CDSLR's May Photo Goal: Judging

[timmciglobal]

So here goes the monthly photo goal idea. To start with some basic rules of the monthly goal:

1) Images must be taken using a canon dSLR but may or may not be shot using a canon lens.

2) Image may be processed but should be adjusted not digitally created, that meaning no pasting two images together or using parts from one image and inserting them into another. All objects in picture should of been there in the actual photo. (Things like sharpening, curves, filters, highlights, borders, etc are all ok)

3) Image must be posted at least 600X600 size and no more then 1024X1024, please include relevant camera data including shutter time, aperture and lens use as one goal is to help gain photographic insight into the creation of your masterpiece.

4) Images should be posted for that subject between the first and last of the month, limit of 2 images per board user. This is to encourage everyone to have a chance to show off and to make you chose the one or two best of your works to post.

5) Images are copyright of the poster and should not be edited, printed or used in any way outside of this goal without the express permission of the owner.

6) Images should stay within the topic (as you understand it) so no pictures of geese if the topic is boats unless the geese have some rational link or theme conection with the topic. Please include a title for all your images.

7) Do not attack other users images. If you chose to feel constructive feedback that is fine but do not extend that to name calling, implying someone lacks "skill' or "a critical eye" or any other generic complaint.

The topic for may I'm going to chose as I came up with the idea and ReF says it would be good for my anger management... so after the disagreement over if the monthly photos should be "judged" ..

I'm naming the topic: "Judging"

Good luck to all, I hope to see some fantastic images.

Tim

P.S. I suggest the way we work the topic choice is to have the person who posted the previous months chose someone else who they feel best expressed a view of the topic and they choose the next month's topic.

P.S.S. If anyone absolutly can't set up a photobucket, pbase, etc site or use the web space usually provided by their ISP for this goal I'll be able to upload a few shots to my web server for sake of the contest. PM me if you would like me to do this but keep in mind my bandwidth is limited so keep the linking of the picture to a minimum.

[aparmley]

I don't know Tim. . . I can't speak for everyone here but 21 views 0 comments. . . something is off.

I'm going to be honest - in the thread you started it seemed like everyone interested in was sharing thoughts opinions and the idea never really got refined and turned into something official, but you posted this thread anyway. I like your enthusiasm, I just think it was a tad premature.

I don't know what you want to do?

Here are a few things I'd like to see before we begin:

Jeff's approval and support
A forum solely for the use of assignments
A group decision [perhaps a majority vote] on assignment topics
More frequent Assignments; 1 month is a little long - however - I would like to throw out the idea that we do weekly assignments with a theme and then perhaps for a monthly assignment we do things like photo essay themed assigments, you know have about 5-10 images that are a series of photos on the subject. We can still have weekly assignments that would be limited 1 or 2 images, fun quick turnaround assigments, and then the month long assigment where we have an extended amount of time to develope our ideas and present multiple images. Opinions? but perhaps we should have the weekly ones first so we can get the ball rolling, see who all participates and then maybe get the month long assignment going. I just think that if we start with an assignment thats due once a month people will forget about it. baby steps! ;)

[timmciglobal]

I don't like weekly things. Some of us have busy lives and I don't think a week is enough to get anything of value unless you happen around to it or have alot of free time.

As far as a forum, I don't know what it's necessary if its limited to canon dSLR's, and if it's not limited to them if it's even possible not to have a flame fest open to all but without any form of judging (the other weekly/monthlys judge, and as such people don't have the "personal" responsbility of telling you how good/bad/terrible your photo is)

How do we decide topics then? WHo's on the group who decides? who picks the options for the people to pick? I think these types of ideas are best done as a progressive "someone picks" and by having the last person who picked pick one image and that creator picks nexts lets the picker change and hopefully a bit of the photographers creativity show in the next "theme".

As far as jeff's support I'll PM him and ask him what he thinks. JTL mentioned a seperate thread for posts and maybe stickie of the monthly topic which is probably a good idea.

And a note on the topic I picked, I picked it because it's got alot of potential... "Juding focus" "Judging a name" "Judging the worth of a man" all fit the "topic" judging but for the first I could see a narrow dof shot with interesting focus points behind/infront of the focus wuth one selected in the middle, Judging a name I could see a mother looking down at the birth certificate of her baby with the name of the baby in focus... Judging the worth of a man I could a guy in a suit playing catch with his son... it's a creative topic which I thought might work well. Hey maybe it'll suck and no one will get anything creative and next one will be "trees" and 100 great ideas will come out but choosing the "favorite topic" limits your creativty to topics you chose which is most likly things you already do chose if that makes sense.


Tim

[aparmley]

I don't like weekly things. Some of us have busy lives

Perfect! partake in the monthly one then, :p .

[timmciglobal]

To respond, then please cordinate a weekly one if a monthly one works out, I however do not wish to be responsible for a weekly one for the above listed reason. If the monthly one works out I'm sure it'll be easy to apply common rules and methods developed for the monthly to a weekly so feedback on how to impliment a monthly is greatly apriciated.

Tim

[coldrain]

Why does it have to be Canon only? Can't we at least let George slip in? ;)

[aparmley]

Why does it have to be Canon only? Can't we at least let George slip in? ;)

I agree - I've thought that it should be a DSLR assignment forum. I think it'd be great to see all DSLR owners come play and learn.

