My Everyday Objects bombed - why?

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

08/04/2004 12:48:51 AM · #1

Abandoned (Parking Lot Light)

Some thought it was an old parking meter, which it does resemble, but in either case, they were everyday objects, presented in what I thought was well-composed shot.

I'm here to learn and have thick skin.
Thanks in advance.

wwwavenger

08/04/2004 12:50:54 AM · #2

SO and I agree, it's bordering ho-hum. I feel it's a litle unbalanced. Don't get discouraged, it's a neat shot. Wanna go back and recompose it for us?

bongo

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/04/2004 12:53:21 AM · #3

Mine did poorly and I know why!
It sucked!
Lol...I'll never compromise standards again for the sake of throwing in a last minute entry, hastily thrown together and poorly executed.

Oh well. Live and learn.
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Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

08/04/2004 12:55:34 AM · #4

I gave it a 7. What do I know? lol

BooZon

Canon EOS-20D

08/04/2004 12:56:33 AM · #5

I guess it's the lack of WOW factor. It is technically good but that makes up only 50% of the challenge.

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

08/04/2004 12:58:16 AM · #6

I think it's a really good shot, but there is a lot of noise. A little neat image would have got you over 6.

annasense

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

08/04/2004 01:00:33 AM · #7

i honestly didn't know what i was looking at... which kind of kept me from giving it a higher score (everyday objects and all). but i didn't hold it against you TOO much, i gave you a six because i liked the contrast and composition.

jadin

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR

08/04/2004 01:04:05 AM · #8

You earned a 9 from me. It was original, definately an 'everyday object' and well composed. With a little 'wow factor' it would've pushed it up to a 10. Even so it was in my top 14(? about).

Bassie

Nikon D70

08/04/2004 01:05:42 AM · #9

BradP - I just gave your picture a 6. I just don't think it had the wow factor. I did like the b&w choice though.

I don't know why mine bombed either.(291) Maybe it just grossed people out.lol I did get six 10's and picked as a favourite though. I am doing much better for Macro and Blue. (both over 6. Yay!)

d14

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro

08/04/2004 01:07:00 AM · #10

I thought it was a great shot and gave it an 8. As for the noise,. I think that it could have used a little more. Whats everyones problem with noise? I think that noise kinda goes with mono images.

boomer

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/04/2004 01:07:20 AM · #11

I guess I just don't see a score of 5.7xx as "bombing." But maybe that's just me.

d14

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro

08/04/2004 01:09:14 AM · #12

I guess I just don't see a score of 5.7xx as "bombing." But maybe that's just me.

I agree,. for me thats lucky

bongo

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/04/2004 01:23:37 AM · #13

That's right I would have gladly accepted your score on this one.
It's a good result.

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ScantyNebula

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/04/2004 01:50:11 AM · #14

yea really! I was even semi-glad of my 5.521 score for this challenge! I don't think you bombed at all. Its an average score.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/04/2004 02:00:04 AM · #15

Thanks for the feedback on this all.
I agree there isn't a WOW factor in this shot, but clearly didn't think what was being portrayed should have a wow factor. It was moody & sad in a way.

Bombed may have been the wrong word. to use.
A 5.748 isn't bad, but honestly expected it to be higher in the standings with this shot. 83% is still good mind you, and a far cry above a few of my 27% submissions. I don't expect to ribbon considering the crown I am rubbing elbows with, and strive to hit the top 30 when I don't submit BBQ's waiting Adoption (LOL - a goof-off shot).

The noise was left in that shot intentionally to intensify the solemn mood. I don't want anyone to think I am ungrateful for the score, but wanted to know from the trenches what this shot did/didn't do for you. It's a learning thing.

I will go back and see if I can do better with it. The place I shot that is the abandoned Phoenix Trotter Park, just north of Goodyear, AZ and susupect some of you may have seen that structure off the I10. There is an apocalyptic feel to walking around such a place. It has the feel of a science fiction movie set, depicting a futuristic society fallen to a nuclear war.

I have started a theme on it over on TrekEarth's site, as it is a site to see and very little info/images can found on it.

Message edited by author 2004-08-04 02:10:07.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

08/04/2004 02:01:42 AM · #16

Cross-posted:

I try to hardly watch the scores anymore ... too many 6-7-8 shots end up with 4-5 averages ... not even counting mine : )

It's really all about having enough impact to make people take time to write a thoughtful comment, even if critical. I was totally shocked that my everyday entry, while garnering the usual mid-4's vote, got 15 comments, including some really positive ones. A really impactful image might have almost a reverse bell curve for a score ...

