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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> DPC can sure keep ya humble!!!
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02/04/2017 11:20:46 AM · #1
Sooooo......

In the last ten challenges, I have gotten a red ribbon with my third highest score ever, an HM, and a 7th/Top Ten star.

I then proceeded to pump out a few genuinely average/meh/5.xxxx entries, AND....

I am now sitting on two 4.xxxx scores in voting.

I didn't think either of them were that bad, and one has already been enlarged, matted, framed, and is proudly displayed.

Stick around here and you can be sure you'll get smacked upside the head with the baseball bat of reality.

LOL!!!
02/04/2017 11:26:19 AM · #2
Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Stick around here and you can be sure you'll get smacked upside the head with the baseball bat of reality.

02/04/2017 12:35:18 PM · #3
Yup.

Never any laurels to rest upon at DPC!
02/04/2017 03:09:44 PM · #4
I have that sinking feeling as well 4 challenges on the go and not one of them over 4.xxx.

Just haven't found a winning formula. .
02/04/2017 05:07:10 PM · #5
That an entry is 4.x doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. It just doesn't appeal to the voters.
02/05/2017 04:01:38 AM · #6
I'm really not here for the votes or scores, I'm here because I enjoy Photography.
02/05/2017 08:34:12 AM · #7
Originally posted by MAK:

I'm really not here for the votes or scores, I'm here because I enjoy Photography.

So you don't use the votes & scores as an index at all of how you're doing?
02/05/2017 09:06:18 AM · #8
Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Originally posted by MAK:

I'm really not here for the votes or scores, I'm here because I enjoy Photography.

So you don't use the votes & scores as an index at all of how you're doing?


Nope. I submit the shot I like and I still like it even if (and when) it finishes in the bottom run..

I find that I use DPC as a way to inspire my getting out and shooting out of my comfort zone and as such I widen my own boundaries.

The only time scores actually matter a bit to me is during the TPL or DPL league stuff then it matters for the team.
02/05/2017 10:29:36 AM · #9
Yup -- I have a 4 going in freestudy, and it's not even for an artsy photo. I've sometimes had a range of 1.8-2.0 points difference in concurrent submissions. Now I'm at 1.4 point spread.

I like watching the scores. I think it's fascinating seeing what photos have universal appeal, which ones get a lot of love/hate, which ones are just "meh" across the board. It's interesting to know when I've guessed right, and when I'm completely and totally off. That way it's an adventure from start to finish.
02/05/2017 01:54:00 PM · #10
Originally posted by NikonJeb:

Originally posted by MAK:

I'm really not here for the votes or scores, I'm here because I enjoy Photography.

So you don't use the votes & scores as an index at all of how you're doing?


Long ago, when I joined my first online photography group, it felt like a big adventure. Nobody had seen my photography but family & friends. The idea of strangers voting on/evaluating my work felt daring & a little risky. Scores meant a lot to me. Now, about 25 years later I feel like I've read everything people have to say about photography, viewed an enormous online catalog of photographs, fine-tuned my own thoughts & preferences, & now scores are not that interesting outside the context of a given group of scorers. DPC has become a little comfort zone for me, I like the diversity of people & styles, & the friendly possibility of getting help/answers/opinions. I'm still voting, occasionally commenting, but not entering much. The best challenges come from within, after all.
02/05/2017 01:58:29 PM · #11
I have five entries in voting; one's at 5.7, one's barely holding on to a 5.0, and the other three are all in the 4.x range...
02/05/2017 02:47:49 PM · #12
I am baffled when my 5.1 at DP gets published on 1x. We have very divergent taste at DP.
I keep trying to compensate by voting higher, but it never turns the tide or makes a difference.
It's sort of the "when they go low, we go lower" syndrome.
02/05/2017 10:16:24 PM · #13
LOL!!!

Free Study 2017-01
Votes: 54
Avg Vote: 4.8333

Best of 2016
Votes: 54
Avg Vote: 4.8333

02/06/2017 11:43:45 AM · #14
Originally posted by MeMex2:

I am baffled when my 5.1 at DP gets published on 1x. We have very divergent taste at DP.
I keep trying to compensate by voting higher, but it never turns the tide or makes a difference.
It's sort of the "when they go low, we go lower" syndrome.

It's different....we're not like 1x, and they're not like us. I've never had anything posted over there, not for lack of trying. That's okay..... a twinge of frustration, BUT..... through learning about photographic expectations in my journey here, I don't cry myself to sleep over it, either.

