Your Kids and Your Pets - DPChallenge Forums

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

09/24/2003 10:46:10 AM · #1

What makes you think I want to see snapshots of your kids and your pets? Do you carry your family photo album around with you and ask strangers for feedback? Your kids and your pets are cute and funny, but they probably don't command much interest from anyone who doesn't know you.

What's even worse is that you will likely get offended when someone leaves you a comment along these lines. You have a personal emotional tie with your subject and won't likely be able to take criticism very well. Will you get offended when I ask you why you bothered to post it? Probably so...

How often have you looked at a friend's family photo album (or a stranger's for that matter) and seen a photo that you would consider artistic in a way that you would hang it as a decoration in your home? How many of them are of a quality level that would make them good stock photoraphy for use in magazines or other publications? Probably not many. You probably do think your own stuff is worthy though :) Obviously so, because you post it to photo competitions here :)

When you set out to photograph your pets and kids for use in online competitions, why not set out with a goal in mind? Something stronger than a family album snapshot... Why not approach your subject with 'stock photography' or some other idea in mind where the shot will be more appealing to a wider audience?

Kids and pets are cute and they do funny things. When you present them, ask yourself if others will be able to find the same interest you have in the photo.

scab-lab

Canon EOS-D60

09/24/2003 10:50:58 AM · #2

Damn!, I just got into cat photography this week too. ;)

Canon EOS-20D

09/24/2003 10:56:29 AM · #3

You want to see my cats because THEY ARE THE CUTEST EVER. Duh.

Jacko

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

09/24/2003 11:03:45 AM · #4

John, I have no problem with people submitting children and pets. Of course, they can't expect to get big scores, I was blown away that I got more than a 4.5 for my Life entry. People are here to share images of the things they like. John, I'd rather see bad pictures of children and pets than nice technical shots of black and white chess pieces. ugh. Personal preferences.

Message edited by author 2003-09-24 11:05:28.

09/24/2003 11:11:32 AM · #5

Personal preferences is right :) that's why I posted mine here in the rant forum :)

StevePax

Canon PowerShot S50

09/24/2003 11:14:32 AM · #6

Some of the animal shots in the challenge are pretty good, though. They don't all look like photo-album snapshots. Some are quite well done.

pitsaman

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

09/24/2003 11:17:13 AM · #7

If I was to be asked,we will have next 100 competitions " Landscapes ".

09/24/2003 11:17:37 AM · #8

Originally posted by StevePax:

Some of the animal shots in the challenge are pretty good, though. They don't all look like photo-album snapshots. Some are quite well done.

This is always the case. I agree... there are usually at least a few excellent shots of kids and pets.

vonautsch

Nikon Coolpix B500

09/24/2003 11:18:07 AM · #9

My entry is of a household pet. It's not that great, I just wanted to get a feel for how people vote based on cuteness. Right now I'm hovering around 4.5. I should be getting a 2!!!! What's wrong with you people!!! ;)

vonautsch

Nikon Coolpix B500

09/24/2003 12:10:08 PM · #10

What if the pet looked like this?

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

09/24/2003 12:11:32 PM · #11

Find an interesting way to photograph it :)

bruster54

Canon EOS-600D/T3i Rebel

Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6

09/24/2003 12:36:24 PM · #12

Let's not forget bugs and flowers. While they are great to photograph and many have been well done, seeing them done by so many in "most" challenges is tiring! Photography can be creative, if you put your mind to it and pass a flower for something more challenging...like a different take on something everyday like a glass of water, or a puddle! What the heck...I like flowers and bugs, but not in every challenge!

LucidLotus

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

09/24/2003 01:05:20 PM · #13

I will stand up and say that I DID submit a pet photograph, and I am proud of it. I do not know if any of you are forgetting what it is like to be new to photography, unsure of your talents and what you might have to bring to the media, but there are quite a few of us who probably are - I know I am.

I just started getting into photography back in April of this year. I have managed to take some good shots - however 99 percent of those are with a regular, non-digital camera. I do not feel at all as comfortable with my digital camera as I do with my other, and so I lean towards reliable subjects as I try and learn my way around. How better for me to upgrade my talents than to go with a subject I am comfortable with?

I realize everyone has their opinion, I just wish that it was possible to state them without slamming or giving the impression of slamming other people's choices of subjects.

We cannot all be uber-creative all the time, some of us have to start somewhere and it sure doesn't help our artistic or photographical growth to feel as though our photographs have no merit from the outset because of the subject of it.

Its tough just starting out both technically and with a limited idea of what you can do. Please try and see my (and probably others) side of things.

I hope I haven't offended anyone, if so I apologize ahead of time.

- Sia

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/24/2003 01:28:10 PM · #14

Originally posted by LucidLotus:

...I DID submit a pet photograph, and I am proud of it. I do not know if any of you are forgetting what it is like to be new to photography...

We cannot all be uber-creative all the time, some of us have to start somewhere and it sure doesn't help our artistic or photographical growth to feel as though our photographs have no merit from the outset because of the subject of it.

