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Important: Fortnightly Challenge - June 13 thru June 26

J

JohnMC

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 5, 2006
386
1
Duluth, MN
Hi All --

Life got the best of me the last few days and I never got this thread up. We have not had much activity in the threads the last couple times, so I would like to get more input this time even if it means moving back the start date a couple days.

My intention with this thread is to do two things: 1) Find out if people still like the direction the fortnightly has gone in, and if not, what they would like changed. 2) Pick a new topic.

If you have any input, even if it is just a second, please share. This is really a community thread and challenge, if the community is not behind it, we will not have a thread.

Thanks,
John
 
Thanks, John.

When this started we had a lot of participation from people who were keenly interested in improving their photography skills. The Challenge featured a lot of give and take from not very many folks. Deep Diver, Chappers and I seemed to take up most of the space, and that was OK and productive. Life seems to have caught up with some of us with school, work and such and the participation has dropped off. The Challenge topics started to pull in work from some of the better photographers in the Digital Photo forum like pdxflint. The quality of images submitted improved dramatically and the C&C dropped of with that. Really good photos seemed to draw less conversation. Odd.

It seems that most of the secondary photo threads have dropped off too. The last two or three Weekly Contests didn't draw all that many entries. The May POTD thread hit page six in five days. The June version needed seven days to do that. Even the main photo thread is running slow for some reason.

I think that the topics got a little to restrictive for some folks. I almost sat out the 50mm Challenge because I don't have one and the companion of Golden Hour required something we just don't see in the Puget Sound region until July - sun in the evening. Maybe taking a shot at returning to the original word of the day as a topic would offer more creative leeway. Each interested party pick a word from the dictionary or word of the day site and we decide between them. Topics need to be flexible and creative.

And then there's always the possibility that the Challenge, like the Monthly Project, has just run it's course. I hope not. This has been fun.

Just my
tenpoundnote.gif

worth....:cool:

Dale
 
Maybe it's just a matter of timing. The last month or so has been incredibly busy for me and I haven't been able to participate as much as usual. Maybe it's a seasonal thing. I agree with Dale that the topics can get a little restrictive sometimes. I like them cause it makes you think but at the same time topics that encourage broader participation are probably better. Even if we rehash topics. Perhaps that's something we could do every know and then. Re-use a topic that got wide participation with the thought of improving your entries (learning) from part 1 to part 2.

The comments are what really make the fortnightly great. That's dropped off a bit too. Probably for the same reasons as above. New participants might feel unsure about commenting as well. We should probably re-emphasize that comments are very much wanted...good and bad. Perhaps it could be an informal rule that when you post a pic you should comment on at least one other.

Maybe a guest moderator (volunteer) for each fortnightly that focused on critiquing entries? (not sure about that one:rolleyes:)

Anyway, that's my .02.
 
I do like the challenge as a means to improve my photography, but like everyone else, things have been crazy busy lately. As for C&C, the skill level of most of the regular participants is so high that usually all I could say would be "wow, great photo". It might be a means to draw more participants by having a very broad topic (ex. my best vacation photo) although I like the ones suggested by Nathan CH. I think some people were turned off by the recent judging issue on one of the weekly contests, which also may have reduced overall participation. In comparison to other years, is there a "normal" decrease this time of year?
 
I agree with a lot ( most) of the above. The Challenge lives in a space between POTD and the Weekly Contest. It has a topic but encourages comments. New folks have to read the first post to see that chat is cool. The judging war in one of the recent Contests ticked me off even though I didn't enter. I got over it, though.

I will go over the most active past Challenges and see what the topics were. That may take through the weekend, though.

Edit: The above was a bit easier than I thought. Here are topics and replies for most all of the Challenges.

Perspective/POV 109
Beauty in the Ugly 96
Mechanical 108
Holiday 159
Favorite Photos 157
Texture 38
My Town 55
Element 50
50mm/Golden Hour 77
Eyes/Height 87
Organic 171
Picture Postcard 84
Bibelot/Soft 58
Culture/Lighting 97
Curvilinear 121
Eerie 107
Foofaraw 77
Motion/Analog/Alone 38
Silhouettes 61

Not in order. This is how they turned up in two searches.


Dale
 
Well the problem I have with these threads is that I take the time to take a picture however, sometimes I get no feedback.

The same thing happens in POTD and whilst my pictures are alright they are not in the top 5% that get all the "wow, amazing, tell me how you do this?!" shots...

So... How about incorporating some sort of comment on the picture above or add 1 picture and mention your current 2 favourites.

A sort of system that encourages criticism and comments on everyone's else's pictures.

They don't all have to be "nice pic A+" but more the truth maybe "not to my taste, but nice and sharp" or something constructive that allows an opinion on a picture and a direction for the photographer to go in to please themselves or the group of people they are trying to interest with there pictures!

Just a wee idea!

EDIT: Also I think the selection of a topic that is not so restrictive for instance I couldn't enter the 50mm challenge as I shoot on a hasselblad film camera and only have a 150mm and 350mm lens! I realise that there was another aspect to the challenge but normally the broader subject topics have got the most input as there is such a range of different thoughts and opinions on broad subjects!
 
After reading through the posts, I have to say that I agree completely with the views presented. I will be the first to admit that the C&C in the thread has been lacking in recent challenges. I am just as much to blame for that as anyone else. I find myself taking pictures but not getting around to posting them. I also find myself looking through the thread and mentally commenting on photos but never sharing my personal thoughts, which is something I intend to work on now as Summer is here and I have more time.

