DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Results >> Picture of Marijuana for "Scents and Aromas"
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 25 of 86, (reverse)
AuthorThread
12/03/2003 11:40:08 PM · #1
I personally had no problem whatsoever with this picture. Technically it probably wasn't the best of the bunch, but there was some critique of the photo calling it, "in bad taste". I thought the decision to photograph the bud was very creative in itself and met the challenge well. Given that the object of the photo was not known to all who viewed it then yes maybe not the best item to chose for the topic also. But overall it met the challenge and I see no reason that it should have been called "in bad taste." It was merely a photograph of an item with a very strong scent / aroma, as a photographer would take a photo of ANYTHING to meet a challenge as long as it was not strictly taboo by all cultures or ways of thinking.
12/03/2003 11:49:16 PM · #2
I agree. However, like always, some folks are gonna like it and others will not. It's hard to be objective when voting b/c personality and opinion is what it is always about. The photographer did title it for medicinal use which was a safe way to go with it. I think it met the challenge very well. However, there are a lot of members that have children and as such they may have a natural aversion to anything drug related. I understand this psychology. But on the other hand, I know people who have various cancers and are HIV positive and marijuana in some cases is a salient medicinal necessity.
I can be open about it all without injecting my own opinions into it. At least on this subject.

12/03/2003 11:52:42 PM · #3
I gave it a five on technical merit.
There was no doubt to me that it met the challenge.

We all have our personal opinions on what is offensive. I see images that I find distastful for personal reasons in the challenges. I usually choose not to vote on them because I don't feel I can be objective.
12/03/2003 11:54:49 PM · #4
Originally posted by JC Homola:

I gave it a five on technical merit.
There was no doubt to me that it met the challenge.

We all have our personal opinions on what is offensive. I see images that I find distastful for personal reasons in the challenges. I usually choose not to vote on them because I don't feel I can be objective.


Good idea. I never thought not to vote. If I score a shot low (which I hope is for technical merit only) I leave a comment.
12/04/2003 12:12:36 AM · #5
I agree that it would not be the best thing in the world for children to see and respect that by those who found it objectionable, but still would not classify it in bad taste. Obviously the photographer did not intend harm. I can only stress the originality of the subject which I found the most merit in for the topic. Who else took a picture of weed?
12/04/2003 12:25:56 AM · #6
Originally posted by Stewan:

I agree that it would not be the best thing in the world for children to see and respect that by those who found it objectionable, but still would not classify it in bad taste. Obviously the photographer did not intend harm. I can only stress the originality of the subject which I found the most merit in for the topic. Who else took a picture of weed?


This is true. But parents are more likely to object to stuff like that, you know. Doesnt necessarily have to be seen by kids. I thought it was original as well. There have been shot of pipes & stuff but I've never seen one of actual weed.

12/04/2003 12:30:23 AM · #7
From the DEA (emphasis added):

MARIJUANA

Marijuana is the most widely abused and readily available illicit drug in the United States, with an estimated 11.5 million current users. At least one-third of the U.S. population has used marijuana sometime in their lives.
12/04/2003 12:32:02 AM · #8
A quick image search for "marijuana" returned:

Matching Images : Page 1 of 1712
12/04/2003 01:00:00 AM · #9
Stewan, I think you answered your own question, so to speak, when you said "as long as it was not strictly taboo by all cultures or ways of thinking." By this you are tacitly acknowledging that marijuana is taboo in some cultures. People from those cultures certainly have the right to find the photo in bad taste, and to say so.

The photo didn't offend me but I knew it could be controversial to some, and I encourage them to speak their mind as anyone else would.
12/04/2003 02:42:56 AM · #10
Originally posted by coolhar:

.....marijuana is taboo in some cultures......


