Did mine get the boot with voters? pun intended.

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

09/08/2005 02:54:38 AM · #1

Artistically speaking the photo isn't great. It was taken a day before I knew about this contest and just thought I enter it for kicks. It was my first entry and I wasn't expecting much although I thought it had a slight chance of doing well if people viewed it as a unique take to the contest. Given the sensitivity of the subject and not knowing this online community that well I'm wondering if it suffered a bit because of the subject matter.

Message edited by author 2005-09-08 02:58:00.

faidoi

Pentax K10D

09/08/2005 02:55:45 AM · #2

Ivo

09/08/2005 02:56:08 AM · #3

Beat me to it.

Message edited by author 2005-09-08 02:57:15.

faidoi

Pentax K10D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

09/08/2005 02:56:25 AM · #4

Clickable thumbnail is better for those with dial-up.

Olympus 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko Digital

09/08/2005 02:57:35 AM · #5

trying to get a handle of this thumbnail thingy. sorry.

joynim

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

09/08/2005 03:01:49 AM · #6

Yanko your photo sure did have an effect on people.Not just on me! Being from NZ I'm not even sure of the political statement that is being made. If it was me I would be more happy that it affected people than being too worried about the score.Congratualations on a great photo.

09/08/2005 03:04:36 AM · #7

Originally posted by joynim:

I guess I didn't even think about that. Don't you guys keep up with American news? :)

Ivo

09/08/2005 03:05:03 AM · #8

Interesting shot but I'll offer some advice if I may. Firstly, this site is not as sensitive to emotive images as we might hope it would be. Anything to do with death is usually not dealt a generous vote. Why? Likely because voters do not take/have the time to read into the meaning of images to the extent that we do. My first submission was dealt a harsh hand because I think I expected more study of my image than was given.

We all need to start somewhere and this was a good entry given it was your first. Hope that helps.

Olympus 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko Digital

09/08/2005 03:19:27 AM · #9

Originally posted by Ivo:

Yeah. I did get some good feedback and none of it suggested what I questioned. I guess I'm just more curious about the general mindset here being how I'm new. Btw, I like your photo. Definitely a creative take to the challenge.

joynim

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

09/08/2005 03:21:15 AM · #10

Originally posted by yanko:

Originally posted by joynim:
Yanko your photo sure did have an effect on people.Not just on me! Being from NZ I'm not even sure of the political statement that is being made. If it was me I would be more happy that it affected people than being too worried about the score.Congratualations on a great photo.

I guess I didn't even think about that. Don't you guys keep up with American news? :)

Lol yes we do keep up with American news, how can we avoid it!!! But we dont keep up with all the aspects of your news.

My husband wanted me to post where's America?!!!!

amber

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/08/2005 04:18:31 AM · #11

For me this was about more than a death. It's about the courage of one woman, a mother. An ordinary woman who took on a 'President'.

Message edited by author 2005-09-08 04:19:01.

mesmeraj

09/08/2005 08:59:57 AM · #12

Originally posted by joynim:

Meh - i'm in american and i dont see this as a policitcal statement. Just someone named Casey died and those are his/her shoes. I think a 5.2 is a more than deserving score for this image. The really are no signs of the photog being involved with the composition, the crop is awkward and the pov is unoriginal. The parcial desat adds mood, but thats the only involvemnt or sign of emotion i see as a photographers addition.
I don't believe images should gander a better vote because they are policital or someone has died or the are relevent to a current affair (unless one of the above is a challenge subject).

Delfeye

Nikon Coolpix S550

09/08/2005 10:30:31 AM · #13

Originally posted by mesmeraj:

I don't believe images should gander a better vote because they are policital or someone has died or the are relevent to a current affair (unless one of the above is a challenge subject).

