Fortnightly Challenge: Vote for Your Favorite Topic

[Designer Dale]

Ready to Start? I am.

Pick your favorite topic in the above poll. The Poll Options allow for multiple choices. Please don't pick more than your top three.

When the poll shows a clear selection of the three topics needed for the first six week schedule of shooting, anyone is welcome to start the photo post/comment thread. The proposed header for the photo thread is posted in the following link. It is open to change.

Welcome to the Fortnightly Challenge Photo Thread

Dale

 

[Phrasikleia]

Just curious why this is yet another thread dealing with the challenge. Was it not possible to add the poll to the topic discussion thread? It seems strange to divorce the poll from the discussion. It's probably best not to clutter up the DP forum with a bunch of challenge threads, if it can be avoided.

Also, unless I'm misremembering, I thought we had decided to narrow down the list of suggestions by first choosing only those that had been seconded in the topic discussion, with the poll getting us down to the final three. There are a lot of topics here. Were they all seconded? I guess we'll see how it goes, but we're very likely to get a whole bunch of ties between the many topics. Then what? Yet another topic thread for a tie-breaking poll?

 

[Designer Dale]

Just curious why this is yet another thread dealing with the challenge. Was it not possible to add the poll to the topic discussion thread? It seems strange to divorce the poll from the discussion. It's probably best not to clutter up the DP forum with a bunch of challenge threads, if it can be avoided.

Also, in the other topic thread, you seemed to agree that a single-choice poll made sense. I guess we'll see how it goes, but if we have ten people making 3-6 choices each, we're very likely to get a whole bunch of ties between the many topics. Then what? Yet another topic thread for a tie-breaking poll?

Agreed. I looked to see if I could convert the other thread to a poll, but the Go Advanced button wouldn't let me do it.

I don't want to do another poll. We need to see what happens and go from there.

Dale

Phrasikleia: I edited the first post to limit voters to a top three. That will help.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Agreed. I looked to see if I could convert the other thread to a poll, but the Go Advanced button wouldn't let me do it.

Oh, that's a pity. I guess there will always have to be dual topic threads, then.

I don't want to do another poll. We need to see what happens and go from there.

Dale

You replied after I changed my post and ended up quoting what I had deleted. It occurred to me that if you *do* have a huge list of topics, then maybe more choices will produce clearer preference patterns, so I deleted that part. (I'm no statistician, so I'm not sure about that part.) I think the more important point is that a long list of choices in the poll could be a problem, so maybe next time the poll should include only the topics that got seconded--whatever it takes to produce three final topics without producing any ties.

Maybe we'll get lucky and get three really clear favorites out of this big list. Who knows. At any rate, I think the consensus was that we should avoid challenges that are fractured by multiple topics; people seemed to agree that more focused challenges are more appealing. So if we do end up with some ties, we're going to have to figure out how to break those ties.

 

[JDDavis]

25 might be too many choices in order to get a clear top 3. We'll just have to wait and see and then adjust. If enough people vote then a clear top 3 will emerge. Statistically I don't know what that number of voters is but I know that the larger the group of choices the more voters we will need to reduce the likelihood of several ties.

Glad to see the get going and there are plenty of great topics.

 

[TheReef]

Voted. Biggest poll I've ever seen

Any experts here on the sine wave distribution?

Then what? Yet another topic thread for a tie-breaking poll?

I suspect random means would probably be most quick and effective way.

EDIT:

I looked to see if I could convert the other thread to a poll, but the Go Advanced button wouldn't let me do it.

I just tried and I was able to add a poll to the January POTD thread (I didn't try confirming it but I got to the poll edit screen).

Click on "Thread Tools" whilst in the thread and select "Add a Poll to this Thread".

 

[Ish]

Voted. Biggest poll I've ever seen

Any experts here on the sine wave distribution?

I suspect random means would probably be most quick and effective way.

EDIT:

I just tried and I was able to add a poll to the January POTD thread (I didn't try confirming it but I got to the poll edit screen).

Click on "Thread Tools" whilst in the thread and select "Add a Poll to this Thread".

At least we won't have to work out whether there's a significant difference! Well done for spotting how to add the poll for next time!

Ignore this if it complicates things too much, but one possibility is that if there's a tie for the top places we could run for four cycles, or an agreed maximum number. We'll soon iron out any initial problems I'm sure.

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

Interestingly enough, three leaders do appear to be emerging ...

Nature in Unexpected Places 12
Contrasts 8
Beauty in Unexpected Places 7



I guess this group is fond of unexpected places!

 

[compuwar]

I'm half tempted to just have a go at the whole list...

Paul

 

[Phrasikleia]

Interestingly enough, three leaders do appear to be emerging ...

Nature in Unexpected Places 12
Contrasts 8
Beauty in Unexpected Places 7



I guess this group is fond of unexpected places!

Yes, we may not have to worry about breaking ties here--or ever, perhaps, since people are able to see the current results before they vote themselves. I've forgotten the name of the theory, but it has been shown that people tend to vote for whatever option is already winning because humans in general have a psychological aversion to having their choice lose.

I'm half tempted to just have a go at the whole list...

Paul

That's the spirit! Spoken like a true photographer.

 

[Designer Dale]

//snip//
I just tried and I was able to add a poll to the January POTD thread (I didn't try confirming it but I got to the poll edit screen).

