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12/28/2005 08:24:01 PM · #1 |
I'm curious to see if anyone else had similiar thoughts when voting on the Phobia challenge.
There were a few photos that I found to be very beautiful, but the element of fear didn't come across at all. I generally tended to give these photos smaller scores because of this. However, I've been thinking of something. If the definition of a Phobia is an irrational fear, there are a lot of different approaches a photographer could take. They could do as most of the top entries did and create a horrid scene - something that looks scary. Or, they could take another approach that didn't score as well and is harder to decipher - the approach of taking an amazing photo that isn't scary at all. A prime example would be the Lake Tahoe (19th place) photo:
When I voted on the image, I wasn't scared at all by the lake and thought it was quite beautiful. So I didn't give it a very high score. But couldn't a photo like this also play into the theme - by saying that the lake is so beautiful that it really is an irrational fear to be scared of?
It's highly likely that I'm thinking too much into this. But I'd be curious to hear if any of the photographers in this challenged used this second approach, or if people think that individuals were just submitting nice photos they happened to snatch over the week, hoping that it'd fit the theme.
Another example could be the 9th place fear of walking photo:
whatcha think?
Message edited by author 2005-12-28 20:29:44. |
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12/28/2005 08:29:33 PM · #2 |
| I understand what you are saying but the challenge asked to make the user feel an emotional response, and given the topic it's a safe assumption they meant fear. |
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12/28/2005 08:34:07 PM · #3 |
| I agree with you fishy. It does appear that Some wonderful pictures were taken. with no fear representation in them. I don't think fear is implied as without the title they ave just wonderful pictures. |
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12/28/2005 09:00:05 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by megatherian:
I understand what you are saying but the challenge asked to make the user feel an emotional response, and given the topic it's a safe assumption they meant fear. |
If someone has a phobia related to what was presented in the picture they indeed Would illicit an emotional response where most people would not. It is the point of view of the individual. I see Lake Tahoe and wish I were there, a water phobic person begins to sweat and dread being in a social situation and trying to explain why they refuse to go near the water...
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12/28/2005 09:03:35 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by barndog:
Originally posted by megatherian:
I understand what you are saying but the challenge asked to make the user feel an emotional response, and given the topic it's a safe assumption they meant fear. |
If someone has a phobia related to what was presented in the picture they indeed Would illicit an emotional response where most people would not. It is the point of view of the individual. I see Lake Tahoe and wish I were there, a water phobic person begins to sweat and dread being in a social situation and trying to explain why they refuse to go near the water... |
Yes but I don't think most voters can relate to such fears thus it does not evoking a strong emotional response from them, hence lower scores. |
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12/28/2005 09:06:23 PM · #6 |
Totally agree.
The majority of the scoring here on DPC is an initial "Wow" reaction. Bravo to the individuals who continue to submit quality shots which are related to the challenge albeit loosely.
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12/28/2005 09:09:40 PM · #7 |
the initial wow reaction thing is correct, but some of the voters so spend time thinking what the photographer wished to do and vote accordingly.
Originally posted by barndog:
Totally agree.
The majority of the scoring here on DPC is an initial "Wow" reaction. Bravo to the individuals who continue to submit quality shots which are related to the challenge albeit loosely. |
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12/28/2005 09:09:46 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by barndog:
Bravo to the individuals who continue to submit quality shots which are related to the challenge albeit loosely. |
I don't think "Bravo" if it is very loose.
I think it is unfair to those who really made an effort with the challenge - in this case the rather difficult one of: "Try to make the viewer feel the emotion of the fear". Some people managed to convey that fear to us even if we didn't suffer from it ourselves.
(Edited to clarify)
Message edited by author 2005-12-28 21:11:45. |
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12/28/2005 09:10:19 PM · #9 |
I agree, I didn't score the real pretty ones high, but if they were greatly composed, and technically mastered, I gave em props.
However I did one of a mannequin which terrifies the hell out of me, and almost every comment I got was that it didn't fit the challenge. This leads me to remember we are all individuals with individual fears, and I respected it during the voting. |
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12/28/2005 09:14:13 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by megatherian:
... Yes but I don't think most voters can relate to such fears thus it does not evoking a strong emotional response from them, hence lower scores. |
No disrespect intended here, but isn't that a rather large brush you're painting with? I mean, how can anyone on this site possibly know what people have phobia's of. The example put forth regarding water certainly has the potential to reach a lot of people, as do many other images that were submitted (I wasn't a player in this challenge - no bias either way).
Geez...this is so not me. Now I'm sounding like a liberal! ;^)
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12/28/2005 09:15:47 PM · #11 |
well using the 2 examples above I don't think they would really convey fear in someone that even had those phobias.
The lake is so far away I don't see how a person would fear the water in it. If you had a person chained down splashing around in some water it would be a different story.
It also appear the person would have a choice as to whether they took the path at Woodland Walks because it is at the beginning of the path. If there was no where to go but a single path that stretched for miles it would have conveyed more fear. |
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12/28/2005 09:20:27 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by sacredspirit:
However I did one of a mannequin which terrifies the hell out of me, and almost every comment I got was that it didn't fit the challenge. |
I would have scored yours higher had your title listed the phobia you were portraying. Is there a fear of mannequins? |
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12/28/2005 09:20:37 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by megatherian:
... If you had a person chained down splashing around in some water ...
... If there was no where to go but a single path that stretched for miles ... |
Maybe it was the best setup they had to convey the concept? Could be a bit cold to go splashing around in the water had they found a volunteer...as for the path length they may have lent their chainsaw to a neighbor. ;^)
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12/28/2005 09:21:36 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by megatherian:
well using the 2 examples above I don't think they would really convey fear in someone that even had those phobias. ... |
Oops...forgot to add - if you don't have that phobia yourself aren't you guessing?