Which cultures? I'm by no means a world traveler but it seems, at least, in the places I've been to, to be generally accepted if not legal.
12/04/2003 07:35:06 AM · #11
What about the fact that it (along with a couple other recent images) can be considered a violation of the Terms Of Use of this site, which you agree to have read and understand when you submit:

4.2 You will not use the DPChallenge.com Service to post content ... that ... (v) does or may denigrate or offend any ethnic, racial, gender, religious or other protected group, through use of language, images, stereotypical depiction or otherwise, (vi) is designed to or does harass, threaten, defame or abuse others, (vii) exploits images or the likeness of minors, (viii) encourages or depicts the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes or (ix) is generally offensive or in bad taste.

There is currently a discussions going on among the Site Council about whether or not these types of entries should be disqualified for Terms of Use violations. Another more clear-cut example is this one from the Propaganda challenge:
12/04/2003 07:50:15 AM · #12
Originally posted by EddyG:

(viii) encourages or depicts the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes


How does the original photograph in question encourage or depict use of? Seems like a stretch to me.
12/04/2003 07:54:57 AM · #13
Well, there is always the "generally in bad taste" clause. I agree that the marijuana photo in question is a "gray area", but my point was basically that the site does have a Terms Of Use that people need to be aware of when submitting. A point could certainly be made for how the image, especially when combined with the title, could easily be construed as "encouraging" its use.

Message edited by author 2003-12-04 08:05:26.
12/04/2003 07:57:02 AM · #14
Everyone has their own idea on what is offensive and what is not. We are never going to please everyone in this sense...

However, the rules are pretty clear as Eddy quoted section 4.2 below and as such should be enforced. If the site allows some images to remain even though they encourage or depict the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes - then how do you enforce other rules when this one is not?

In another sense - alcohol and cigarettes are perfectly legal and that would cut out quite a bit of subject matter if we were not able to use them in our shots. Afterall, doesn't the blue ribbon winner of the Propaganda challenge depict the use of cigarettes?
12/04/2003 08:02:30 AM · #15
Eddy

I guess you will remove your "Champagne for two" shot then as this glamorises the use of alcohol.
12/04/2003 08:06:39 AM · #16
Originally posted by tfaust:

Afterall, doesn't the blue ribbon winner of the Propaganda challenge depict the use of cigarettes?


See that's the thing, I would normally say no it doesn't. However, an argument could be made that the cigarette is there and burning and there is a connection to somebody smoking by the skull so I do see your point. However, for me at least, I would have to see somebody actually doing it for it to be depicting use of.
12/04/2003 08:10:41 AM · #17
I agree with you Techno, but it's right in that grey area and it could be voted either way on whether it depicts or not.

It's still an awesome shot :-)
12/04/2003 08:14:03 AM · #18
Originally posted by EddyG:

Well, there is always the "generally in bad taste" clause. I agree that the marijuana photo in question is a "gray area", but my point was basically that the site does have a Terms Of Use that people need to be aware of when submitting.


If not to keep people happy then to just be clear there needs to be a refinement of the TOS then. It could be as simple as saying NO drugs, alcohol, illegal activity. A little draconian but I would be fine with it and it would remove the grey area. Well, sort of, laws are different all over so one would have to identify which set of laws were to be used. Something like activity illegal in the US.

As for the "generally in bad taste" part, that I don't even get. I asked about it but got a response that was basically saying he couldn't explain it. I haven't seen anything here that really explains it either.

EDIT: I should add that my not understanding "generally in bad taste" is not strictly limited to the photo we've been talking about. Taste is so terribly subjective that it often baffles me in real life as well.

Message edited by author 2003-12-04 08:23:53.
12/04/2003 08:26:45 AM · #19
Originally posted by tfaust:

In another sense - alcohol and cigarettes are perfectly legal and that would cut out quite a bit of subject matter if we were not able to use them in our shots. Afterall, doesn't the blue ribbon winner of the Propaganda challenge depict the use of cigarettes?


Marijuana is "perfectly legal" in a number of places in the world from where people on this site participate. Heck, for all we know, it could have been a shot of medical marijuana.