Vive la difference!
Originally posted by vawendy:

Yup -- I have a 4 going in freestudy, and it's not even for an artsy photo. I've sometimes had a range of 1.8-2.0 points difference in concurrent submissions. Now I'm at 1.4 point spread.

I like watching the scores. I think it's fascinating seeing what photos have universal appeal, which ones get a lot of love/hate, which ones are just "meh" across the board. It's interesting to know when I've guessed right, and when I'm completely and totally off. That way it's an adventure from start to finish.

Yah.....that's me. There is such a varied and wide range of photographers and voters here. It enables me to see my own work through different eyes, and work from others that in turn helps me move forward. Most sites are singular minded IMO. Certainly not here.

Originally posted by pixelpig:

Long ago, when I joined my first online photography group, it felt like a big adventure. Nobody had seen my photography but family & friends. The idea of strangers voting on/evaluating my work felt daring & a little risky. Scores meant a lot to me. Now, about 25 years later I feel like I've read everything people have to say about photography, viewed an enormous online catalog of photographs, fine-tuned my own thoughts & preferences, & now scores are not that interesting outside the context of a given group of scorers. DPC has become a little comfort zone for me, I like the diversity of people & styles, & the friendly possibility of getting help/answers/opinions. I'm still voting, occasionally commenting, but not entering much. The best challenges come from within, after all.

Though I differ in some of the details, and that could just be that I'm not as evolved in my journey, the gist of this missive is terrific. NOT something I find on other sites. This community is a wealth of varied perspectives, techniques, tastes, experience, and just plain old diversity. The depth of experience, education, skills, techniques, and the diversity in these aforementioned qualities are what make this community extraordinary.

Obviously, part of the humility I feel at this site is that I have the eyes and ears of so many people I truly admire. Some of them I'm sure have no idea how in awe I am of them, and in its own weird way, that makes their contributions so much more valuable to me.

I "grew up" here, I've been able to follow and refine my own photography path, and I couldn't be happier because of it. My two 4.xxxx scores in current voting coming on the heels of a terrific couple of challenges just drives home to me how I will always be here, always need to be here, and always pushing forward.
02/06/2017 01:23:46 PM · #15
This was the first online photo community I found and joined as I got started in my journey. When I went shopping for my first DSLR, I read all up on DPReview to self smart myself on good cameras and gears and stuffs. Once I made my purchase, I found DPChallenge as it was so closely named to the other site. I figured that participation here would fast track me to supreme photographer status. After almost a year, when that didn't happen, my ego would not let me renew my membership and away I went. I saw the scores as critical and without the critiques, I only interpreted them as Good, Mediocre and Bad with less than 5 being bad and 6 and up being good. It took a while for me to realize I needed more than a decent camera, charm and luck . . . I know, weird, right?

I got some technical training on how to use my camera from a local pro photographer, then started taking pictures of things I liked and rolling in the accolades of my friends and family who had nothing but great things to say about my photography. Ironically enough, none of them really had any formal photography or art training, but it fed my ego and kept me interested in the art. I got lucky at my local county fair in 2012 with my entries, placing first in many categories and taking the best of show. I was over the moon - I got this! I was asked to be the second shooter at a couple of weddings by an accomplished and proficient pro. I learned tons, but he was not interested in mentoring me. I learned enough to know that I won't shoot weddings on my own for a very long time, too.

As I go deeper into the rabbit's hole, I have learned there is a distinct difference between photography and business - just because one is a decent photographer does not equate to a successful business. I did not discover this firsthand, but saw many examples of this. I also learned that art has a purpose and began to discover some of the elements that make more people appreciate it. The further I went, the more my interest was piqued, the more I wanted to learn and know, the more I learned I did not know - and the cycle continues.

And now, 7 years later, I am back. I renewed my membership and am enjoying the diverse expanse of knowledge and experience here. This is a community of photographers of all experience levels and there is so much to be learned here. The scores, to me, represent a level of wordless critique from the community as a whole. The score is important to me. The timed challenge that this site is built on is exactly what I need to continue to build my skills and grow my knowledgebase.

Even better than the scoring, though, are the comments. My feelings are not hurt because someone didn't like my photo and telling me why they did not like it goes for miles in helping me improve as a photographer. Telling me that you like my work is good for my ego, but telling me why you like it is good for my skillset.

