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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Neon - Literal artwork? Or is it just me?
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08/18/2004 01:15:26 PM · #1
OK - after all the recent threads about taking photos of someone else's artwork for a challenge, I'm stumped. I can see how lighting on a statue adds shadows, etc so that it is a photographic interpretation, and is ok.

But for the neon challenge, many of the photos are taken at night - and include ONLY a neon sign - or smaller parts of neon signs. I'd guess around 40 or 50 percent of them are ones I would call "literal intrepretations." (I have not sent in any DQ requests, mostly because the challenge itself seemed to suggest neon signs in a way.)

Am I the only one who feels many should be tossed out?

What a bucket of worms that a mass DQ would spew all over the ground.
08/18/2004 01:26:16 PM · #2
I have to say that I'm struggling with the same issue. This one isn't going to be easy for the SC!
08/18/2004 01:29:31 PM · #3
I dont think that they can or should be dq'ed... they are simply bad photographs imo, and i voted accordingly.
08/18/2004 01:30:25 PM · #4
Ditto.
08/18/2004 01:40:36 PM · #5
ok but a "bad" photo is no reason not to DQ. What if we get to a "good" photo that violates the rule and it wins the ribbon? And then we DQ for it violating the rule.. how is that an even application of the rule? It doesn't just apply to good images, it applies to all images.
08/18/2004 02:21:08 PM · #6
I had trouble too. and...my entry is a picture of a neon sign!
I can only say that I tried to take it from an angle and use an exposure that enhanced the sign's presentation.
Is that a weak defence?
Funny challenge.
Again I'll mention...I found that adjusting pictures of neon to be very difficult in PS. There is not much you can do to them. In that way, a correct exposure and good clean, crisp capture was important.
08/18/2004 02:42:34 PM · #7
Yes, I also think this was a problem. I was especially perplexed by the ones which showed only the neon light. If the rusted bolts or the brickwork or the shadows were evident behind the neon, I treated it more generously.
08/18/2004 02:45:42 PM · #8
I have personal trouble with my own shot along similar lines.

08/18/2004 06:45:55 PM · #9
My shot is not of a neon sign, but I think the subject is unliked... Grrr. Yes there were sooo many signs, and they get boring after awhile. You can't DQ them because they aren't great... but all those will beat me anyway so I better shut up :-X
08/18/2004 07:00:05 PM · #10
I took a crappy pict of neon,
I'm suprised im in the 4's!!!
But it's Neon
I don't know about a few of the picts...


Message edited by author 2004-08-18 19:09:17.
08/18/2004 07:35:30 PM · #11
Originally posted by photom:

But for the neon challenge, many of the photos are taken at night - and include ONLY a neon sign - or smaller parts of neon signs. I'd guess around 40 or 50 percent of them are ones I would call "literal intrepretations." (I have not sent in any DQ requests, mostly because the challenge itself seemed to suggest neon signs in a way.)

Am I the only one who feels many should be tossed out?

What a bucket of worms that a mass DQ would spew all over the ground.


Tom I agree with what you are saying. But I for one did not think out of the box with Challenge. When I read the challenge details, “Neon is the 10th element in the periodic table. It is colorless but glows in an electric discharge. Neon is also used to describe an extremely bright color. Use this challenge to creatively photograph "neon"... but please, no "Open" signs!” I was thinking of Bright colors and creativity until I saw the “no OPEN signs” and the mention of Neon being the tenth element. Thats what made me interrupt that neon signs was the main subject. I new to DPChallenge, I guess I will have to learn to be more, more, and even more creative. Its a learning process.
08/18/2004 08:09:52 PM · #12
Originally posted by SDW65:

Originally posted by photom:

But for the neon challenge, many of the photos are taken at night - and include ONLY a neon sign - or smaller parts of neon signs. I'd guess around 40 or 50 percent of them are ones I would call "literal intrepretations." (I have not sent in any DQ requests, mostly because the challenge itself seemed to suggest neon signs in a way.)

