taken from a cellphone and brightened unnaturally, from another monitor..

I feel really sad because I love the picture..
01/21/2008 12:14:08 PM · #12
Originally posted by Nobody:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
It was sort of a wakeup call for me actually; GOT to get out this year and do more work just for me.

R.


I had the exact same revelation.


That was my revelation a couple of years ago. I also realized that I was taking more pictures of "things" and less of events that I wanted to remember -- kids playing, birthdays, family get togethers, etc.

As a result, a lot of my 2007 was either snapshots, or shot for a few clients.

There's got to be a happy medium!
 01/21/2008 12:16:27 PM · #13
Originally posted by apashack:
After voting on the Best of 2007, I was disappointed at what I saw. I was expecting to hover around 7-8 but that just wasn̢۪t the case. I would have never expected to find so many shots that were blurry, too dark and just overall bad. Maybe it̢۪s just me today but does anyone else agree with this? I couldn̢۪t help but notice that there were a lot of really dark shots. I thought it might be my monitor but then again if it is, there are a lot of shots that are over exposed????? I̢۪d like to hear what others think along these lines as well. I found myself all over the scale with this one.


Chris, I haven't voted on that many yet but I haven't seen too many that are dark. Are you using a calibrated monitor?

And your assumption that many would be overexposed is probably correct. And then there's the intent of the photographer also to factor in...

My picture is running about half a point lower than expected with one of two comments being "too dark". I should have entered something I liked more instead of something to try to please the masses.

01/21/2008 12:18:10 PM · #14
I had one all picked then didn't bother.... My fav of the year is a kid picture, so figured I would save the 4.9 vote this time :-) Hey... It looks great in canvas so I am happy.
 01/21/2008 12:22:10 PM · #15
I've had a brief skim through them and there are some real stunners in there - it's not all fuzzy! I need to make the time to vote through them all though.

Mine is getting hammered...I've got a beautiful Hawaii beach HDR sunset that I was going to put in (remixed for the new ruleset) but I thought I'd test the waters. Boy, did I choose a bad challenge to try though...!



I still don't want to go 'safe' but if I keep getting crappy scores I might have to rethink...

N
 01/21/2008 12:22:17 PM · #16
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
But anyway, I tend to enter "personal favorites" in "Best of Year" challenges, not my DPC-pleasers. And they rarely do very well.R.


Likewise, and my score is showing it. I had some other shots that probably had a higher mass appeal factor, but I went with the one that I liked, in spite of a subject I knew would not go over well. My gut said that it was one of my best.
 01/21/2008 01:08:38 PM · #17
Originally posted by mad_brewer:
Chris, I haven't voted on that many yet but I haven't seen too many that are dark. Are you using a calibrated monitor?

And your assumption that many would be overexposed is probably correct. And then there's the intent of the photographer also to factor in..

My picture is running about half a point lower than expected with one of two comments being "too dark". I should have entered something I liked more instead of something to try to please the masses.


Yes it's calibrated. When I was seeing the dark ones I switched off to several other old challenges and didn't see the same thing. I did think it was my monitor at first. It may just be my taste in photography as well. I have never been a huge fan of images that are too dark. After I made the switch to digital a few years back I learned that a image may look fantastic on the monitor but when you have it printed it looks too dark or over saturated. I have had several prints done that I can only hang in a bright room because it's too dark for a poorly lit room. So I guess when I see a image that won't make a good print I have a tendency to rate it lower. After all, if the image doesn't display well in print, what do you really have? I get more personal prints today than I ever did in the past. My wife is always saying we need "that one" in the kitchen or whatever room. So I may be slightly bias to darkness. "Not that I don't still do it" But I try not to most of the time. By the way, once in a while I see a dark image that really jumps out at me too!
 01/21/2008 02:14:49 PM · #18
Originally posted by yospiff:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
But anyway, I tend to enter "personal favorites" in "Best of Year" challenges, not my DPC-pleasers. And they rarely do very well.R.


Likewise, and my score is showing it. I had some other shots that probably had a higher mass appeal factor, but I went with the one that I liked, in spite of a subject I knew would not go over well. My gut said that it was one of my best.


Ditto
 01/21/2008 03:04:11 PM · #19
Originally posted by apashack:
After voting on the Best of 2007, I was disappointed at what I saw. I was expecting to hover around 7-8 but that just wasn̢۪t the case.


I guess my standards are much lower...but I have been impressed with the quality of the photos in this challange...never seen so many great pictures in a single chalenge. I'm sure my average vote statistic will be up by the time I'm done voting on this challenge. :-)

I was hoping to break the '6' barrier with this entry...so far it is not going so well (5.25). :-( I guess with so many great shots you have to be truly outstanding to stand out.

sh0rty :P
 01/21/2008 03:40:03 PM · #20
I have been frequenting other sites this past year, and, well, in all honesty, I have been spoiled by them. The images are so much brighter at the other sites, with better detail and just more interesting. So far I have voted on 188 of the images in this challenge. I have NOT been impressed. I keep on saying "So when will I get to the good stuff?"
I did a lot of much higher quality shooting this past year, getting shots that I only dreamed about in 2006. For me, my improvement has been extreme, though my entry in Best of is not knocking down armies. It just ain't wow enough, and perhaps a bit boring for dp folks. But I liked it alot, though it is not my favorite for the year.
I also did much more family and event shooting in 2007, for the same reason karmat stated. I don't have enough shots for me and my memories, so I also focused on that in 2007, which cut back on challenge style entries. It is okay. I feel renewed with my separation from challenge shooting only. Happy medium? Only that I limit my entries now to 1 or 2 a month at best. As to the other sites, I have been digging through my images from all my digital archives, have won lots of ribbons with them, so I am definitely feeling much better about my photography generally.
 01/21/2008 03:45:32 PM · #21
Originally posted by Nobody:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
It was sort of a wakeup call for me actually; GOT to get out this year and do more work just for me.

R.


I had the exact same revelation.


Me also !
 01/21/2008 03:51:07 PM · #22
I am disappointed in the lack of understanding of post processing by some of those who have commented on my crappy image...Sad really. I am half tempted to self DQ as to not have to read them anymore. I think I really would like a check box option to not receive comments.

New Years resolution: Will not enter crap or contrived eye candy anymore. (Yeah like that will happen...)
 01/21/2008 03:56:30 PM · #23
I was impressed with a lot of the submissions in this challenge although I have not finished voting at this point. It appears to me that a lot of the image were processed with DPC voters in mind. In some cases this is quite positive and for some images it is a big negative.

I went for one of my favorite shots from 07 and it obviously doesn't mesh with the voters as it is struggling to hit 6. I was going to go with a similar frame of an image that got me a 6.7 earlier this year, but I have good comments and have little (knowledge) to gain by, in essence, resubmitting that shot... other than percentage point on my average.
 01/21/2008 03:59:03 PM · #24
Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:
I am disappointed in the lack of understanding of post processing by some of those who have commented on my crappy image...Sad really. I am half tempted to self DQ as to not have to read them anymore. I think I really would like a check box option to not receive comments.

New Years resolution: Will not enter crap or contrived eye candy anymore. (Yeah like that will happen...)


a lack of understanding? all they can comment on is what they see.

01/21/2008 04:03:05 PM · #25
Originally posted by karmat:
Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:
I am disappointed in the lack of understanding of post processing by some of those who have commented on my crappy image...Sad really. I am half tempted to self DQ as to not have to read them anymore. I think I really would like a check box option to not receive comments.

New Years resolution: Will not enter crap or contrived eye candy anymore. (Yeah like that will happen...)


a lack of understanding? all they can comment on is what they see.


Yeah true and I am doing the same commenting on what I am reading. They don't have to like it and neither do I.

Message edited by author 2008-01-21 16:03:23.
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