Thanks for making it to the end of this rambling and probably incorrectly placed comment, but the scores are important to me, your comments, good and not good, are important to me, too.
02/06/2017 02:22:56 PM · #16
I loved reading that!

It's the way I got to be where I am also.

DPC rocks!

I especially agree with critiques. The ones that tell me what they DON'T like about my image tell me much more than the ones that tell me what they DO like about it.

I love hearing any comment... but especially the ones that teach me something about myself and/or my images.

Thanks for sharing that!
02/06/2017 02:41:24 PM · #17
Originally posted by aircooledguy:

Even better than the scoring, though, are the comments. My feelings are not hurt because someone didn't like my photo and telling me why they did not like it goes for miles in helping me improve as a photographer. Telling me that you like my work is good for my ego, but telling me why you like it is good for my skillset.

Very nice story, and congrats on making the front page already.

However one thing you didn't mention is that if you really want to learn more about what "works" (or doesn't) in photos, in the long run you'll get much more benefit from making constructive comments than from reading those others make on your pictures, especially if you comment on those "middle-scoring" photos which don't really have any glaring "error" but don't inspire a high vote either.
02/06/2017 02:48:48 PM · #18
Originally posted by GeneralE:

However one thing you didn't mention is that if you really want to learn more about what "works" (or doesn't) in photos, in the long run you'll get much more benefit from making constructive comments than from reading those others make on your pictures, especially if you comment on those "middle-scoring" photos which don't really have any glaring "error" but don't inspire a high vote either.

True that.....and it's hard work that does pay off.
02/06/2017 02:54:53 PM · #19
Originally posted by aircooledguy:

I got lucky at my local county fair in 2012 with my entries, placing first in many categories and taking the best of show. I was over the moon - I got this! I was asked to be the second shooter at a couple of weddings by an accomplished and proficient pro.

I plucked this out because it amuses the snot out of me....

I have my own gallery, I've done wedding, portrait, and sports photography, I've sold a lot, won lots of local events and contests, have people tell me all the time how fantastic my work is, but when I need to struggle, work hard, pay attention, and really put my heart into what I do behind a camera, I always find my way back here.
02/06/2017 03:59:14 PM · #20
Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by aircooledguy:

Even better than the scoring, though, are the comments. My feelings are not hurt because someone didn't like my photo and telling me why they did not like it goes for miles in helping me improve as a photographer. Telling me that you like my work is good for my ego, but telling me why you like it is good for my skillset.

Very nice story, and congrats on making the front page already.

However one thing you didn't mention is that if you really want to learn more about what "works" (or doesn't) in photos, in the long run you'll get much more benefit from making constructive comments than from reading those others make on your pictures, especially if you comment on those "middle-scoring" photos which don't really have any glaring "error" but don't inspire a high vote either.


Too true - I was having that thought, or one like that, as I typed that line. I can't be the only one who feels that way, so I should comment more often, not worrying that I feel inadequate to leave meaningful comments . . . then I turned that around and realized that I appreciate any comment. With that, no matter how unqualified I am as a quality commenter, my comments will be appreciated and I should make more of them. Thanks -
02/06/2017 04:10:47 PM · #21
Originally posted by aircooledguy:

With that, no matter how unqualified I am as a quality commenter, my comments will be appreciated and I should make more of them. Thanks -

If you can see the picture then you are as qualified as anyone else to comment, just remember to state opinions as opinions, and don't tell people what's "wrong" or how to "fix" it. And don't be concerned only with technicals -- letting someone know how it made you feel is at least as important.

If you follow something like this format you'll do fine:

"I like/don't like ____ because ____ ."

9 Guidelines for giving and receiving feedback

Commenting for beginners: an non-analytical approach

3 Steps for voting on artistic photographs
02/06/2017 05:12:15 PM · #22
Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by aircooledguy:

With that, no matter how unqualified I am as a quality commenter, my comments will be appreciated and I should make more of them. Thanks -

If you can see the picture then you are as qualified as anyone else to comment, just remember to state opinions as opinions, and don't tell people what's "wrong" or how to "fix" it. And don't be concerned only with technicals -- letting someone know how it made you feel is at least as important.

If you follow something like this format you'll do fine:

"I like/don't like ____ because ____ ."

9 Guidelines for giving and receiving feedback

Commenting for beginners: an non-analytical approach

3 Steps for voting on artistic photographs


Perfect! Thank you!
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