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02/10/2003 11:40:06 AM · #1 |
I printed this Photo at 18X22 inches and objects appear almost in 3D very sharp and clear photo with beautiful contrast and colors, I can't beleve received FIVE "1"and sixteen "2", I guess some voters just hate to see pictures of kids!
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=11678 |
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02/10/2003 11:42:41 AM · #2 |
| Maybe they don't like cats! |
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02/10/2003 11:46:35 AM · #3 |
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02/10/2003 11:49:07 AM · #4 |
There are many photos of children that do well. It depends on alot of things.
1) Your photo has a snapshot quality to it.
2) The girl and cat are darling
3) The challenge was to take a cliche subject and photograph it well. Not just image quality, but background choice, lighting, etc.
Cheers
:0)
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02/10/2003 01:24:42 PM · #5 |
| I honestly didn't score it too high -- mainly because of the cluttered background. That'll getcha every time... :) |
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02/10/2003 01:29:26 PM · #6 |
| I would have to say there are a few kid haters around here. While most of the comments I received last week were very kind and pointing out my mistake with the photo, I had one person who commented on the fact I had a photo of a child and he didn't like child photography. After I sent him a private message he withdrew his comment but I would agree some people don't like child photos and score them low just because they are of kids. |
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02/10/2003 02:24:15 PM · #7 |
To my humble point of view (and please no offense here), maybe the following points have lessen your score:
photo too dark
one of the little girl's eye missing
undesirable background
composition (framing of the subject)
But hey, it's always a matter of taste too!
Hope that helps.
I also got lower score on my child's picture (//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=12007) which I don't think deserved such score but I reassure myself with the good notes I got from good photographers and take advantage of their comments.
Good luck!
Nathalie
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02/10/2003 02:38:26 PM · #8 |
For all the people who complain that kid pictures never do well, I'd just like to point out that it is a kid picture that won the before & after challenge.
Yes it doesn't look like all the other kid pictures that get entered each week.
Yes it isn't a candid or quickly taken shot with on-camera flash.
Yes it is very good. |
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02/10/2003 03:03:37 PM · #9 |
| How come voters are so often accused of being haters when a photo is rated poorly? It is possible to look at a photo of something you don't like and still rate it well if it's a good photo. I happen to hate snow, yet I gave a1leyez0nm3's photo a 10. On the other hand, I love cats, but that doesn't mean that I rate every shot of a cat perfectly. I'm guessing your low ratings have more to do with what nathaliedoo pointed out than people just hating kids, especially in a cliche contest. |
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02/10/2003 03:14:37 PM · #10 |
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02/10/2003 03:19:32 PM · #11 |
There are definitely folks here that don't like, and will vote low, on any photo with a child. Several have posted in the forums saying so. But they are a small minority. I personally have to make a great effort not to vote down anything with a cat. I hate cats... I've had to live with them before and I simply do not like them. I try not to let it influence my voting, but in all honesty I can't say it never has.
But this photo, it was not the cat (or the child) that hurt it for me. It was the background. The child and the cat and their interaction saved it for me, but that background lost you 2 points.
WC Fields was once asked if he liked children... I believe his reply was "... depends on how you cook them..."
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02/10/2003 03:28:24 PM · #12 |
I got a bunch of scores below 4 as well on a thought out photo of a child that is definitely not a snapshot. Of course I AM a little biased, but I just have to think that people are either confusing 1 for 10 or using some really weird voting criteria that I can't understand.
BTW, two of those shots mentioned (blue & pj) were mine, and my cliche shot did really well. I'm not complaining about my scores, I'm just agreeing that some people give good shots (all good shots) really low scores. Until they fess up and explain to me their reasoning, I just have to assume that they are either voting based on a knee-jerk reaction or not really taking this very seriously.
Message edited by author 2003-02-10 15:34:15. |
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02/10/2003 03:30:14 PM · #13 |
My second-best finish ever was really just a good snapshot of kids.
Also in the People challenge, kid pics took both First and Second places, as well as Third place in the Candid challenge.
I mostly agree with myqyl -- it's really hard to take a picture of a kid (especially your own) which doesn't have that snapshot feel to it. Nothing wrong with that except that it won't score as highly among a group like you have here...see my entry for Cliche for further evidence. |
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02/10/2003 03:36:00 PM · #14 |
I would have to agree with kathleen. Here are some picture that did well.
"Shadow Dancer" which took 7th place
"Dress Up" which took 9th
"Cute as a Bugs Ear" which took 7th in cliche challenge
I do believe it is how well you take the photo. You can not pick up your camera and take a picture and submit it. It takes lots of pictures and a lot of time. Pay attention to what people tell you is wrong with your photo and try to change it. If they say the background was distracting then next time you take a picture focus on the background and go from there. Practice makes perfect!! Don't give up and don't take it so personally. Look at the ones that did place high and ask yourself why did they? What could I do with my photo that would make it score higher. Keep shooting and you will get there.
Good luck!!
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02/10/2003 03:43:51 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by Sonifo:
Pay attention to what people tell you is wrong with your photo and try to change it. If they say the background was distracting then next time you take a picture focus on the background and go from there. Practice makes perfect!! Don't give up and don't take it so personally. Look at the ones that did place high and ask yourself why did they? What could I do with my photo that would make it score higher. Keep shooting and you will get there.
Good luck!! |
I hope you mean concentrate on the background!
If you can't find a somewhat neutral background, then try to set a wide aperture so you can focus on the kids and blur the background. You can also light them from both sides (a little in front) so less light penetrates into the background. Make the background a different color than the kids clothes so you can selectively manipulate them within DPC rules. |
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02/10/2003 03:48:37 PM · #16 |
It's really, really, really hard to learn to look at your photos objectively. :-)
But, it's also unfair to make those kind of generalizations. Here is an image that received 11th place in Photojournalism.
