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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Suggestions >> A Fork in the Road
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03/24/2013 03:23:29 PM · #1
Could be the spot where one road diverges into two -- or a still life, with a fork creatively posed on the pavement. Or both. You decide. Expert editing.
03/24/2013 06:40:25 PM · #2
"When you get to a fork in the road, take it!
- Yogi Berra
03/24/2013 07:08:08 PM · #3
I think there already is a brilliant photo of a fork in the road by someone here, taken a long time ago....
03/24/2013 09:16:14 PM · #4
03/26/2013 05:53:31 PM · #5
maybe this one, by quigley

05/16/2013 08:44:57 AM · #6
not that it really matters, but am I to take it that the challenge requires either a "literal road divergence" or a "literal fork" in the road- not a "figurative need to make a difficult unexpected choice between two alternatives?"
05/16/2013 08:55:15 AM · #7
Originally posted by blindjustice:

not that it really matters, but am I to take it that the challenge requires either a "literal road divergence" or a "literal fork" in the road- not a "figurative need to make a difficult unexpected choice between two alternatives?"


The description makes it sound like you should do the literal. Doesn't really leave an opening for much interpretation when you look at it, but people could still take the "one road diverging into two" figuratively. But I'll probably be most impressed by the people who do the literal well and creatively, because I think it's a much harder challenge since it's so locked down.

Message edited by author 2013-05-16 08:57:17.
05/16/2013 09:46:51 AM · #8
Thanks Wendy you confirmed my suspicions.
05/16/2013 09:52:28 AM · #9
It's not limited to a literal fork in the road. There are many scenes which are figuratively a "fork in the road". Use your imaginations. Only conform to the literal if scores are more important than your photographic art.
05/16/2013 10:06:05 AM · #10
Originally posted by hahn23:

It's not limited to a literal fork in the road. There are many scenes which are figuratively a "fork in the road". Use your imaginations. Only conform to the literal if scores are more important than your photographic art.


I agree -- but usually the challenge description isn't so specific:

"Could be the spot where one road diverges into two -- or a still life, with a fork creatively posed on the pavement. Or both. You decide"

I think you're asking for trouble if you ignore it.

Message edited by author 2013-05-16 10:06:30.
05/16/2013 10:52:41 AM · #11
Originally posted by vawendy:

Originally posted by hahn23:

It's not limited to a literal fork in the road. There are many scenes which are figuratively a "fork in the road". Use your imaginations. Only conform to the literal if scores are more important than your photographic art.


I agree -- but usually the challenge description isn't so specific:

"Could be the spot where one road diverges into two -- or a still life, with a fork creatively posed on the pavement. Or both. You decide"

I think you're asking for trouble if you ignore it.

The term "fork in the road" is an idiom. "Fork in the road" means a time when it is necessary to make a decision. A "fork in the road" is also a metaphor, based on a literal expression, for a deciding moment in life or history when a major choice of options is required.

I would score highly an image representing a creative interpretation of the idiom or metaphor. I would score lower an image which only takes the phrase at its simplistic, literal interpretation.

The challenge description says, in part, "Could be the spot where one road diverges into two..." The term "road" is not necessarily intended to be taken literally. We will all miss a lot if the phrase, "Fork in the road" does not inspire images and concepts which take flight.
05/16/2013 12:26:21 PM · #12
Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by vawendy:

Originally posted by hahn23:

It's not limited to a literal fork in the road. There are many scenes which are figuratively a "fork in the road". Use your imaginations. Only conform to the literal if scores are more important than your photographic art.


I agree -- but usually the challenge description isn't so specific:

"Could be the spot where one road diverges into two -- or a still life, with a fork creatively posed on the pavement. Or both. You decide"

I think you're asking for trouble if you ignore it.

The term "fork in the road" is an idiom. "Fork in the road" means a time when it is necessary to make a decision. A "fork in the road" is also a metaphor, based on a literal expression, for a deciding moment in life or history when a major choice of options is required.

I would score highly an image representing a creative interpretation of the idiom or metaphor. I would score lower an image which only takes the phrase at its simplistic, literal interpretation.

The challenge description says, in part, "Could be the spot where one road diverges into two..." The term "road" is not necessarily intended to be taken literally. We will all miss a lot if the phrase, "Fork in the road" does not inspire images and concepts which take flight.


Well hell, two can play at this game Richard.

Why stop with the analysis of just "road" and "fork in the road"?

Let's take a look at the word "spot", which can mean anything from a very small area, to a large area. Effectively I'll vote highly for macro images that claim to be taken at a fork in the road, and on airplane shots where you can see hundreds of forks in the road, since they're all a spot. Anyone who interprets this in a narrow minded way, and actually composes an image in which we can see a fork in a literal road will get an automatic one from me for being boring.