Click on "Thread Tools" whilst in the thread and select "Add a Poll to this Thread".

Thanks. I was looking at the bottom of the window that comes up when I hit Edit/Go Advanced. I was sure there was a way for a thread starter to add a poll. Thanks. This will make it easier for whoever opens the next Topic Thread down the road. I agree that there is/was too much Fortnightly clutter.

The poll is going well. I'll look at opening the Photo Thread at around 7pm Pacific time.

Dale

 

[Ish]

… I've forgotten the name of the theory, but it has been shown that people tend to vote for whatever option is already winning because humans in general have a psychological aversion to having their choice lose.

That's the spirit! Spoken like a true photographer.

I deliberately didn't look until afterwards!

 

[Phrasikleia]

I deliberately didn't look until afterwards!

Then you have more self control than I do! I did look, though only a couple of people had voted at that point.

 

[pdxflint]

I chose to not look, but then the partial results were spilled here on the thread... not that it's any big deal. Too bad the poll code doesn't keep the results hidden until the poll is "closed" because it could keep folks from voting at all, if it appears their choices are trailing badly... just like a presidential election on the west coast when the pundits call a winner before polls close. I think it lessens turnout... but that's just a theory.
Anyway, off to vote...!

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

I've forgotten the name of the theory, but it has been shown that people tend to vote for whatever option is already winning because humans in general have a psychological aversion to having their choice lose.

I looked ... but it didn't help, I was the first to vote. ;-)

 

[Designer Dale]

With 32 voters responding to the poll, it is now closed.

We have enough topics to run six consecutive challenges if we want to. Here is the schedule and the remaining topics by vote:

1. Nature in Unexpected Places (15 votes) February 16 - March 1
2. Contrasts (11 votes)------------------------March 2 - 15
3. Beauty in Unexpected Places (8 votes)--March 16 - 29

Perspective 6
Patterns 6
Renewal 6

Mysterious 5
Making the Best of Bad Light 5
Outside Your Comfort Zone 5
Alone 5

Deadly 4
Forlorn 4
Unexpected Places in Nature 4
Technology 4
"Frame" Your Subject 4

Dale

Photo Challenge #1 is up. Nature in Unexpected Places

 

[Phrasikleia]

It's interesting how the top three topics are really just different flavors of the same basic concept: contrasts/distinct juxtapositions.

 

[pdxflint]

It's interesting how the top three topics are really just different flavors of the same basic concept: contrasts/distinct juxtapositions.

Yeah, noticed that too. And I didn't vote for a single one of the three, although I have enjoyed the contrast concept because it is broad enough to be taken and interpreted in lots of creative ways... I almost voted for contrast.

Anyway, these should all be fun, and I hope I can give some of them a shot...

 

[Phrasikleia]

Yeah, noticed that too. And I didn't vote for a single one of the three, although I have enjoyed the contrast concept because it is broad enough to be taken and interpreted in lots of creative ways... I almost voted for contrast.

Anyway, these should all be fun, and I hope I can give some of them a shot...

I don't think I voted for any of them either, but now I can't even remember. I don't think the topics matter that much, anyway. The harder they are, the greater the challenge. This first one (nature in unexpected places) is particularly challenging because it is so specific, but I'll take a whack at it if I get some time to shoot this weekend.

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

On my screen the topics I voted for are italicized so I can see how they fared versus the others. I guess one outta 3 ain't bad!The trick is to hope that the weather lightens up a bit and allows for some light this weekend. Right now it's dark, stormy, and wet up here in the Sierra Foothills.

 

[Phrasikleia]

On my screen the topics I voted for are italicized so I can see how they fared versus the others. I guess one outta 3 ain't bad!The trick is to hope that the weather lightens up a bit and allows for some light this weekend. Right now it's dark, stormy, and wet up here in the Sierra Foothills.

Oh yeah, I hadn't noticed the italics before. Nope, none of my choices won. It's stormy here in the Bay Area too, but the weekend looks promising. Failing that, there's always the option to do an indoor set-up, which I may have to do anyway if I can't find any nature presenting itself somewhere unexpectedly.

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

there's always the option to do an indoor set-up

Meaning - you have strobes? I so want to learn about good indoor lighting. One of these days ...

 

[Phrasikleia]

Meaning - you have strobes? I so want to learn about good indoor lighting. One of these days ...

Yes, I have four Speedlites and Cybersyncs to fire them (plus gels and modifiers and whatnot). If you don't have any strobes, you might try doing some light painting indoors with a couple of flashlights. Then all you need is a tripod and some flashlights, and you can get some very interesting effects.

 

[Designer Dale]

I find it interesting that the most intriguing topic - Nature in Unexpected Places - is also the most challenging. A wildlife refuge just off a major highway between two big cities is an unexpected place to find nature, but a wildlife preserve is also an expected place to find nature.

Dale

 

[Phrasikleia]

A wildlife refuge just off a major highway between two big cities is an unexpected place to find nature, but a wildlife preserve is also an expected place to find nature.

Dale

Huh? What else would you expect to find in a wildlife preserve, if not nature?

[Edit: Oh, I see you wrote "expected" in the last sentence. I had misread it. Anyway, maybe this will be your opportunity to work outside the Nisqually Delta box you've gotten yourself into.]