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10/22/2003 09:39:11 AM · #1
There are some poignant and elegant photos in this competition. Some with technical brilliance, some which meet the challenge wonderfully. Well done I say!

Okay - time to alienate everyone again with my narrow-minded suggestions, but having voted on a number of the submissions for All Alone I have a suggestion. If you want to make your subject seem all alone, a close-up is not the way to go. I can't tell whether your subject is alone or not if there's no surrounding or context.

I won't even go so far as to say that I feel the photos ought to evoke a "feeling" of being all alone, or lonely, or solitary, or isolated, because I know someone will whip out a dictionary definition to prove that their close-up of their dog meets the challenge (and I only use that example because I have not yet seen a close-up of a dog. If you have submitted one, I assure you I'm not attacking you personally).

I know my opinion doesn't count to you. because I didn't submit on this challenge, or because I'm not a full member, or because my eyes are blue or whatever, but I thank you, and the site in general, for allowing me this rant.

Other opinions heartily welcome. If my opinion helps you sharpen your focus, help yourself. If it just takes away from your enjoyment of photography and/or this site, please, ignore me and avoid any and all of my forum entries.
10/22/2003 09:43:59 AM · #2
I agree on all accounts. Well said.
10/22/2003 10:04:05 AM · #3
Yep. Yep. Firm believer in the photos meeting the challenge here. Sure a photo a dog could be great on all accounts 10/10, but if it aint all alone you lose points in my eyes. I will however say your photo is cool.

Not pickin on titles tho...not after my effort this time. I put a temporary title on and forgot to change it. Still I hope it doesnt put people off. Its how the photo meets the challenge to me.

I'm Back!
10/22/2003 10:10:40 AM · #4
I also hold firm to deducting point for not meeting the challenge, however, I disagree that a close up can't portray alone. The expression an a face can say it all. Heck, a macro of an eye with the reflection of a gravestone would fit perfectly (I also haven't seen all the submissions and hope this isn't there).
10/22/2003 10:14:20 AM · #5
You're right Trinch, and I thought of admitting in my original post that a close-up could, if properly done, convey the sense of being alone very well, as in your example, but I thought I had already muddied the waters sufficiently for one post.

The ones I'm complaining about had none of the creative elements you suggest.
10/22/2003 10:18:26 AM · #6
Sorry, I disagree with any interpretation. I'm going to vote every picture on it's own merit, and refrain from using rules of thumb to cloud over my judgement of each photo.


10/22/2003 10:29:31 AM · #7
Your work is amazing Jacko - you have my respect.

How do you evaluate a photo without the context of the challenge, when the purpose of the website is to meet photographic challenges?
10/22/2003 10:30:09 AM · #8
May I also remind the anally retentive that the details of the challenge were "A single object or subject, composed and shot to give a feeling of loneliness or solitude." not that "a single item and nothing else" should be in the shot.
10/22/2003 10:38:08 AM · #9
We're on the same page with that thought robsmith - "Alone in a crowd" and 1000 other creative interpretations are certainly valid.
10/22/2003 10:43:13 AM · #10
I do evaluate it in the context of a challenge. I just don't go in with a narrow mind. I look at the pic and make an overall judgement (including if it fits the challenge). I just don't like using rules of thumbs (a close up = can't possibly know if the subject is alone).

Originally posted by stevenayer:

Your work is amazing Jacko - you have my respect.

How do you evaluate a photo without the context of the challenge, when the purpose of the website is to meet photographic challenges?

10/22/2003 10:51:00 AM · #11
It all depends what you want out of this comp. You can take a close up shot to portray the feeling of loneliness and score well in my books. For that shot to appeal to the masses who probably dont spend much time looking at the shots (333 of em WOW!), ...Good luck. Youll probably find it wont score well coz it has to fit the challenge in a fairly obvious way for most to get it!
10/22/2003 11:09:03 AM · #12
Wow. Some excellent shots in this challenge. I like the many different perspectives/interpretations. Looks like a lot of high scores again. I really need to find more time to get out and shoot! These images are inspirational.
10/22/2003 11:37:17 AM · #13
Originally posted by stevenayer:

We're on the same page with that thought robsmith - "Alone in a crowd" and 1000 other creative interpretations are certainly valid.


"Alone in a crowd" was my first thought, but I didn't enter it because it says a SINGLE SUBJECT or OBJECT. How do you intend on getting the subject alone? You'd need to have marvelous DOF to blur out everyone in the crowd. Otherwise you still have a picture of the crowd. Sorry, I'm one of those anal guys.
10/22/2003 11:42:55 AM · #14
The crowd is the single subject. The loneliness within the crowd meets the challenge.

