Cute and humorous phobias? - DPChallenge Forums

12/21/2005 01:59:28 PM · #1

Maybe this is a "rant" but just how is one supposed to score entries in the Phobia challenge that are so far from "Try to make the viewer feel the emotion of the fear." that they invoke laughter or a sense of well being?

I haven't been around here for long, but it seems to me that this is a current if not chronic problem -- people not reading the challenge descriptions but only the challenge titles. This problem was abundant in the recent "Say Cheese!", "Too Early", and "Too Late" challenges which had descriptions that could not be guessed from the titles. As a test, there should be a contest titled "Sadness" with a description "shoot the funniest/happiest thing you can find" and then see what the results are.

Anyway, I won't give a score above 5 to even an otherwise perfect entry that doesn't meet the challenge description. Otherwise these might as well all be Free Studies.

Disclaimer -- I didn't enter the Phobia contest. But I am voting there.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/21/2005 02:03:26 PM · #2

Well, apparently I passed your criteria.. ;) Although I didn't see what your actual vote was.

I do agree though and gave out more 2-4 votes than I probably have in the last 5 challenges put together.

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

12/21/2005 02:33:43 PM · #3

What's is scary to you, may not be scary to others, and vice versa. For example, I am afraid of horses. Deathly afraid, actually. So a photo of a horse would definately make me feel the emotion of fear.
I'm not afraid of spiders, so a photo of a scary looking spider would not make ME feel the emotion of fear, where it might paralize someone afraid of spiders.
It really just depends on what YOU personally are afraid of. Some people are really really afraid of clowns, so a cute photo of a clown would terrify them.
This is a challenge, where I believe you need to take into consideration the fears of others as well.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

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

12/21/2005 02:43:39 PM · #4

I agree hbunch, but you have to be able to convey that irrational fear (which is the definition of phobia in the first place). I don't want to talk about specific pictures, but the photographer can use perspective, composition, or other means to twist the normal object into one of fear. We then "see" the image through the photographer's eye and the ordinary or mundane becomes something to fear.

theSaj

Canon EOS-20D

12/21/2005 03:47:55 PM · #5

talmy, one individual's collected favorite item is another's phobia.

My ex hated clowns, I've had friends that love and collected clowns.

I know people who love dogs, where as they are one of my biggest phobias.

I think you're approaching this from extremely self-centered point of view.

12/21/2005 03:52:29 PM · #6

As long as we're "ranting" on this, at least ine person out there seems to think (based on a comment I received) that if the image does not show a PERSON "reacting" in some way, it does not meet the challenge... say what?

R.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

12/21/2005 04:05:15 PM · #7

This was a tough challenge.
I un-submitted my photo after re-reading the description, because all I really had was an object - I wasn't showing fear in my photo.

I don't think it necessarily needs a person showing fear, but showing an ordinary photo of a couple of people dancing and then calling it Chorophobia just doesn't do it for me.

We were supposed to somehow "make the viewer feel the emotion of the fear". Congratulations to the people who managed to do just that.

MQuinn

Olympus OM-D E-M1

12/21/2005 04:07:08 PM · #8

LOL! Well I finally got a comment. Obvisously misunderstood what the phobia was. I wonder if this one is gunna bomb like my too early one.

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

12/21/2005 04:10:44 PM · #9

Originally posted by hbunch7187:

Some people are really really afraid of clowns

Yup - Took my 3 year old to the Circus recently and he flipped out. Still freeks out when the older one puts on a red nose he got there. Never occured to me....

12/21/2005 04:12:19 PM · #10

Originally posted by Beetle:

We were supposed to somehow "make the viewer feel the emotion of the fear". Congratulations to the people who managed to do just that.

This is what I thought I had done, very effectively. Gawd knows mine's a "real" phobia, in the sense that I have it, and I can't even stand to LOOK at my image; it took real courage to take it :-)

R.

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

12/21/2005 04:13:21 PM · #11

Originally posted by robs:

Originally posted by hbunch7187:
Some people are really really afraid of clowns

Yup - Took my 3 year old to the Circus recently and he flipped out. Still freeks out when the older one puts on a red nose he got there. Never occured to me....