I find that I am more likely want to give a worse vote to an image for a political statement, even if I agree with it. Lately, I have even chosen not to vote for entries with an overt political statement just so I don't give a unwarranted low score.

downtherabbithole

Canon EOS-30D

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

09/08/2005 11:41:28 AM · #14

well, for me it wasn't the statement or anything like that. I'm going to be real, I voted how I did on it simply because it looks like a snapshot. it's taken from a boring angle and it's very flat. The wb was set wrong, and it looks like you didn't pay any attetion to anything but the center of the frame. Remember what you don't include is almost more impoartant than what you do include.

Mabey get down on the ground and fix the wb issue and this would have doubled my vote.

as an in general statement, there are some people here that think anything artistic doesn't do well, and then there are other who think they do, so you will get a wide varity of respones. The best advice I can give you is to simply just hang around and anwser your own question.

wavelength

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

09/08/2005 11:50:53 AM · #15

Since you're asking I didn't like the shot and I thought the subject matter was tasteless. I kind of think of it the same as sensless nudity in a picture used just for shock effect. It catches attention for a bit, but doesn't really make the picture a winner.

mattmunger

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/08/2005 12:01:32 PM · #16

Originally posted by joynim:

My husband wanted me to post where's America?!!!!

hahaha

vxpra

Pentax K100D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

09/08/2005 12:55:12 PM · #17

I'am sure there were a few people that voted you down for the subject matter, at the same time they were probably balanced by the few people that voted you up for the subject matter. Although my guess would be for the most part people took the photo for what it was. I actually just spent the weekend with one of my long time friends (almost 28 years now) who has spent his last 12 years in the Marines. He has spent the last year+ bouncing in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. His MOS is Recon. He believes very strongly in what he is doing, but what he told me is "People don't understand we are at war. I wake up every day not knowing if I'll live through it. And if I die, no one will see my homecoming, I'll just be a number. Casualty number 1800 or something. And that is the way the government wants it to be, thats why people don't see the wounded or the coffins coming home. That way people can go about their buisness and not have to face facts." Didn't mean to turn political.

Artifacts

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/08/2005 02:51:48 PM · #18

Originally posted by yanko:

... Given the sensitivity of the subject and not knowing this online community that well I'm wondering if it suffered a bit because of the subject matter.

The subject matter of this image is not offensive so subject matter probably did not adversely affect the score despite the ongoing protest by his mother. It shows sensitivity to a fallen soldier.

The image is decently post processed, does not have any severely over or under exposed areas and the focus is good. Some people are not fans of desaturated images, but that probably played very little role with this one.

The only real shortfall of this image is its pedestrian perspective. If taken at ground level and perhaps at an angle to the cross with boots in front would have added considerable interest to the composition, drawn attention to the concept of footwear which is the theme of the challenge and provided a deeper meaning to the military concept of "boots on the ground".

A score of 5.2 is good by DPC standards. DPC voters tend to be very harsh, but they are for all images and not just yours.

Message edited by author 2005-09-08 14:58:38.

milo655321

Nikon D70

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

09/08/2005 03:09:29 PM · #19

Originally posted by stdavidson:

The subject matter of this image is neither offensive or controversial so subject matter did not adversely affect the score. It shows sensitivity to a fallen soldier.

Sensitivity to a fallen soldier whose mother is protesting the war while being followed and commented on by all major U.S. media outlets and becoming a rallying point for a number of anti-war demonstrators in order to protest the foreign policy of the current administration.

No, not controversial at all.

Artifacts

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/08/2005 03:21:58 PM · #20

Originally posted by milo655321:

Originally posted by stdavidson:

The subject matter of this image is neither offensive or controversial so subject matter did not adversely affect the score. It shows sensitivity to a fallen soldier.

Sensitivity to a fallen soldier whose mother is protesting the war while being followed and commented on by all major U.S. media outlets and becoming a rallying point for a number of anti-war demonstrators in order to protest the foreign policy of the current administration.

No, not controversial at all.

Point well taken... modified my comments. :)

milo655321

Nikon D70

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

09/08/2005 03:29:20 PM · #21

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Point well taken... modified my comments. :)

Just some good-natured ribbing. That's all. :)