Am I the only one who feels many should be tossed out?

What a bucket of worms that a mass DQ would spew all over the ground.


Tom I agree with what you are saying. But I for one did not think out of the box with Challenge. When I read the challenge details, “Neon is the 10th element in the periodic table. It is colorless but glows in an electric discharge. Neon is also used to describe an extremely bright color. Use this challenge to creatively photograph "neon"... but please, no "Open" signs!” I was thinking of Bright colors and creativity until I saw the “no OPEN signs” and the mention of Neon being the tenth element. Thats what made me interrupt that neon signs was the main subject. I new to DPChallenge, I guess I will have to learn to be more, more, and even more creative. Its a learning process.


I think many of us had the same train of thought. To be clearer they should have stated that they wanted 1) neon signs as submissions or 2) something that could be related to neon (bright colours, etc) without us actually taking pics of neon signs or 3) both.
08/18/2004 08:14:17 PM · #13
I think it was stated clearly enough, I think some voters just have problems thinking outside the box.
08/18/2004 08:19:12 PM · #14
My guess is that the allowance of neon signs created by other "artists" was implicit in the very existence of the challenge at all. If you go DQing people for taking pictures of Neon signs in a challenge titled "Neon", then it should follow, for example, that pictures of automobiles in an "Auto" challenge would get the axe as well. When it boils down to it, isn't everything man made someone else's "art".
08/18/2004 08:20:25 PM · #15
Originally posted by bledford:

My guess is that the allowance of neon signs created by other "artists" was implicit in the very existence of the challenge at all. If you go DQing people for taking pictures of Neon signs in a challenge titled "Neon", then it should follow, for example, that pictures of automobiles in an "Auto" challenge would get the axe as well. When it boils down to it, isn't everything man made someone else's "art".


Well said.
08/18/2004 08:25:09 PM · #16
Mine is of a neon sign... I'm conflicted now. Was that really not what the subject was supposed to be? I even have a comment stating "NO OPEN SIGNS" even though my sign definitely doesn't say that. I thought they *literally* meant no OPEN signs -- not no neon signs in general.

Feeling guilty that I totally misunderstood the point of this challenge and deserve a DQ for "literal representation of artwork" on top of it, (though I agree that's a good point, especially after that footprint thread). My photo certainly seems to be hurting for all these reasons, though it is one of the better neon sign photos imo.

Wish I'd submitted my second choice for so many reasons!! Gah!
08/18/2004 08:47:15 PM · #17
Originally posted by turquoise919:

Mine is of a neon sign... I'm conflicted now. Was that really not what the subject was supposed to be? I even have a comment stating "NO OPEN SIGNS" even though my sign definitely doesn't say that. I thought they *literally* meant no OPEN signs -- not no neon signs in general.

Feeling guilty that I totally misunderstood the point of this challenge and deserve a DQ for "literal representation of artwork" on top of it, (though I agree that's a good point, especially after that footprint thread). My photo certainly seems to be hurting for all these reasons, though it is one of the better neon sign photos imo.

Wish I'd submitted my second choice for so many reasons!! Gah!


I agree. The subject IMO was NEON. Even though I knew what NEON meant I still looked it up in the dictionary to get the definitions. So I took a picture that contained Neon lights and Bright lights representing the dictionaries first and third definitions. I think my photo has good quality and meets the challenge but it is suffering badly. Even if my score bottoms out I still feel I submitted a good photo. And I cannot blame some of the voters because I believe there are confused as we are.

08/18/2004 08:56:10 PM · #18
Hi folks,
Just wanted to say, holy cow, there are a TON of DQ requests for "literal artwork." As posted earlier in this thread, given the nature of this challenge, we'd DQ half the challenge if we DQ every shot of a neon sign as "literal representation of artwork." Unless you feel very strongly that a particular photo has NO context, interpretaion, artistic creativity, etc. etc., it might be a good idea to be conservative with the DQ requests on this one. IMO, YMMV, LOL.
08/18/2004 09:05:53 PM · #19
If you DQ a photo of neon in the neon challenge .. won't you need to DQ photos of nudity in the nudity challenge as well?
08/18/2004 10:32:47 PM · #20
Originally posted by dwterry:

If you DQ a photo of neon in the neon challenge .. won't you need to DQ photos of nudity in the nudity challenge as well?


