DPChallenge Wiki

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===== DPC Mission Statement =====

=== Collected Thoughts ===

  * . . to provide an environment that fosters photographers through a very hands-on approach.
  * DPC exists as a community to encourage, educate, and enlighten digital photographers on an international level. Through challenges, tutorials, forums, and feedback, beginning photographers can learn the basic photography skills needed to be successful and more advanced photographers can be given a platform to display their work while helping others to learn as well.
  * FUN, digital, learning, encouragement, sharing of information, ideas and techniques.
  * DPC is a fun place to hang out and enter photo competitions.
  * DPC is first and foremost a learning site. The value of narrowly scoped challenges is to encourage photographers to learn techniques and shoot subjects, styles, etc. that are new to them. Editing is an integral part of the digital imaging process, and DPC's Advanced Editing Challenges provide a medium for expression for those with advanced skills in post-processing.
  * DPC is about photography using a digital medium. It is about digital photography, not digital art. Our mission is to provide a weekly challenge to members to take a photograph within the parameters of the challenge to be commented on and judged by the members of the site. 

=== scalvert Edition ===

DPChallenge exists to help both new and experienced photographers hone their skills through focused, weekly challenges that encourage new styles, subjects and techniques with the guidance and feedback of a helpful member community. Our primary focus is digital photography, not digital art, however challenges with varying editing rules also offer variety and allow members to practice critical post-processing skills.

=== dsidwell Edition ===

DPC provides an environment in which photographers of all skill levels have opportunities to learn, grow, share and mentor each other through the structure of organized, themed competition. Emphasis is given to excellence, friendliness and fun, and competition takes place in the context of helpful scrutiny and critique by fellow participants. By competing in photographic challenges, leaving and receiving feedback from other photographers, and through other tools provided by the site such as discussion forums, tutorials, and others, participants are encouraged, educated and enlightened in the art and craft of photography. New styles and techniques are learned and photographers are exposed to new subjects in a variety of situations while conceiving and preparing images for public display. 

While it is understood that digital photography often benefits from post process editing, the focus for competitions in general leans primarily upon the photographic conception at the time of the capture rather than creating digital art, though there are opportunities for heavy post-capture editing. 

Mostly, DPC seeks to foster, nurture and support photographers as they strive to improve both themselves and others in friendly ways in a helpful member community.
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=== nrs re-edits of the above ===
(I started out editing Davids and Shannons per the forums.  But sometimes, when I get involved editing, I get a bit overinvolved, and perhaps change too much.  In any case, I offer this third version, derived from the above and my own thoughts.)

DPC provides an environment in which photographers--from novice to professional--have opportunities to learn and share their passion for photography through themed competitions called "challenges".  Participants get helpful feedback on their photographs from peers, and learn even more by writing critiques of photographs.  A wide variety of challenge topics help photographers to explore new subjects, and to learn new styles and techniques.  Several sets of editing rules allow some challenges to focus on improving photography at the moment of capture and others to allow practice and improvement in post-processing skills.  All the rule sets emphasize developing skills in digital photgraphy rather than digital art.  

DPC seeks to foster, nurture and support photographers as they strive to improve both themselves and others in friendly ways in a helpful member community.  In addition to the challenges, photographers learn through member contributed tutorials, and share ideas, tips, and friendly chat in the DPC forums.  

For many of it's members, DPC goes beyond being an online community or classroom: DPC is like an extended family.  
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=== Notes and Comments (from David) ===

It might be helpful to outline both of these here to show the exact points of the mission we're trying to make, like this:

Shannon's:
  - (1) exists to help both new and experienced photographers hone their skills through focused, weekly challenges
  - (2) encourage new styles
  - (3) encourage new subjects
  - (4) encourage new techniques
  - (5) gives guidance and feedback in a helpful member community
  - (6) primary focus: photography, not digital art
  - (7) members can practice critical post processing skills


David's:
  - (1) Provides an environment in which photographers can learn (through organized, themed competition)
  - (2) Provides an environment in which photographers can grow (through organized, themed competition)
  - (3) . . . share (through organized, themed competition)
  - (4) . . . mentor each other (through organized, themed competition)
  - (5) Emphasis on excellence, friendliness and fun {I don't like that phrase very much}
  - (6) Participants are encouraged, educated and enlightened {could be three here, but similar to above, so the verbosity comment may be accurate in this case}
  - (7) New styles are learned
  - (8) New techniques are learned
  - (9) Photographers are exposed to new subjects and situations
  - (10) Emphasis on photographic conception
  - (11) Opportunities for heavy, post-capture editing
  - (12) Foster, nurture and support photographers.



The first question: 

1. Are these all the points we want to make in the mission? Do these points comprise the mission of DPC?

2. Are any points repetitive or unnecessary?

3. Are there any points that are missing?

4. Any extra language outside of these points may or may not be "verbosity."


=== Re: David's Notes and Comments(from Langdon) ===

Picking and choosing what I like here, and leaving what I feel doesn't belong or is redundant:

DPChallenge...

  - (David #1) provides an environment in which photographers can learn through organized, themed competition, called "challenges" 
  - (David #2) . . . grow . . .
  - (David #3) . . . share . . .
  - (David #4) . . . mentor each other . . .
  - encourages photographers to learn new styles
  - . . . in-camera techniques
  - . . . post-processing techniques
  - (David #9) exposes photographers to new subjects
  - . . . situations
  - (Shannon #6) primary focus is photography<del>, not digital art</del>
  - (David #12) fosters, nurtures and supports photographers
  - (Shannon #5) Gives guidance and feedback in a helpful member community // --- this could perhaps be combined into #1-4, but I think "member community" is important to include in our mission statement//

**I really like these ideas from Neil's, but don't know how to fit them into this:**

  - Participants get helpful feedback on their photographs from peers, and learn even more by writing critiques of photographs.
  - For many of it’s members, DPC goes beyond being an online community or classroom: DPC is like an extended family.