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08/23/2004 09:39:41 PM · #1
Wow people get more nit-picky each day! I stopped the borders! G@d forbid that you use a border on a picture....but now complaints on the title???? PLEASE....look at the photo!
08/23/2004 09:46:28 PM · #2
sometimes the title is important as well... the Mona Lisa is the Mona Lisa not 'the woman who paid me lots of money to paint her portrait', see the difference? While the title isnt as important as the picture itself a catchy title is... catchy. And sometimes the title helps direct the viewer to the artists point of view. If worst comes to worst an 'Untitled' usually doesnt detract from the photo.
08/23/2004 10:53:42 PM · #3
I say, look at what you see. While the photo is the core element in a presentation, it can be perfectly ruined by an ill-chosen title. A good and carefully considered title, on the other hand, can 'charge' an already good image to the point of significance or delight.

Minimal borders (those similar to the one employed on this site by default) can be very useful to help distinguish a high key space from the surrounding page without creating any distraction. Some photographers include a moderate white or negative space inside such a border to further separate the image from those distractions of the page they have no control over.

Excessively ornate borders, the use of lurid colours and effects outside of the image tend to draw attention to themselves, if not to the photographer him/herself. I have no doubt that there are people who'd consider this inappropiate, if not hideous. On very rare occasions, such 'decorum' may be quite appropiate - i.e. distraction as irony, persiflage etc. Considering the difficulty in extending an already 'hideous' image beyond its own confines by creating another one around the enigma, I'd deem the chances of anyone selecting such a photo (if then it can still be called a photo) as a favourite as equally rare.

And yes, I agree, let's look at the photo, but let's also make it easy for anyone to do just this.

Message edited by author 2004-08-23 22:59:23.
08/23/2004 11:05:04 PM · #4
I see the entire thing as what the artist is presenting .... the photo, the border, and the title. They should all come together to achieve the best overall result the artist can achieve.

For me I don't subtract anything if there is no title though, or even for a title I don't like. I think it should suit the photo, but is probably the least important element of the three I mentioned.

I don't subtract anything myself for borders if I don;t like them either ... well, not consciously, but obviously if a crappy border spoils a great photo you are probably going to give a lower score simply as your impression of the photo is not as good.

Conversely, I think a good border can assist a photo, and a good title can often poit to more meaning to a photo than a bad, or absent, title can manage.
08/23/2004 11:07:25 PM · #5
Originally posted by parrothead:

Wow people get more nit-picky each day! I stopped the borders! G@d forbid that you use a border on a picture....but now complaints on the title???? PLEASE....look at the photo!


NO. Look at the submission! Which is what the artist gave us to look at. It includes a) The Image first and foremost. b) The presentation (border, frame or?) and c) the Title. They all play a role in the communication between the artist and his or her viewer.

While I often COMMENT on borders and now and then on titles - my score is at least 95% (or higher) on the image. The comments I make are "supposed" to give the artist one man's opinion on the way his/her image was presented.

-Tom=
08/23/2004 11:23:22 PM · #6
I opened a damn can o worms here!!! It is the image first and foremost....the border I really dont even judge..unless its was out of context, and the title I dont think I have looked at since joining! Like I said...LOOK AT THE IMAGE! The title has NOTHING to do with how the image looks, and this is a photography challenge! Not a Title challenge!
08/23/2004 11:29:22 PM · #7
If the title wasn't meant to be a part of your entry, then it wouldn't appear during voting.
08/23/2004 11:34:28 PM · #8
Okay then..I appologize for looking at the quality of a photo than the title??
08/23/2004 11:39:13 PM · #9
True, the quality of your photo is the most important thing, but how famous do you think the Mona Lisa would have been if it were named Two Cats and a Banana? Photography is a form of art, and the title is an extra opportunity to express yourself that shouldn't be ignored. Think of it as the opening act to warm up the crowd for the main event.

Message edited by author 2004-08-23 23:45:04.
08/23/2004 11:39:22 PM · #10
I seriously doubt the title means very little at all, even the name is more inportant than the title... for example who has ever named photos something similar to sunset1.jpg sunset2.jpg sunset3.jpg etc.... If names were really important for photos we trust to a hard drive or cd then were all in big trouble... Im new to this digital photography click and I have never met such a bunch of self proclaimed experts in my life... including myself Just enjoy the photos and experiences you have taking them and be thankful its as easy as it is these days.. and ya gotta love being able to take 60 photos then sorting thur them all so you can show your buddys the handful that are acceptable only to have him/her tell you what a wonderful photographer you are ;)

Message edited by author 2004-08-25 00:53:04.
08/23/2004 11:42:58 PM · #11
I find myself more and more looking at the picture. I try not to dwell on the title because to many people get caught up in the title and not the work. To many times people are trying to explain there work by the title instead of the viewer just getting it. I am not the best to say this but IMHO I feel that is how it should be. Don't get me wrong. The title does make the photo also.

