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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> What is wrong?
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03/21/2007 04:29:50 PM · #1

I was wondering what is wrong with my challenge? Everyone liked it but it`s not even in top ten. And no comments from those who gave me 1, 2, 3.
03/21/2007 04:34:55 PM · #2

it scored a 6.25 - i'd hardly be complaining.

as far as 1,2,3 votes eveyone gets them.

there wer 71 submissions so 61 other people - many with lower scores also didn't finish in the top ten.

eveyone didn't like it - or you would have surely been in the top 10...


03/21/2007 04:46:57 PM · #3
Originally posted by krasavitsa_1:


I was wondering what is wrong with my challenge? Everyone liked it but it`s not even in top ten. And no comments from those who gave me 1, 2, 3.

With all due respect to soup, I agree with you about wondering what must be wrong with your image based on the score alone. There is little to find fault in your picture, so why did it score so low?

You are new. 6.25 by DPC standards IS a good score. It shouldn't be, but it is. This is the way DPCers have voted since the inception of the site. Though you have not voted a lot you can see that your own voting basically mimics everyone else's. Why should you expect different from them?
03/21/2007 04:51:38 PM · #4
just one thing to consider (i'm not sure if anyone mentioned this in their comments)... the highlights are completely blown! Just look at the "belt" of the bathrobe for a prime example... there should be detail there but it's is just white... Maybe that was the factor which made the voters give you a slightly lower score than you think you deserve.
03/21/2007 05:05:18 PM · #5
Originally posted by inshaala:

just one thing to consider (i'm not sure if anyone mentioned this in their comments)... the highlights are completely blown! Just look at the "belt" of the bathrobe for a prime example... there should be detail there but it's is just white... Maybe that was the factor which made the voters give you a slightly lower score than you think you deserve.

Not to speak for Olga, and what you say may be true, but if blown highlights were the only reason to vote this image lower then both the blue and red ribbon winners in the grain challenge would have gotten lower scores than they did, both have more blown highlights.

It has to be something else. I suspect that subject matter and viewer interest played a greater roll than anything else, technicals played a lesser roll in its score.
03/21/2007 05:09:45 PM · #6
granted, but personally i prefer seeing clipped lowlights rather than glaring white blowouts. But that is just me... havent got time right now to look at it in detail, sorry :(
03/21/2007 05:14:00 PM · #7
Its your second highest scoring photo and you scored in the top 80%. So, my question to you is "what is wrong?"
03/21/2007 05:14:36 PM · #8
I think its a good shot. Just there were better one's in this challenge.
03/21/2007 05:15:26 PM · #9
Conceptually this is among the best of the entries, for sure. Genuinely "creepy" and sort of black humor-type entry.

Technically, the image is not as good. Besides the blown highlights mentioned earlier, the face is a little too dark; we'd love to see the emphasis more on the face. The background also isn't doing anything for you. Some vignetting might have helped here. You can't add vignetting in basic editing, so that's out, but you can adjust shadow/highlight in photoshop and help it along:



This might have scored a little better. It could also use a little color adjustment, but this was a quickie.

R.
03/21/2007 05:22:17 PM · #10
First, welcome to DPC! You're new, so you might be surprised by what's a good score here.

7.5 is an amazing shot, one of the best in DPC history.
7-7.5 is an inredibly high score. It so rarely doesn't ribbon that people joke about it when it doesn't.
6.5-7 is an excellent score.
6.0-6.5 is a good score. Many people on DPC have never scored that high. You'll routinely be in the top 10-20% of entries with those scores.

I participate on other sites. Shots that get me 5.8 here get 7s and 8s elsewhere. 6+ shots here are 9s elsewhere.

So your 6.25 is a good score. Shots with major flaws don't get that kind of score. Just absorb the normal DPC scoring curve, and you'll be a lot happier. :)

Also, people rarely comment negatively on shots that are basically very well done, and your commenters fit that mold. Generally, really bad shots get some helpful criticism.

