When you see your score sliding downward in a steady direction throughout the challenge, and you realize that you're about to get your lowest score ever, what should you do? Are there grief counselors standing by to help out? Should I turn to alcohol, illegal drugs, or other self-destructive behavior? Can I blame it on the camera, which should have known better than to take that picture (at those settings) at all? I'm at a loss here and don't know where to turn. Perhaps there's a 12-step program for this? Somebody help...
I will try to give some words of comfort, as best I can. There is a large variation from person to person in how they view any given photo. Some will “get it” and others will not. I would take comfort that there will be many who did get what you were trying to do with your photo. Then I would look at the comments that you have received and look at your photo and see if it could have been made better, use this as a learning experience.
After all of that I would then get drunk and blame the camera.
step 1: be shocked
step 2: be angry
step 3: post a thread in the rant section accusing everyone of being flippant
step 4: be sad
step 5: be numb
step 6: be care free
step 7: study your post for errors
step 8: study past winners for education
step 9: take double the amount of pictures this week
step 10: apologize for the rant post
step 11: learn from mistakes and do better this week
step 12: win a ribbon and rub it in our noses for not seeing your genius earlier
:) the whole program takes 7 days ... repeat as necessary
Sometimes a photo really is bad.
Sometimes DPC is just not the place to post your arty, cutting-edge photos.
Knowing the difference between these two is tricky!
I wonder every time I enter and score badly just what is wrong with all the voters! (LOL) Sometimes after the voting is over, I can go back and say, 'well, maybe it actually was quite bad'. Others still mystify me as to why they scored so low.
You guys are helping a lot! You know, I read somewhere that in the workplace, 80% of the employees believe they are Above Average, which is why so many are disappointed when they get their performance review. Maybe it's true here, too. 80% of us believe our entries will be judged "above average" so many of us are going to be disappointed. Just a hunch...
It never ceases to amaze me how harsh people are here when they vote. Look at the score of a winning photo... some of them are stunning and won't get anywhere near 10. Or 9. Or 8. Most winning photos get plenty of scores that are 1, 2 or 3. I really do wonder who these people are who seem to be so underwhelmed by it all. I'd love to see their photos.
Phew, calm down Bob...
:-)
Rant over!
It never ceases to amaze me how harsh people are here when they vote. Look at the score of a winning photo... some of them are stunning and won't get anywhere near 10. Or 9. Or 8. Most winning photos get plenty of scores that are 1, 2 or 3. I really do wonder who these people are who seem to be so underwhelmed by it all. I'd love to see their photos.
Phew, calm down Bob...
:-)
Rant over!
its weird you talk abouts scores like that, my picture is avg at 5.9xx and ive gotten 4 comments, all positive, with two of the people telling their scores, and the two people said, 10 and 8. How come my picture is at 5.9 still?
The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. My BLUR picture is really bad. hahaha... That's a good feeling. I'm all better now. Glad to get that said. Have a happy day.
You guys are helping a lot! You know, I read somewhere that in the workplace, 80% of the employees believe they are Above Average, which is why so many are disappointed when they get their performance review. Maybe it's true here, too. 80% of us believe our entries will be judged "above average" so many of us are going to be disappointed. Just a hunch...
Yeah, well I happen to be one of the 20% that knows he's not above average in either job or photography. I'm just now starting to hit the shutter at the right time with some decent settings one out of every several thousand times. It's amazing to me how many things must converge to truly generate a capture that is (please pardon the pun) captivating. I often shoot crap (not by design but by failed execution or lack of foresight and vision) so my goal is just to consistently produce what I consider to be acceptable photos.
If you really want a pick me up, just look through my gallery. Take your time and really get that belly-rolling laugh. Yeah, I truly did shoot some of that crap. Go ahead and get a good chuckle. Bring over the wife or husband and snicker. It's OK. Before you know it you'll feel right as rain.
I saw someone's sig line somewhere that read:
Originally posted by anonymous:
Laugh at yourself. If you can't laugh at yourself, laugh at that other guy 'cause he's really screwed up and that's funny!
What we need is a "Bad Photograph" challenge; reverse the rules. Then those at the bottom get to be on the top at least once!
Of course, those in the middle would still be stuck in the middle. Maybe we also need an "Average Photo Challenge. If your photo is too good, or too bad, you get a 1. The average just ok photos get 10! (Shades of gray in-between.)
While voting the Orange challenge I got the distinct impression that Jacko's Brown Ribbon caper has inspired many followers.
Doing well in the Blur challenge and my Orange is a little under my average but my Out of Place has brown ribbon written all over it. It's a sickness, I have to enter at any cost. :)
Kevin... It must be hell having to take all those tens of thousands of crap pictures of those beautiful models to get the few good ones.
Steve,
It is, brother. It is. But the way I figure it; I suffer so that you all can reap the cosmic benefits of a universe in harmony with itself. My small contribution.
