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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> HAPPY to have a NEW score
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07/18/2013 07:23:28 PM · #1
Originally posted by theFREDfactor:

Maybe New Happiness isn't about Mondriaan like bright colors and straight lines but it certainly does not discount it entirely either as the challenge description says this "Take inspiration from Angus McDonald's New Happiness collection and create your own photograph in a similar style." In a similar style....that means it does not have to be the exact same style, it can be your own interpretation of the style. And besides...where I live, and I am sure where some others live as well, there just aren't any buidings or shacks or structures at all that have rough textured pastel colored paint flaked walls and doors.
So my choice was to either not enter at all or to enter something I did find that was the closest thing that could fit into the description of "Take inspiration from Angus McDonald's New Happiness collection and create your own photograph in a similar style."


Agreed, like I said, it's more about the message in some ways than the color and style..

But I had a hard time voting anything down too much in this challenge, it was just too damned happy not to vote high! ;)
07/18/2013 07:12:48 PM · #2
Maybe New Happiness isn't about Mondriaan like bright colors and straight lines but it certainly does not discount it entirely either as the challenge description says this "Take inspiration from Angus McDonald's New Happiness collection and create your own photograph in a similar style." In a similar style....that means it does not have to be the exact same style, it can be your own interpretation of the style. And besides...where I live, and I am sure where some others live as well, there just aren't any buidings or shacks or structures at all that have rough textured pastel colored paint flaked walls and doors.
So my choice was to either not enter at all or to enter something I did find that was the closest thing that could fit into the description of "Take inspiration from Angus McDonald's New Happiness collection and create your own photograph in a similar style."

Message edited by author 2013-07-18 19:13:30.
07/18/2013 05:16:36 PM · #3
Well I did my third run through voting and a lot of images got bumped up. All of my lower scale votes stayed the same. My opinions did not change. But I did do a significant bump to the upper end. Mine, however, still falls.

I am sure before the night is over I will do at least one and probably two more runs through the images and adjust. Just the way I vote.

EDIT: And falls yet again.

Message edited by author 2013-07-18 17:20:00.
07/18/2013 05:03:49 PM · #4
My score has gone up a bit: it's almost 5.8 now.
07/18/2013 04:43:56 PM · #5
Votes: 74
Views: 145
Avg Vote: 5.5946
Comments: 6
Favorites: 0
07/18/2013 03:57:38 PM · #6
Votes: 73
Views: 144
Avg Vote: 4.4932
Comments: 4

nearly fell asleep during voting
07/17/2013 04:17:22 PM · #7
Tell me about it. Until yesterday I was at 7.1 to 7.2 and since it has dropped to 6.5.

Message edited by author 2013-07-17 16:18:05.
07/16/2013 10:47:24 PM · #8
The last 10 voters have brought my score down continuously. Ughhhh. I was hoping to get my first top 10 photo.
07/16/2013 10:41:28 PM · #9
Down, down, down.....

Votes: 56
Views: 118
Avg Vote: 5.4107
Comments: 4
07/14/2013 09:59:19 AM · #10
Originally posted by Cory:


I've gotta admit that I'm pretty surprised with you two - given that his work, for me, is actually quite emotive, and has that deeper meaning that so many of us try to achieve.

New Happiness wasn't about bright colors and Mondrianesque straight line geometry - that's just what it can be broken down into. New Happiness was, if I have understood correctly, an examination of one of the more visual ways that even those who don't have much are still able to make their world a happy and beautiful place, instead of simply allowing it to be depressingly drab and dull. It's a statement on the human condition, and to me it seems almost like advice - "Rise above your conditions, go, live, be happy, and brighten your own world up with color and joyfulness".

If there's not something worthy of my admiration and respect in that, then I don't know if I've ever seen anything worthy of such.


Oh, i think it's a bit of a 'it's not you-it's me' situation really. Like i said earlier, it is the sort of photography i've really enjoyed and got a lot out of in the past- it's just not doing it for me at this moment in time and i can totally see where where you are coming from in your interpretation and appreciation of MacDonald's work. That doesn't mean i won't start enjoying this sort of image again of course.

I think people change a lot and go through phases with photography, their own and what they find inspiring. I'm in a certain place at the moment where i don't do a whole lot of personal photography (although i've done some stuff recently i really like) I'm doing a lot of weddings and now that it's turned into a full time job i am trying my very best to resist that common situation where photography becoming work kind of ruins photo for pleasure or your own art. Maybe that's having an effect but I'm also immersing myself in other peoples work -i've picked up a bit of a photo-book habit - and the photography i'm very much drawn to is documentary work by people such as Bruce Davidson, Martin Parr, Christophe Agou, Stephen Shore etc. So, i guess i'm just in that kind of mode so the challenge didn't really click for me.
07/13/2013 08:37:25 PM · #11
Originally posted by Cory:


You think so?...New Happiness wasn't about bright colors and Mondrianesque straight line geometry - that's just what it can be broken down into. New Happiness was, if I have understood correctly, an examination of one of the more visual ways that even those who don't have much are still able to make their world a happy and beautiful place, instead of simply allowing it to be depressingly drab and dull. It's a statement on the human condition, and to me it seems almost like advice - "Rise above your conditions, go, live, be happy, and brighten your own world up with color and joyfulness".

