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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Non-Topic Related Subjects. Why???
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08/25/2004 09:45:39 PM · #1
The "Hope" Challenge entries are very diasappointing. There are however many good entries. But the majority of entries are pictures of flowers, macros, and other unrelated subjects. Why do we continue to do this? Putting a picture of a flower and calling it "Symbolising Hope" is so rediculous, that it makes me laugh. Don't get me wrong, they are good flower pictures, but it shows jack about Hope. Sorry to all who tried little flower Macros, but I rate those very low.
08/28/2004 01:56:41 PM · #2
What Racaryu is describing seems to encompas the majority of the photos. There are sooo many that are a photo of something, anything, and the hope aspect is meant to be extrapolated from the title. Titles are important, but this isn't a naming contest, it's a photography contest. A photograph should speak to its own title - a good photograph can go without a title and still be fully understood and powerful.

What kind of scores would I receive in this competition for a photo of, let's say a spoon, with a title like 'Hoping for Soup' or 'I Hope it doesn't get stuck in the garbage disposal' or anything with 'Hope' in the title? I know this was a difficult challenge for everyone, but this is what makes it a challenge. I just 'hope' that everyone is ok with what is sure to be a very, very low scoring week.
08/28/2004 02:36:46 PM · #3
Such is the course of an addiction. It is sad, but there is no cure. We must submit; how else will be be able to update. Life would become useless, and without the energy generated by refreshing the score I am certain there is a chance the planet will fall out of its orbit and plunge into the sun. Sure it may be a small chance, but why risk it. For the good of all humanity -- we submit.

David
Completely on topic submission heading for the bottom. :)
08/28/2004 02:39:09 PM · #4
Originally posted by Britannica:

Such is the course of an addiction. It is sad, but there is no cure. We must submit; how else will be be able to update. Life would become useless, and without the energy generated by refreshing the score I am certain there is a chance the planet will fall out of its orbit and plunge into the sun. Sure it may be a small chance, but why risk it. For the good of all humanity -- we submit.

David
Completely on topic submission heading for the bottom. :)


I agree... just doing my part to keep the planet on course!
08/28/2004 02:41:02 PM · #5
But for many of us, how else to learn the difference between a snap and a creation? Some of the bottom-feeders will get discouraged and never come back, others will come back with a resolve not to enter a stinker again, and really go out and create some awesome photographs.

In spite of the whining that tends to go on in the forums, low scores and negative comments produce a Darwinian outcome.
08/28/2004 02:46:28 PM · #6
I thought "Hope" was a particularly difficult subject. Didn't enter myself because I couldn't come up with an idea that I thought was creative but still clearly on-topic. Seems I wasn't alone. ;)
08/28/2004 02:59:39 PM · #7
I entered the hope contest and found my subject to fit the challenge. I had a few comments, all but one good and that bad comment seemed to suggest the author didnt like to content of my photo. But yet my Avg. vote is suffering badly. About all I can say without giving away my photos name. But when I went through the voting process I found photos of all kinds but most didn't IMO have anything to do with hope.
08/28/2004 03:48:15 PM · #8
I have to admit, I do wish that people who have absolutely no inspiration WHATSOEVER for a challenge don't just enter for the sake of it.

I often have a look at thumbnails when the entries are first posted just to get a feel for the overall field of entries.

I am not even going to vote the Hope challenge because I just don't want to waste that much of my life looking at so many images that I think shouldn't have been entered.

I know I'm hardly a good photographer myself so my words probably sound very harsh...

But entering for the sake of entering isn't necessarily going to help the photographer learn anything and the few really interesting ideas are lost in all the that surrounds them.
08/28/2004 03:52:20 PM · #9
Originally posted by Kavey:

I have to admit, I do wish that people who have absolutely no inspiration WHATSOEVER for a challenge don't just enter for the sake of it.

I often have a look at thumbnails when the entries are first posted just to get a feel for the overall field of entries.

I am not even going to vote the Hope challenge because I just don't want to waste that much of my life looking at so many images that I think shouldn't have been entered.

I know I'm hardly a good photographer myself so my words probably sound very harsh...

But entering for the sake of entering isn't necessarily going to help the photographer learn anything and the few really interesting ideas are lost in all the that surrounds them.


