SA
Bluelight Crew
We are in round 85 of the contest. There is a bit more of a history here, Changed. So no, it's not about you.Changed said:
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Life Advice & Visual Arts
Posting Rules Bluelight Rules 🌌 Share Your Dreams! 🌌 📸 15 Years of Photo Contests 📸 -
LAVA Moderator: Shinji Ikari
SO Photography Contest Discussion!!
- Thread starter felix
- Start date
ninjadanslarbretabar
Bluelighter
eras3r said:seems more like a debate, ninjadan.
im talking about the photo contest
and how people end up taking it too seriously for my taste
why is it important to some that retouch arent allowed ?
this is a druggie board at first, then we have the community part, for me its there for people to exchange and know each other
seeing pics that are retouch or not is a cool way to get into peoples life and mind
this aint a board about photography
why not try a free round where any manipulation is allowed and see what comes out of it ?
then again i understand how this contest format has prove its merit and there really is no need to reconsider the rules cuz its already working great
tho debating is fun
Rogue Robot
Bluelight Crew
ninjadanslarbretabar said:im talking about the photo contest
and how people end up taking it too seriously for my taste
why is it important to some that retouch arent allowed ?
this is a druggie board at first, then we have the community part, for me its there for people to exchange and know each other
seeing pics that are retouch or not is a cool way to get into peoples life and mind
this aint a board about photography
why not try a free round where any manipulation is allowed and see what comes out of it ?
then again i understand how this contest format has prove its merit and there really is no need to reconsider the rules cuz its already working great
tho debating is fun
agreed, but i do understand that many people, myself included, don't have the time or don't have the skills to manipulate an image in photo editing software. however, i did buy cameras that help me to take better, more vibrant pictures (without weird settings that only come on specific cameras, though mine has some) for reasons like that, but more for myself and my "hobby".
i think a round would be cool, and see where it goes from there? maybe it count spawn into its own contest?
SA
Bluelight Crew
hearts right back at ya, Johnny On the open round, that would be fun. We'll have to word it accordingly, so that people don't mistake it for a "cut'n paste a face" round. lol
Hm imo this is silly, 2 photography contests is there room for 2, are there enough photographers and entries to warrant 2?
Sounds like both contests would be judged by exactly the same criteria ie as photography contests not photoshop/art contests, just that one allows post processing on PS. If this is the case then one should not be able to detect the PS adjustments or the user has failed in their use of PS because they are entering a photography comp. So then you end up with 2 comps essentially the same, bad idea.
The only way I believe 2 comps would be justified is if one is a photography contest and the other is a digital art contest using heavy PS use and is not trying to produce photos.
Sounds like both contests would be judged by exactly the same criteria ie as photography contests not photoshop/art contests, just that one allows post processing on PS. If this is the case then one should not be able to detect the PS adjustments or the user has failed in their use of PS because they are entering a photography comp. So then you end up with 2 comps essentially the same, bad idea.
The only way I believe 2 comps would be justified is if one is a photography contest and the other is a digital art contest using heavy PS use and is not trying to produce photos.
pennywise
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2005
- Messages
- 5,207
While I have already shared my views on the whole debate, I just wanted to point out the difference between minor post-processing, which keeps the focus of the contest on the photographs, and post-processing that modifies the original photo too much. For instance:
Before:
After:
Vs.
Before:
After:
In the first case, the essential character of the photo is not changed, and the post processing doesn't make or break it, whereas in the second the post-processing is what creates the majority of the photos character. The effects you see were both created with the same feature the "Auto-Levels" function in Photoshop. It just goes to show that it's hard to say what effect post processing will have, and whether it will even be noticeable or give any "unfair" advantage.
Clearly the second example is less about the original photo than about the post-processing work that was done. The first example, however, could have been achieved with different camera settings, or better equipment that would allow the results gained by post-processing to have been captured in the initial photo.
I can see how it would be unfair for someone to enter the "after" shot in the second example, but I think that the "after" shot in the first example just shows what a person would have captured in the initial photo if they had better equipment/more technical knowledge/etc.
