Shutter Speed - Courage not rewarded

11/09/2005 02:23:39 AM · #1

IMHO all (or almost all) photos which had a high rating in "Shutter Speed" were quite banal, something you can say you've seen hundreds times.
Water, water, water, birds, birds, water, birds, water, birds...
Instead I can see some very courageous shots but they're all below 4.
I'm sorry because I believe that true creativity requires courage and courage deserves to be rewarded. Up till now I've never seen something like this on DPC, I always agreed with challenge results. This time I feel quite frustrated. Does someone agree with me?
(Ehm, just to make sure I will not be misunderstood, I've not participated in that challenge, I'm not defending any of my pictures)

Rikki

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

11/09/2005 02:26:40 AM · #2

Yea here.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/09/2005 02:29:51 AM · #3

Thanks rikki11, I felt "alone" before your post ;)

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

11/09/2005 02:56:09 AM · #4

9th Place:

Probably took courage to take the time to turn around and snap a shot with this scary thing chasing you. ;-)

Agree with you somewhat. I didn't enter, but think - eh, just one of those things - people looking for the typical things that clearly show the use of shutter speed.

wavelength

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

11/09/2005 03:02:49 AM · #5

I dunno, courage isn't the point, making a great photo is. if you didn't pull it off, you didn't. thems the breaks.

I agree that many of the top 30 are similar in subject, but they're all very well done.

owen

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

11/09/2005 03:41:04 AM · #6

Every shot that you can think of that shows an example of shutter speed has probably been done before but they get better as our cameras get better. An original shot has to be done very well to get to the top but they do get to the top when they are done well. I'm not having a go at anyone and I'm quite often dissapointed in originality not being rewarded here but I thought the little dog shot was very good and I thought the number one shot was totally excellent and quite different to the normal moving water shot (which I have seen enough of).

elee3009

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

11/09/2005 06:01:17 AM · #7

Sorry if I seem like hijacking this thread. My shutter speed entry was really a personal experiment on unfamiliar turf and skills. So wondered if that counts as being courageous ;) Whatever you think it is, I wouldn't mind getting some downright honest critique which was the whole idea of entering 'coz I knew it wasn't gonna sit well on scores.

Thanks in advance.

owen

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

11/09/2005 06:24:17 AM · #8

Originally posted by elee3009:

I liked your shot I gave it a 7. It's hard for me to say why I like it I guess it's a bit like a good painting. Your's is a good example of a courageous shot not rewarded. Technically I guess the colours are washed out, one beast is a bit chopped off and as someone mentioned it may have been better with a still background but the composition is good and the action is exciting. I guess it strengthens the view of previous commentors and shows that when you step out you can get unfairly hammered. (People are voting higher for cleaner calendar type shots.) Still you should be happy with your shot personally and the fact that you were brave enough to enter it, also two people loved it.

LadeeM

Olympus E-410

Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Digital Zoom

11/09/2005 06:28:33 AM · #9

I got 131 votes at 4 and below, and not one comment from any of those. (Thanks Judy for your awesome comment!)

Everything is sharp, except for the ball and bowler. I guess I would like to know why people didn't like it.

But I agree. The top photo is very pretty, and can see why it voted high, but it does get frustrating sometimes.

Message edited by author 2005-11-09 06:29:02.

Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Digital Zoom

11/09/2005 06:35:47 AM · #10

Don't mean to upset anyone but I don't like the blue ribbon photo. The sky is totally white and the snow is a little bit overexposed. A polarizing or a gradient filter would not have been a bad idea... IMHO it's not good enough to deserve the 1st place.
This is just to reply to those of you who mentioned "how beautiful it is", yet this is not the thread topic so let's go back to the original topic and say that i agree with LadeeM, the picture was technically very good and coherent, effective composition, good "sense of movement", I would have rated it VERY high.

LadeeM

Olympus E-410

11/09/2005 07:09:05 AM · #11

Didn't mean to upset you, backdream. :) I agree with you. And the longer you're here, the more you'll see it. And then one day, when you try to do something that has won before, you'll get the comment, "This is getting old. I'm voting you down for lack of creativity." :)

Edit: for gramma :)

Message edited by author 2005-11-09 07:09:26.

elee3009

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

11/09/2005 07:30:24 AM · #12

Ladeem, I left you a comment.

Owen, it's heartening to know that you got at least the essence of what I was trying to convey and appreciate the above average vote. Knew there were big areas to improve but I am quite happy with a first attempt of trying something different. Just have to get better at the technique and no worries, I'm not too bothered with how it placed. Just a bit disappointed with the lack of real pointers on how I could have done it better knowing I had to work within certain constraints.

bbright

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

11/09/2005 08:03:18 AM · #13

I saw that people are commenting on my Shutter Speed photo and giving advice about hardware usage. I might have used the polarizing filter if I had one, but it�s still just on my wish list.
A few other points:
The sky is white just because it was white when it the picture was shot (in a small break of a snowstorm) � I don�t see a reason why pictures taken in certain weather conditions should not rate high. But as a white sky is not very interesting I cropped it as much as possible.
As for the courage, then I would say that it was courage to submit a snowscape with the whites cranked as an attempt to interpret the blinding white of fresh snow. Actually I expected more complains about overexposure than I really got. I�m just glad that more people looked at the good contrast and the overall effect.
- bjarni

Buckeye_Fan

11/09/2005 08:13:59 AM · #14

I will have to agree that I think my photo was scored low also. Now I have never really complained about my score and I got some very encouraging comments but the top winners are boring. I tried to capture 2 things....fast and slow movement. Needless to say, the photo could have been better but I liked what I did and maybe I'm bias.

g

Even though the 1st and 3rd place photos are great, I would call them long exposure not shutter speed.

