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10/01/2003 07:01:17 AM · #1 |
Okay, I'm doing this against my better judgement, but I really am surprised at some of the placements this time round.
Here are some of the photos that I was expecting to see at the top:
Jack by Tarbini
59th place with an average vote of 5.446
This was my favourite photo of the lot, a 10 from me. Perhaps the voting public had been dispirited by so many snapshot cats that cat fatigue had set in. I feel it's really important to try to see each picture afresh without the 'luggage' of what other people may have done with similar subject matter. Everything about this shot is quality... the composition, textures, use of colour, dof, background, light, exposure, mood, etc.
The impression I get from this photo is that the photographer was in total control of every aspect, while capturing a wonderful emotion.
Can I move now? by Bela45
159th place with an average vote of 4.580
Yes, another cat! But it's a good photo that surely deserves more than 4.6? Okay, the line in the background is a little distracting, but this is better than most snapshot cats. The lighting is great for one thing. No ugly shadows caused by a flash, and it's a pretty good exposure bearing in mind how difficult it is to capture all those tones ranging from bright white to deep black. I love the cat's expression, this picture really seems to capture the essence of the subject effectively. The composition works well. To have done even better, it would have been great (in my opinion of course!) to have knocked out the shadows in Photoshop so the cat would be against a black background.
Maybe people are automatically pressing a low number as soon as they see a cat, which is against the whole spirit of photography. For me, the greatest gift of photography was to stop just 'seeing', and to start 'looking'. If you start to pigeonhole pictures as they appear by going 'cat', 'dog', 'child', surely you've forgotten why you took up photography. Let's look with fresh eyes at everything, taking in colour, light, texture, balance, mood, etc. without just going 'cat' = bad = 1 point! |
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10/01/2003 07:26:15 AM · #2 |
The golden rules is: you have to thinmk to yourself - just how hard and imagaginative is shooting your cat sleeping????
Not very.
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10/01/2003 07:36:28 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by jonpink:
The golden rules is: you have to thinmk to yourself - just how hard and imagaginative is shooting your cat sleeping????
Not very. |
I have to disagree. I think shooting your sleeping cat MUST be very difficult. Look how many people failed to capture their favorite felines in an interesting, artistic way. Many of them turned out appearing to be little more than everyday snapshots that even I could take, while others managed to capture something more through use of lighting, angle, color, cropping and TALENT. I'm amazed by how many people automatically give a low score to these types of photos just because of the subject matter rather on the merit of the shot. You guys sure can be harsh. |
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10/01/2003 07:56:25 AM · #4 |
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10/01/2003 08:18:04 AM · #5 |
Oh Bob, thank you, you made my day!
Sure, I am disappointed with my score, but it was expected, with all the discussion about CATS.
I am not the first and will not be the last to get lots of undeserved 1's
IMHO, I think is my best submission, but I must accept the "rules".
In the future, I will always think that there are people like you, Bob, you can see and judge a picture, and even if it is only one of the voters, I will be happy.
And many this time, thought that it was a good shot. Thank you.
The shot was taken with daylight, at 1/15, hand held camera
Of course, not the best spot on the sofa, but it is HER best spot
You write: "To have done even better, it would have been great (in my opinion of course!) to have knocked out the shadows in Photoshop so the cat would be against a black background. "
Would this have been legal?
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10/01/2003 08:46:17 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by Bela45:
You write: "To have done even better, it would have been great (in my opinion of course!) to have knocked out the shadows in Photoshop so the cat would be against a black background. "
Would this have been legal? |
Hope you don't mind... here's a version of your pic that I Photoshopped.
I adjusted the curves to make the deeper shadows black, and raised the gamma in compensation.
I subtly adjusted the colour balance to bring out some of the colours in the coat.
I applied a subtle sharpen (50%, 0.4 radius, sensitivity 2).
I added some Gaussian Blur.
All this is DPC legal.
BTW, handheld?! Well done!
Message edited by author 2003-10-01 08:48:58. |
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10/01/2003 08:49:51 AM · #7 |
Beautiful, Bob, thanks
I must admit that my PS skills would very well deserve a 1 |
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10/01/2003 11:14:47 AM · #8 |
I am not a cat picture basher by any means, but what effort does it take and thought - to think (ah at rest, I will wait until my cat is asleep - which is 90% of the time - and take a picture of him/her)
Yes they are good, but also quite boring to view IMHO. A technicaly perfect image isn't what it's all about is it?