Paul
08/23/2004 11:45:27 PM · #12
It's a package. True, some oflks nit pick on the most miniscule things but a border and/or a title can make or break an image in some way or another. When it comes down to it, the voter has the right to vote & judge as he or she sees fit.

We enter challenges to have our pics judged. If it;s got a border or a title than they will too be judged. We can;t cry about afterwards, can we? Oh, yeah, we can... hence this thread.

At the end of the day, if you like your shot & your title and your bordered shot, does it really matter what one or more folks think about it?
Let's have a little more pride in our own work, regardless of how others see it. Makes for a much happier experience!
peace!
08/23/2004 11:46:50 PM · #13
Originally posted by scalvert:

True, the quality of your photo is the most important thing, but how famous do you think the Mona Lisa would have been if it were named Two Cats and a Banana? Photography is a form of art, and the title is an extra opportunity to express yourself that shouldn't be simply discarded.


I would agree with that. Very funny way of stating your point...but I concur.

Having said that, I suck at titles.
08/25/2004 02:36:04 PM · #14
I know!!! What the big anti border thing goin' on here
08/25/2004 03:07:46 PM · #15
Many of the borders I have seen don't add to the photographs they are applied to. They are usually ugly, garish and only distract from the subject rather than enhancing it.

If you don't want the voters/commenters to consider the border, don't add one.

08/25/2004 03:13:35 PM · #16
There are many examples of photographs where the title played a major part (as I believe it should have) in the scoring of the image. Here are some examples of that:



It is the title that completes the work of art in the above photographs. I'm often annoyed by a nice photograph with a dumb title.
08/25/2004 03:27:35 PM · #17
One thing I've noticed is that the title is the first thing I see, while the photo is still loading.
08/25/2004 03:28:20 PM · #18
I do agree with the overall presentation Is relevant to scoring. But I still disagree that a title makes or breaks an overall presentation. The Mona lisa title is what people associate that work of art with, but only because it was a great work of art. It could have been untitled and still been a great work of art. I appologize for "crying" as rooster put it, but a striking image would still be a striking image whether it was titled or not. It is just a small oversight on my part to not realize that most that are voting like to criticize, not critique constructively on your image. I am learning about borders and lighting and things like that, and I appreciate, and agree that some of my earlier images wold have looked better without a border. Yet instead saying what is good in an image...most comments dwell only on the negative. Thanks to all, and thanks to dpc. It is making me see what I am lacking, and all of the wonderful talent out there.
08/25/2004 03:52:40 PM · #19
I hate to sound cynical, but for this challenge in particular, the title is very important for many of the entries. How else are they going to fit their entry into the theme but by a clever title that shoehorns it in? Badly.

A recurring and annoying trend, methinks.
08/25/2004 04:03:07 PM · #20
When voting, i my criterias are as follow: Theme; Photography; Proper Finishing work/touch.

They are in no particuliar order, but are all very important to me. The Title is not important. In fact, when i look at the picture, if the picture doesn't relate to the Theme "without" reading the title, it looses points for that.

Of course that's just my way of critics... but i believe that the best and most touching and wonderful pictures in history, do not have titles, or do not "Need" a title to impress. By the simple effect of looking at it evokes emotions, which in turn, is a success from the artist, as he/she properly displayed and conveyed an emotion from the art to the person.

OVerall, i think this is very important. I guess its wierd to say, but let's not forget that this is a photography website. So photography is VERY important...

That's my newb's 2cent on the subject.
08/25/2004 04:09:46 PM · #21
Originally posted by nico_blue:

sometimes the title is important as well... the Mona Lisa is the Mona Lisa not 'the woman who paid me lots of money to paint her portrait'

Acutally, the title of "The Mona Lisa" is La Giaconda.
08/25/2004 04:29:47 PM · #22
I agree with RedOak--i.e., the title is not important. The title should not make the photo make sense for the challenge. The photo alone should make sense for the challenge.
08/25/2004 04:31:42 PM · #23
Originally posted by parrothead:

Wow people get more nit-picky each day! I stopped the borders! G@d forbid that you use a border on a picture....but now complaints on the title???? PLEASE....look at the photo!


Bad titles ruin good photos... sorry but that is the way I feel. It's part of the presentation and should be taken seriously :)
08/25/2004 04:32:14 PM · #24
Originally posted by GeneralE:

Acutally, the title of "The Mona Lisa" is La Giaconda.


Gesundheit!
08/25/2004 04:38:36 PM · #25
Originally posted by zeuszen:

On very rare occasions, such 'decorum' may be quite appropiate - i.e. distraction as irony, persiflage etc.


I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm damned impressed that zeuszen knows a word like persiflage. I had to run off to dictionary.com for that one... :)

Dave
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