Maybe it's because of the subject (Right angles) but I find it increasingly difficult to vote ...
What system do you use when voting?
For example: a high-quality picture could be completely off-topic, then it would get a low rating, right? But what if the topic isn't so clear in the first place? Or what if the picture is on topic, has a good idea, but is blurry, bad-lit etc?
Perhaps I'm exaggerating, but right now voting is a bit frustrating to me because I'm not sure I'm judging just?
Basically, this is a challenge site. If the photograph is off-topic, mark it low.
On-topic entries will get higher marks if they are executed well and interesting. Personal taste will play a great part in determining if a photo is interesting or not, or even if it represents the subject technically well.
Personally I start with whether or not it seems to answer the challenge. I try to be open minded but if the artist doesn't communicate the challenge to me at all I usually comment as such. This is more or less pass/fail for me.
If it meets the challenge the next "check" is does it evoke emotion? Is it striking? Interesting? How well does it meet the challenge? Is it creative? Witty? At this point I might feel that it's better than most so far and I might give it a base 6. If it's extrodinary in these aspects perhaps a base 8 or 9.
Finally the technical aspect comes into play for me. If it is technically excellent it gains points. If the technical aspects are distracting (out of focus, dull lighting, etc.) it goes downs a few points.
At the end I look over the thumbnails. If I see a pic that is in the 7's but fits more in the 8's I move it up. Usually if I'm moving a photo it's one that I evaluated early on before I had a base of reference for the challenge.
My scores are more or less on a curve relative to the challenge. I almost always give some 10's and some 1's.
I have this *0.6* rule that I'll elaborate further in the next paragraph.
Personally, for all pictures, my standard for judging is the same (i.e. does it have a wow factor? Are the technical aspects good? ...and so on). Now here's where the split happens between pics within topic and those that are off: if the pic is NOT within topic, the maximum I give is 6 (basically, the *raw score* x 0.6). Pics within topic do not get this 0.6 treatment.
I find it useful to have a base score: everything gets a 6 (it used to be a 5, but i've moved it up recently, as I found I was ranging from 3 to 8 mostly, and my average vote cast was dropping to a level I didn't like). A technically fine shot that doesn't grab me gets a 6. Any amount of real interest moves that up, and shots I find really striking get 8. Obvious problems, and my present bugbears are barrel distortion and poor lighting, but also exposure problems, focus, composition, result in removal of points. Never score a photo I can't relate to the subject above 5. Then i go through the thumbs and re-organise at the top a little: and a personal thing, I always try to have a clear winner which scores higher than the others.
A 10 is reserved for photos I would happily hang on my wall; a 1 for waste of time shots.
hate giving 1's though: there are folks here with rubbish cameras, and there are kids with absolutely no experience at all ...
Every shot begins at 5 (or 4, depending on my mood that week)
I add or subtract 0 to 3 points for composition and "Wow"
I add or subtract 0 to 3 points for 'meeting the challenge'
11's are lowered to 10, 0 and lower is raised to 1
That said I've very rarely seen anything under a 3 on this site. I've also very rarely seen an 11, but there have been a few. An excellent shot that has no discernible connection to the challenge will get a 5 from me. That said, I almost always give at least a 'benefit of the doubt on the challenge and I allow (and will award extra points) for unique interpretations of the challenge...
Oh, almost forgot... I then subtract 1 point if there is a cat in the photo... I hate cats... I have given a 10 to a cat photo, but only because it had an 11 after first 2 steps.
Edit : There are of course, exceptions to the rule about cats :)
Oh, almost forgot... I then subtract 1 point if there is a cat in the photo... I hate cats... I have given a 10 to a cat photo, but only because it had an 11 after first 2 steps.
I think my way is pretty cool and addresses the "too many pictures of the same thing" problem (Like all the flower and bug macro's from "In the graden")
For the right-angle challenge, I previewed the photos, then I created sub-categories and sorted the photo's based on what I saw. For the right-angle challenge sub-categories were as follows:
Abstracts, Buildings, Doors and Windows, Clocks, Steps, Grates and Bricks, Crosses, People, Tool Macros, Decks and Fences, and the inevitable "Other" Category.
I isolated each category with a 1 vote so they could be evaluated as a group. I was able to sort them as good, better, best by voting them a 6, 7, or 8.
The best from each category was given an 8 vote, then I chose the winners from that lot. I gave first place a 10, and second place a 9.
The 6 & 7 votes were further sorted into their final vote rank (1-7) and comments were made.
I slam the photo as hard as I can, then rexamine it. If it's still there, having withstood the impact, I give it a 6 or a 7, depending on technical merit only. For an 8, it has to be volatile.
I reserve 9s for one that exhilerates, stimulates awareness and kindles resentment against evil.
10s go to those which comply with the (above) criteria for 9s but also commote me sufficiently to induce an irresistable desire to create.
I do NOT mark down photos which APPEAR to be off-topic. I believe that challenge topicality is there to spur creativity, not to curb it. I am interested in the merits and quality of images, not in catagorical arguments.
I do NOT mark down photos which APPEAR to be off-topic. I believe that challenge topicality is there to spur creativity, not to curb it. I am interested in the merits and quality of images, not in catagorical arguments.
Ah but once again begins the age old argument here...
WHY HAVE A CHALLENGE TOPIC IF YOU DON"T HAVE TO STICK TO THE CHALLENGE TO GET A GOOD SCORE
I do NOT mark down photos which APPEAR to be off-topic. I believe that challenge topicality is there to spur creativity, not to curb it. I am interested in the merits and quality of images, not in catagorical arguments.
Ah but once again begins the age old argument here...
WHY HAVE A CHALLENGE TOPIC IF YOU DON"T HAVE TO STICK TO THE CHALLENGE TO GET A GOOD SCORE
If you read my post again, more slowly perhaps, you may find the issue you raise addressed.