Attached is a picture of my cat! See I like them too! (It's also featured in this month Digital Creative Arts avaliable in the UK)
;)
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10/01/2003 11:53:47 AM · #9 |
[quote=jonpink]I am not a cat picture basher by any means, but what effort does it take and thought - to think (ah at rest, I will wait until my cat is asleep - which is 90% of the time - and take a picture of him/her)
Yes they are good, but also quite boring to view IMHO. A technicaly perfect image isn't what it's all about is it?
[quote]
It's more than that. For the purposes of DPC (as I see it), the object here is to create a technically sound, visually pleasing, artistically stated representation of whatever theme has been challenged. Just because your shot meets the challenge does not mean it deserves a 10 for the same reasons that a technically sound shot of something that has absolutely nothing to do with the theme should be awarded a 10. If you took a picture that you just like but doesn't fit the theme, great. Post it to your gallery, put it in a forum thread to share, but don't post it as a challenge entry and become dismayed when it doesn't ribbon.
However, you should also not base your votes according to how much you like or dislike the subject matter. That's just not fair.
Look at the insect challenge. Shoot a bug. That was in effect the challenge, right? The result? Hundreds of pictures of bugs. I don't like bugs. They not only bore me but they're icky little critters that I would much rather see flattened on the bottom of my shoe than adorning my photo gallery. Should I have given every photo in that challenge a 1 because I found the challenge boring? No. I didn't vote at all. My personal taste regardng the subject should not have lowered the average of any one of those shots. If it was a bug (met the challenge) and it was a technically good shot and made an artistic statement, then it deserved to be scored accordingly, despite my feelings towards bugs. |
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10/01/2003 01:05:42 PM · #10 |
Pidd, I feel for you, I truley do for you seem to be missing the whole point of photography.
It's all about what it does for you, I will not go out and spend $$$$$ on an image becasue it's 'technicaly perfect' rather I would get it simply becasue I love it, and it 'does' something for me.
And as for how I vote, well on a democratic site, I shall vote as I see fit. Basicly - if I don't like the picture, I will vote low. Regardless of 'technical and challenge criteria'.
Edit: didn't mean to come across taht harsh ;)
Message edited by author 2003-10-01 13:10:55. |
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10/01/2003 05:04:54 PM · #11 |
No need to feel sorry for me. I'm good.
I don't think I'm missing the point of photography at all...I rather like most of what I see here. If I'm missing anything, it's the point of having a challenge if half the folks don't feel the need to try to meet it and the other half won't vote on technical merit, just whether or not the photo met the challenge. Seems to me it should be equal balance. FOR A CHALLENGE. Photos outside the confines of a challenge?Go for it--with gusto.
Nope. I get photography...just not some of you photographers. |
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10/01/2003 09:53:22 PM · #12 |
When I vote - I vote based on what I like as well as technical merit. So for instance, if there was a picture of a tree I thought was hideous I would give it a 2 based on that - but because that hideous tree has strengths like sharpness, shadows and so on, I would give it a 4 or 5.
We're not buying photos here - we're simply voting on other people's work - and I too don't think its fair to vote based solely on like/dislike of subject matter. Thats my $.02
As for the cats subject - I HATE when people automatically rate an obviously beautiful and far from point and shoot shot LOW just because its a cat. Okay ... you say "just how hard and imagaginative is shooting your cat sleeping???? " its not hard, no, but whats your point here? How hard is it to take a picture of your Aunt Flo sitting in a chair? Even more simple! You can TELL her what to do. My point is - a picture of a cat can be a snapshot OR a very artistic and elegant shot - depending on the creativity of the photographer. A CAT is a subject for beautiful photography AS MUCH AS any other living being or object - even BUGS - we see lots of those!
I vote animal shots fairly - If the shot is more than just point and shoot and has artistic value - I give it the high rating it deserves.
Here is a quick pic of my little sweetie :) : //www.nebulaart.com/September/sep27_6.jpg |
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10/02/2003 07:56:58 PM · #13 |
Thanks Bob!
I almost posted my first "rant" ever. If you take a look at the voting curve. The five 1's - twelve 2's - and eighteen 3's are very telling. I believe these people voted on the subject not the photographic aspects of the image. The average vote per commenter was 8.333 which shows that the ones who voted low, didn't give their reasons why. Technically it shouldn't be voted lower than a five IMHO.
Anyway... Thanks for the encouragement. |
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