Voter backlash? - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

05/03/2006 11:30:17 AM · #1

IMO there is a disturbing trend at DPC in which truly excellent images are rejected by some voters in favor less excellent entries. I don't think the voters are too stupid to know the difference, but are voting with misguided malice against better photographers. As an example, in the "Complementary Colors" challenge, the 2nd and 3rd place winning photos, while very good images, are not as well done by comparison to some other entries (my opinion, please consider my photography is not in that league.) The 1st place entry was superb by any standard. But to the point: Is there a backlash against the more polished and refined entries? Are the some of the voters rebelling against the members that are professionals? I don't know the answer, just want your opinions.

Antimatt

Sony DSLR-A100

05/03/2006 11:44:20 AM · #2

Gary K is up there every time. Wouldn't people be backlashing against him if this were true?

TrynityRose

Nikon D100

05/03/2006 11:46:30 AM · #3

I think what you failed to take into account is personal taste. What you like other people may not like. That's why there are images that have scores that vary wildly from 1 to 10. An image of 8 from one person could get a 4 from someone else. Is it because they have some agenda? Perhaps, but more likely it's just that image spoke to the one voter and not the other.

It's not just one vote or one voter that decides who gets the ribbons. That means the majority of the voters were all backlashing against the same images in order to have not the best images win? I dont think so, that seems too elaborate a conspiracy to be true.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say "Are the some of the voters rebelling against the members that are professionals?" Kiwiness pretty much wins every week, I believe he's considered a professional. If what you said is true then shouldnt that mean the voters should not be voting his images high?

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

05/03/2006 11:49:56 AM · #4

Technical excellence is only one component of success with the DPC voters. Broad appeal, color, and uniqueness, among other things have a major impact on voters. Technical excellence alone doesn't go too far here; winding up with a 5-point-something on a technically exceptional shot is a real possibility.
Individual taste often plays in as well. Very often, my top picks are similar to the majority of voters, but quite often they are not.

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

05/03/2006 11:51:21 AM · #5

I love conspiracy theories! There was a 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll.

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

05/03/2006 11:53:38 AM · #6

Originally posted by TrynityRose:

I do not believe it is a conspiracy, but a trend. As for kiwiness, the voters do not know anyone's name at the time of voting. Most of the time, appropriate images win appropriately. But ocassionally, there is a real fluke in the results.

fotomann_forever

05/03/2006 11:56:00 AM · #7

Originally posted by ElGordo:

Most of the time, appropriate images win appropriately. But ocassionally, there is a real fluke in the results.

Could it be a fluke, or just something about the photo that is causing you to think it shouldn't be on the front page? You have to keep in mind that you yourself are only human, you may be biased yourself.

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

05/03/2006 11:56:38 AM · #8

If there was a backlash that went on I wish it was against the tired old shots that continue to be submitted over and over for that guaranteed high score (i.e. glass/water/reflects, etc.) People talk about hating flower shots but at least you don't see those showing the exact same flower at the exact same position shot at the exact same angle with the exact same lighting like you do with Jacko's setup shot to name one. I keep thinking voters will say enough is enough but it just never happens despite there being zero creativity and nothing to get wowed about in regards to the technique which is SO well documented and performed over and over again by a range of photographers. It's as shallow as you can get yet DPC voters LOVE IT and ask for more.

No disrepect to those that shoot to learn. My beef is just with the voters who readily score these images very high which just encourages them to get submit more and more. This is a photography web site. Lets promote creativity for a change!

Message edited by author 2006-05-03 11:58:03.

TrynityRose

Nikon D100

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

05/03/2006 12:05:27 PM · #9

Originally posted by yanko:

People talk about hating flower shots but at least you don't see those showing the exact same flower at the exact same position shot at the exact same angle with the exact same lighting like you do with Jacko's setup shot to name one. I keep thinking voters will say enough is enough but it just never happens despite there being zero creativity and nothing to get wowed about in regards to the technique which is SO well documented and performed over and over again by a range of photographers.

Well you have to also realise that not everyone has been living on DPC since day one. Additionally not everyone is a veteran photographer who has seen every image known to (wo)man in order to know if the thing they are viewing is an original. And that's not even going into the fact that everything is created from something and so in essense nothing is really original.

It's like the kids of today (shush, I'm an old soul!) who watch remakes of movies and think 'wow, that's so cool' without knowing that the original was made over 50 years ago and was much cooler. It's fresh to them and that's all they care about.

