I don't see why submitted photos have to be taken recently. If someone has a phenominal photo of which fits the submission category, I don't see why they shouldn't have a chance to expose the photo in all its beauty. please explain.
I guess one reason is to make it a level playing field. It is a challenge to do this in a week. It might be less of a challenge if you've been using a camera for 10 years and just want to pull an image out of your archive. That would bias the competition even more in favour of people with experience and extensive archives.
I know for some of the challenges I have pictures I could just pull out, format correctly and submit. Alternatively, I had to get off my butt and go out and shoot that architecture shot thats now on the front page. I wouldn't have done that if I could submit an old picture. I wouldn't have been challenged do to anything better than I've previously done.
Perhaps there should be a challenge catagory and an exhibition catagory. Then people could submit anything for the exhibition show and still be challenged and improve for the 'proper' competition ?
I agree with Gordon. This shouldn't be a show-off place. It's more like a salon for photographers. Every week's 'assignment' becomes a learning process. And the tight timeframe and challenging topic really adds to the adrenaline. This way, all things being equal, it's the eye and skill that count.
I look at as being sort of like an on-line photography class. We are given assignments and we get a week to complete the assignment. An old term paper may work but isn't it the research process of a new paper that helps one to learn?
Everyone's basically hit it right on the head. Leveling the playing field and keeping the submissions at a reasonable number. Even moreso in my opinion is shortredneck's view -- I look at this like a photography class (taught by amateurs?) :)
I have to say that I love the 'this week' requirement, it keeps me involved and thinking about photography all the time... I'm constantly hunting for the right shot each week. This site has gotten me up off my ass and out hiking, walking, and travelling more than anything else in recent memory! And as Sunday night draws near my adrenaline starts pumping... what will peolle have come up with this time around? What will the new challenge be? How did I do in the last one? It's very exciting.
Best of all, having to continually shoot pictures is helping me build a gallery of sumbissions and alternates (and all the other stuff I happen to shoot while I'm out) that I can share with family and friends, a permanent record of my life that I can go back and look at. How nice is that?
I'm looking forward to the day I'm out snapping pictures and bump into another member of the DPC. It's bound to happen sometime, as long as people are forced out of their chairs and into the field!
I'm looking forward to the day I'm out snapping pictures and bump into another member of the DPC. It's bound to happen sometime, as long as people are forced out of their chairs and into the field! [/i]
Yeah, who would have thought that with 500+ members worldwide and there was another member within 15 miles of where I live.
I agree with Gordon also. The weekly challenge is what will keep my interest. I feel that I can learn something new every week and try to apply it to the following weeks challenge. For those with a gallery, an exhibition category would be ok, but the weekly challenge should remain.
As someone new to photography, I think the weekly challenge is great. I have learned so much from just my two submissions, and the 100+ pictures I took last week and still didn't come up with something I thought was good enough to enter. But the experience was great. Besides, like Mousie, it's forcing us out of the house on weekends.
