Okay, before I start I want you all to know this isn't some last effort by me to try and redeem myself.
I respect the administrators decisions, as a competition site would be nothing without rules.
Firtly then, I'd like to say this:
It isn't being featured on the main page, nor all the congratulations that give me the satisfaction from this site, but it is all the great comments I got during the voting process, and the fact that people LIKED something that I produced. Okay so there is a disallowed filter there, but that doesnt stop people from liking it, and that's what really makes me happy. Thankyou for that.
Secondly, I would like to apologise to timj351. I have denied him a feature on the main page for a day, and I can only say sorry for that, and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves, and the same goes to everyone else who will move up a rank after this incident.
Okay now onto my mistake. I want to let everybody know that I'm not a cheat, and I didnt purposly do this to get 1st prize. Heck, I didnt think i'd even get past rank 50 or something! Anyway, what happened is that I converted my photo to sepiea and uploaded it to the site. Now then, on Saturday night I took another look at my photo and thought "Hmm this needs something else" so I had a little think. Then I remembered that a lot of old fasioned photos that I'd saw had a grainy quality, so I went into photoshop and added a 6% noise filter. That was my mistake. Apparently FILTERS ARE NOT ALLOWED! However, I was under the impression that a filter COULD be used if it was applied to the WHOLE image. Guess I was wrong, but if you look at the comment on my photo that I made (while it is still here) I openly said I did that (stupid me) so I think it is pretty obvious I didn't know that it was against the rules. Not that that matters, rules are rule, and you can't have a winner breaking rules.
Okay I've talked too long so I just want to say thanks for the great comments, and that I will still be carrying on here at dpchallenge.com after this experience. Things like this can only help me improve.
i was only home for about 3 hours a day this weekend. i figured i would glance at the photos, and see if there was anything that looked nice. yours just popped out, along with about 3 others that i havent looked for yet. ive seen pictures of this castle before. they all show the entrance to the yards, or the towers. theyre nothing compared to yours.
i must say though, the noise does add a little something. theyll probably disqualify you like they did the other guy who didnt know about the rules. i really think that if a filter is allowable(despeckle), then the opposite should be as well(noise). they might change the rules to allow all of the opposites. but i imagine theyll still disqualify you for breaking the rule before it was made to be ok
youre not allowed to say words that anyone may find offensive here, oni. but apparently youre allowed to asterisk these words. like a kid wont put together the meanin gof "F*CK YOU." you cant tell your child "pick up your sh*t you f*cking leech," and then blame outside influences for their cursing habits
chariot - 8/12/2002 Axe the bastard. He didn't follow the rules.
Anyway, I would be interested to see the other photo that got DQ'd after winning. Does anyone have a link to the artist or an alternate source of his/her photo?
Konador - I'm sorry to hear that you didn't realize about the filters. Your photo is great regardless, so I'm sure you will continue to do well in the future. The other disqualified photo can be found at the photographer's site on the "Sunset" page. (I believe it's the one in the center.)
Oni - His photo is definitely better than mine, considering I didn't submit one for that challenge. Frankly, it was one of my favorites last week. Enforcing the rules is about keeping the playing field level - not about punishing people for making a mistake. If this site allowed filters, no doubt lots of people would use them to improve their photos. That would be fine with me, since everyone would have the same opportunity. Since filters aren't allowed, photos that use them need to be disqualified.
Very sorry to hear about this. Clearly yours was an honest mistake. But you're right - rules are rules and to enforce them for anyone we must enforce them for everyone.
But credit where it's due - yours was an amazing shot and whether it remains the winner of this competition or not you deserve all the credit for it.
Konandor, put it this way, even if you get DQ'd, your shot is by far the best one, with or without the filter. I think you have done a stellar job of capturing a rather perfect b&w shot!
Konador, I'm glad you're taking it well. I think your photo probably still would have won without the noise, just like "In the Tvilight" probably still would have won for the Shadows challenge even if it had been cropped instead of spot edited.
The rules on this site are very arbitrary, but they're like that for a reason, which is that people are competing on the level of their photography skills rather than their photo editing skills. Clay, I don't think something like noise should be allowed, because it's not really within the spirit of the rules.
It really does get to me when people are petty about this stuff, like chariot's comment. That was completely uncalled for. I also don't like your post here Oni. Not everyone here is motivated by jealousy. It's really, really, really sad when a winning photo is DQ'ed!
There HAS to be a way that the process can be tightened up so people don't make these kinds of mistakes. Instead of just having the check box to check that you've read the rules, maybe there should be one, or a few, that check that the photo is your own work, does not contain spot edits or illegal filters (with a list of what is allowed), and that you have kept an original?
Konador, I admire the maturity you are displaying over this unfortunate incident. Even thogh it was a rules violation, your photo is still magnificent. You should submit it on some other sites that give out prizes.
Ben, sad to hear about your mistake and I applaud your honesty. I thought the grain originated from an "unsharpen mask" (sharpening and despeckle are the only two filters which are allowed). Do you have an original version of the photo without the grain online somewhere?
Konador, you're a class act... It's tough to take a DQ so well, especially for such a great shot... You've won a lot of respect from a lot of folks today...
Chariot & Oni, you could learn a lot from Konador... you've both lost a lot of respect today...
Great shot Konador! I look forward to seeing it win at a sight that allows filters... Live, learn and move on :)
Originally posted by Karen Bryan: He has it linked here.
Posted this elsewhere: It's a great shot. I'm curious to know how you got the sky to look like that though - Don't think I've ever seen clouds that dramatic in England! Did you use a filter on the camera or some after processing ?
Congratulations konador on a wonderful photograph and an even more unusual attribute a mature and adult attitude shown by your acceptance of the consquences of your genuine mistake! I am sure we will see more winners from you!