Message edited by author 2005-11-09 08:21:08.

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

11/09/2005 08:24:02 AM · #15

Originally posted by backdream:

Show me a photo that hasn't been taken before...Show me a photo that is 100% original...That animal does NOT exist! Have you ever tried to shoot an exploding water balloon? Not easy.

I'm getting pretty aggravated by all these after-challenge-results poo-pooing and insulting of the winners...They won because they deserved to win and Bravo to them!

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

11/09/2005 08:27:19 AM · #16

Originally posted by gayle43103:

...Now I have never really complained about my score and I got some very encouraging comments but the top winners are boring. I tried to capture 2 things....fast and slow movement. Needless to say, the photo could have been better but I liked what I did and maybe I'm bias.

g

Even though the 1st and 3rd place photos are great, I would call them long exposure not shutter speed.

Where does it say in the cahllenge description that is has to freeze motion? The challenge is about using shutter speed to create or capture a photographic effect...and the winning shots did that. Slow shutter speed to make the water look silky and fast shutter speed to freeze the balloon explosion.

conglett

Nikon D70

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

11/09/2005 08:38:23 AM · #17

I find it interesting that (lack of) originality is a frequent complaint following multiple challenges recently. I think its unrealistic both from a logistics standpoint (what's the likelihood a similar shot hasn't been done in the past) and a practical standpoint. When voting, we see one image at a time and hopefully vote it on its merit alone, not relative to anything else you've seen.

Therefore, we will continue to get high-scoring water drops frozen in time, moving water that looks like clouds and as long as they are done well that's OK. Those particular photographers are likely attempting their own version for the first time - and isn't that what this site is about? This isn't a graduate degree program in Fine Arts, but a beginner and intermediate level development opportunity.

Just relax, venerate those you feel were underrepresented in voting and focus on improving others and yourself.

Keith Maniac

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM for Canon

11/09/2005 08:45:36 AM · #18

Originally posted by gayle43103:

...Even though the 1st and 3rd place photos are great, I would call them long exposure not shutter speed.

The challenge description states: "Create an image where your choice of shutter speed leads to the main impact. Choose fast shutter speeds to freeze motion or slow ones to capture motion blur."

Using a slow shutter speed to photograph moving water causes the water to appear blurred, or "silky".

Message edited by author 2005-11-09 08:53:45.

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

11/09/2005 08:51:46 AM · #19

this site is about learning from others not having the courage to shoot something different. Yes you should try to be different but you should also try to do it effectively. I've passed up many challenges because I didn't think I could be original or in your mind "couragous" enough, but I've also passed up many because I didn't think I had the skill to submit a good image (also submitted too many that didn't have that skill level :)

The top images fit the challenge and they exceed in their photographic skills. It sounds to me that if you ran the voting then anyone that shot something different would instantly win, doesn't matter if the picture is techincally good or not, just shoot something different than anyone else. How is that supposed to help people excel in their skills?

Why is it we never hear from the top placers about the lack of courage or skill or uniqueness in the photos submitted by the people that didn't place high? Geez people learn from what wins, it won because it is a good shot.

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

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

11/09/2005 08:55:18 AM · #20

Landed at 89th. Of course I would have liked it to be higher, but I enjoyed shooting this challenge and learned more about slow shutter images.

How was that done? I hung the camera by its strap over the top of my studio ladder, placed a candle on the floor under the lens, set camera for 8 second exposure, hit the shutter and pushed the camera to set it swinging. Did this many times before I got a pattern that I liked.

Edited to fix typo.

Message edited by author 2005-11-09 09:01:25.

Buckeye_Fan

11/09/2005 08:59:45 AM · #21

Originally posted by sabphoto:

Geez people learn from what wins, it won because it is a good shot.

Fine...but IMHO it is a safe win. I could go out and shoot a stream. Easy enough. Now the 2nd place winner...I feel should have been first. But its my opinion and on this site, those of us who feel we should have scored higher, we aren't allowed to have an opinion. It seems that no matter what the challenge is, if you have a good photo it wins, whether it fits that challenge or not. Now I know I'm stirring a hornets nest and will get blasted out of this forum but again...its MY opinion.

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

11/09/2005 09:00:16 AM · #22

Originally posted by conglett:

I'm relaxed :) just wanted to post my opinion because in this particular case I have seen some *original* photos which had a very low score. Maybe a 100% original photo does not exist, yet some of the pictures here were at least 75% original. The top scores were 5% original.
Just this. Don't try to interpret my words and make me say more than what I have really said. I just wanted to state my opinion. And everybody is absolutely free to disagree. :)

alanfreed

Nikon D6

11/09/2005 09:02:20 AM · #23

Originally posted by backdream:

IMHO all (or almost all) photos which had a high rating in "Shutter Speed" were quite banal, something you can say you've seen hundreds times.

It's always interesting to hear this sort of argument from someone who has participated in no challenges and has no portfolio images posted...

glad2badad

DJI Mavic Air 2

Sears 55mm f/1.4 M42

11/09/2005 09:05:30 AM · #24

Very cool! Well done...and thanks for sharing.

Originally posted by idnic: