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10/02/2009 11:19:59 PM · #1 |
As usual the challenge discussions always talk about how much you can learn from the community here at DPC. We talk about how we grow and improve skills just from entering challenges and receiving comments. It was a comment from NIKONJEB in this months free study that led me to start this thread.
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Part of the reason I clean house in my local clubs is 'cause I've been put through the grinder here....I've gotten two 4+ scores in the last four challenges I've entered.....but in the last year I've broken 7, got my first blue, and qualified for s Master's challenge. Yet my very first challenge was a high 3.
This place will teach you *so* much, but you cannot take the bricks personally. Pick 'em up, and build stairs with them to keep moving onward & upward.
If this place doesn't do anything else, it'll make you work your @$$ off, and unless you're dead between the ears, you *WILL* learn! |
And he is absolutely correct. We spend years here entering challenges learning to get better. And all us as a community grow as photographers. So nearing my 100th challenge entered....I want you to post your first challenge entry and score and your last challenge entry(completed challenge no photos currently in voting) and score....and show how much you've improved (even if your score doesn't show it!).
3.7854 in candids 04/11/2006
5.7417 in Nude IV 09/24/2009
Although not technically great it's a huge HUGE improvement from my first challenge entry....and I didn't get a DNMC comment!
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10/02/2009 11:44:21 PM · #2 |
Not sure it shows my improvement as I posted my 4th highest score on my first attempt. It took a lot of entries to beat it. But your right I think this site has improved my photography far more than anything else I've done.
Movie Titles, 6.6514, First and my 4th highest score (lucky), took me a long time to beat it!
HDRII, 6.0303, 65 entries later, and not one I like much. |
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10/02/2009 11:59:53 PM · #3 |
| Okay...thats just no fair! |
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10/03/2009 12:01:22 AM · #4 |
And, about 50,000 clicks later
Making friends, getting feedback and being in the side challenges has been the best part of being here for me. My photography has improved a lot because being here keeps me shooting when I might otherwise not have that little nudge to make me stop and get the shots. I shoot on the run almost all of the time. The recent shot above was shot from the tower on a sport fishing boat at full throttle.
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10/03/2009 12:05:18 AM · #5 |
First entry:
I think I just got lucky with this first one. Had a fair amount of oinkers following this.
Latest:
Getting beat up here every week by better photographers has really made me stretch myself. I still experiment a lot and sometimes I throw in something that may not do well. I will never know if I don't toss it in the ring. Sometimes I throw in a shot that I know will get creamed in voting, but hope it will have appeal for a narrow crowd.
I've learned to be able to recognize the interesting shot, and certainly learned tons about post processing and camera skills to bring out the best from those pics. I think the biggest thing for me was learning to see the light in addition to merely the subject. My average is not that much higher than my first entry (pulling it up after 177 challenges is tough!), but looking at my challenge history, I can certainly see why some of those past entries got what they did. (Though I thought they were masterpieces at the time)
I also have to give some credit to some of the camera and software specific user groups on Flickr for a fair amount of the learning.
Message edited by author 2009-10-03 00:12:18. |
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10/03/2009 12:40:51 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
First entry:
I think I just got lucky with this first one. Had a fair amount of oinkers following this.
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me, too...
this was my first
and then i learned about sensor dust and how to clone it out...
and now i know what hdr is and how to use it... sort of...
latest
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10/03/2009 01:09:33 AM · #7 |
First one:
Apparently I have been getting a lot worse :(
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10/03/2009 01:12:16 AM · #8 |
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10/03/2009 01:18:53 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by VitaminB:
Originally posted by ben4345:
First one:
Apparently I have been getting a lot worse :( |
I disagree completely. I like your missed focus shot a lot better than the waterfall shot.
Plus, for a fair comparison, you should take this waterfall shot of yours:
 incredible improvement :D |
Still a lower score.
The water fall shot is just a fluck, IMO, otherwise my score would of kept on going up! Not down.
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10/03/2009 01:35:05 AM · #10 |
| Fear not, Ben - most people will grow and learn and scores will improve tremendously! Stick with it! (I'm not one of those, by the way, but I like to encourage others. My first entry? 5.3. My current entry - my 300th? 5.1) |
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10/03/2009 02:11:17 AM · #11 |
As Melethia said, scores will improve. Here's my first and last challenge. Yes the scores have improved, but it's not about the scores, at least for me. It's about improving. Look at the technical improvements, the quality of the improvements. My knowledge of photography from composition to the details, lighting and more. I now see flaws in even pros images, like a tree growing out of the head of a subject, blown hightlights on and on that I had no clue when I started here. This site has given me the knowledge and confidence to shoot Senior portraits, did my first wedding a few weeks ago and have another schedule in Nov. This place is almost anal when it comes to photography, frustrating at times, but so gratifying. I have people look at a shot I think just sucks and they love it. Thick skin and hunger to learn, you'll improve to high levels. With all that said I still feel just average here, some day I'll get it.
 1st
 Last
Edit; I haven't found a better community that will help you get where you want to be. All you have to do is ask.
Message edited by author 2009-10-03 02:14:36. |
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10/03/2009 02:21:03 AM · #12 |
Hmmm ... is there a theme to my subjects ...?
FWIW, I found DPC one day before the challenge deadline, so the procrastination was involuntary that time ... ;-)
First challenge, Stopped Motion:  2.8342
Most recently completed challenge, Deep DOF:  4.7980
I almost entered this outtake, which was taken with the same camera as my first entry! 
ETA: This is pretty close to (if not exactly) my "middleth" challenge (Cliches & Sayings), shot with a Canon A80 
Message edited by author 2009-10-03 02:27:25. |
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10/03/2009 02:29:51 AM · #13 |
generalE,
I just got a Canon A80 and 512MB memory at goodwill for $10.
Remember those things used to cost $300-400?
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10/03/2009 02:47:42 AM · #14 |
1st challenge, Shallow DOF IV, 74th place, 5.8844 score
Back to School II, 4th place, 6.5879 score
This site has been a great motivation and classroom for improvement of photography and processing skills. |
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10/03/2009 03:03:11 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by ben4345:
Remember those things used to cost $300-400? |
My Olympus cost about $350 in 2000 ... of course, it still works, so I guess the cost/year isn't so bad ... :-) |
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10/03/2009 05:11:35 AM · #16 |
First entry
Wildlife 2, Score 5.1
125 challenges later
Hug and Kiss, Score 6.5
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10/03/2009 05:29:17 AM · #17 |
1st challenge entry - 4.5315
332 challenges later - 6.8382
Scores aside - there is so much to learn here. I owe most anything I know how to do with a camera either directly or indirectly because of this community here. |
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10/03/2009 05:56:01 AM · #18 |
First challenge: 4.5130, 167th (out of 174)
141 challenges later, 7.4974, 3rd (out of 151)
You caught me in a good week. Two months ago I was in a slump and would have posted something with a score of 5.06 as my most recent one. But overall I have learned a huge amount during my two years here. |
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10/03/2009 07:47:17 AM · #19 |
First five challenges: average score 4.94414.
Lowest of these:
At 4.1500 (194/200), it did not place well. Actually, I still like this one because it feels like a cartoon character. Over time, I learned more about what is expected in topic challenges as well as how to make better images.
Most recent five challenges: average score 6.1105
Best of these:
At 6.6479 (9/441 in a free study), it reflects (!) a greatly improved understanding of artistic design and photographic technique.
I have learned a lot from the comments on my images, from making comments on images, from following DPC threads, and from stretching to meet topic challenges. While I also learn a lot from practicing, reading (many) books, working with image software products, and following other web sites, DPC plays an important role -- in large part as as a source of regular individualized learning and in even greater measure as a valued and generous community. |
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10/03/2009 08:08:20 AM · #20 |
| Both my first, and one currently in voting are 4.5s, and few of the ones in between am I happy with. I am still searching for my identity, when I find it I doubt my scores will improve, but others opinions will cease to matter. So begins my 4th year.. |
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10/03/2009 08:38:23 AM · #21 |
Oh gee, THANKS!!! LOL!!!
First ever..... .....3.8851
Latest..... .....4.9091
I guess that shows improvement by a FULL point! LOL!!!
I guess for me it's more about the fact that a sub-5 score doesn't bother me so much. I'm gonna lay an egg from time to time (Though if you look back on my first page, I only have one 6+ score!) and for the most part I shoot my average score which is 5.4
What I do like is that the images that really work are more frequent, my confidence in my ability to get the shot that I want is off the charts, and I get so much more enjoyment out of photography thanks to what I've learned here.
What I find to be pretty amusing is that it wasn't until about a month ago that I made a discovery.
DPC has developed what appears to be a specialty of mine, and I didn't even see it coming. I appear to have a "Thing" for old dilapidated stuff....
     
Anyhow......I went to an opening of a photography show last night in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It was an invitational show, and I have two pieces in.....what boggles my teeny little brain is that the photography professor at Shippensburg University sought me out and asked me to enter some work.
And not even my dilapidated stuff!
Who'da thunk it????
The images: 
I truly love this place!
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10/03/2009 08:45:49 AM · #22 |
[quote=timfythetoo] 1st challenge entry - 4.5315
332 challenges later -6.8382
Scores aside - there is so much to learn here. I owe most anything I know how to do with a camera either directly or indirectly because of this community here. [/quote
And I second that! |
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10/03/2009 09:07:00 AM · #23 |
1st challenge
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119th challenge
On the surface it may appear I haven't learned all that much...but I enjoy taking my shot & finding out what the voters think of it. Thank you all for everything. Best $25 I ever spent. |
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10/03/2009 09:57:47 AM · #24 |
Slightly annoyingly i've been here 10 months and entered 10 challenges and my first is STILL my highest scoring! I've just been getting worse!! I was very pleased with that first challenge entry as it was for the Best Of 2008. All downhill from there then!! Having said that though i'm really pleased with how i've progressed as a photographer and i've learned a huge amount from DPC and all the fantastic photographers here.
First... 6.0756
Latest... 5.3500
Still got to knock that first challenge off my personal best though! Grrr!
Message edited by author 2009-10-03 09:59:00. |
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10/03/2009 09:58:01 AM · #25 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
it wasn't until about a month ago that I made a discovery.
I appear to have a "Thing" for old dilapidated stuff....
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Interesting remark Jeb, because I realized that was a favorite subject and specialty of yours shortly after starting on this site in '07.
Message edited by author 2009-10-03 09:58:17. |
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