Message edited by author 2007-03-21 17:42:30.
03/21/2007 05:30:22 PM · #11
I can't see your problem. You score 6+, get 30+ comments and 1 fav??

I think you need to re-evaluate what DPC is all about and thank your lucky stars you are getting these scores. There are many here who would be more than happy to get these scores.

The only problem you have is that you can't get into Team Suck or AU5!!
03/21/2007 05:46:45 PM · #12
Originally posted by levyj413:

...
So just absorb the normal DPC scoring curve, and you'll be a lot happier. :)

Also, people rarely comment negatively on shots that are basically very well done, and your commenters fit that mold. Generally, really bad shots get some helpful criticism.

Though I agree with most everything else you say I disagree that we should 'absorb' the DPC scoring curve. That suggests that DPC somehow is better than other sites. It isn't. The negative of DPC is that we give ALL images poor scores.

That is not to say that DPC does not rank images in their correct overall order within a challenge, it generally does, but what DPCers do by low scoring is to tell everyone who submits that their images are bad. That is where it errs, imho.

Message edited by author 2007-03-21 17:47:48.
03/21/2007 06:08:15 PM · #13
Thanks everyone for replyies. I`m not nagging about my results just wanted toknow what was the problem.
Bear_Music, how can I ajust shadow/highlight in photoshop? The problem is that I have little light at home, only few spots, so it`s impossible to get a nicely lit image. Thanks
03/21/2007 06:10:27 PM · #14
Originally posted by stdavidson:

[... but what DPCers do by low scoring is to tell everyone who submits that their images are bad.


We all have our own interpretations of a given situation, and I for one tend to think that perhaps people on DPC might be a bit more critical in their analysis of just what constitutes good and bad images.

Just as in gymnastics and other subjective judging activities, the upper echelon of the scoring ladder is generally reserved for those truly standout images.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the existing scoring patterns in this venue, and I personally would not like to see the scoring system diluted simply to satisfy personal egos.

Just a thought.

Ray



Message edited by author 2007-03-21 18:13:00.
03/21/2007 06:10:53 PM · #15
Originally posted by krasavitsa_1:

Thanks everyone for replyies. I`m not nagging about my results just wanted toknow what was the problem.
Bear_Music, how can I ajust shadow/highlight in photoshop? The problem is that I have little light at home, only few spots, so it`s impossible to get a nicely lit image. Thanks


You have to be running Photoshop CS, CS2, or CS3: it's in the "image/adjustments" area from the menu toolbar.

R.
03/21/2007 06:16:56 PM · #16
You placed 15 out of 71 and your complaining about not getting top 10. You could have 70 good images and 1 bad one and still run intot he issue that only 10 people will get top 10.

Scored in the top 20% think you did well enough. Just an opinion.
03/21/2007 06:17:00 PM · #17
Originally posted by soup:

it scored a 6.25 - i'd hardly be complaining.

as far as 1,2,3 votes eveyone gets them.

there wer 71 submissions so 61 other people - many with lower scores also didn't finish in the top ten.

eveyone didn't like it - or you would have surely been in the top 10...


I understand why no comments from the 1, 2, or 3 responses. Every time I comment, I get very upset responses from the photographer. Thus, I don't comment on my 1, 2, or 3 evaluations any more. The receivers are not taking my comments as intended, as critical critique intended to help but, as I interpret from their responses, they take a 1, 2, or 3 as an insult. I suggest the "Please Comment" pop up be be removed.
03/21/2007 06:51:14 PM · #18
Originally posted by stdavidson:

I disagree that we should 'absorb' the DPC scoring curve. That suggests that DPC somehow is better than other sites. It isn't. The negative of DPC is that we give ALL images poor scores.

That is not to say that DPC does not rank images in their correct overall order within a challenge, it generally does, but what DPCers do by low scoring is to tell everyone who submits that their images are bad. That is where it errs, imho.