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12/28/2005 09:39:52 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by chaimelle:
[quote=sacredspirit] Is there a fear of mannequins? |
I'm sure there is -- they are rather creepy! What's worse, the sort of life-like weird ones with bad hair? Or the decapitated ones missing hands and feet?
This is sort of related but one day I was in a sporting goods store, just wandering around looking at stuff and I paused at one clothing rack with a mannequin right next to it. Suddenly it moved and started walking away. I screamed, it freaked me out so bad. Then I just busted up laughing, as did my sister who saw it happen. The guy started laughing too when I explained that I thought he was a mannequin. God, it was so embarrassing... |
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12/28/2005 09:40:14 PM · #16 |
do you think to have a phobia, first that phobia has to be listed. I can have phobia from so many things those can not be listed, i guess that is wrong basis of judging image.
Originally posted by chaimelle:
Originally posted by sacredspirit:
However I did one of a mannequin which terrifies the hell out of me, and almost every comment I got was that it didn't fit the challenge. |
I would have scored yours higher had your title listed the phobia you were portraying. Is there a fear of mannequins? |
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12/28/2005 09:45:13 PM · #17 |
I never did find a definition for one.
But I swear if I got stuck in a store with some, they would have to carry me out in a stray jacket. LOL. I don't know if its the Matrix thing that bothers me, or the staring at me, or the dead lifeless bodies it portrays to me, but I am serious when I say I don't like them, not at all. |
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12/28/2005 09:48:21 PM · #18 |
| I have a fear of the movie mannequin :รพ |
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12/28/2005 09:55:05 PM · #19 |
I found the definition!
mannedeadcrazylookinpeopleaphobia! Now bump my photo up a notch! LOL. |
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12/29/2005 12:03:39 AM · #20 |
According to a quick google search, the fear of dolls or mannequins is called Pediophobia - although that also may be the fear of children.
Did anyone else look up the phobia names with google as they were going through the voting? :p |
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12/29/2005 12:19:25 AM · #21 |
It did bum me out a little to see pretty pictures placing high in this challenge. Seems to kind of defeat the purpose of the exercise. I mean, if you want to show fear of water, shoe me a FORBODING, moody picture of water is my feeling... The voters did not agree...
R. |
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12/29/2005 12:29:09 AM · #22 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
It did bum me out a little to see pretty pictures placing high in this challenge. Seems to kind of defeat the purpose of the exercise. I mean, if you want to show fear of water, shoe me a FORBODING, moody picture of water is my feeling... The voters did not agree...
R. |
I agree. And look at some of the comments on some of those pics - it indicates many people vote on the "pretty picture" scale without any regard to the assignment.
Fortunately the top 3 pics fit perfectly and I could find none that should be on the home page instead. |
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12/29/2005 12:33:50 AM · #23 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
It did bum me out a little to see pretty pictures placing high in this challenge. Seems to kind of defeat the purpose of the exercise. I mean, if you want to show fear of water, shoe me a FORBODING, moody picture of water is my feeling... The voters did not agree...
R. |
It's something that frustrates me a little too. Many people vote pretty pictures high, regardless of the relevance to the challenge. They even admit to it via comments "It doesn't really meet the challenge, but it is sooo good - 9 "
bahhh!
Message edited by author 2005-12-29 00:34:28. |
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12/29/2005 12:36:01 AM · #24 |
Well they didn't vote this master piece high at all.....what do you think YAY! and before you comment it is a freakin' joke...
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12/29/2005 12:42:11 AM · #25 |
As long as we're talking about "fitting the photo to the theme", let me expand on my entry :-)
As soon as I saw the challenge, I knew what I would be shooting. When I was 2 1/2 years old I was left off at the hospital with spinal meningitis, which at that time had no cure. My parents left me there to die, basically. I can still remember vividly (it is my earliest memory) the men with white coats ringing me and the one man holding up this gigantic, stainless-steel syringe for my first spinal tap. At the time, the only way they knew they were in the right place was from the pain, so there was no anaesthesia. I remember my father walking away in tears; I had never seen him cry before.
Fortunately, I was in Walter Reed Hospital, and they were trying an experiemntal program to cure my disease. I was the first child (ed. note: make that "one of the first" to be safe) it worked on. But the episoide left me with a horrid needle phobia, so bad that if I knew I was going to get a shot, as a child, I'd tense up so tight that the needle would literally BREAK without penetrating. The pediactrician would come to my house when I was sleeping to innoculate me. To this day, I nearly faint when they draw blood, and a visit to the dentist (even my very good dentist I have now) is sheer torture for me.
So I knew I was gonna photograph needle phobia, especially since I already had a dental appointment for Tuesday morning. This image was made while I was fully reclined in the chair, looking up at the skylight over the chair. The DOF is just as I wanted it: it's the tip of that needle, the little glint of fluid, that just kills me every time. Of course, by now I've learned not to look, but most of the time I can't help myself.
The dentist, btw, thought this was all borderline insane, but he went along with it.
So now you know why I entered this shot in "phobia" instead of "shallow DOF", and why it's as spontaneous and unclaculated-looking as it is: this is NOT a setup, this is me about to be STUCK and it was all I could do to push the button and hand off the camera to the assistant. I didn't even chimp it.
I wonder how it would have fared in the DOF challenge?
Robt.
Message edited by author 2005-12-29 05:59:07. |
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