To respond, then please cordinate a weekly one if a monthly one works out, I however do not wish to be responsible for a weekly one for the above listed reason. If the monthly one works out I'm sure it'll be easy to apply common rules and methods developed for the monthly to a weekly so feedback on how to impliment a monthly is greatly apriciated.

Tim

I'll see what I can do Tim.

[CptOfGondor]

Well it is in the Canon dSLR sub forum anyways. I guess aside from the creativity aspect here, there will be a good wealth of samples as to what Canon dSLRs are capable with.

It would be nice though to see some more activity for the other manufacture threads too. Like everyone knows about Canon and Nikon but what about Casio, HP, Fujifilm and Ricoh to name a few?

[cdifoto]

Why does it have to be Canon only? Can't we at least let George slip in? ;)


hehe. You have to either shoot Canon or be named George. :p

[timmciglobal]

Lemme see what Jeff says about a forum, if it's a seperate forum maybe we could open it to all dSLR people.

Tim

[aparmley]

Lemme see what Jeff says about a forum, if it's a seperate forum maybe we could open it to all dSLR people.

Tim

I've just written him a PM as well. . . we'll see. ;)

[CptOfGondor]

LoL, Jeff's probably received dozens of PMs. Why not just put this in the Photo Gallery thread?

[Prospero]

A monthly theme goal would be great. However, I use a Nikon camera and my name does not happen to be George. Still, I would very much like to participate in such a thing. I have only just gotten into photography and I still have a lot to learn. I think that participating in a monthly theme goal is a great way to improve my skills.

[cwphoto]

A monthly theme goal would be great. However, I use a Nikon camera and my name does not happen to be George. Still, I would very much like to participate in such a thing. I have only just gotten into photography and I still have a lot to learn. I think that participating in a monthly theme goal is a great way to improve my skills.

Prospero, you can sub for Rhys or Don Schap.:D

[Vich]

So whatever happened?

[aparmley]

So whatever happened?

I have not received a response from Jeff yet. . .

[Vich]

Looking forward to it.

[timmciglobal]

I got a response that said it should be done in photo galary and not be limited to canon dslr's.

What ya'll think?

Tim

[toriaj]

Guess this didn't go anywhere. Too bad, I really like the idea, especially with Jeff's suggestions. *also wishing for critique forum*

[timmciglobal]

I honestly dumped the idea due to "how we pick a topic" thing..

I'm not that excited about voting on a topic then shooting that topic each week.

Plus jeff indicating it would have to go in photo thread would mean countless dozens of posts and I really don't want to see how good a FZ-20 can take a picture, I can see that in dozens of other places.

Tim

[cwphoto]

and I really don't want to see how good a FZ-20 can take a picture, I can see that in dozens of other places.

Tim

ROFLMAO.:D

[Vich]

This seems silly.

Lets just say "OK guys, this month let's see your best 2 photos related to X". Then let's just comment on them as we wish.

A nicely organized polling and judging program would be a little better, but the whole idea is getting a purpose to shoot and some feedback.

However; I'm trying to imagine how "Judging" can be a photo topic. I'm not sure I can bring my camera into a courtroom.:confused:

How about something more direct, like "old buildings" or "depth of field". If someone wants to post their entry with an FZ30 so be it, but I don't think they'll get too far on the "Depth Of Field" project.

We've done this sort of thing before. No big deal.

[toriaj]

Seems like the issue is, do we want a) a manufacturer-specific thread focusing on the specific performance of that camera and manufacturer; or

b) do we want a gallery-like thread, simply for using a topic and then appreciating/critiquing the results?

I vote b, but I'm not that attached to it. I thoroughly enjoy this forum just the way it is. Thank you for an awesome site.

[aparmley]

I'm still waiting on a response. . . . ;)

[Vich]

Didn't see any traction on this thread so I simply started a new one. Idea being, lets just try one on for size and adjust as we go along.

http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?p=126660#post126660

Please let me know if we should adjust the "rules".

I don't think it's for everyone, so I just took a stab at what I thought many might like. There are a few things that still bothered me but I decided better to act then think it to death.

They are:

1. DSLR and P&S really are 2 different animals, different considerations and abilities, etc. I also don't really need to see what an FZ-30 can (or can't do), all with the over saturation, automatic settings, etc. etc. However; I heard that Jeff sort of objected to excluding the P&S people - perhaps we could start 2 like threads (same theme, different camera class) if this becomes an issue. How can we comment on "gee, you should try setting your f-stop up, try a wider lens, get a filter, etc. etc." for a guy who's never taken it out of "Auto" but really liked his over saturated results.

Ummm, so I just ignored the problem, at least until it becomes a real problem.

2. A pro may not want to post something just to get stupid critisizm from some rank amature and through dispariging words on his near-and-dear artwork. For this; I'm thinking we post "C&C not welcome" below the entry. meaning it was just posted to show it, fish for complements, and generally participate in our "cyber outing".

I considered saying "don't critique unless you posted a photo yourself". A little birdy told me that may just kill it, but then, it would keep the blow-hards away. However; we haven't really seen any blow-hards lately so again, not a problem for now so no reason to correct it. If it becomes a problem, then we could add it later. Less emphasis on "guidelines" and less on "restrictions" seemed more workable.

3. I'd really like to see some sort of voting, but that wasn't liked by many. I suppose that in reality not all votes are equal but who would choose the judges. So; I just left it to the text. You can say "My vote is for #3, it's amazing, closely followed by #5, #7, and #1. All really nice". Stuff like that.

Hope it flys! Please post any comments as to format here.