Well, the number has been fixed.
"Free study for the month of October", deadline October 7th. Don't you get it? It's not a month-long free study - it's a free study just for this week.
I don't like this idea of monthly free studies. Btw, what ever happened to speed challenges? It seems these challenges are less about challenging yourself and more about just entering photos you already shot. Where's the challenge in that?
I don't like this idea of monthly free studies. Btw, what ever happened to speed challenges? It seems these challenges are less about challenging yourself and more about just entering photos you already shot. Where's the challenge in that?
Regular, month-long, free studies do one thing that can not be gained from any other form of challenge this site offers -- a chance to measure an individuals improvement. All the other challenges each person is challenged to try a specific topic or technique. But with free studies, particularly when regularly scheduled, each individual is challenged to do the best they can at what they are best at doing. The challenge is not to be the most resourceful, the quickest thinker or even the one who has already been practicing some technique -- the challenge is for each person to do better than they have done before.
Free Studies provide a placement within a universal community that is comparable with the placement in the previous free study -- this provides the ability to measure personal growth and improvement.
This measurement of progress that has been missing from DPC.
I love the idea of monthly free studies. I often tire of some of trite challenges on this site. I am a good photographer, I really am but I hardly ever score well here because I don't feel like taking a picture of a seed or something purple. I point my camera where the universe takes me and it often isn't where this site wants me to go. I decided a while back that I will only enter if the universe takes me to a place that happens to fit a challenge. That hasn't happened much. But with free studies, I can enter much more often, and get a response from my photos even if it doesn't have a seed or even if it isn't purple.
Regular, month-long, free studies do one thing that can not be gained from any other form of challenge this site offers -- a chance to measure an individuals improvement. ... This measurement of progress that has been missing from DPC.
I like them too. But with the current one, if I don't do better than the last few I have entered, I will pass on it. It appears I may not be benefitting from applying all the tips given on the free studies. Mostly because I do not have anything that I have established as being good at. Can't find the subject that is best for me. The search continues, but at least I won't be putting myself into a narrow peg due to successes on the same type of image. I still shoot what I like, what attracts me, what motivates me, and most are unlike the previous ones I have done.
I think it's fabulous we are on a regular free study schedule!!!!
That means I will at least enter 12 challenges a year. I have "progressed" to the point where I shoot what I am moved by aesthetically, on my own time and travel constraints. If it happens to match a current challenge, I enter. But that doesn't happen too often.
I love the fact that this gives me a way to participate more frequently here!
I have to say I liked the "surprise" aspect like before better.. now it's so... regular.
Maybe that's why this one is open for a week only : )
I haven't seen any official announcement about this -- perhaps y'all are making too many assumptions. As they say in the mutual funds ads, "past performance is not a guarantee of future results."
Also note that this is listed in place of, not in addition to, the regular weekly Member challenge.