Let's also take a careful consideration of the meaning of "still life", sure, this could mean a fork and spoon still life- but really, "still life" clearly this is an invitation to drag a carcass to a Y in the road, and photograph it there, since "still" can be used as in "still born".

I think it's also important that we understand the possible interpretations of diverge - clearly we could take this literally, and just find a spot where a road splits, but this could also mean a crack in the road, as it's diverging from itself at that spot. I'll reward pictures of cracks in the road pretty heavily, especially if they're next to a rotting carcass.

...

Stop being silly man! Literal interpretations are awesome, and they play well here. If you're so worried about your art, why the heck are you restricting your art to the confines of a game in the first place?
05/16/2013 12:49:54 PM · #13
Originally posted by Cory:

...
Stop being silly man! Literal interpretations are awesome, and they play well here. If you're so worried about your art, why the heck are you restricting your art to the confines of a game in the first place?


I expect we'll see a lot of literal forks on bituminous macadams. That will mostly be the people who don't know their idioms from their metaphors. There's nothing wrong with being simplistic and straightforward. One would not have to think much to place a fork on the road. Making it creative and interesting will be the challenge.

DPC is a small fraction of my photographer's life. I sure don't have time to sit in the forums all day, like some do. Often, because I don't read all the forums, I miss out on reading what the re-defined interpretation of the challenge description... after the challenge has been announced. But, that's okay. DPC's culture is what it is. I actually enjoy interpreting the challenges my way, without contamination from those who have a narrower definition than intended. I don't have a legal collaborative group giving me feedback on what will score best. ... because score doesn't matter to me. I currently have a 3, a 4 and a 6 going in challenges in the voting phase. So, from one perspective, I'm screwing up. From another perspective, I'm photographing the things I want to photograph that meet the challenge in my mind.

I would really like it if DPC challenges were broadly interpreted and the emphasis returned to assessment of the photographic excellence (artistic and/or technical) of images.
05/16/2013 12:58:35 PM · #14
Originally posted by hahn23:


I would really like it if DPC challenges were broadly interpreted and the emphasis returned to assessment of the photographic excellence (artistic and/or technical) of images.


You know I really do like ya right?

With that being said, I'm afraid you're gonna have to be my nemesis on this issue. :)

I like that DPC has tightened up it's voting habits to conform to the challenge a little bit tighter, in fact, I think we could still tighten the belt a bit more. I love coherent challenges, where you're comparing apples to apples - and when I have to decide how good an orange is, that annoys me - because it might be a fantastic orange, but I have no real measure to compare apples to oranges. Of course, that's all a metaphor for images which depart from the description so strongly as to become something else entirely, and while they may be awesome images, they don't really speak to the challenge.
05/16/2013 01:00:38 PM · #15
I see Richard's point- and I agree,

one could take the stance that artists don't take things literally, in the way that craftsmen do.

We should strive to be artists, not craftsmen, as a result, could be the moral of that story.

Back to the text- can we really think that the challenge is about either a literal fork or a literal road junction? It has to be
figurative- not literal. It would be lousy to take such a soaring metaphor and limit it to cutlery.

assuming that people can vote the way they want, I would certainly caution voters away from being too literal. If you want to give higher marks to someone who creatively puts a fork in the middle of two roads, so be it, go for it- but in the case of ambiguity, don't turn all DNMC literal.
05/16/2013 01:02:37 PM · #16
Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by hahn23:


I would really like it if DPC challenges were broadly interpreted and the emphasis returned to assessment of the photographic excellence (artistic and/or technical) of images.


You know I really do like ya right?

With that being said, I'm afraid you're gonna have to be my nemesis on this issue. :)

I like that DPC has tightened up it's voting habits to conform to the challenge a little bit tighter, in fact, I think we could still tighten the belt a bit more. I love coherent challenges, where you're comparing apples to apples - and when I have to decide how good an orange is, that annoys me - because it might be a fantastic orange, but I have no real measure to compare apples to oranges. Of course, that's all a metaphor for images which depart from the description so strongly as to become something else entirely, and while they may be awesome images, they don't really speak to the challenge.


I am not talking about shoehorning a sunset in with a title, I am talking about creatively and thoughtfully addressing the topic.
05/16/2013 01:05:21 PM · #17
Originally posted by blindjustice:



I am not talking about shoehorning a sunset in with a title, I am talking about creatively and thoughtfully addressing the topic.


Hey, I just stuck an environmental portrait into Automotive Details, so don't think I too don't go down the strange roads myself. The point is, that I don't really expect to be rewarded for it - frankly, I thought that portrait of Paul might bomb, since it wasn't all about automotive details.

My issue is with the attitude that "this is great art and should be appreciated"... I can appreciate the hell out of it, and still happily drop a 3 or a 4 on an image.
05/16/2013 01:20:23 PM · #18
Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by blindjustice:



I am not talking about shoehorning a sunset in with a title, I am talking about creatively and thoughtfully addressing the topic.