"Fear of Clowns" is actually very common among children, and a classic phobis that is much-documented. There are many theories as to why this should be so.

R.

theSaj

Canon EOS-20D

12/21/2005 04:18:52 PM · #12

Is Fear Funny?

Well, all I know is many children are made fun of for being afraid of heights, etc. In fact, abnormal fear is usually seen as humorous in those who do not have the fear.

Hence children the world over are teased by fellow children for their fears.

mesmeraj

12/21/2005 04:19:24 PM · #13

some peoples phobias are hilarious to other people also. For example, i am scared of crickets in my panties - which everyone thinks is hilarious (ref "good evening" about the 3rd from last page) but i am still scared of them!

Feel free to laugh at me - but when you get a cricket in your panties, youll scream too!

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

12/21/2005 04:20:53 PM · #14

Originally posted by bear_music:

Maybe some of us are so tough, you can't scare us with anything :-)

Just kidding, Robert, I am not making fun of you, or your phobia (or anybody else's for that matter).

I guess we're back to the difference in the way people look at things.

It must be hard for someone who HAS a phobia of _____ to understand why looking at a photo of it doesn't freak everybody out.

However, in this case I have decided to reward people who actually made the effort (as per challenge description) to depict the emotion, rather than just the object of some people's fear.
Hopefully I won't misinterpret any of them.

12/21/2005 04:22:24 PM · #15

Originally posted by theSaj:

talmy, one individual's collected favorite item is another's phobia.
My ex hated clowns, I've had friends that love and collected clowns.
I know people who love dogs, where as they are one of my biggest phobias.
I think you're approaching this from extremely self-centered point of view.

If the picture attempt to convey the fear, I'll rate it highly even if I don't have that fear myself. Likewise, if the picture is cute and sweet, I won't give it a high score even if I find it scary based on my own phobias. I don't know how concrete I can give with examples while the contest is still being voted, but I'll try.

There is one picture of a cute animal. A species that I *really* hate. If that animal was shown in a menacing posture, I would have rated it highly. But the photographer shot it intentionally cute, I'm sure they would admit. Just sitting there sweetly doesn't convey fear, even though I'd be uncomfortable in the same room with it.

On the other hand, I have absolutely no fear of closed spaces, yet gave a high score to a picture which I felt was excellent in conveying this fear, mainly through lighting and great framing.

The important thing is not whether the voter has that particular fear but how well the photographer conveys the fear. IMHO, the photographs I've been seeing here that attempt to be cute or humorous just aren't conveying fear. I will admit to seeing a few exceptions to this, but in general I believe it is true in this challenge.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

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

12/21/2005 04:46:46 PM · #16

Originally posted by mesmeraj:

...wait--- I feel something moving in my panties -aaaahhhh!! ;-P

edit: I forgot one...

Message edited by author 2005-12-21 16:48:22.

ragamuffingirl

Sony Alpha NEX-5N

12/21/2005 04:55:17 PM · #17

I agree with the person who said not everyone is afraid of the same thing. I was in Florida during the challenge, or there is the escalator in one of the Washington DC Metro stops... I am terrified of stairs/steap inclines. I can go up and down stairs, but I always have a death grip on the railing. If there's no railing, I'll actually get down and slide on my butt. Anyway, that escalator going down into this black hole is the embodiment of all my worst fears.

I have a sister who is terrified of all manor of creepy crawlie. Unless it's absolutely huge, I really don't understand that. It's a bug. Step on it.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

12/21/2005 04:58:03 PM · #18

Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:

I have a sister who is terrified of all manor of creepy crawlie. Unless it's absolutely huge, I really don't understand that. It's a bug. Step on it.

Let's hope she doesn't get one in her panties! LOL

Just shoot me if you think I am being insensitive. I think it's good to laugh. Unless you have a fear of laughing. :)

12/21/2005 04:59:57 PM · #19

Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:

It's a bug. Step on it.

This has to go down as one of the great quotes of all time :-)

R.

12/21/2005 05:00:54 PM · #20

Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:

I know the one (and I live in Oregon!). I even took a picture of it at one time, but not while I was riding it. When it was built it was the record holder for the worlds longest escalator. I don't know if the record still stands; probably not.