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11/18/2004 02:51:23 AM · #1 |
| I thik Brads been very honest, You have to push the boundaries and your self. Perhaps some of us are more competitive than others. for others the ribbons don't really matter its just the compitition and pitting your last shot against the current andhoping that you have improved. Me in the last challenge 182place for macro, given the winners and my type of shot. I'm happy with that it puts me into the top third of entries and its the challenge of improvement for me that drives me. Not that I would say no to a ribbon mind. |
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11/18/2004 02:09:07 AM · #2 |
Brad,
I have not read through this entire thread but I did read your complete post. I just want to say congratulations. Every ribbon was earned because you push yourself. I believe that is what this site is about. Not distributing ribbons but earning them and I believe you have earned them. You have a great attitude towards your passion of photography and I see more ribbons in your future. Don’t feel bad because you have done so well after all you didn’t vote yourself the ribbons, we did! I find your post inspirational because I thought I was trying hard, but I see [because of your post] I can try harder. I have some issues that I list in my profile that limits my ability to get some shots, but even with that I can try harder. Be proud of your accomplishments and I hope one day I to can improve as you have.
Thank you for taking the time to post you perspective. I believe it will help others [including myself] to push a little harder.
Scott W.
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11/18/2004 02:02:14 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by Artyste:
Me? I'm just yer average photographer. I love it when I get inspiration and I take good pictures, but I'm not the type of guy that has the ambition to try and make a go of it like many on this site.. like you yourself do. I admire your ambition.
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I think that's the key for some of us - we just don't have the same drive or ambition. I am happy knowing that, and it makes me even happier for someone like Brad - who does have that drive and is seeing it work for him. Artyste - I hope you are happy with where you are, too.
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11/18/2004 01:18:21 AM · #4 |
Hey Brad.. For what it's worth, I should maybe retire from being a Photographer on DPC, and go into the agent biz... why?
Well, a couple of months ago I said something on DPCFanatics about how I believed that a certain almost unknown (I think you'd only won the ribbon for the Hope challenge at the time), was going to be a HUGE up and comer. That huge up and comer, of course, was you.
A few people I was talking to were all, "I dunno.. " and, "Really?" and I was all, yah man, he's got what it takes.
So.. there you go. I spotted your talent way back, and you haven't disappointed. Even in your lower rated shots, you show a good deal of talent and wonderful eye.
Never be apologetic for doing something well.
Me? I'm just yer average photographer. I love it when I get inspiration and I take good pictures, but I'm not the type of guy that has the ambition to try and make a go of it like many on this site.. like you yourself do. I admire your ambition.
Keep it up man, looking forward to seeing many more of your works.
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11/18/2004 01:11:24 AM · #5 |
Just wanted to add a couple things here as a couple PM's tell me part of my message may have been mis-interpreted.
Am I getting discouraged because others feel bad they can't seem to get on top? Yes and no.
Part of me says step back and let someone else take a turn, or another way to look at it, is what I have seen many athletes do - pull others up alongside to share the spot, as I wished I could have done on more than one occasion here.
The other part of me says no, as the competition is just that - winners, but in this case, no losers. The voting results often throw us a loop, as images any one of us think should be in the top ten for instance, end up at 50th place.
Everyone has a different emotional "hit" when looking at a photograph. What appeals to one person is often rejected by another. Some of the members here can create an emotion or mood in their shots that knock my socks off, while others would vote it a one. Photography is no different than art or music, with each appealing to some, and not all. I look at some Picasso paintings and would pay a dime for them, yet are considered some of the finest pieces of art on the planet. ???
For me, I had two personal goals: To be the best I can be and continue to get better, and to be the best with a given piece of equipment. I don't have a big bankroll to get what I would really want equipment-wise, and am making do with a rather old (by digital camera standards), but quality camera. Maybe it has made me work harder at my passion in an effort to compete against the likes of the newer hardware and it's capabilities.
In any case, I do feel a little guilty, but am rather proud at the same time due to the versatility I demostrated by my placings in the competitions. I plan on sticking around up here, so come on and push me aside. It will only make me work that much harder! LOL
To Darlene:
Where do I find inspiration or what process do I go through? Guess I could best describe that as being in La La land half the time. The challenge rolls around in my head for days. Driving to work & back, looking at everything, everywhere. I take different ways to/from work at times just for a change of scenery. It is an obsession and have even missed my off-ramp at times while thinking about it. Visual triggers are everywhere.
One thing I thank this site for is the the way it has made me look at the world differently. I mean really look, not just scan over the same things everyday, but notice the unusual texture on a tree, unusual shapes and angles in buildings & shadows, colors & light, etc.
The world around us is so alive and so easily overlooked.
Oh man what a ramble....
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11/18/2004 12:25:35 AM · #6 |
Just wanted to say my own thanks to Brad for the encouraging words. I've only been taking photographs since June and I think this site has helped me tremendously. I hope to ribbon one day (I'm really proud of the fact that every challenge I've entered I've improved my score), but even if I don't the learning experience has been the real reward.