Here is one that got 9th in the Blue challenge.
Here's one that was 7th in the B&W portrait challenge.
SOOOO, you are telling me if I,remove the color off the picture, make it BW , the score will jump drasticly!!
I just hate yo go back to the past and don't realy like BW photos... |
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02/10/2003 03:50:08 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
My second-best finish ever was really just a good snapshot of kids.
Also in the People challenge, kid pics took both First and Second places, as well as Third place in the Candid challenge.
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All the challenges you mentioned were about people. In the cliche challenge, people could submit pics of kids or flowers, or sunsets ,etc. My opinion is that we were doomed from the start. The voters on this site will rate a drop of water (no offence Jacko, I love your stuff)higher than a perfect kid picture (My Angel) higher ANY DAY.
People are more impressed by the techincal aspect rather than the emotional aspects of a picture.
But I'm a glutton for punishment. I submitted another kid picture this week (Waldo). So far, same result.
Just keep plugging away.
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02/10/2003 04:12:14 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by pitsaman:
It's really, really, really hard to learn to look at your photos objectively. :-)
But, it's also unfair to make those kind of generalizations. Here is an image that received 11th place in Photojournalism.
Here is one that got 9th in the Blue challenge.
Here's one that was 7th in the B&W portrait challenge.
SOOOO, you are telling me if I,remove the color off the picture, make it BW , the score will jump drasticly!!
I just hate yo go back to the past and don't realy like BW photos... |
Not really. I agree that some are biased towards or against certain subjects. Not going to change that. I think people used those examples to show that they *can* do well, if executed well. Going into the past can only give us ideas, but still each photo stands on its own.
Chin up.
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02/10/2003 04:17:30 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by pitsaman:
SOOOO, you are telling me if I,remove the color off the picture, make it BW , the score will jump drasticly!!
I just hate yo go back to the past and don't realy like BW photos... |
Nooo..I'm not saying that. :-) Look more at the content and composition of the examples. Here are two non B&W shots, which are probably two of the higher rated photos on the site. They are kid pics, but most definitely are well thought out kid pics. Panache and Taking Cover.
Once you can view your photos objectively, it's a lot easier to see suggestions as suggestions and not critisicms or personal attacks. Good luck and keep shooting! :-) |
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02/10/2003 04:44:30 PM · #20 |
There is a huge difference in the quality of snapshot-like photos and really good photos.
Background is important - in most houses, any furniture, walls or wall hangings, etc will make the photo look like a snapshot.
You can't expect to take a really good photo with only one or two shots, nor with lighting from an on-camera flash.
Composition is essential - ask yourself -- if I invited a professional fashion photographer into my house, would this be the result?
Look at photos that appear in magazines. Ask yourself - would this photo of mine ever make it?
So far, my photos have scored low too but I don't complain because I know I haven't achieved the non-snapshot look yet. |
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02/10/2003 05:03:59 PM · #21 |
Sometimes it could just be in the crop...
Really a great image once all the other stuff is gone. At least I think so... |
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02/10/2003 05:11:01 PM · #22 |
cyhansen,
I gave your image a 6. I thought it much better than just a snapshot; I give those a 3. I agree yours should have did better, but disagree it is because they don't like kids as evidenced by the 7th place image.
If I might speculate this may be why it was voted low:
1-The background. Voters either want to see it or not. Voters might rather have it black than very dimly lighted when there is something there to see.
2-Pixelation. The cat whiskers on the right side detracts from its otherwise overall technical quality.
3-Snapshot syndrome. Voters like the "rule of threes" (ROT) rule better than a centered image. Generally, but not always, they will give a ROF image a higher score.
This may be a discriminating group, but they are not child haters.
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02/10/2003 05:20:21 PM · #23 |
Davenit, I like the cropped version and would have given it a 6.
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02/10/2003 06:10:23 PM · #24 |
pitsa man:
I'm going to come out of hiding and let you know that I am one of the people who gave you a 2. I'm sorry that you take your low score as a way to criticize other people who were only objectively critiquing your photograph. That's what the site is for. Learning. I think all the comments you got were very helpful and if you did those simple things such as not having her cover up her eye, clearing or blurring the background with DOF or otherwise, or simply cropping the image better you would have definetely gotten a better score. Another recommendation I can make is that you title it differently. I find that a good title may affect people opinions of your photo. Your title seemed to imply that the cat was better looking than the girl which makes people think when they see it that the girl is not good looking and the vote goes down for lacking in cute factor. Also, the title was long and not that meaningful and ended with meow, which was all very childish, giving the feeling of unprofessionalism and childishness to the photo itself. Your picture, as it was, in my opinion, is a simple everyday snapshot and not something that should be submitted to a contest without first looking at it objectively. I give those 2's or 3's. With the crop Davenit made I would have given it a 3. When looking at your picture ask yourself these questions, depending on the type of shot it is. Would I see this is a magazine? Would I see this displayed in an art gallery? Would I see this on the wall of someone's house if it wasn't there kid? That might be the problem with Kid shots. People dont hate kids, they just dont love your kid and they aren't going to really love the picture unless the picture itself has artistic merit. Definetely ask yourself if you would frame it and puit it on your wall. If the answer is no, then don't expect others to like it either. Don't give up and keep shooting. Have fun and don't let this stress you out. |
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02/10/2003 08:11:45 PM · #25 |
Davenit.. excellent! That crop improves the photo quite a bit.
JasonPR.. thanks for "coming out"... I agree with what you say.
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