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02/19/2008 07:40:10 AM · #1 |
Just wanted to get some opinions really, apologies if this has been discussed previously.
If a submitted photo has to 100% rely on the title to explain its meaning or reasoning, how do you mark it? I am only asking as I have just marked entries to the 'misunderstanding' challenge.
Now, if I am honest I have marked every entry that clearly does not make any sense without me reading the title, much lower than I would if it fitted its theme.
Should I be taking into the account the title as part of the entry? I personally enjoy seeing some of the fitting titles, but I have never deemed it part of an image in any other challenge I have voted in.
What are your thoughts?
EDIT: not sure how I got that erroneous 'e' in my title, apologies :-)
Message edited by author 2008-02-19 07:41:22. |
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02/19/2008 08:25:22 AM · #2 |
I think this sort of challenge, by it's nature relies a lot on the title. After all, if it does not make sense based on the picture, then you probably misunderstood it. Therefore, it meets the challenge. Circular thinking, but it works for me...
Message edited by author 2008-02-19 08:25:34. |
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02/19/2008 08:41:26 AM · #3 |
| The title is a part of the presentation, and if it wasn't important we wouldn't have them. It's up to you to determine how much "weight" to give the title. |
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02/19/2008 08:50:00 AM · #4 |
I think the title should be a nudge or enhancement, not a novel. The viewer/voter already has the concept of the challenge by knowing the theme is 'Misunderstanding'.
As always, some photos told the story on their own exceptionally well, others needed a little help with the title, and some needed all the help they could get with the title (and then some). :-)
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02/19/2008 09:07:11 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by glad2badad:
I think the title should be a nudge or enhancement, not a novel. The viewer/voter already has the concept of the challenge by knowing the theme is 'Misunderstanding'.
As always, some photos told the story on their own exceptionally well, others needed a little help with the title, and some needed all the help they could get with the title (and then some). :-) |
This is how I feel.
Whilst, I felt there were some that we not very good in terms of end product, but I gave slightly more merit based on the idea. By idea, I mean not reliant on the title. There were some entries which were clearly taken by someone with much talent, but from the photo I just could not grasp the theme, of which I marked much lower than perhaps they deserved.
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02/19/2008 09:32:14 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by martinturner:
Just wanted to get some opinions really, apologies if this has been discussed previously.
If a submitted photo has to 100% rely on the title to explain its meaning or reasoning, how do you mark it? I am only asking as I have just marked entries to the 'misunderstanding' challenge.
Now, if I am honest I have marked every entry that clearly does not make any sense without me reading the title, much lower than I would if it fitted its theme.
Should I be taking into the account the title as part of the entry? I personally enjoy seeing some of the fitting titles, but I have never deemed it part of an image in any other challenge I have voted in.
What are your thoughts?
EDIT: not sure how I got that erroneous 'e' in my title, apologies :-) |
A ubiquitous and unanswerable question which appears often in dpc threads. Titles are presented unnecessarily prominent and superfluous, indeed they are a default in order to enter a picture. You will have to live with the pain of the 90% which are titled as an after thought or ignore the clutter & focus more intently on the photograph. |
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02/19/2008 09:51:37 AM · #7 |
Ultimately, it is your own choice as to how much weight to give to various aspects of an image when voting.
Though not required, if you handout a low vote is is an appreciated courtesy to leave a comment letting the photographer know why. I've seen great work get slammed with 2's and some awful snapshots get 9's. Without comments I am left scratching my head over it. |
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02/19/2008 09:57:04 AM · #8 |
emphasis added
Originally posted by yospiff:
... Though not required, if you handout a low vote is is an appreciated courtesy to leave a comment letting the photographer know why. I've seen great work get slammed with 2's and some awful snapshots get 9's. Without comments I am left scratching my head over it. |
That's because someone has gone and deleted the comments! Just kidding of course. :)
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02/19/2008 10:19:52 AM · #9 |
I think this is what you are looking for !!
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02/19/2008 11:51:36 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by martinturner:
...If a submitted photo has to 100% rely on the title to explain its meaning or reasoning, how do you mark it?...
I have marked every entry that clearly does not make any sense without me reading the title, much lower than I would if it fitted its theme.
Should I be taking into the account the title as part of the entry? ... |
A title (to me) is part of a presentation.
I do not expect an interesting image to make sense. Instead, I'd expect it to raise a question or two.
If an entry relied 100 on the title to explain its meaning, I'd consider it a failed presentation which would effect my vote. A good title should charge the photograph, not diminish it. |
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02/19/2008 12:07:06 PM · #11 |
what  zeuszen says
& I also want the effect of "milk coming out the nose" when the viewer 'gets' it ... ;) |
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02/19/2008 12:13:19 PM · #12 |
| Pretty much what zeuszen said. I would add that in some sense the photograph has to make it on its own; the extent to which a title may "charge" a photo varies from practically zero to who knows, but that does not mean a title with lesser charge is less apt than one with greater charge. Aptness is the fine art. |
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02/19/2008 12:48:26 PM · #13 |
Titles are pretty funny, I have had entries were the title helped the score and tiles that hurt the score. I agree if the only thing that relates the photo to the challenge is the title then I would tend to score the photo lower but there are times when it helps me to better understand what the intent was, then I tend to say "oh ya I get it" or I say "still a stretch" and vote accordingly.