Finally, I think that a lot of the time the most technically proficient or "pretty" photo isn't always the winner anyway. There have been lots of times where photos that look like they could have been taken with a camera phone, that no amount of post-processing could ever clean up, have won, sometimes just because they had kittens in them or made people laugh. It's supposed to be fun.
Sure, sometimes competition heats up and sometimes people put out a good bit of effort with their entries. I know that sometimes I do. But in the end no one wins any money or has anything really serious invested in the outcome, so there isn't any reason to get so caught up in it anyway. If you don't like the rules as they are, then ignore them and do what you think is fair and don't tell anyone. If you have even half a brain you know that going overboard like in example 2 really is cheating, and you need to get over your self if you need to win that badly. But if you think that fooling around with the contrast or saturation a bit is going to help you get closer to what you intended in the original shot, while still preserving the integrity of the shot, then go for it and what we don't know won't hurt us.
I think that we all know that that's what's going to happen anyway, regardless of how this line of conversation turns out, so cool down and have fun with it.
your pal,
penny
Before:
After:
Vs.
Before:
After:
In the first case, the essential character of the photo is not changed, and the post processing doesn't make or break it, whereas in the second the post-processing is what creates the majority of the photos character. The effects you see were both created with the same feature the "Auto-Levels" function in Photoshop. It just goes to show that it's hard to say what effect post processing will have, and whether it will even be noticeable or give any "unfair" advantage.
Clearly the second example is less about the original photo than about the post-processing work that was done. The first example, however, could have been achieved with different camera settings, or better equipment that would allow the results gained by post-processing to have been captured in the initial photo.
I can see how it would be unfair for someone to enter the "after" shot in the second example, but I think that the "after" shot in the first example just shows what a person would have captured in the initial photo if they had better equipment/more technical knowledge/etc.
Finally, I think that a lot of the time the most technically proficient or "pretty" photo isn't always the winner anyway. There have been lots of times where photos that look like they could have been taken with a camera phone, that no amount of post-processing could ever clean up, have won, sometimes just because they had kittens in them or made people laugh. It's supposed to be fun.
Sure, sometimes competition heats up and sometimes people put out a good bit of effort with their entries. I know that sometimes I do. But in the end no one wins any money or has anything really serious invested in the outcome, so there isn't any reason to get so caught up in it anyway. If you don't like the rules as they are, then ignore them and do what you think is fair and don't tell anyone. If you have even half a brain you know that going overboard like in example 2 really is cheating, and you need to get over your self if you need to win that badly. But if you think that fooling around with the contrast or saturation a bit is going to help you get closer to what you intended in the original shot, while still preserving the integrity of the shot, then go for it and what we don't know won't hurt us.
I think that we all know that that's what's going to happen anyway, regardless of how this line of conversation turns out, so cool down and have fun with it.
your pal,
penny
fizzle
Bluelight Crew
Bravo! Well said, pennywise.
Shambles
Bluelight Crew
Great example, pennywise . Pretty much says it all for me - the potential problems neatly come together and shown in the shell of a nut.
Love the re-touched snow, by the way.
. Pretty much says it all for me - the potential problems neatly come together and shown in the shell of a nut.Love the re-touched snow, by the way
.
StoneHappyMonday
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 10, 2001
- Messages
- 18,084
pennywise said:
Brilliant.
Drug users competitions ftw.
felix
Bluelight Crew
i think this is the point where we all have a group hug and start coming up with ideas for new themes.
StoneHappyMonday
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 10, 2001
- Messages
- 18,084
felix said:i think this is the point where we all have a group hug and start coming up with ideas for new themes.
Repitition
I freely admit stealing this idea from another source, but it's a good one.
Pillthrill
Bluelighter
Suggestions:
Death
Beauty
Flowers
Death
Beauty
Flowers
Winding Vines
Bluelighter
Shades of Sunlight
Is really general and open for interpretation.
would be a good one IMO
Is really general and open for interpretation.
would be a good one IMO
felix
Bluelight Crew
^ those are all great!
Boats/Ships/Sailing Craft/Submarines!
(might be easier to call it 'Nautical')
Boats/Ships/Sailing Craft/Submarines!
(might be easier to call it 'Nautical'
)
tribal girl
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2006
- Messages
- 13,269
I think 'self portrait' would be a good theme.