My criteria typically is, "Did the photographer consider the challenge in taking the photograph?" Whether he considered it correctly or not isn't as important as whether he considered it. The only time I will drop the "1" is if it is clear that the challenge was flat out ignored.
10/22/2003 01:30:09 PM · #15
Originally posted by Trinch:

The crowd is the single subject. The loneliness within the crowd meets the challenge.


Playing Devil's Advocate here... If the crowd is the subject, how can the subject feel lonely? The crowd itself does not feel lonely.
10/22/2003 01:41:46 PM · #16
Originally posted by d2frette:

Playing Devil's Advocate here... If the crowd is the subject, how can the subject feel lonely? The crowd itself does not feel lonely.


Playing Devil's Prosecuter here...

"A single object or subject, composed and shot to give a feeling of loneliness or solitude."

The crowd does not have to feel lonely, it just has to give a feeling of loneliness. Some contrast should be present though. Maybe a child in a crowd of adults. Or a guy wearing a white suit amongst a crowd of black suits. Basically, something that screams, "I AM ALL ALONE HERE!!!".
10/22/2003 01:49:04 PM · #17
Originally posted by Trinch:

Originally posted by d2frette:

Playing Devil's Advocate here... If the crowd is the subject, how can the subject feel lonely? The crowd itself does not feel lonely.


Playing Devil's Prosecuter here...

"A single object or subject, composed and shot to give a feeling of loneliness or solitude."

The crowd does not have to feel lonely, it just has to give a feeling of loneliness. Some contrast should be present though. Maybe a child in a crowd of adults. Or a guy wearing a white suit amongst a crowd of black suits. Basically, something that screams, "I AM ALL ALONE HERE!!!".


I'd call the lonely person the subject and the crowd the background. I haven't looked at the challenge entries yet, so don't know if any apply. But there is a photo from a previous challenge that could fit this description:
10/22/2003 01:55:03 PM · #18
"A single object or subject, composed and shot to give a feeling of loneliness or solitude."

With all the "ands" and "ors" you have to expect differing opinions.

Message edited by author 2003-10-22 13:56:04.
10/22/2003 01:56:36 PM · #19
Originally posted by Trinch:

Some contrast should be present though.

You are under oath here Trinch. :)
But you said the crowd was the single subject.

Anyway, if the crowd is the single subject, then there is no loneliness because a crowd doesn't feel lonely.

If the single subject stands out of the crowd (crowd is not the subject), then there is room for interpretation of the subject, which I'd personally allow and not dock points for.

My original idea was a flock of geese in a recently harvested bean field. The point was to get one goose to stand out (because I shot him, ha ha, just kidding...I do dislike geese though). But they all look alike and it was hard to get one alone/lonely. The title was going to be "Lonely, but not Alone". The followup would be a solitude shot of a person silently praying to God, the title of which would be "Alone, but not lonely."

:)
10/22/2003 02:00:39 PM · #20
Originally posted by d2frette:

You are under oath here Trinch. :)


If advocates were under oath, they'd all be in jail!!! ;)

Originally posted by d2frette:

My original idea was a flock of geese in a recently harvested bean field. The point was to get one goose to stand out (because I shot him, ha ha, just kidding...I do dislike geese though). But they all look alike and it was hard to get one alone/lonely. The title was going to be "Lonely, but not Alone". The followup would be a solitude shot of a person silently praying to God, the title of which would be "Alone, but not lonely.":)


If you could somehow plant a duck within the geese, then, imho, you would have nailed it. (the challenge, not the duck)
10/22/2003 02:31:57 PM · #21
Originally posted by Trinch:


If advocates were under oath, they'd all be in jail!!! ;)


touche!!
10/22/2003 05:15:53 PM · #22
Originally posted by d2frette:

Originally posted by Trinch:

The crowd is the single subject. The loneliness within the crowd meets the challenge.


Playing Devil's Advocate here... If the crowd is the subject, how can the subject feel lonely? The crowd itself does not feel lonely.


If the photographer is there how is that one subject alone ;)
10/22/2003 06:12:13 PM · #23
Originally posted by faidoi:

If the photographer is there how is that one subject alone ;)


Telezoom of course. :)
10/22/2003 06:52:54 PM · #24
Originally posted by faidoi:

Originally posted by d2frette:

Originally posted by Trinch:

The crowd is the single subject. The loneliness within the crowd meets the challenge.


Playing Devil's Advocate here... If the crowd is the subject, how can the subject feel lonely? The crowd itself does not feel lonely.


If the photographer is there how is that one subject alone ;)

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to witness it does it make a noise?
10/22/2003 06:56:36 PM · #25
If you fart and know oneELSEis in the room is there laughter? hehehehe

Message edited by author 2003-10-22 19:09:18.
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