If there's not something worthy of my admiration and respect in that, then I don't know if I've ever seen anything worthy of such.


Well written, well spoken, right on the money!

Message edited by author 2013-07-13 21:36:47.
07/13/2013 05:57:52 PM · #12
Originally posted by emoons:

Originally posted by Cory:



You think so?

I've gotta admit that I'm pretty surprised with you two - given that his work, for me, is actually quite emotive, and has that deeper meaning that so many of us try to achieve.

New Happiness wasn't about bright colors and Mondrianesque straight line geometry - that's just what it can be broken down into. New Happiness was, if I have understood correctly, an examination of one of the more visual ways that even those who don't have much are still able to make their world a happy and beautiful place, instead of simply allowing it to be depressingly drab and dull. It's a statement on the human condition, and to me it seems almost like advice - "Rise above your conditions, go, live, be happy, and brighten your own world up with color and joyfulness".

If there's not something worthy of my admiration and respect in that, then I don't know if I've ever seen anything worthy of such.


I agree with Cory's post on this. I think that is probably the best interpretation of McDonald's work. I tried to keep that in mind when I took my photo, but I also looked for images that would have been just bright and happy. I felt that I ended up with both in my photo.

When I voted in this challenge, I tried to vote based on the colors and composition of the image. Images that invoked color/composition mimicry of the McDonald New Happiness style.


I'm with Cory too on this.

I've been away from DPC for a fair while and haven't entered a challenge in ages. That said I pop in every now and then to see what's happening. Came across this challenge and spent some time looking through McDonald's New Happiness images which, overall, really appealed to me. This was mainly due to the vibrancy of the colours, the use of texture and cropping for composition effect. Imho this is the talent of the man and where a number of the shots in this challenge fail and come across as boring.
07/13/2013 05:09:18 PM · #13
Sorry. Did not know the Out take rule.

Message edited by author 2013-07-14 23:08:21.
07/13/2013 04:27:25 PM · #14
Originally posted by emoons:

I won't say what my image is until the end, but this is what I decided to leave out. I thought that it would be a clever play on words. It is the roof of a Whataburger. I thought....McDonalds...Whataburger....Happiness is a greasy hamburger....Attached is the image I would have used...what kind of scores do you think it could have received?

[DELETED]


That would have received a 5 or 6 from me depending on how you cleaned up the image in post-processing.

Message edited by Manic - please don't post outtakes until after the challenge finishes.
07/13/2013 02:23:37 PM · #15
The New Normal
07/13/2013 02:01:49 PM · #16
have heard that mcdonald has been contracted
to brighten up the entrance halls
of the FEMA camps
so that you all can go happy to the showers
howzdat
07/13/2013 01:27:27 PM · #17
Originally posted by Cory:



You think so?

I've gotta admit that I'm pretty surprised with you two - given that his work, for me, is actually quite emotive, and has that deeper meaning that so many of us try to achieve.

New Happiness wasn't about bright colors and Mondrianesque straight line geometry - that's just what it can be broken down into. New Happiness was, if I have understood correctly, an examination of one of the more visual ways that even those who don't have much are still able to make their world a happy and beautiful place, instead of simply allowing it to be depressingly drab and dull. It's a statement on the human condition, and to me it seems almost like advice - "Rise above your conditions, go, live, be happy, and brighten your own world up with color and joyfulness".

If there's not something worthy of my admiration and respect in that, then I don't know if I've ever seen anything worthy of such.


I agree with Cory's post on this. I think that is probably the best interpretation of McDonald's work. I tried to keep that in mind when I took my photo, but I also looked for images that would have been just bright and happy. I felt that I ended up with both in my photo.

When I voted in this challenge, I tried to vote based on the colors and composition of the image. Images that invoked color/composition mimicry of the McDonald New Happiness style.
07/13/2013 01:21:34 PM · #18
Originally posted by Neat:

I am so surprised with the low votes, I thought overall most did pretty well.

I have to agree with rooum though when he said he went through Angus's portfolio and found most of his work boring, it's kind of true, and at first when Cory suggested the challenge, I thought it would be fun, I was attracted to the bright colours, but his work is not all that inspiring to tell the truth nor is it in anyway technical!

Mine is at 5.74, about where I thought it was worth to tell the truth, I even put in my notes 'pretty boring actually'.

A baghead comment really liked it though.