Huh? I hope you are being cute. There should be a big difference between "neon" and "a neon sign" with no photographic element.

A neon sign where the photographer zoomed during exposure - or included some background - or did something else with the camera is fine. It's just the neon signs that are JUST that - and nothing else are my problem.

Now - if the nude were a photo of someone else's nude drawing or painting (only)- with no lighting or other enhancements - should indeed be DQ'd.
08/18/2004 10:47:06 PM · #21
In the Challenge Description, it states:

"Use this challenge to creatively photograph "neon"... but please, no "Open" signs!"

Under these guidelines, I would probably assume it also means no "closed signs", or "bar and grill signs", or any neon that is advertising for a place of business, etc etc.

I tried my best to adhere to my interpretation of the challenge description by NOT just photographing a neon sign. I feel I ended up with a rather good submission, but Im still sitting only around the '5' mark.

I sure hope that the 40% - 50% of photographs of neon signs are ranked below my submission, or next time I may feel more compelled to take the 'easy way out'...

(edit: spelling)

Message edited by author 2004-08-18 22:48:26.
08/18/2004 11:07:49 PM · #22
Originally posted by Jarrad:


Under these guidelines, I would probably assume it also means no "closed signs", or "bar and grill signs", or any neon that is advertising for a place of business, etc etc.

I tried my best to adhere to my interpretation of the challenge description by NOT just photographing a neon sign. I feel I ended up with a rather good submission, but Im still sitting only around the '5' mark.

I sure hope that the 40% - 50% of photographs of neon signs are ranked below my submission, or next time I may feel more compelled to take the 'easy way out'...

(edit: spelling)

Maybe your photo is getting the score it deserves? Not that bad, but not that great either... I've been here over a year now and I find that overall judgement passed on images is fair and representative of an image's quality, composition and overall appeal. An overwhelming majority of DPC members deserve credit for objectively evaluating the images that are presented to them.

You won't make friends by calling people lazy either (easy way out) or complaining that they do not share your interpretation of a challenge. People will always have differing interpretations. That's what amazes me when I see all the cool shots people think up for each and every challenge

And for those who claim that they think outside the box... good for you. Most of do at one time or another. Just don't get too far away from the box that you lose sight of it ;)
08/18/2004 11:14:00 PM · #23
is anyone else getting the comment 'none' on their picture?, my entry and my daughters both got this comment from the same person.
08/18/2004 11:15:15 PM · #24
Originally posted by BKerr:

is anyone else getting the comment 'none' on their picture?, my entry and my daughters both got this comment from the same person.


I think this new member thinks that a comment must be left on each image cuz tons of us have received the same comment. Don't worry about it.
08/18/2004 11:24:13 PM · #25
I guess I need a claification also. What if I took a good picture of Michaelangleo's Statue of David ( a nude) would that be DQ'ed. If so then isn't there an artist for everthing that we can take pictures of if you look hard enough (i.e. God as the artist of all nature?) I know this is an extreme example but where do you draw the line?

Originally posted by photom:

Originally posted by dwterry:

If you DQ a photo of neon in the neon challenge .. won't you need to DQ photos of nudity in the nudity challenge as well?


Huh? I hope you are being cute. There should be a big difference between "neon" and "a neon sign" with no photographic element.

A neon sign where the photographer zoomed during exposure - or included some background - or did something else with the camera is fine. It's just the neon signs that are JUST that - and nothing else are my problem.

Now - if the nude were a photo of someone else's nude drawing or painting (only)- with no lighting or other enhancements - should indeed be DQ'd.
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