TITLES!? oh cmon.... - DPChallenge Forums

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

01/23/2008 05:49:50 PM · #1

i know that the title is not as important as the photograph, and i also know that i have done this on some level, but, i just HATE when the title of a given shot IS what is in the picture, or states the challenge name in the title. it should be common knowledge what the photography is of. (i.e. picture is of a lake with a tree beside it, and the title "tree beside lake", or challenge yellow, and title "yellow flower"), sorry i know, it's just a pet peeve, but do you really need to call the picture "yellow flower" when a yellow flower is filling your entire frame?? just my 2 cents, if you have a different opinion on the matter, i am open to different ideas...
feel free to post a reply..

Wenders11

Canon EOS-40D

01/23/2008 05:53:06 PM · #2

The hardest part of challenges for me is naming the darn shot! I don't know why, but I have such a hard time giving my shots a creative name. I usually do come up with something, but sometimes they're probably lame. It's just that by the time I've gone through all the mental effort of coming up with a shot, gathering everything I need for it, figuring out the lighting and all of that and then post processing it, my brain is fried and all my creative juice is depleated, lol.

citymars

Nikon D700

01/23/2008 05:57:53 PM · #3

Maybe "yellow flower" seems redundant to you, but perhaps the caption is not just for the life of the challenge. If the photo is moved to a portfolio of images, "yellow flower" would be quite appropriate.

01/23/2008 05:59:53 PM · #4

Originally posted by Wenders11:

haha its seems like you might have a little creative juice after a shot cuz your best place in a contest had a decently creative title, "Into the Night", which mind you, does NOT mention anything about trains, or childs toys, LOL =]

Canon RF 24-105mm F/4L IS USM

01/23/2008 06:05:03 PM · #5

Originally posted by citymars:

true as far as an organized portfolio is concerned, but in the context of a challenge, it just seems redundant to me..

Venom

Canon EOS R

01/23/2008 06:07:14 PM · #6

Originally posted by Wenders11:

The hardest part of challenges for me is naming the darn shot! I don't know why, but I have such a hard time giving my shots a creative name.

I was beginning to wonder if I was alone here but now I'm not. I think the title of a photo can make or break it; IMHO. The little extra oomph from a -5.5 to a 5.7+. Maybe even pushing a 6.8 into the "blue zone"? I know the picture should speak for itself but lots of times the title can point out other subtle aspects that you might have missed otherwise.

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

01/23/2008 06:07:46 PM · #7

Originally posted by Indieaperture:

...i just HATE when the title of a given shot IS what is in the picture...

You mean like this

"amongst the gum...a bird?"

:-P Sorry bro if you gonna rant about something don't be guilty of it yourself. :-))

CalamitysMaster00

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

01/23/2008 06:09:31 PM · #8

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Originally posted by Indieaperture:
...i just HATE when the title of a given shot IS what is in the picture...

You mean like this

"amongst the gum...a bird?"

:-P Sorry bro if you gonna rant about something don't be guilty of it yourself. :-))

LOL, I don't know about that. I think perhaps the photo is so abstract the title had to be blunt (I didn't see a bird at all till the title made me search).

I do agree that if you're going to be wanting fellow artists to vote your photos highly - perhaps complete the presentation of your art with a good title.

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

01/23/2008 06:12:31 PM · #9

Originally posted by CalamitysMaster00:

LOL, I don't know about that. I think perhaps the photo is so abstract the title had to be blunt (I didn't see a bird at all till the title made me search).

Maybe that is how the other people who have done this feel just because you did not see the bird does not mean that it was not painfully apparent to me.

See it is subjective, you don't have to like it but no need to start a thread about how you hate it. That's all.

Move this thread to rant!

:-D

EducatedSavage

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

01/23/2008 06:13:59 PM · #10

I'm often torn between Obvious Statement #1 and 'untitled' as my picture titles. I always feel like such a dork. Title? Y'all want a TITLE!? Eesh!

Citadel

Nikon D7500

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/23/2008 06:29:35 PM · #11

Originally posted by EducatedSavage:

I'm often torn between Obvious Statement #1 and 'untitled' as my picture titles. I always feel like such a dork. Title? Y'all want a TITLE!? Eesh!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with untitled in my mind. A title for a story is part of its message. Since a photograph is its own message why do we need a title to add to that message? Sometimes a title helps, other times it gets in the way. If you can't come up with a title that's appropriate, leave it untitled for now in myopinion

My pet peeve for titles (beyond incorporating the challenge name in it) is when people try to be funny or include smilies. If the picture is not humourous why make the title that way? And the smilies? Come on! Go into an art gallery and tell me how many pictures (photographs OR paintings) have a friggin' smily in the title.

For me most of my titles help me refer to my shots. E.g. I can talk to my fiancee about "Blue Glasgow" and she knows exactly which shot I am referring to.

Anyways...that's my spiele

Addendum to previous: Looking at my OWN portfolio I have a few where the title attempts to be humourous. I still don't like it and would change the title if I could.

Anyways...

Message edited by author 2008-01-23 18:31:59.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

01/23/2008 06:35:47 PM · #12

I have a personal rule to try my HARDEST to not use the challenge name in the title. If I find myself using it, I tend to take that as a sign that you are trying to shoehorn a shot in and it won't do well.

breadfan35

Nikon D3

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

01/23/2008 06:40:51 PM · #13

I just hate titling period. I'm pretty close to just making every shot I take form now on just be untitled, unless something just happens to come to me.

01/23/2008 06:41:51 PM · #14

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

did i not say i was guilty of this on some level??!! i think that CalamitysMaster got it right on the money when he was talking about that particular photo being abstract. i named it that for the benefit of the viewer!

01/23/2008 06:43:23 PM · #15

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

i agree

Bujanx

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

01/23/2008 06:44:31 PM · #16

My pet peeve with titles (have I been here long enough to be allowed a pet peeve?) are the ones who pompous (maybe the wrong word?).

You know, some takes a picture of a Candy Cane and gives it a title like 'Depression of a stunted moth on a frosty world of literature'

*shrug*

That's just me.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/23/2008 06:47:42 PM · #17

Originally posted by Bujanx:

hahahaha

pixelpig

Sony Alpha a55

Sony DT 1.8/50mm SAM

01/23/2008 07:12:15 PM · #18

My pet peve is that no matter how I title my shot, a bunch of people are going to be peeved.

jmritz

Fujifilm X30

Custom Made Pinhole

01/23/2008 07:21:40 PM · #19

What if your color blind. Then the title Yellow Flower sure helps.

killjoy181

Canon EOS-30D

01/23/2008 07:31:23 PM · #20

I think a title sometimes helps more for the thumb view, I have clicked on a thumb that didn't seem interesting but the title got my attention. Good or bad for me, one will pop into my head for a shot which seems to fit the photo so it gets a title, this might just be a mental issue! :-]

Sonifo