The ribbons awarded here exist only in a virtual sense. If this site teaches you one positive thing about photography you win something much more real. |
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11/17/2004 11:58:09 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by skiprow:
Originally posted by Kylie:
That was a very lucky shot for me to think of. |
my dad defined luck for me as when opportunity met preparation |
I guess he wanted to put his own twist on the 2000 year old quotation : )
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)
I thought it was Einstein, who said it, but I can't find an attribution for a similar idea: "Luck favors the prepared mind."
However, he did say:
If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, Of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?
Albert Einstein
Some more lucky quotations; I found the next one attributed to three different people:
I am a strong believer in luck and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) or
Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826) or
Stephen Leacock (1869 - 1944)
We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?
Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963)
It is bad luck to be superstitious.
Andrew W. Mathis
Somebody once asked Niels Bohr why he had a horseshoe hanging above the front door of his house.
"Surely you, a world famous physicist, can't really believe that hanging a horseshoe above your door brings you luck?".
"Of course not," Bohr replied, "but I have been reliably informed that it will bring me luck whether I believe in it or not."
Neils Bohr |
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11/17/2004 11:48:55 PM · #8 |
"it's hard work being this good"
-Wesley Snipes, White Men Can't Jump
Message edited by author 2004-11-17 23:49:06.
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11/17/2004 11:45:46 PM · #9 |
At first I wondered what motivated this... but after reading decided it didn't matter. This thread is great because I think it helps debunk the myth that good photographers have been good since their first roll of film. I have heard too many stories of people being discovered after borrowing a friends camera and taking some snapshots. The whole idea of being great from frame one is discouraging for anybody that has moved past their first roll of film, or full chip for us digital types, without people raving about their natural abilities and offering free equipment. I'm glad you have worked hard for those ribbons and continue to work hard at improving... it means there is still potential for everybody else that is willing to work at making their photography better.
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11/17/2004 11:01:09 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Kylie:
That was a very lucky shot for me to think of. |
my dad defined luck for me as when opportunity met preparation |
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11/17/2004 11:00:40 PM · #11 |
I also have been wishing for the opportunity to get out of my current surroundings for a fresh outlook. I live in Oklahoma, while it is a pretty decent place to live, It is definitely not the most dramatic, WOW inspiring, environment that one wishes for to win these challenges.
I have to say, however, a few have worked wonders with what Oklahoma has to offer in recent challenges. I am envious.
I also am not very inspired by studio type shots, mostly because I don't think my current skill level in that area is up to par. To top things off, it has rained here steadily for a couple of weeks.
Brad,
I was wondering what process you go through when trying to come up with ideas for the challenges? I do OK when I can get out and drive and just let things come to me as I see them, but I have been unable to come up with preconcieved ideas and then make them happen effectively. I have many ideas for the low tech, but have know idea where I would find any of them in a good setting. Sigh.
Lastly, I would like to encourage anyone who is feeling a little discouraged to get involved in local camera clubs when possible. I recently joined one and entered the monthly photography competition. Due to a mix up on size requirements, my photos competed in the experienced class level (very unusual for a new comer)and to my amazement, I went home with two 2nd place finishes!
These: 
The live judging and critique was very exciting, and the opportunity to meet people with the same interests was great. I also secretly enjoyed the night out without the diaper bag (thanks to my great hubby). |
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11/17/2004 10:59:37 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by skiprow:
Originally posted by Kylie:
I am in the same boat. It is no excuse at all; I just get so inpsired and excited by scenic places that I personally love. I hate where I live, and I don't really do indoor set-ups either. So you have company!! LOL |
what in the world?!? granted, i'd love to get around more, but this shot really inspires me, especially in that it shows what is possible in your own backyard!
edited for clarity |
Thank you so much. Like I said, I have no excuse except lack of creativity and as Brad says, motivation at times. That was a very lucky shot for me to think of.
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11/17/2004 10:49:37 PM · #13 |
| I appreciate many of the comments that have been made. I suppose I am the newest member yet to post here as I am working on my first entry now(for Authority). I do think it strange to call anyone a ribbon hog, because after all you do not know who took with shot when the voting is happening. So it seems to me that the eternal student attitude is the correct one, as some people have learned how to create pictures that appeal more broadly and more intensely. I look forward to the competition and perhaps I shall become a ribon hog, but certianly I will learn to take better pictures, and likely much better pictures. |
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11/17/2004 10:49:27 PM · #14 |
I live in a very flat place, no hills, let alone mountains or oceans near by, but a city can offer a lot to shoot as well - and as drab as Cleveland, OH can be, it still has much to offer. Recently I hit my all time high with a fifth place, I couldnt believe it, the closest I got before was 10th and I thought I might just be a one trick pony at that point. Now it has made me more hungry for that ribbon, while I have slipped again on recent submissions, I am confident I will get it some day. Bottom line I definetly feel my self improving in how and what I shoot. Thanks for this post.
Message edited by author 2004-11-17 22:50:07. |
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11/17/2004 10:44:39 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by Riggs:
Originally posted by Kylie:
Where do you live? I feel the same way about where I live. My well scoring entries and just the photos I like of my own are almost always from travels - not around here. |
I live in Houston, and I certainly never wanted to sound whiney. I can find stuff to photograph. I just so envious sometimes of the spectaular scenery some people have at their disposal.