Its tough just starting out both technically and with a limited idea of what you can do...

- Sia

- Pride, I found, often gets in the way of things. For this reason, I'm trying to do away with it, when setting out on an artistic adventure altogether.

- It does, IMHO, help the work tremendously, when we consciously try not to become too attached to the products of our creative endeavours. Again, the ego tends to interfere with the muse, and the muses are fickle.

I don't, really, know what you could possibly mean by über-creative. The ambition to do something as best as we can with what we have, would strike me as being pragmatically useful for the purpose. It is, IMO, the critic's job to extract merit, even if there is little. But any merit is grounded in a cultural and universal context. As photographers, we need to accomodate a little of a critic in us, if then we are to see through his/her eyes.

To protect a fragile ego from the impact of such a reality, IMO, will do nothing for photography or the owner of the ego. A little tact, mostly achieved by restrained articulation of what, in fact, we see, however, may go a long way.

LucidLotus

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

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

09/24/2003 02:42:12 PM · #15

I'm not sure my point got across the way I intended. What I was trying to say is if a person sees a pet photograph in the challenges, it isn't very helpful (for me) for it to immediately be consigned to the realm of 'not good' just because of its subject.

I'm not at all saying this is what automatically happens, it is just my impression from the griping about the numerous pet, baby, flower photos, that folks may not actually give a particular photograph a fair chance for merit to be found.

My other point was, for me, using a known element helps me determine what areas technically I need to work on. If there is little 'unknown' about the subject it allows me to focus on the different technical and artistic ways I can make the photograph better or more interesting.

I did find your comments instructive, when I brought up pride it is because I am proud of all of my photographs, though not to the exclusion of them needing improvement nor the knowledge that people may not find it a sound image.

My main jist was, though many of the same subjects come up, I am hoping, contrary to all of the disgust posted (both in jest and in actuality) the photographs get an honest and specific vote (thus helpful), not one based on, 'oh another one of these, it gets a 1' without really looking at it.

Some of us are just learning to spread our wings and using a familiar subject is a stepping stone towards that.

LucidLotus

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

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

09/24/2003 02:43:01 PM · #16

Hehe as you'll noticed I tend to be a bit long winded. That's why I try to refrain from posting too much. ;)

Sorry about the length!

medic391

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

09/24/2003 02:55:53 PM · #17

gee jmsetzler you must love the one with the boy and the cat taking a nap.

Martin

Fujifilm FinePix S602Z

09/24/2003 03:13:24 PM · #18

"I do not know if any of you are forgetting what it is like to be new to photography, unsure of your talents and what you might have to bring to the media, but there are quite a few of us who probably are - I know I am."

Has anyone ever thought that maybe there should be a challange for the beginners and a challange for the more advanced? I agree with the pompus sounding jmsetzler, I too am sick to death of kids and cats and am horrified at the "at rest" challange because once again it is full of them and I cant be bothered to vote, but I also agree that novices do stick to what they know, which is nearly always crap. If you had seperate challanges, surely this would sort out the problem.texttexttexttexttexttexttext

Message edited by author 2003-09-24 15:15:08.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/24/2003 03:13:33 PM · #19

Who was that masked man?

Who cares?

Message edited by author 2003-09-24 15:15:32.

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/24/2003 03:29:00 PM · #20

Originally posted by LucidLotus:

Hehe as you'll noticed I tend to be a bit long winded. That's why I try to refrain from posting too much. ;)

Sorry about the length!

Technically, whatever the subject, if it lends itself to comparison, it's apt for your (working) purpose.

From an artistic point of view, a clichee is a clichee is a clichee. While there shouldn't be anything wrong with tackling a clichee, I think, there are only two ways to do it successfully: either you do it consciously (while compensating for the unfortunate context by seeing or rendering a difference - to add interest) or approach the subject with an utter and pure naivety (by magic, conjecture and the unexplainable). Both approaches seem far more difficult than choosing a lesser threshed subject, especially for a beginner.

MikeO

Fujifilm x100

09/24/2003 03:41:35 PM · #21

''I too am sick to death of kids and cats and am horrified at the "at rest" challange because once again it is full of them and I cant be bothered to vote,''

Good job the majority of us dont feel like Martin who cant be bothered to vote. Come on, people are puting these pictures up here to learn and you cant be bothered to help them. Shame on you.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/24/2003 03:43:12 PM · #22

Originally posted by chinstrap:

If they read this thread, they will learn :)

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

09/24/2003 03:51:42 PM · #23

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Originally posted by chinstrap:
''I too am sick to death of kids and cats and am horrified at the "at rest" challange because once again it is full of them and I cant be bothered to vote,''

Good job the majority of us dont feel like Martin who cant be bothered to vote. Come on, people are puting these pictures up here to learn and you cant be bothered to help them. Shame on you.

If they read this thread, they will learn :)

"Ah, but what? They don't take kindly to insults, you know."
--John Lennon (1964)