I also would like to start taking the challenge away from topics that require or imply the use of certain equipment or time of day. I think topics along the lines of 'word of the day' or topics like "Curvilinear" that allow the photographer be free of equipment or timing constraints are best. I think most of the fortnightly challenge posters use DSLRs or other professional level gear (like acearchie, I'm jealous of your camera, but off topic) but we should also try to encourage people with sub-DSLRs to participate as well.

Long post aside, I did not cover the 'post a picture, post two comments' thing that groups on flickr are noted for, I think more discussion is needed on those ideas before we move ahead with them formally. I think they serve to scare more people away than bring people in.

Please continue discussion on this as this is not final yet. Anyone want to suggest some topics as well? Also, Thanks to everyone who continues to care about this ongoing challenge.

John
 
I agree with John's most recent post. One of the things that sometimes hinders me is the suggestion that photos be taken within the time frame of the Challenge. The weather can really sock my photography flat sometimes. I have photos that fit the topic and I can improve, but I don't post them. On the issue of C&C, a lot of folks don't read the first post. They don't realize that it is encouraged. Maybe if we posted "C&C Welcome" in the title of each post, it would help.

As for a topic, perhaps a word of the day or Angular.

Dale
 
I like the suggestions of putting more words about C&C in the opening post and maybe suggesting you use it in the title of your post. Every so often maybe John or the official "Cat Herder" could post and remind us to comment. We can also try to bump the thread to the top every now and then. I know when it falls way down on the list I tend to forget about it or assume there has been little input.

For topics...how about every now and then we just have a.......check that, I was about to say a wide open challenge with no topic but then that is just POTD. You could do something weird and say the first person to post in the challenge sets the theme. Might be a bit dangerous.

I'll go back to Black and White as a topic suggestion because I want to get better with them then just turning decent color photos B&W.
 
I also agree with the theme :)rolleyes::eek:) of these comments. I think there has been a direct relationship between the number of entrants, number of images, and the amount and quality of C&C. This forum started out strong. I think we should go back to our roots. BTW: The word of the day at Dictionary.com is:

juggernaut \JUHG-er-nawt\ , noun;
1. Any large, overpowering, destructive force.
2. Something, such as a belief or institution, that elicits blind and destructive devotion.
3. An idol of Krishna, at Puri in Orissa, India, annually drawn on an enormous cart under whose wheels devotees are said to have thrown themselves to be crushed.

Bruce
 
Black and White was something I had in mind, also, but decided to only post one idea at the time.

Juggernaut is cool, too. I just don't know about the destructive part....

I'm not voting on anything at this moment.

Dale
 
Designer Dale said:
Juggernaut is cool, too. I just don't know about the destructive part....
Click to expand...

Oh come on, please choose this!!! I'm really quite adept at destruction!! :D Some would say that's about all I'm good at, but that's another story for another time.

(also not an actual vote though, I currently have no destruction planned and am wide open for challenge topics though Black & White sounds interesting)
 
Mine was not a suggestion/vote as opposed to a reminder that we might return to our roots. (I hate that expression. It makes me sound too much like a politician.)

I hear consensus on going back to broader topics. I would, however, like to hear some more people weigh in on where we go from here. I get a little frustrated when so few of us discuss these things.

BTW: I promise not to vaporize anyone not voting for MY suggestion. :D:D:D
 
Maybe something to state that posting the same image in the Challenge as in another photo thread be OK. Sometimes I have a photo that will fit the Challenge but is good enough for POTD and I have to pick between the two.

The Word of the Day on the Oxford English dictionary site is non-durable. Maybe we could combine a word and it's opposite like this: Durable/Non-Durable.

The topics entered so far are as follows:

Athleticism
Passion
Competition
Angular
Black and White
Juggernaut
Durable/Non-Durable

Please vote. Save our country from the juggernaut of black and white thinking of the competition. Their passion for durable athleticism and angular thinking will be our downfall.

Vote Non-Durable !
Support the Tea Kitty Party :cool:

Dale
 
Dale, despite your nonsensical political rantings (you have a future here in D.C.) I'll cast my double secret ballot for B&W with a hanging chad for Athleticism:)

Vote Demublican in 2012! (Might as well, they are all the same;))
 
JCDavis - Please don't make us hold a recount, it might be time for the next challenge by the time the supreme court upholds the results.
 
Current standings are as follows:

Angular ++
Black and White ++
Athleticism +

Passion
Competition
Juggernaut
Durable/Non-Durable

Perhaps a separate thread for continued discussion of revising the format. Neat ideas have been brought up, but nothing final. I can run this from Monday evening through Friday afternoon. I have been away on weekends.

Dale; Head Pawncho of the Tea Kitty Party

I came, I saw, I ed
Don't [img] on me!
 
Designer Dale said:
Please vote. Save our country from the juggernaut of black and white thinking of the competition. Their passion for durable athleticism and angular thinking will be our downfall.

Vote Non-Durable !
Support the Tea Kitty Party :cool:

Dale
Click to expand...

Brilliant.



Mr. Chairman. Dichotomous thinking is always counter-productive. It is the bane of open discourse. It destroys the very fabric of compromise, the process and value upon which this great nation was founded.

Having said that, Mr. Chairman, in the interest of getting this thing going and keeping it easy, the great city of Solon, OH casts all one of its votes for the next topic of the fortnightly challenge.

Black & White
 
Being a totally biased Hasselblad film shooter with plenty of Ilford B&W rolls to use I am whole heartedly going with B&W!

I will be sure to post plenty if this is the topic!
 
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