You can read more about my entry here.

I'm sure one of our stat guys can figure out what one standard deviation for this challenge was ... my guess is there's a lot of photos clustered fairly closely in the middle of the scoring ranks; with the population "sampling error" figured in (like in polls) it wouldn't surprise me if we had 100 photos essentially tied in the middle.

nico_blue

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/04/2004 02:08:35 AM · #17

as far as the elusive wow factor goes somethings that might have helped would have been more whites in the photo and maybe some of the background being more out of focus. otherwise its a pretty good image. i guess people just werent 'feeling' it...

webking

Nikon D70

08/04/2004 06:00:51 PM · #18

I also am finding problems with the voting.

There where photos that didn't even fit into the contest. ALthough everyday objects is subjective, but how does a gazing ball fit into everyday objects. It was a nice photo and all, but I don't think it is an everyday object.

My photo came in 41st place.
My Photo

I really thought it would of ranked higher from all the positive comments. Some people gave it a 1 and 2 and I know the photo is much better than that.

Just blowing off steam.

emorgan49

Olympus E-5

Olympus 50mm f/1.8 MF Normal Zuiko

08/04/2004 06:13:02 PM · #19

What is it? First i thought it was a weed whacker, then a metal detector, then a parking meter, then a street light that had fallen down. Remember how quickly people vote. How can it be an effective every day object if I can't even figure out what it is.

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

08/04/2004 08:04:04 PM · #20

Originally posted by BradP:

Greetings all,

I honestly thought my submission would do better than 61st place.
(don't we always think our own shots should do better?)

I really would appreciate some honest opinions of
what was wrong or what wasn't right about this shot?

Abandoned (Parking Lot Light)

Some thought it was an old parking meter, which it does resemble, but in either case, they were everyday objects, presented in what I thought was well-composed shot.

I'm here to learn and have thick skin.
Thanks in advance.

I did my part. I gave it a "7". But the reason why my vote didn't go higher, well - there's quite a lot of information in that image that wasn't necessary. The fence, weeds, and abandoned parking lot light was all the information needed to make your point. The other light post, and the stands above were (IMO) extraneous to your focal point. (Um, you said you had a "thick skin.") Still a good image overall ...

labuds

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/04/2004 08:58:55 PM · #21

How could you say it bombed if it's your 5th picture out of 27 and scored .3 over your average?

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/04/2004 10:29:36 PM · #22

Originally posted by labuda:

How could you say it bombed if it's your 5th picture out of 27 and scored .3 over your average?

Hi Aleks,

I replied back on my post and said:
"Bombed may have been the wrong word to use.
A 5.748 isn't bad, but honestly expected it to be higher in the standings with this shot. 83% is still good mind you, and a far cry above a few of my 27% submissions. I don't expect to ribbon considering the crown I am rubbing elbows with, and strive to hit the top 30 when I don't submit BBQ's waiting Adoption (LOL - a goof-off shot)"

Please don't take this the wrong way. It was not meant to come off snobbish and I know many here wished (as they stated) they could have scored that high. I just have higher levels of expectations of myself perhaps, and thought that this was a quality shot.

Funny how others will like a shot of mine much more than I did. Many of my submisions I thought were "OK", yet members here liked it much more than me. My
Morning Essentials was just such a case. Maybe I looked at it too much and it became blah after a while. My expectations on that one were low. Boy how I was wrong!

I'm here to learn and have a hell of a good time doing so!
:)

graphicfunk

Canon EOS-20D

08/04/2004 10:37:50 PM · #23

I agree with Brad. We seem to forget the true object which is to learn. Every challenge seems to contain some rare gem and it is these gems which prompt us to do better. I get knocked here and there but I find it more fun, besides you get another chance all the time. Always a new challenge. Question yourself, but move on quickly to making your next, your best.

digistoune

Canon EOS-20D

08/04/2004 10:40:34 PM · #24

You wanna talk about a pic that BOMBED! Hee he he...

I tried something really 'out there' and I reckon I'll be tryin again 'cause this...

flopped big time.

But as BradP put it, "I'm here to learn and I'm having a hell of a good time..." so I'll keep at it.