Rebecca

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

05/03/2006 12:06:54 PM · #10

Originally posted by yanko:

If there was a backlash that went on I wish it was against the tired old shots that continue to be submitted over and over for that guaranteed high score (i.e. glass/water/reflects, etc.)

I hear that. The wine glass refraction shot has been cannibalized so badly that it has become an annoying cliche. Original thought definitely plays into my scoring.

fotomann_forever

05/03/2006 12:08:59 PM · #11

Originally posted by karmabreeze:

Originally posted by yanko:
If there was a backlash that went on I wish it was against the tired old shots that continue to be submitted over and over for that guaranteed high score (i.e. glass/water/reflects, etc.)

I hear that. The wine glass refraction shot has been cannibalized so badly that it has become an annoying cliche. Original thought definitely plays into my scoring.

That technique is called Rikki-ing. It's a verb, meaning to place a wine glass in front of one's monitor for a photo. :-)

ie... I totally Rikki'd that shot... :-)

nomad469

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED

05/03/2006 12:10:19 PM · #12

Originally posted by yanko:

No disrepect to those that shoot to learn. My beef is just with the voters who readily score these images very high which just encourages them to get submit more and more. This is a photography web site. Lets promote creativity for a change!

I agree with this perspective ... and I have been grumbling that DPC voters in general do not "reward" images that are outside of the static "rules based" box even if they are good images.

If they do not follow the "rule of thirds" if they are not shot at F2 and infinite dof ... If they do not have 20% headroom If they do not have bright pretty colors (there are exceptions) the DPC community tends to thrash the image without being "open" to the image and scoring on what they see as opposed to blindly applying predefined rules on the image. sometimes breaking the "rules" is a good thing.

nards656

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

05/03/2006 12:19:23 PM · #13

Originally posted by nomad469:

if they are not shot at F2 and infinite dof ...

That's a contradiction in terms, isn't it :)

nomad469

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED

05/03/2006 05:16:19 PM · #14

Originally posted by nards656:

Originally posted by nomad469:

if they are not shot at F2 and infinite dof ...

That's a contradiction in terms, isn't it :)

yep should be F22 (my fingers arn't working today)

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

05/03/2006 05:26:44 PM · #15

Originally posted by TrynityRose:

Well you have to also realise that not everyone has been living on DPC since day one.

Ahh but that's the thing. You don't have to be around that long to see the same shots being done over and over again. It really just takes about 2-3 challenges before you start seeing repeats. Come to think of it maybe DPC is just stuck in an endless sweeps week. I want my new shows! :P

Message edited by author 2006-05-03 17:27:23.

RolandB

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Raynox Pro Digital 0.66X Wide Angle Conversion

05/03/2006 05:39:45 PM · #16

Originally posted by idnic:

I love conspiracy theories! There was a 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll.

NO.. that's not what history shows. The second shooter was a gassy troll.

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

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

05/03/2006 05:40:48 PM · #17

Originally posted by RolandB:

Originally posted by idnic:
I love conspiracy theories! There was a 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll.

NO.. that's not what history shows. The second shooter was a gassy troll.

LMAO Thanks I needed that!

05/03/2006 05:47:03 PM · #18

Originally posted by yanko:

Originally posted by TrynityRose:

Well you have to also realise that not everyone has been living on DPC since day one.

Ahh but that's the thing. You don't have to be around that long to see the same shots being done over and over again. It really just takes about 2-3 challenges before you start seeing repeats. Come to think of it maybe DPC is just stuck in an endless sweeps week. I want my new shows! :P

I too was disappointed to see the same tired old wine goblets with a bicolor background, not to mention the endless parade of unimaginative flower shots, while truly creative and beautiflly crafted photos languished with mediocre scores. Maybe the DPC voters are just insipid instead of vindictive.

mpeters

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

05/03/2006 06:18:36 PM · #19

Originally posted by karmabreeze:

As a wine glass submitter i offer this insight(Ok, call it an opinion)

1. I had never tried to light a glass of any kind and found it a real challenge. So, for me, it was something new. cliche'd for sure, but i did acknowledge the cliche with my title. It was fun to try.

2. The voters were very kind with my entry IMO. The reflections were really bad but maybe the little goldfishy saved the day. As pleased as i was with the composition, i was equally unhappy with the lighting.

Bottom line. what i learned through this attempt, is that photographing glass is hard and the techniques to do it successfully, if learned, will serve a photog well for other product type shots. DPC is about learning(and competition).

BTW, This reply is just my perspective and not meant to discount the OP's assertion. I just needed to defend my fish(who has since passed over). :(

mark

Also, my recomendation for sweeps week is "The Office" Thursdays @9:30