I see votes from 1 to 10 and they are all legitimate. You have to admit that this photo will generate different reactions with voters. I guess I really don't see your point.
I gave you an 8.
I had the same ideea once and sicerely I was realy going to do this for "pink" challenge. I think I'll skip...
I had a condom shot, too
This is a kind of condom shot I enter a few weeks ago. It still is a bit shocking but it ended with 5.6. I was lucky and only received a very few low scores.
I gave a 2 because i certainly wasnt attracted at the picture. Its not that its shocking, but rather that i didnt find it really esthetic. The wire is not really straight, which i didnt like. Also the dripping on the rubbers and their old, used, creamy yellow colour didnt appeal to be at all. OVerall, i didnt find that picture very interesting and would certainly not see it as a poster, postcard or publicity campain againts Aids or HIV or something.
On the other hand, had you put unused, in package condoms on the same display, i would probably have scored you a lot higher, probably a 6 or 7. The lighting is good, although not really dramatic, but more of a commercial or magazine fullpage shot.
While not the best shot in the world, I didn't feel that this was particularly offensive - yet it was rated pretty low:
I think a large number of voters just see these [rather useful] subjects as seedy and offensive, regardless of quality or thought behind the shot. That said, I think the shot in question here does have some unpleasant overtones (syrupy drippyness and stickiness!) - so I'm not surprised it was largely hammered.
: )
This is a kind of condom shot I enter a few weeks ago. It still is a bit shocking but it ended with 5.6. I was lucky and only received a very few low scores.
I wondered after the 'Hope' challenge if I would have done better with an alternate shot I had considered -- same theme, but with a lady dressed to kill putting the condoms in her bag as she steps out the door for a night on the town with her girlfriends. I figured it would have done much better than the one I entered, but I can't see why it should -- the message is the same. *shrug*
I don't have a problem at all with the subject itself. I do think your shot is well-lit, in focus, and it does meet the challenge. However, The off-putting part of the image for me is the syrup. Having a golden-brown liquid dripping from the ends of apparently "used" condoms is just a wee bit icky and ranks high on most people's "ew" factor scale. I gave it a 5, because of the above-mentioned reasons, but would have scored it even higher if it didn't make me grimace when looking at it. I don't really think you suffered from prudish voting...I think it was the gross factor that pulled the score down. Just MHO.
Some subjects will always get low votes, I assume this is one. Others are religion, US flags, some pets, etc. So, don't expect to get above a 6 when you pick a subject that folks think is not proper, to artsie, or not PC.
I gave you an 8.
I had the same ideea once and sicerely I was realy going to do this for "pink" challenge. I think I'll skip...
I had a condom shot, too
LOL, I just checked your picture, Guess what, I gave you 8 for it.
whats so shooking about a condom... don't people use it, doesn't it prevent aids... isn't it an important roll... just don't understand whats so choking about a condom... i really didn't vote, the image for me is not very appealing but i think if you like it why not submit something like that... just an ordinary tool, for a normal sexual relationship... but thats just me...
I don't think the photo is shocking. I just don't find it appealing.
Personally, I just didn't like the way it was setup. First, the "Brown" stuff dripping (Which we now know as syrup) is really the first thing that caught my eye. If anything is dripping, it should be "white", not "brown". Just my opinion.
Also, I felt that maybe you can space the condoms out a little more. Again, just my opinion.
just an ordinary tool, for a normal sexual relationship... but thats just me...
3 condoms side by side seem to indicate a sexual relationship (or event) that isn't so everyday for most of us. 3 men engaged in sex if certainly found to be outside of the scope of what I see and experience on a daily basis (or ever)...so to me, there is a bit of a shock factor.
Also, a photo of me wiping poo from my bum would come across as shocking to most...even though toilet paper and bowel movements are normal, everyday things.
just an ordinary tool, for a normal sexual relationship... but thats just me...
3 condoms side by side seem to indicate a sexual relationship (or event) that isn't so everyday for most of us. 3 men engaged in sex if certainly found to be outside of the scope of what I see and experience on a daily basis (or ever)...so to me, there is a bit of a shock factor.
Also, a photo of me wiping poo from my bum would come across as shocking to most...even though toilet paper and bowel movements are normal, everyday things.
I really dont' understand how conversations happen like this after almost every challenge. People should know that this site really doesn't judge solely on technical merit...and they shouldn't. Everyone has there own opinions of acceptable art, or decency. I personally don't care for the three condoms but this definetly didn't deserve 25 ones. There are so many people on this site you can't be surprised when any image doesn't do as well as they wanted. Hopefully all of us as a community will become more discerning and more constructive.
This is an example of why voting should be done on a multi-level format. Like has been suggested many times before, such as Composition, Technical, Appeal, Meets the Challenge, and then averaged for a final value.
Oh by the way if the three condoms had some viagras placed below them it might have been more telling.
If you didn't think a shot of three used condoms would not offend some people then you are fooling yourself. When you see such an image it may not hit any of your hot buttons, but how do you react to strongly nationalistic or religious images? Do you have any reaction outside the quality of the image? Most people have areas that they react negatively to, and the implied group sex is an area that is close to alot of people's bullseye. And the ofended have every bit as much a right to express their opinion as the blase sophistes.
That said if you can raise the hackles of a high enough percentage of the population, Andres Serrano or Sally Mann can assure you that it is a way to critical attention and success. The image was beautifully done and I can't belive it wasn't designed to offend.