Why do we have to keep inventing controversies? Now that Members are allowed to spot edit this month, it seems like people have tried to fill the gap in the forums with other, more out-of-the-way arguments.

Message edited by author 2003-12-04 08:27:17.
12/04/2003 08:32:57 AM · #20
I didn't say anything about marijuana being legal or illegal. I said alcohol and cigarettes are legal. Granted this thread is about marijuana, but going off of the rules of the site, drugs as a whole are illegal in most parts of the world.

So which laws do we consider? US laws since that's where this site is based (and marijuana is illegal in the US), or the laws of other countries because we have members and users that aren't in the US? Somewhere the determination has to be made.
12/04/2003 08:56:34 AM · #21
[quote=EddyG]What about the fact that it (along with a couple other recent images) can be considered a violation of the Terms Of Use of this site, which you agree to have read and understand when you submit:

4.2 You will not use the DPChallenge.com Service to post content ... that ... (v) does or may denigrate or offend any ethnic, racial, gender, religious or other protected group, through use of language, images, stereotypical depiction or otherwise, (vi) is designed to or does harass, threaten, defame or abuse others, (vii) exploits images or the likeness of minors, (viii) encourages or depicts the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes or (ix) is generally offensive or in bad taste.

Don't several of your pictures and profile images violate these terms of use as well though ? I think it would possibly make more sense to remove the clause from the terms of use, as it has been ignored for a long, long time. Would my recipe challenge picture fall under the same category of encouraging the use of stimulants ?
12/04/2003 09:02:24 AM · #22
From what EddyG says I would surmise that the Site Council is addressing the issues raised in this forum. Let's give them a chance to act before we go "inventing controversies", to steal a term from muckpond. I hope that a slightly stricter enforcement of present rules, and ToS, will be enough and we can avoid another long debate that splits our community.
12/04/2003 09:08:54 AM · #23
I think Tina hit the nail on the head when she said that alcohol and cigarettes are legal (at least in most places) and the use/depiction of those things is not considered deviant behavior. Illicit substances ("drugs") are considered by many (especially lawmakers) to be much different than alcohol or tobacco.

I agree that the Terms Of Use need to be changed to take into account the above.

Message edited by author 2003-12-04 09:09:36.
12/04/2003 09:29:57 AM · #24
Originally posted by EddyG:

I think Tina hit the nail on the head when she said that alcohol and cigarettes are legal (at least in most places) and the use/depiction of those things is not considered deviant behavior. Illicit substances ("drugs") are considered by many (especially lawmakers) to be much different than alcohol or tobacco.

I agree that the Terms Of Use need to be changed to take into account the above.


They (lawmakers) tend to change their mind on occasion on alcohol and tobacco too. The former used to be illegal, the later seems to almost be illegal in the US or at least so socially unpopular in some states to be close to being made illegal.
12/04/2003 09:40:30 AM · #25
Originally posted by EddyG:

What about the fact that it (along with a couple other recent images) can be considered a violation of the Terms Of Use of this site, which you agree to have read and understand when you submit:

4.2 You will not use the DPChallenge.com Service to post content ... that ... (v) does or may denigrate or offend any ethnic, racial, gender, religious or other protected group, through use of language, images, stereotypical depiction or otherwise, (vi) is designed to or does harass, threaten, defame or abuse others, (vii) exploits images or the likeness of minors, (viii) encourages or depicts the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes or (ix) is generally offensive or in bad taste.

There is currently a discussions going on among the Site Council about whether or not these types of entries should be disqualified for Terms of Use violations. Another more clear-cut example is this one from the Propaganda challenge:


This is my picture you are refering to in the propaganda challenge. With my picture I'm not saying "Do Drugs, they are good"... I'm saying "Don't Do Drugs, they are not worth it". But I can see your point. If I had submitted this picture to the "happy" or "things we should all enjoy" competitions I would have thrown myself out of the window for my stupidity :)
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 03/29/2024 05:42:02 AM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/29/2024 05:42:02 AM EDT.