I lived in Houston for 10 years. Yeah, it's pretty tough to find some nice, scenic places! ;)
Again, I guess I could have it much worse. But having a mountain to trek up to take photos would be so cool. |
text |
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11/17/2004 10:43:25 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Kylie:
I am in the same boat. It is no excuse at all; I just get so inpsired and excited by scenic places that I personally love. I hate where I live, and I don't really do indoor set-ups either. So you have company!! LOL |
what in the world?!? granted, i'd love to get around more, but this shot really inspires me, especially in that it shows what is possible in your own backyard!
edited for clarity
Message edited by author 2004-11-17 22:47:08. |
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11/17/2004 10:41:00 PM · #17 |
So beautifully written, Brad! Thank you!
(I'm on the same roller coaster, just not the same car.) |
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11/17/2004 10:31:14 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by Riggs:
[quote]
Where do you live? I feel the same way about where I live. My well scoring entries and just the photos I like of my own are almost always from travels - not around here. |
I live in Houston, and I certainly never wanted to sound whiney. I can find stuff to photograph. I just so envious sometimes of the spectaular scenery some people have at their disposal.
Again, I guess I could have it much worse. But having a mountain to trek up to take photos would be so cool. [/quote]
I am in the same boat. It is no excuse at all; I just get so inpsired and excited by scenic places that I personally love. I hate where I live, and I don't really do indoor set-ups either. So you have company!! LOL
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11/17/2004 10:28:41 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Kylie:
Where do you live? I feel the same way about where I live. My well scoring entries and just the photos I like of my own are almost always from travels - not around here. |
I live in Houston, and I certainly never wanted to sound whiney. I can find stuff to photograph. I just so envious sometimes of the spectaular scenery some people have at their disposal.
Again, I guess I could have it much worse. But having a mountain to trek up to take photos would be so cool.
Message edited by author 2004-11-17 22:30:07. |
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11/17/2004 10:15:22 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by Riggs:
I have always wondered how much better I would do at DPC, or at photography in general if I live in a "pretty" place. Where I live is not the most visualy stunning to say the least.
I know there are many photographers that have done great here at DPC living in "boring" places.
I just always wanted to know what it would be like to drive somewhere close, and get a breath taking photo of rolling hills or a mountain at daybreak. (not saying you can just click, and its great)
Not taking away from anyone who lives in a gorgeous part of the country, or world...its just something I have always wondered.
I dont do much set up photography inside the house, it just does not appeal to me.
Maybe I should move. :) |
Where do you live? I feel the same way about where I live. My well scoring entries and just the photos I like of my own are almost always from travels - not around here.
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11/17/2004 09:56:34 PM · #21 |
| I am a relatively new member and joined the site for a number of reasons already listed (learning better techniques, tips, talking with other photo-junkies) and I think i've learned a lot already just by watching and listening to the "masters" (oooh, touchy word this week). You guys fighting (in good fun - i, for one, noticed the wink) about ribbons are truly talented artists and your photos are stunning. I don't care if you (Jacko, scalvert & BradP - better throw in Konador as well) swipe up ribbons every challenge. You motivate the rest of us to do better and get out there and try new techniques or viewpoints. Not to say that I wouldn't LOVE it if you'd all go on vacation for a while, and let us kids play by ourselves and win some blue, reds or yellows of our very own. With my luck, you'd all get the "photo op(s) of a lifetime" and come back with even MORE top submissions. Damn. Well, sincerest thanks from your new greatest fan! Give me a few hundred challenges and who knows, i might even crack the top 50!!! |
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11/17/2004 09:52:29 PM · #22 |
Congrats to Brad. This is certainly one of the most positive and uplifting threads for those pursuing ribbons. And like Kosmikkreeper, I too, though not as highly decorated as my esteem company, I too am an eternal student.
The gyst is that it takes a lot of hard work and luck, but what does hard work mean? Well, you could score with just luck but that will be very limited. If you continue the hard work, the passion, the pursuit then luck will conjunct the hard effort and reward you.
To define the work: You must work smart and if there is a deficiency, spend the time to correct it. Then you are free to brainstorm ideas and then the tacky subject of the best way to present them. It is true that the raging passion will move mountains and those that are more sedentary can spend more cerebral effort in visualizing the end result. Whatever means, the desire must burn and you must become your own worst critique.
All in all, these are the formulas for reaching a dream. I know, we all have different speed limits, but nothing in life comes straight into your lap. You go and get it. If you feel you need a handycap, then your approach to goals and life must be realigned to the old addage of serving a term of preparation. |
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11/17/2004 09:39:13 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by BradP:
Do they have DSL there? I'm game. |
No, and no dialup either. Try to find a place with no windows. Enjoy! |
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11/17/2004 09:35:35 PM · #24 |
| The Highest Rated Photos area is a good place to pick up some favorites, too. |
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11/17/2004 09:35:15 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by scalvert:
Brad, move to Haiti. Thank you. |
Do they have DSL there? I'm game.
Probably lots of nekked women over there so I could learn to be a DrJones.
LOL
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