That's just one of the downfalls of belonging to a popular photographic challenge site. I think it's still rare to see uninspired entries on the level of "Hope".. but you have to admit, it's an extremely ambiguous topic, and it was bound to happen. And.. for my part.. the absolute gems that *were* a part of the hope challenge were not *LOST* in the middle of the mundanity.. instead, I found that it only helped them stand out more.
08/28/2004 03:54:59 PM · #10
count the entries with the word hope in the title and about 80% of those are offtopic XD
08/28/2004 04:23:46 PM · #11
Originally posted by kyebosh:

count the entries with the word hope in the title and about 80% of those are offtopic XD

I think you are right :P
08/28/2004 04:25:51 PM · #12
Originally posted by Kavey:

I am not even going to vote the Hope challenge because I just don't want to waste that much of my life looking at so many images that I think shouldn't have been entered.

You had left a good comment on my submission and I was hoping a good score from you ;)
But now if you aren't voting, oh I lost atleast one good score :((
08/28/2004 04:31:53 PM · #13
Originally posted by Kavey:


I am not even going to vote the Hope challenge because I just don't want to waste that much of my life looking at so many images that I think shouldn't have been entered.



But entering for the sake of entering isn't necessarily going to help the photographer learn anything and the few really interesting ideas are lost in all the that surrounds them.

The good ideas are lost in the riff-raff only if you don't look for them. This is exactly why I hope people like you DO vote in challenges like this. I hear what you say though, about the time it takes to go through nearly 300 pictures, looking for the dozen or two that are REALLY good.

(thinly veiled selfish motive - find MY image. I think it's good)
08/28/2004 04:32:43 PM · #14
I purposely did not put the word "HOPE" in my title because I wanted the picture to show the viewer hope. But I guess by my average vote so far, people don't agree. Its very dishearten to see a good picture off topic average better than a good picture on topic.
08/28/2004 04:33:16 PM · #15
Like Artyste and other have said, "Hope" can be interpreted differently by different people and that probably why this challenge ended up having more shots that seem off-topic.

On the other hand, I also feel that too many rely on their title for people to understand their concept. The challenge name, especially in this case, should be enough to describe the photo.
08/28/2004 04:36:30 PM · #16
Originally posted by kyebosh:

count the entries with the word hope in the title and about 80% of those are offtopic XD


This is the problem with the description, 'Hope' is a vague title, so do you sit and moan or try to do something that may or may not encompass the theme?

I have entered it and will score low as usual, but I don't care, at least I took a pop at the challenge. I am no expert, either with Macro, portrait or whatever, but at least I try to meet challenges...that's what the site is all about?

One day, in the far off future, I will get that great shot...til then I keep trying. So, less moaning and applaud those who have tried to meet the challenge...and in your opinion, failed!
08/28/2004 04:37:23 PM · #17
Originally posted by Wolfie:

Originally posted by kyebosh:

count the entries with the word hope in the title and about 80% of those are offtopic XD


This is the problem with the description, 'Hope' is a vague title, so do you sit and moan or try to do something that may or may not encompass the theme?

I have entered it and will score low as usual, but I don't care, at least I took a pop at the challenge. I am no expert, either with Macro, portrait or whatever, but at least I try to meet challenges...that's what the site is all about?

One day, in the far off future, I will get that great shot...til then I keep trying. So, less moaning and applaud those who have tried to meet the challenge...and in your opinion, failed!


Hear hear!!!
08/28/2004 04:37:33 PM · #18
I did look through the thumbnails and opened a few images to get a better view. I think I found a handful that I thought were interesting and less that I thought were relevant and good.

I commented one single image which I felt I wanted to recognise as standing out for me, so that must be yours gaurawa.

I do believe there are likely a few more good ones in there but... I just can't motivate myself to sift through the rest this time.

I'm really sorry!
08/28/2004 04:45:23 PM · #19
I did just go back and add a comment to the two others that stood out for me.

I'm not saying I didn't miss some good ones, there are no doubt some others, but I just don't want to view every image full size on this one.

Message edited by author 2004-08-28 16:48:16.
08/28/2004 05:12:46 PM · #20
Originally posted by Kavey:

I have to admit, I do wish that people who have absolutely no inspiration WHATSOEVER for a challenge don't just enter for the sake of it.

I often have a look at thumbnails when the entries are first posted just to get a feel for the overall field of entries.

I am not even going to vote the Hope challenge because I just don't want to waste that much of my life looking at so many images that I think shouldn't have been entered.

I know I'm hardly a good photographer myself so my words probably sound very harsh...

But entering for the sake of entering isn't necessarily going to help the photographer learn anything and the few really interesting ideas are lost in all the that surrounds them.