Using a title to affect perception of the shot to me can be an asset that is part of the challenge. My best example of a title working is this shot in the chains challenge titled "the Deep"  , I think the reason it worked is because it made people stop to look and wonder if it truly was underwater. The chain is actually a chain stretched accross a barn stall covered with ice. The shot clearly fit the challenge and would have made it on its own without the comment but from the comments the effectiveness of the comment worked. Overall I think the title raised the score some. |
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02/19/2008 12:57:23 PM · #14 |
| Depends on the challenge. Some challenges based on emotion can be explained with just the image and not the caption. I don't think you will win many challenges when the photo doesn't tell the story, but the caption does. |
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02/19/2008 01:06:08 PM · #15 |
| I'm a beleiver in: The photo should hold it's own "weight". Usually I will not title an image. I want the viewer to make up His/Her own mind about what the image is. However if I titled every image "untitled" on DPC, viewers would catch on that they are my images so I am "forced" to add titles. |
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02/19/2008 01:17:43 PM · #16 |
| In a themed challenge, the challenge title automatically becomes the title of anything not re-titled by the photographer. One of the ways I judge a photo is by asking myself "does this photo 'say' to me?" |
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02/19/2008 01:23:55 PM · #17 |
| To dismiss the title is to give in to the illusion that the photograph exists independently, which puts you on a level with the villager who thinks the camera will steal his soul. A photograph leaks outside of its frame, and the outside leaks in. A photograph is the experience you have looking at the photograph, floating in a sea of gray with little numbers underneath, your illusion of power. How good your experience is, i.e., how good the photograph is, depends a lot on you. Most attempts to create an "objective opinion" merely cripple your ability to properly appreciate what is in front of you (and all around you... and even further...). |
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02/19/2008 01:40:17 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
To dismiss the title is to give in to the illusion that the photograph exists independently, which puts you on a level with the villager who thinks the camera will steal his soul. A photograph leaks outside of its frame, and the outside leaks in. A photograph is the experience you have looking at the photograph, floating in a sea of gray with little numbers underneath, your illusion of power. How good your experience is, i.e., how good the photograph is, depends a lot on you. Most attempts to create an "objective opinion" merely cripple your ability to properly appreciate what is in front of you (and all around you... and even further...). |
Man, I couldn't have said it better. Why am I not winning more (read: any) posthumous awards these days?
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02/19/2008 02:31:19 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
To dismiss the title is to give in to the illusion that the photograph exists independently, which puts you on a level with the villager who thinks the camera will steal his soul. |
Very clever insult, but not an accurate assessment, imo. :-)
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02/19/2008 03:26:47 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
To dismiss the title is to give in to the illusion that the photograph exists independently, which puts you on a level with the villager who thinks the camera will steal his soul. A photograph leaks outside of its frame, and the outside leaks in. A photograph is the experience you have looking at the photograph, floating in a sea of gray with little numbers underneath, your illusion of power. How good your experience is, i.e., how good the photograph is, depends a lot on you. Most attempts to create an "objective opinion" merely cripple your ability to properly appreciate what is in front of you (and all around you... and even further...). |
My brain hurts. :-( |
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02/19/2008 03:31:36 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
To dismiss the title is to give in to the illusion that the photograph exists independently, which puts you on a level with the villager who thinks the camera will steal his soul. A photograph leaks outside of its frame, and the outside leaks in. A photograph is the experience you have looking at the photograph, floating in a sea of gray with little numbers underneath, your illusion of power. How good your experience is, i.e., how good the photograph is, depends a lot on you. Most attempts to create an "objective opinion" merely cripple your ability to properly appreciate what is in front of you (and all around you... and even further...). |
Is this the thing we call "Pantload"? |
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02/19/2008 04:24:50 PM · #22 |
For  posthumous
Oh for heaven's sake. No one is dismissing the title, no one is making an ontological case for the thing in itselfness of the photo, nor is there an argument about objectivity in assessing the photo, at least not in this thread. We are, in fact, exploring the relationship between title and photo.
And I, for one, am very much on the level of the villager who believes the camera will steal his soul, and will probably remain so for some time to come. |
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02/19/2008 04:46:17 PM · #23 |
Since you specifically stated that it was the "Misunderstanding" challenge that you have just voted on - in such a challenge, I would expect almost all photos to be, essentially, title-dependent. VERY few of the photos in that challenge would show any form of misunderstanding without the title.
In general, I find that titles are an enhancement of a photo.
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02/19/2008 07:39:52 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by tnun:
no one is making an ontological case for the thing in itselfness of the photo |
Why would they make such a case when it is unquestioned?
Originally posted by tnun:
We are, in fact, exploring the relationship between title and photo. |
Where? That sounds like a fascinating discussion.
Originally posted by tnun:
And I, for one, am very much on the level of the villager who believes the camera will steal his soul, and will probably remain so for some time to come. |
It's people like you who make it so hard for me to find models. :(
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02/19/2008 07:45:37 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Originally posted by posthumous:
To dismiss the title is to give in to the illusion that the photograph exists independently, which puts you on a level with the villager who thinks the camera will steal his soul. |
Very clever insult, but not an accurate assessment, imo. :-) |
I did not take this as an insult, however I do strongley disagree with the statement. I do find it perplexing, and it has given me something to think about. |
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