Well, I read it that an ordinary photo of nature would not be sufficient. It was for this reason that I didn't enter.
This has become a problem for me on this site. If you are not judged "on topic", the ones and twos patrol drags the photo down to the point where you don't really get a sense of whether people liked your photo.
And the challenges are often vague enough, or bizarre enough (ha), that it's getting beyond photography, and more of a test of people's "cleverness" (and very often studio and construction skills). Not that that's bad, or not that that's not part of photography, but it's only a part, and it's possible to take very beautiful photos without being "clever", or being able to "rig" a topical photo in a studio.
I am in year two here, and I am entering fewer and fewer challenges. Not trying to hijack this thread, but I sum up in saying that I sure wish they would at least have a monthly free study.
Congrats on your important breakthru and I hope your score in Bizarre Nature holds up for you. Nothing beats starting out on a positive note. Oh yes, and congrats on your marriage too
Thank you (on both counts)!!! Breakthru is the perfect word. Just like, wow... this is something I CAN do.
Still holding in the mid upper 5's.
Votes: 42
Views: 58
Avg Vote: 5.8095
No comments though.. Really excited to see what comments I may get, but know that they will probably come later. I know I comment after voting usually.
I think the voters are warped by the title. The basis of the title was as follows :
'Mother Nature often has quite the sense of humor. Photograph something natural that makes you laugh or wonder in amazement'
I think alot of us are not looking at it from this point of view. "Wonder in amazement"
It's good to sometimes look at the photo and think yup! I really think that's amazing, or how did that ever happen? That's bizarre.
The voters must be thinking Bizarre = Strange or queer ... Not forgettin that it also means "fantastic; whimsical; extravagant; grotesque"
I'm doing okay on the votes, but I agree that from the comments I've read this morning people are thinking that bizarre means something you don't see often when the description of the challenge clearly indicates that it can be something pretty common but it still makes you laugh or causes you wonder when you see it.
I agree about the title thing... I received a comment that, in effect, said that my score was being reduced 3 points because it was something the commenter had seen before. Oh well... seen before or not, it's still bizarre to me! :o)
I got to tell you I havn't entered this one I am still recovering and licking my wounds. However I.
'm still voting and commenting at will, so be patient I'l get to you all BTW I think there are a lot of nature shots but there is really not a lot of actual what I would call bizzareness about them,thats my 2c worth for what its worth.
The challenge description: "Mother Nature often has quite the sense of humor. Photograph something natural that makes you laugh or wonder in amazement".
I think this added description (on top of the challenge title) allows for a braoder range of subjects. Albeit, some reached a bit further than others. It's a matter of interpretation.
I agree about the title thing... I received a comment that, in effect, said that my score was being reduced 3 points because it was something the commenter had seen before. Oh well... seen before or not, it's still bizarre to me! :o)
I agree with you completely.
I bet it's the same person who commented on mine - someone who is focusing on only the title and not the full description of the challenge.
BTW I think there are a lot of nature shots but there is really not a lot of actual what I would call bizzareness about them,thats my 2c worth for what its worth.
Not that I am rude or something, but this topic has an explanation and it states LARGELY that this should be NATURES HUMOUR or AMAZEMENT. It could be either funny or amazing. The photographer makes the choice. So if you see funny photos it means the pHotographer took one of the possibilities. Look carefully what the topic really means !!!!
I'm not going to vote on this challenge because once again I seem to have a different take on what the challenge meant.
For me, the line "Mother Nature often has quite the sense of humor" to me seems to imply that we should be looking for something odd, strange, weird, unexpected, etc. That could make you laugh ( say for example if there was a monkey with ears like an elephant ) or just go "wow, how weird looking is THAT??".
But to me, just a sunset picture or a beautiful sky or something like that doesn't fit what they meant because of that first line. Yeah, you might wonder in amazement at the beauty.....but did Mother Nature have a sense of humor about it?
For me, the line "Mother Nature often has quite the sense of humor" to me seems to imply that we should be looking for something odd, strange, weird, unexpected, etc. That could make you laugh ( say for example if there was a monkey with ears like an elephant ) or just go "wow, how weird looking is THAT??".
That WAS the intention, but different interpretations can apply within any challenge.
I'm not going to vote on this challenge because once again I seem to have a different take on what the challenge meant.
