My last challenge entry really was a disappointment. It started out high and then hour by hour it was scored lower and lower. So many people thinking my beautiful (IMHO) shot was average or below. So, I'm not expecting much this time either. Most of us believe we have a winning entry, right? Last time it was hard to take the rejection but this time, although hoping for better, expecting the same - it's easier on my intestines :)
My score started out great, but it's been taking a pounding this morning. I'm hoping it just a Monday thing and that the number will improve through the week.
I'm doing worse then expected.
The photo I entered was realy realy realy going to be a ribbon winner :-)
Would have been a nice birthday present :-)
Well cant have it all can we?
My score is very steady, that's a first.
From my first vote it went up .5 points and now it's down .3 points...
Still not doing so bad, and have some realy nice comments...
Personally, I'm not seeing all that much "fantastic" stuff yet.
Run of the mill over-saturated, over burned and dodged, plain old landscapes, waterfalls, and sunsets for the most part.
A few nice "different" things.. but I haven't gone through everything yet either. My shot is by no means "fantastic" either.. but I'm just saying. It seems to be the same ol', same ol' again. However, that's what DPC likes, so that's what DPC gets :)
I hope we can pick that thought up again after the challenge is over. There is a lot of the same, but I think there is more than the usual amount of surprises. To bad we cannot discuss right now.
Ok, I just hit a batch of very saturated images. Guess I was lucky last night when I started to browse. I'm still impressed, but I can see where you comment came from.
Originally posted by Artyste:
Personally, I'm not seeing all that much "fantastic" stuff yet.
Run of the mill over-saturated, over burned and dodged, plain old landscapes, waterfalls, and sunsets for the most part.
A few nice "different" things.. but I haven't gone through everything yet either. My shot is by no means "fantastic" either.. but I'm just saying. It seems to be the same ol', same ol' again. However, that's what DPC likes, so that's what DPC gets :)
Well I'm experiencing a first on DPC -- not wanting to hit the update button. Yes, it's true... I don't want to see my scores updated -- both Music and Oct. Free are my two highest scores ever! Total happiness :) Of course they can only [really] go down from here so each time I check in I'm a bit lower. I've got some wiggle room until they "catch down" with my so far personal best... ;)
165 votes and still not one comment. Would someone please leave me a comment letting me know why people aren't commenting? :) I know its in that middle range (5.6) where you don't get many comments but I have never had this many votes and no comments before.
Glad you started this thread. I just went through and voted for my 20% (hope to finish voting over the next few days) and I am already very, very impressed with the entries. I don't think it's just 'cuz I'm in a good mood that I've already given out several 10's and 9's. Terrific stuff in there. I will be going back through to comment as well.
Good luck to all! I think the point differences between images is going to be very tight.
Still at 5.2 .. not winning any ribbons but i very happy because it will remain on my personal page as one of my highest and that in itself is an achievment for me. As i said before there are many wonderful pics so to be at 5.2 in such a classy field of runners is very good for me too.
No doubt I'll get flamed for saying it but in my opinion, the best pictures of this challenge beat the best ones in the first Masters challenge. The mid-level stuff is still the mid-level stuff. The dross (which is where I'd be if I'd entered) is still the dross. But the best is excellent!
Hi my score is low again :( but the affect I got was what I wanted when taking this entry pic, and its not seen favourably by voters, I wanted to keep away from Autumn and landscapes I wanted to try something really different, but alas the score I got is and has stayed around a 4.2470 and lower oh well I like my entry its different, if not a bit unprofessional and far from perfect lighting but I wanted that affect, a kind of nightmarish feeling, scarey :) looks like I am scaring the voters too much with bad photography! ;)
165 votes and still not one comment. Would someone please leave me a comment letting me know why people aren't commenting? :) I know its in that middle range (5.6) where you don't get many comments but I have never had this many votes and no comments before.