No, see, that's my point. I didn't mean DPC's general range was right, or more right, than on other sites. I meant that anyone entering here should use DPC's scoring tendencies when evaluating DPC results.

An "8" by itself is meaningless, as is a "6.25." You have to know the relevance against the norm. On dailyawards.com, for instance, a 6 is a so-so shot that won't open any eyes. 7 is the starting point for shots that get some notice, about what 6 is here.

In other words, there's no single best system. The point is the sorting of better from not as good. So the absolute number isn't nearly as important.
03/21/2007 07:26:39 PM · #19
the key idea is - in the long run - you are supposed to learn something here. no matter what the 'DPC' voting trend 'is' shouldn't matter. if you're learning something by participating, or just enjoy it, you've already won...
03/21/2007 08:54:09 PM · #20
Originally posted by soup:

the key idea is - in the long run - you are supposed to learn something here. no matter what the 'DPC' voting trend 'is' shouldn't matter. if you're learning something by participating, or just enjoy it, you've already won...


Welcome to DPC!! I too am fairly new here, I entered my first challenge last Oct. with a Free Study entry I too was a bit dissapointed with my score, but then I looked around with unbiased eyes and saw that there are some trully AMAZING photos on this site. My first entry garnered a 5.74 which I was not to see again for like 6 challenges, lol. To quote soup, the reason I am here is to learn and grow, not only on a technical level but also on a marketability level, in other words to learn what will sell and what won't. I believe if you can consistantly place in the top 15 to 20 percent on this site you have a marketable talent, this is the direction I want to head. I will concede that just because you don't place at that level doesn't mean you can't be marketable, the same shot I spoke of earlier has sold a number of copies at the gallery downtown at 35$ a copy so...and if you look at the ribbon winners vote stats you'll notice even the top pic's on here still get some 1's 2's & 3's everybody has different tastes and that what makes it fun!!! Okay , off my soapbox for now, LOL. Have fun!!!!

Jack
03/21/2007 08:58:51 PM · #21
God I hate it when people whinge about a 6+ score it makes me sick what about all those other people who are constantly getting below 5 they don't whinge do they?

Some people are NEVER satisfied
03/21/2007 10:21:43 PM · #22
You placed 15th because there were 14 other photos the majority of the people on this site thought were better than yours. Next time take a more pleasing picture.
03/21/2007 10:37:08 PM · #23
Boy, Scarlett and Dan, you're pretty harsh.

You don't remember back when you were new and a 6 sounded like a pretty low score?
03/21/2007 10:38:28 PM · #24
Originally posted by levyj413:

Boy, Scarlett and Dan, you're pretty harsh.

You don't remember back when you were new and a 6 sounded like a pretty low score?

Never complained about a 6 ^_^ I knew it was a pretty high score
03/21/2007 11:03:53 PM · #25
Don't look at the score, look at the ranking. Have a look at the fully ranked challenge. Look at the photos well above yours, and study them and learn from them. Look at the photos well below yours, and identify how yours is better. Look at the photos around yours, and accept that they scored on par with you.

Probably the hardest thing is to look at your own photos objectively. You put hours of work, passion and ideas into a shot. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. The trick is to see your own photos as they appear to other people.

To summarise my impression of your photo, it's quite a good shot in terms of a cool idea, and a humorous scene. Where is lacks is that it doesn't jump out. Some photos really stand out from the thumbnail board. Even before enlarging it, the composition, colours, setup, everything comes together to present something new and exciting, and you can tell it's a good photo. That's the WOW factor, and DPChallenge is so lucky to have so many photos each week that show this.

For me, your photo is just missing this WOW factor.

But, you've done a great job to get over 6! I've entered a few challenges, and under the pressure of creating a good photo to fit the theme, I've struggled to get over 5, but I'm learning all the way, and enjoying it.


Message edited by author 2007-03-21 23:05:48.
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