Good thread,
TB - seems like we are not only attracting the right people, but it has also generated the right kind of interest!
Let me - as a somewhat pushy newbie - throw some thoughts in here:
Gear - what does it matter? A box with a pinhole is sometimes better than nothing at all - if you were witnessing the explosion at Bikini Atoll. How about the picture of the naked little girl running down the street after being nalpalmed. Who would remember the camera used - or even the photographer! Some of the most memorable pictures in LIFE magazine, or National Geographic were taken with very ordinary cameras - and the iPhone camera is an exceptionally good camera in comparison. It's all about the subject matter - and the angle of perception used to capture that moment in time - than the technical wizardry. That doesn't mean good gear is not helpful; there was a time capturing an 'action' shot was a mixture of instant serendipity - now at 5 FPS one can catch five different split-second moments of a match flaming into life. So looking at it that way, advanced gear can give one an advantage, but not always. More of a satisfactory achievement knowing you got the shot under difficult circumstances, than that the camera you took it with was a photographic robot.
Time Frame: What time frame are we talking about? Time frame of the entire contest or time frame of each individually segment? A suggestion would be to have a bi-weekly contest, that runs for a year - and then three shots (1st, and two runners-up) as a final year-end vote.
Awards - Obviously there is no tangible reward - Jordan handing out a t-shirt would make this an official GTPlanet contest - and making it official would of course cause various complications. So what reward is there in this? Only passionate photographers may truly understand the satisfaction that comes from capturing (what they think) is a perfect shot. To have the opportunity to showcase that shot and have others appreciate the result is a bonus that goes beyond simple egotism - it is an affirmation of one's active worth, and an incentive to further and more eye-catching, mind-boggling photographic effort.
Judgement of a visual is instintively subjective - votes are mostly cast on a 'I don't know why I like it, but I like it' basis. Very rarely, I would think, that a vote would be cast by a member who is saying to themselves: 'Hmm, this guy followed tha rule of thirds, a light meter has been used, and his ISO setting has captured just the amount of grain needed, etc . . .' So - intrinsically - the satisfaction comes more from even
one member saying 'That was a good shot - I'll never forget seeing that picture' than six pixel pundits saying the shot was technically perfect. The award therefore is the opportunity to participate - and be viewed and recognised. Sometimes the true pleasure comes from playing the game - doesn't matter who won - eventually every dog has his day. The pleasure that coms from consistantly participating, and then - even being a 'runner-up' just once - must be experienced to be understood.
And for a photo-dog (my Dutch buddies call me that) what more pleasure that taking photos and showing them off, win or lose?
Cheating: I'll let my kid's hamster address that:
Themes:
To help your imagination along a wee bit:
A - Action. Antennae. Apples.
B - Beaches. Butterflies. Beaudacious belles. Bells.
C - Cuddly things. Clouds. Cheese.
D - Diner. Detail. Dusk.
E - Extraodinary tools.
F - Fish. Fraternities. Feathered friends.
G - Gametime. Gadgets. G-Forces.
H - Holiday. Homes-for-sale. Horses. Halloween.
I - Iridescence (goniochromism.)
J - Just leaves, loaves, louvres (and louvers.)
K - Kites!
L - Love. Laughter. Lights. Lichen.
M - Mall life. Monetary transaction. Movie Theatre signage.
N - Nightlife. Numbers game.
O - Outdoor flower/fruit/vegetable market.
P - Policeman. Park bench. Pharaphenelia.
Q - Quaint folk. Queue. Quick shot!
R - Rustic settings. Rocks. Robots. Rainbows. Raindrops. Roses.
S - Sunsets. Stars. Street scenes. Street signs.
T - The one that (almost) got away.
U - Uber umbrellas.
V - Various vittles.
W - Workplace. Walls. Windows. Worshippers.
X - marks the spot.
Y - Yellow. Yelling mouths. Yerks.
Z -Zoom shot! Zebra crossing.
Just to name a few
- J/K about the Yerks - hard to find those.
Cheers. Regards and my respect to all in the room.
Harry.
) the long time members here won't cheat in that sense when taking part.
