More than anything else, a border's main job, in my view, is to set it off from the gray of the screen. Gray usually does not make a good background for many images, so a white or black border will make an image pop more. I usually use a simple, thin black border, or a white one if the photo seems to require it. I liked Steve's use of the blue border, for it added to the subject matter very nicely in his Orange County image.
I suppose we could get rid of borders, but then I'd like an option to select the web page background color (perhaps from a variety of a few options). However, most folks in DPC are amenable to borders, and that border objectors are few and far between.
U know what? It would probably be much more helpful to the photographer if you would leave a comment on the photo explaining what it is that you don't like about the border.
OK, I'll admit it, in the Country Life challenge I'm one of the ones with what people call a "hideous" border. It looked good to me until I looked at it on another computer, but it was too late to change it. Besides, with all the crappy scores I've gotten on pretty much every other challenge, what's one more four, right?
I would like to say "Bring back the: no more than 3 solid colours, rulling"
(White is the worst colour realy, it contrasts too much to any of the photos i've seen.)
As the rules are, I would like to ask users of borders to consider the effect of ellegance, simplicity and remember that the border is not the object of any of these challenges.
jonpink, I was exaggerating slightly... you didn't like my selective desaturation, you really didn't hold back on this view! I disagree though, and took it as a constructive criticism, you did say you liked it otherwise.
Where do you live then?
Bob
Yeah chickadee, thanks alot (sarcasm). You commented that my plain white border was no good and I should have used a color from my photo instead. I NEVER thought I was going to get a bad border response on THIS one! lol. I'll never win!
Martus - Do you use even numbers of pixels for your borders? If you use uneven numbers that can cause skewed looking borders. (something I learned through trial and error).
Hi Frisca, actually yes, I do use even nubers of pixels, although more by accident than any forethought. It's not so much that the border appears skew, but more that the very bottom row of pixels on my photo does not load on the page when the photo is displayed. I have a black border around my photo, this "glitch" causes a thin grey line on the bottom of my border, followed by the normal thin black border which DPC adds to all shots, making it look like I added the strange grey line in the bottom.
I don't know if that makes any sense :) I haven't gotten any comments about it yet, so maybe it just shows up like that on my comments/preview screen.
What is it with hideous borders in the country challenge?
Please take an objective look at your photo and border... there are some photos here that would have been pretty good without their border. It WILL cost you votes!
Culprits: transparent borders, gradient borders, thick coloured borders, borders with triangles in corners, borders with text, etc, etc
Unfortunately, I read this thread before voting on the entries. The borders actually irritated me at times. Thanks a LOT for pointing that out, Bob [sarcasm]. ;)
I got several comments on the use of my border. One person said it was effective, and two thought it was overbearing. I did not think that a regular white border was too much, I thought it complemented the shot well. Go figure! But you know what, can't really please everyone. In the end, I am happy with the way it turned out. WITH the border :)
Yeah chickadee, thanks alot (sarcasm). You commented that my plain white border was no good and I should have used a color from my photo instead. I NEVER thought I was going to get a bad border response on THIS one! lol. I'll never win!
Perhaps v"white" and "worst" shouldn't have been used together - Textured ones realy have that title. Ihad just seen quite a few bad eg's. of the use of white this tme.
Unfortunately, I read this thread before voting on the entries. The borders actually irritated me at times. Thanks a LOT for pointing that out, Bob [sarcasm]. ;)
EDIT: If you have a border and you don't like the vote I give you.. blame Bob. :P
Yep, hideous!
There have been some beautifully done photos that I just can't look at without going 'that border is hideous!'.
I do try to ignore it though and take off as few points as I can, but it's a shame.
Here's an example from my own collection of submissions:
I really think this sums it up. The image would have been fine but for the naiive use of typography and clumsy 'power-border'.
There is only one solution...
I hereby decree that it must be destroyed in a midnight ceremony to be held with all members of DPChallenge present, under the 'Major Oak' in Sherwood Forest, Nottingham, England. The image will be strung up (on a plasma screen) and then retouched to have its border and text removed forever - each member having one click of the mouse until it is done.
Following the ceremony, all members will swear an oath that they will never destroy an image's simplicity and purity with a disgusting, thick mass of irrelevant 'pixel poo', ever, ever again.
;o]