For me, the line "Mother Nature often has quite the sense of humor" to me seems to imply that we should be looking for something odd, strange, weird, unexpected, etc. That could make you laugh ( say for example if there was a monkey with ears like an elephant ) or just go "wow, how weird looking is THAT??".
But to me, just a sunset picture or a beautiful sky or something like that doesn't fit what they meant because of that first line. Yeah, you might wonder in amazement at the beauty.....but did Mother Nature have a sense of humor about it?
Bowing out, good luck to all.
I wish you would vote. A wide variety of approaches on the part of voters enhances the judgements made by the group as a whole. Your interpretation of the challenge, as fleshed out by the details, is just as valid as anyone else's.
You've quoted "smartly" but it's not the end. The second sentence gives you all the information "Photograph something natural that makes you laugh". Ofcourse the border here is thin. Because diffrent people laugh at different things.
But you can sense that this shot was made to be funny, therefor you shouldn't vote low because you think it doesn't meet the chalange. If it doesn't make you laugh then try to judge the technical aspect of the shot, there will always be someone that will find it funny.
I just want to say that if you don't find the picture funny, ( but you feel it was suposed to be funny ) then you shouldn't vote a 1, just because you thought it was offtopic.
The chalange says loudly and clearly Funy. And because it doesn't say what form of funnynes ( how do you spell that :P ) is expected, you should rather think of the photograph itself and not the topic.
Try to judge the shot.
Afterall weather the photograph has reaching the topic well, or not is just one standart by which you judge.
What about the rest - the composition,idea, creativity, thinkin out of the box, lighting and all that stuff? This also deserves to be judged.
Wow my phot is getting bashed! I find alot of people are documenting unusual things in nature WITHOUT ANY ARTISTIC PERSPECTIVE WHATSOEVER! Just because it is wierd it doesent mean that it should get a high score, this is a photography challenge not a scavenger hunt!
Wow my phot is getting bashed! I find alot of people are documenting unusual things in nature WITHOUT ANY ARTISTIC PERSPECTIVE WHATSOEVER! Just because it is wierd it doesent mean that it should get a high score, this is a photography challenge not a scavenger hunt!
Yes it does, meeting the challenge is the first thing that should be looked at when voting. That way each photographer has similar degree of dificulty in obtaining the photo and then they are voted on their skills and artistic value.
Personally I start my vote this way, meets the challenge scores 4 to 10. does not meet the challenge scores 1 to 4. So a fantastic shot of a landscape in a macro challenge could score a 4, or a poor macro shot in the same challenge could also score a 4.
This is as close to fair as I have been able to come up with.
Personally I start my vote this way, meets the challenge scores 4 to 10. does not meet the challenge scores 1 to 4. So a fantastic shot of a landscape in a macro challenge could score a 4, or a poor macro shot in the same challenge could also score a 4.
This is as close to fair as I have been able to come up with.
in my short time here I usually look at the photos and grade them as to meeting the intent of the challenge artisticly...and start them if about the same...trying to divide them up among those that do not meet intent in my opinion...those that do but are not spectacular...and those that do and really catch my eye. Then when I am through the entire list I go back and adjust for more technical features of each and bump the scores up or down accordingly.
There are some very good photographs in this submission...where they went for the challenge and also had good composition, focus, lighting and artistic display. Job well done...
How do you reply on comments? I don't see any reply button.
Technically, you're not supposed to while the challenge is going on. We're supposed to be anonymous. After the challenge, click on the person's name and the info will come up for how to contact them, either by email or private message.
How do you reply on comments? I don't see any reply button.
From what I have experienced, it is not good to reply to a comment. You have a box to check if you find the comment helpful, if not don’t check it. If you find yourself offended by the comment, sit back and relax its just that persons point of view. I emailed one person because of a comment and found it to be very bad for the commenter and myself. I didn’t say anything bad to the commenter, I was just wanting to explain my photo. At the time I though no harm was being done. But in hindsight [being 20/20] I see it is harmful to email or PM a commenter. It makes some of them not want to comment as much or stop commenting all together fearing being attacked verbally. I believe constructive criticism comment is a very good way to learn and I don’t want the comments suppressed.
With that said if the comment was a personal attack on you then you could take it to the site council or discuss it in a forum after the challenge-voting period is over.
Hope this helped.
Actually, it would be good if the voters were to comment on what they thought and felt about the shot, and also give their 2cents worth of how they felt the shot could have gotten a better score.
Well, at least that's what I'd like to know and how to improve.