Hey, I just stuck an environmental portrait into Automotive Details, so don't think I too don't go down the strange roads myself. The point is, that I don't really expect to be rewarded for it - frankly, I thought that portrait of Paul might bomb, since it wasn't all about automotive details.

My issue is with the attitude that "this is great art and should be appreciated"... I can appreciate the hell out of it, and still happily drop a 3 or a 4 on an image.


- I agree, pretty much, and I always wondered why the statistic "average vote by commenters" is shown. That makes it tough to leave a good comment and a bad vote. THen you get stuck as the only person who voted- and the average is "3"- ha!
05/16/2013 01:22:20 PM · #19
Originally posted by Cory:

...
My issue is with the attitude that "this is great art and should be appreciated"... I can appreciate the hell out of it, and still happily drop a 3 or a 4 on an image.

Who are you quoting?
05/16/2013 01:23:00 PM · #20
Originally posted by blindjustice:

Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by blindjustice:



I am not talking about shoehorning a sunset in with a title, I am talking about creatively and thoughtfully addressing the topic.


Hey, I just stuck an environmental portrait into Automotive Details, so don't think I too don't go down the strange roads myself. The point is, that I don't really expect to be rewarded for it - frankly, I thought that portrait of Paul might bomb, since it wasn't all about automotive details.

My issue is with the attitude that "this is great art and should be appreciated"... I can appreciate the hell out of it, and still happily drop a 3 or a 4 on an image.


- I agree, pretty much, and I always wondered why the statistic "average vote by commenters" is shown. That makes it tough to leave a good comment and a bad vote. THen you get stuck as the only person who voted- and the average is "3"- ha!


This is exactly why I do not comment on my low votes.
05/16/2013 01:32:00 PM · #21
I want a DPC with no challenge descriptions.

Yeah, I know, everyone wants their own DPC.

But that's the DPC that I want.

As DPC continues to deteriorate, I wonder if the challenges break down before the forums do. That would be interesting! People could start threads for their own kind of DPC, see how many are interested, and then branch off from there to create their own sites. Some factions might band together. Some people will join all the DPCs.

That would be a very interesting fork in the road.
05/16/2013 01:33:02 PM · #22
Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by Cory:

...
My issue is with the attitude that "this is great art and should be appreciated"... I can appreciate the hell out of it, and still happily drop a 3 or a 4 on an image.

Who are you quoting?


Paraphrasing.

You were just saying, more or less, exactly this right? That you think people should reward the shots that don't conform more readily than they currently do? Perhaps I've misunderstood you, but I think that I agree with you that creative interpretation is a great thing, however we diverge on what role that should play in DPC. For me, it's the spice of challenges, just a little is fun, and enjoyable - but like spice in a dish at an eatery, you aren't likely to say "wow, that was some awesome black pepper on my grilled chicken breast and risotto" - it might happen sometimes, but it'd better really be some mind-blowing pepper.

My point is this - you can, and should, enter what you enjoy shooting and love - but it's also important to recognize that only rarely to personal styles/preferences line up well with DPC's norms, so to think that images like this somehow *should* score well isn't particularly rational.
05/16/2013 01:40:25 PM · #23
Originally posted by posthumous:

I want a DPC with no challenge descriptions.

Yeah, I know, everyone wants their own DPC.

But that's the DPC that I want.

As DPC continues to deteriorate, I wonder if the challenges break down before the forums do. That would be interesting! People could start threads for their own kind of DPC, see how many are interested, and then branch off from there to create their own sites. Some factions might band together. Some people will join all the DPCs.

That would be a very interesting fork in the road.


Just say the word Captain...
05/16/2013 01:43:46 PM · #24
Isn't that pretty much a Free study?
05/16/2013 02:23:51 PM · #25
Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by Cory:

...
My issue is with the attitude that "this is great art and should be appreciated"... I can appreciate the hell out of it, and still happily drop a 3 or a 4 on an image.

Who are you quoting?


Paraphrasing.

You were just saying, more or less, exactly this right? That you think people should reward the shots that don't conform more readily than they currently do? Perhaps I've misunderstood you, but I think that I agree with you that creative interpretation is a great thing, however we diverge on what role that should play in DPC. For me, it's the spice of challenges, just a little is fun, and enjoyable - but like spice in a dish at an eatery, you aren't likely to say "wow, that was some awesome black pepper on my grilled chicken breast and risotto" - it might happen sometimes, but it'd better really be some mind-blowing pepper.

My point is this - you can, and should, enter what you enjoy shooting and love - but it's also important to recognize that only rarely to personal styles/preferences line up well with DPC's norms, so to think that images like this somehow *should* score well isn't particularly rational.

Wow! I said no such thing. And, you are taking my thoughts and opinions and twisting them into something completely different. I wasn't saying anything like what you placed in quotes. I resent the obfuscation.
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