I agree with the "pretty boring actually." I looked through this challenge and thought, "Wow, how do you vote on this..." It doesn't surprise me that there's so many low votes, because individually, most aren't that inspiring. I think this style is very much something that is best seen as a collection, and it's very difficult to judge the individual photos on their own. Collectively there is subtle variety in textures, colors, etc. Individually, there's not much going on.
07/13/2013 01:08:19 PM · #19
Originally posted by Neat:

I am so surprised with the low votes, I thought overall most did pretty well.

I have to agree with rooum though when he said he went through Angus's portfolio and found most of his work boring, it's kind of true, and at first when Cory suggested the challenge, I thought it would be fun, I was attracted to the bright colours, but his work is not all that inspiring to tell the truth nor is it in anyway technical!

Mine is at 5.74, about where I thought it was worth to tell the truth, I even put in my notes 'pretty boring actually'.

A baghead comment really liked it though.
\

You think so?

I've gotta admit that I'm pretty surprised with you two - given that his work, for me, is actually quite emotive, and has that deeper meaning that so many of us try to achieve.

New Happiness wasn't about bright colors and Mondrianesque straight line geometry - that's just what it can be broken down into. New Happiness was, if I have understood correctly, an examination of one of the more visual ways that even those who don't have much are still able to make their world a happy and beautiful place, instead of simply allowing it to be depressingly drab and dull. It's a statement on the human condition, and to me it seems almost like advice - "Rise above your conditions, go, live, be happy, and brighten your own world up with color and joyfulness".

If there's not something worthy of my admiration and respect in that, then I don't know if I've ever seen anything worthy of such.
07/13/2013 12:58:43 PM · #20
Originally posted by posthumous:

Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by posthumous:

Originally posted by mitalapo:

Originally posted by Cory:

Really though, did you just imply that everything which is directly related to the topic is, by definition, obvious and trivially deciphered?

I think I might find that mildly offensive, and most certainly think that it's a non-productive attitude that the only good photos are the ones that aren't directly related to the topic at hand.

It was just a counterexample which, by nature, tend to be extreme and argumentative. It meant to say that challenging the viewers can make them an active part of the artistic process, and therefore is valuable (is there art without viewers?). Challenging viewers can take many forms. Having them contemplate about the relation to the topic is just one such form.
If you give an example of two utility workers at a manhole not being related to a "two monks at the well" challenge, then yes, you are looking for images which are obvious and trivially deciphered.


It was a Monastery challenge Don, does that change your position on this at all?


oh I see, so the utility workers are made of straw. yes, we should burn them.


The sweet part about this is just how ironic it is.

I wonder if you realize that you were the only one who actually tried a strawman argument there, when you misrepresented the challenge as a "two monks at the well" challenge.
07/13/2013 11:02:38 AM · #21
Did not know the outtake rule. Sorry.

Message edited by author 2013-07-14 23:07:28.
07/13/2013 10:49:36 AM · #22
Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by posthumous:

Originally posted by mitalapo:

Originally posted by Cory:

Really though, did you just imply that everything which is directly related to the topic is, by definition, obvious and trivially deciphered?

I think I might find that mildly offensive, and most certainly think that it's a non-productive attitude that the only good photos are the ones that aren't directly related to the topic at hand.

It was just a counterexample which, by nature, tend to be extreme and argumentative. It meant to say that challenging the viewers can make them an active part of the artistic process, and therefore is valuable (is there art without viewers?). Challenging viewers can take many forms. Having them contemplate about the relation to the topic is just one such form.
If you give an example of two utility workers at a manhole not being related to a "two monks at the well" challenge, then yes, you are looking for images which are obvious and trivially deciphered.


It was a Monastery challenge Don, does that change your position on this at all?


oh I see, so the utility workers are made of straw. yes, we should burn them.
07/13/2013 10:13:31 AM · #23
I am so surprised with the low votes, I thought overall most did pretty well.

I have to agree with rooum though when he said he went through Angus's portfolio and found most of his work boring, it's kind of true, and at first when Cory suggested the challenge, I thought it would be fun, I was attracted to the bright colours, but his work is not all that inspiring to tell the truth nor is it in anyway technical!

Mine is at 5.74, about where I thought it was worth to tell the truth, I even put in my notes 'pretty boring actually'.

A baghead comment really liked it though.
07/13/2013 03:27:02 AM · #24
Originally posted by rooum:

Votes: 28
Views: 86
Avg Vote: 3.4286
Comments: 4

Could still could be on for the brown. No beaming comments for me-mostly DNMC, apart from Cory's who noticed a vague geometric connection at least. One comment did suggest my title was actually really depressing so that cheered me up.


I'll meet on on the last page come rollover.

Votes: 29
Views: 79
Avg Vote: 3.8621
Comments: 5
07/13/2013 03:20:37 AM · #25
Originally posted by rooum:

Votes: 28
Views: 86
Avg Vote: 3.4286
Comments: 4

Could still could be on for the brown. No beaming comments for me-mostly DNMC, apart from Cory's who noticed a vague geometric connection at least. One comment did suggest my title was actually really depressing so that cheered me up.


Oh, that is some very sweet irony. Love it!

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