You are guaranteed one comment because a crazy dutch guy is commenting on all of them! See the 'world record' thread...
is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the huge gulf in difference between the quality of pictures when comparing the october free challenge with the music challenge? it's quite shocking really; i'm not sure if i've ever voted so low an average score in the music (i'll probably work it out later out of interest) and i am honestly unaware of any challenge that i've voted higher on average than the october free...
why is it that most of the music shots (mine included) are drab, soulless and uninspired compared to those in the free? there really is some genius going on in amongst those 488 pictures.
is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the huge gulf in difference between the quality of pictures when comparing the october free challenge with the music challenge? it's quite shocking really; i'm not sure if i've ever voted so low an average score in the music (i'll probably work it out later out of interest) and i am honestly unaware of any challenge that i've voted higher on average than the october free...
why is it that most of the music shots (mine included) are drab, soulless and uninspired compared to those in the free? there really is some genius going on in amongst those 488 pictures.
A good argument for more free studies. I find most of the topical challenges to be out of sync with the kind of photos I want to take. So why not a free study every month, so I am guaranteed there's one challenge a month I want to participate in.
Even though I am a paid member, I didn't enter a challenge from May 18 through August 1st (that's about 10 weeks and 20 challenge topics) even though I took a ton of pics during that period, because none of them inspired me or matched what I like to shoot.
I think too many Free Studies would cut down on participation in the Challenges, since you could always just wait and submit whatever you want.
Yes, but once a month is one in 8 challenges! And isn't there something to be said for offering something to members that they want?
I like the DPC people [and you are on top of my list :)], the forums, and so I plan to stay a DPC member, but when it gets to the point again that I find myself submitting to too few challenges, I would rethink that. (EDIT: I accidentally cut out this part: I skipped about 10 weeks from May through August because none of the challenge themes inspired me or fit my style of shooting.)
Yet I don't know of any other site (and I've participated long term in six other sites) where you can get so many people to look at a photo and offer an honest opinion in terms of rating and content (and to meet this criteria those ratings have to be anonymous). If there were, I would join it in a minute. This is an area where DPC is still lacking to me.
I've tried a number of sites. The closest to DPC in voting right now with free studies is Usefilm.com, which has some great photographers and shots. However, it's difficult to get more than 10-20 people to view a photo, and even much fewer offer an opinion either in terms of a rating or comment. Many of these sites work off of friends lists, so you only get critiques from your friends, and during a brief initial period where you are on the front page. PhotoSIG has improved again recently, and you can get some really good comments there, but again, each photo only really gets about 10 minutes exposure and worse, the ratings aren't anonymous.
While I'm in awe of the talent of people on this site for visualizing and setting up a shot for a topic, that's not all that photography is about. Sometimes it's about capturing the mood of the shot where you happen to be at the time, or capturing your own mood on the shot. Right now there's little if any place for this at DPC.
Further, I'll argue the need for free studies is plain in this site by the number of threads saying "Look at this shot!". Personally, I find those threads aren't as good at gathering serious feedback as either challenges or the facilities on other sites. Why not provide this other outlet for expression here, in the place we all like to be the most?
My 2 cents' worth: I agree that a monthly free study IN ADDITION to the themed challenges would be a good idea. Themed challenges are great because they encourage us to think more creatively and get out of our comfort zones. Free studies are great because more people will enter their BEST work of the month, which often isn't suitable for the month's themes.
Free Studies are fun, and lots of folks would like to see more of them, but I believe it's important that they remain infrequent and/or random. Maybe an occasional Free Study Speed Challenge? If there's one every month (even in adddition to the usual topics), then any shot you take would be eligible as an entry at some point. Where's the challenge in that? You'd still have lots of photos in the forum threads (maybe more) as people post outtakes for every Free Study. You would also have many more photos to vote on every month (like we do right now), which would tend to dilute the number of useful comments you receive. The intention may be noble, but I think the end result would be a less challenging "game" with fewer critiques to make it worthwhile.
Free Studies are fun, and lots of folks would like to see more of them, ...snip... You would also have many more photos to vote on every month (like we do right now), which would tend to dilute the number of useful comments you receive. ...snip...
I think this would be offset by many new members who would come to participate. Over the past year, where I was both a member of photopoints.com and DPC, I mentioned DPC numerous times in my comments and to my friends there. Some came and established accounts here. But I don't know anyone from there who actually submitted to a challenge. Yet those same people post a new photo every day at photopoints for comments. Why aren't they participating here? Because it's a different kind of photography. That's not a bad thing, but I am proposing we make this site more attractive to all. There are some really fantastic photographers there, and it would be great to see them here.