In the same words quoted in your signature: "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are". So, there will be as many different interpretations to the concept of 'hope' as there individuals and their experiences. Of course, there are also the well cliched interpretations too - those that are generally accepted as being the a-typical images to describe hope. Rather than people having submitted a photo just for the sake of it, it's my belief that all those submitted will have been inspired to submit what they did (whether it be a flower, or whatever), because to the them it represented their own concept of hope. The world is a wonderful and diverse place, made interesting by the different thoughts and ideas of the people within it. It has just been unfortunate that in this particular challenge it has clearly been difficult to satisfy the expectations of the voters ideas for 'hope'. Oh well! :-))
08/28/2004 05:21:32 PM · #21
I'm not a particularly literal minded voter... I am pretty open to wide variations in interpretations and I usually really enjoy seeing the more creative ideas.

This challenge seems to me to have less of the creative variety of interpretations and more of the shoe horned variety.

I accept that a lot of people will have submitted an image that speaks of hope to them but, as a viewer, I like to either see the theme conveyed to me too or at least understand the idea behind the interpretation.


08/28/2004 05:28:22 PM · #22
Originally posted by Kavey:

I'm not a particularly literal minded voter... I am pretty open to wide variations in interpretations and I usually really enjoy seeing the more creative ideas.

This challenge seems to me to have less of the creative variety of interpretations and more of the shoe horned variety.

I accept that a lot of people will have submitted an image that speaks of hope to them but, as a viewer, I like to either see the theme conveyed to me too or at least understand the idea behind the interpretation.


I've no doubt that people will have tried to convey the theme/idea to the voter aswell as satisfying their own idea of the challenge. But, as we've seen, there are as many different interpretations submitted as there might well be voters own interpretations to the theme. Unless the voters have in mind the more cliched images that have gone before, perhaps?
08/28/2004 05:33:12 PM · #23
Diana
I'm sure you're right that many of the images DO have a connection to the challenge and I just don't get it. I don't think I'm looking only for cliched interpretations, no. But I would like to think that, on looking at an entry, I could find some kind of link to the theme, or discern where the photographer may have been going by looking at it long enough.
But I strongly believe that, in this challenge, we have a lot of entries from people who couldn't really think of an idea and just took a nice picture and shoe-horned it in with the title.
I am an optimist by nature but... sometimes the evidence speaks for itself.
It's also not just about whether the idea itself is relevant but also the quality of images. Personally, I just found that there were more than the average number of really mediocre images in this particular challenge. It's everyone's decision as to whether they want to dedicate the time to go through such a selection of images and for me, the benefits (coming across the hidden gems) doesn't outweight the losses (loss of time viewing images I don't like).
As I said, I'm not suggesting that all the crap I enter is worth anyone's time to view, just that, usually, the ratio makes it worthwhile to plough through them all.

08/28/2004 05:48:55 PM · #24
Originally posted by Kavey:

Diana
I'm sure you're right that many of the images DO have a connection to the challenge and I just don't get it. I don't think I'm looking only for cliched interpretations, no. But I would like to think that, on looking at an entry, I could find some kind of link to the theme, or discern where the photographer may have been going by looking at it long enough.
But I strongly believe that, in this challenge, we have a lot of entries from people who couldn't really think of an idea and just took a nice picture and shoe-horned it in with the title.
I am an optimist by nature but... sometimes the evidence speaks for itself.
It's also not just about whether the idea itself is relevant but also the quality of images. Personally, I just found that there were more than the average number of really mediocre images in this particular challenge. It's everyone's decision as to whether they want to dedicate the time to go through such a selection of images and for me, the benefits (coming across the hidden gems) doesn't outweight the losses (loss of time viewing images I don't like).
As I said, I'm not suggesting that all the crap I enter is worth anyone's time to view, just that, usually, the ratio makes it worthwhile to plough through them all.


You have the right to view, vote, or not vote as is fitting for you. Everyone here who submits to the challenges, including yourself, must accept that their submission will not appeal to everyone. As to quality of each photo - yes, they will differ too, of course. Mine aren't particularly good, I'm still learning and have a long way to go. I'm able to self criticise quite a few of my photos, but still find others opinions helpful in pointing out something I might otherwise have missed.
08/28/2004 05:57:38 PM · #25
Yes others' opinions are really useful to me too.
When I vote I prefer to vote 100% of entries not just 20% and also to comment as many as I can too. And I do learn a lot myself from commenting on other peoples' images though usually more so when there are elements I do like in the image as well as things I don't like. If it's an image I just don't like anything about I find it hard to comment or to learn much from doing so. But that's just me.
I can understand those who are calling for people to vote anyway but I guess I'm just not altruistic enough!
Best of luck!
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