October Photo Challenge - Comments

iceman (Mike) · #1 08-10-2007, 08:56 AM

Place your comments about the October entries in here.

RB (Andrew) · #2 08-10-2007, 11:03 AM

An excellent take on this month's theme Houghy !!

ving (David) · #3 08-10-2007, 11:21 AM

motivation... i am gunna find this difficult

nice one david

erick (Eric) · #4 08-10-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

motivation... i am gunna find this difficult

nice one david

Yes, I think I've lost interest - couldn't be bothered

mnm · #5 09-10-2007, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

motivation... i am gunna find this difficult

nice one david

Yeah, me too.

acropolite, that is not a Messy desk, I should take a picture of mine, well I would if I could find it.

Maybe we should have a messy desk photo thread.

sheeny (Al) · #6 13-10-2007, 06:47 PM

It's not an easy topic this time IMHO. I took a few shots that might fit today with Billy. While this one is possibly not the best quality photo, due to the shadows and jpeg artifacts, but I thought it was the one to use since it is action and Billy's eye contact on the sav is priceless!

Al.

h0ughy (David) · #7 14-10-2007, 10:03 PM

dennis - by the look of them you can tell they work in the public service

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #8 25-10-2007, 01:24 PM

Not an easy subject this month. I think that if you have to explain what your photo is about, and how it pertains to the subject at hand, you've probably lost the impact and your audience.

Hmm...

maybe not so motivated this month...

RB (Andrew) · #9 26-10-2007, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Not an easy subject this month. I think that if you have to explain what your photo is about, and how it pertains to the subject at hand, you've probably lost the impact and your audience.

I agree that it's not an easy subject this month and I think these sorts of topics make for an interesting variety of interpretations.

I don't agree though about not adding a short description to the image if one wants to. I don't see this as detracting from the impact to the viewer.
Any of the images this month fit into the category, it's just nice to read the contributor's comment about their photo and any extra info that goes along with their photo.
We've basically been doing this with every month's entries.

ving (David) · #10 26-10-2007, 01:37 PM

these are the best i could come up with...

or i could take a pic of cheryl nagging me

iceman (Mike) · #11 31-10-2007, 08:17 AM

It is a tough subject, takes more thought and perhaps effort in either creating the scene, or finding the scene that you're after.

I had some ideas in my head but didn't have the time to put any of them in play. The one I entered though, fits nicely for me.

iceman (Mike) · #12 31-10-2007, 09:07 AM

lol nice one Chris! I like it

But it looks like the dog is about to cry

Pugs aren't known for their jumping skills

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #13 31-10-2007, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

lol nice one Chris! I like it

But it looks like the dog is about to cry

Pugs aren't known for their jumping skills

LOL! That's our Pug "Chops" Mike. She's heavily pregnant with a bunch of mini-Pugs at the moment. Like most Pugs, she has a perpetually sad little face and needs a little encouragement to ..... well... move!

She did get her treats for her effort.....

ving (David) · #14 07-11-2007, 02:07 PM

lol chris! poor chops!

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #15 08-11-2007, 09:20 AM

hehe... her motivation was obvious David - and it paid off!

Funny, huh - there are only two photos in this challenge series that show, in the photo, what is motivating the subject clearly and without explanation - and they're both of dogs!

RB (Andrew) · #16 08-11-2007, 11:38 AM

This month's topic has turned out some great results both in the images posted and in the voting participation rate.

IMO the images that got my attention are the ones that don't look 'staged' but rather are a 'natural' snapshot of the theme.

A great contest indeed.

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #17 08-11-2007, 11:59 AM

Andrew - in a photographic competition, photos are usually judged on how well the convey to the viewer the subject matter at hand. Composition matters, of course, but if the subject, i.e. "motivation" was posted as the criteria on which a photo was to be judged, then the judges will look at the photo and ask themselves "if I wasn't told what the subject was, could I guess it?".

While any photo subject taken may motivate the photographer in their own way, would it necessarily mean the same thing to someone else without a border stating "this photo motivates me because..."? This, I believe, is how people should think when they're given a subject to answer. My old man was the president of the Northern Suburbs Camera Club in Sydney for years and ran many comps for the members. I've always tried to follow his advice when taking photos, and endeavour to apply his comp principles whenever entering one.

Otherwise I could simply post a picture of a bus and then explain it away by stating "I'm motivated by this picture because these things get me home from work on a Friday". Sadly, whilst it is a great picture of a bus, it doesn't mean diddly-squat to anyone else and no-one understands the motivation behind the photo's capture.

LOL! I'm not trying to be harsh here, and certainly am not looking for trouble, but merely giving my opinion on the way photographs should be judged IMHO, and voted on IF there is a "subject" at hand. Criteria for the judgement - not how "nice" a photo is but what does it say?

Nice lot of photies this month, all aside

RB (Andrew) · #18 08-11-2007, 12:19 PM

I'd agree with you Chris but on the same token, all other factors aside, a photo that hasn't been 'setup' or 'staged' to adhere to the theme usually rates higher in a judges mind, unless of course it's still life or certain macro imaging.
This is what I tried to base my judgment on and if the photo had any extra explanation with it, I took it into account as well but not to the point of the extreme were you need the explanation to understand the image.

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #19 08-11-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

I took it into account as well but not to the point of the extreme were you need the explanation to understand the image.

Absolutely Andrew that's exactly the point.

I suppose you're referring to mine, which was most definitely "staged" - but I did so to visually impart a concept - and that is "motivation". There is no other way of interpreting the message. Often as not, a "staged" photo makes as good a pic as a "natural" one in that there is a certain amount of "cheek" associated with it.

RB (Andrew) · #20 08-11-2007, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Often as not, a "staged" photo makes as good a pic as a "natural" one in that there is a certain amount of "cheek" associated with it.

Here is the crux of the discussion I believe.
In advertising obviously most have to be staged in order to convey a message or theme, even without explanation.

And yes even in imaging comps a staged photo is acceptable but a natural one, given all other factors to be similar, would score higher in my mind.

I've entered both staged and natural photos in comps but acknowledge that a natural photo would be preferred in every instance.

I did enjoy this month's challenge, I wasn't expecting to enter it though as I thought I wouldn't find a suitable image to enter.

Good topic Mike.