christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
How do we get to view the pics to vote.
Christine.
Christine.
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Competition Categories? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter janine13
- Start date
IanF
Moderator
Hi Christine you can either use this link to view the photos individually September comp photo entries
or this one to view as a slide show September competition slideshow
This is the link to the Voting Booth
I hope this helps.
or this one to view as a slide show September competition slideshow
This is the link to the Voting Booth
I hope this helps.
ericbirdman
Well-known member
A few possible ideas of solving the issues raised here:
For 75+ entries. I think if you made it so that the pictures did not HAVE to be taken the month of, however encourage contestants to do so, then you would get more entries. If the picture was taken the month of, it should be taken into consideration that this person made the effort to go out and take this picture specifically for this competition/challenge. That way, the people who really want to go for the challenge can do it, while other people who don't get out as much, don't have the right equipment, etc., can enter their favorite photos from their collection that fits the theme. I know that for me, at least, every photo comp I look at my pictures and say "shoot, if only that one was taken this month!". I often don't get a picture that I like for the comp. I think that lots of members would enter if they could choose from all their photos, and not too much of the essence would be lost. Also, once we get the 75+ members for the three months, perhaps the "advanced" category could be photos taken that month, while the "beginner's" category could be out of any of your photos. Anybody can enter either, but you can only enter one. That way, if anyone doesn't get a shot, they can still enter the comp and the essence of it won't be lost at all.
For the better equipment...I think that somehow (although sadly, I cannot think of how at the moment) we should encourage the voters to take into consideration other things besides the fact that the picture is the best in the comp. Such as if one picture is not digiscoped, but it turned out really well, it just doesn't have the perfectness, if I may use the word, of a digiscoped photo.
That's all my ideas for now. I hope they help.
For 75+ entries. I think if you made it so that the pictures did not HAVE to be taken the month of, however encourage contestants to do so, then you would get more entries. If the picture was taken the month of, it should be taken into consideration that this person made the effort to go out and take this picture specifically for this competition/challenge. That way, the people who really want to go for the challenge can do it, while other people who don't get out as much, don't have the right equipment, etc., can enter their favorite photos from their collection that fits the theme. I know that for me, at least, every photo comp I look at my pictures and say "shoot, if only that one was taken this month!". I often don't get a picture that I like for the comp. I think that lots of members would enter if they could choose from all their photos, and not too much of the essence would be lost. Also, once we get the 75+ members for the three months, perhaps the "advanced" category could be photos taken that month, while the "beginner's" category could be out of any of your photos. Anybody can enter either, but you can only enter one. That way, if anyone doesn't get a shot, they can still enter the comp and the essence of it won't be lost at all.
For the better equipment...I think that somehow (although sadly, I cannot think of how at the moment) we should encourage the voters to take into consideration other things besides the fact that the picture is the best in the comp. Such as if one picture is not digiscoped, but it turned out really well, it just doesn't have the perfectness, if I may use the word, of a digiscoped photo.
That's all my ideas for now. I hope they help.
ericbirdman
Well-known member
forgive me, one more thing. I think the competition should be promoted a little more.
janine13
Well-known member
I think that the one-month time frame for the competition is good and should not change. It adds to the fun/challenge element, as well as "evens the field" for everyone.
I doubt we will see the separate categories, and even if we do, more problems would arise. How would the categories be divided, etc. It seems that many photos are disqualified each month for not following the rules as they are, so why complicate things further. I had originally felt shy about posting with so many better photographs, but it doesnt bother me much anymore. To me it is fun to go out and try to get a shot that meets this month's specifications, and then see how others do in different parts of the world. Maybe my pictures arent the best, but it is fun to participate in the competition just the same. It is interesting to see perspectives on the same theme, but in many different places, and with different species.
ericbirdman makes an interesting point, about the voting. How would you influence how people vote? How do people vote? I have no idea what criteria people evaluate when judging a photo.
I doubt we will see the separate categories, and even if we do, more problems would arise. How would the categories be divided, etc. It seems that many photos are disqualified each month for not following the rules as they are, so why complicate things further. I had originally felt shy about posting with so many better photographs, but it doesnt bother me much anymore. To me it is fun to go out and try to get a shot that meets this month's specifications, and then see how others do in different parts of the world. Maybe my pictures arent the best, but it is fun to participate in the competition just the same. It is interesting to see perspectives on the same theme, but in many different places, and with different species.
ericbirdman makes an interesting point, about the voting. How would you influence how people vote? How do people vote? I have no idea what criteria people evaluate when judging a photo.
ericbirdman
Well-known member
perhaps, to determine how people vote, we should have a comment box in the voting booth, explaining why you voted for that picture.
Janine, that is the spirit with which all need to enter the competitions!
As far as a comment as to why one votes the way they do, let's look at the implications of this. Our goal really is that anyone can win. If comments are allowed, then one will have people saying anything from, "I just like it", to "It has a great choice of DOF, sharpness is superb, composition is well done,..." So we have that. Great, now what do we do with it? We certainly are not going to disqualify a vote because it was made for the "wrong reason" (not saying anyone said that), and stating why a person voted such and such a way may actually influence another voter, particularly those who think, "I don't know anything and 'X' does so I will vote for that one." We really want the person to vote for it just because they like it. So, not trying to squash ideas here, but I just can't not see a solid reason for doing it. Anybody can always comment within the photo why they like it.
As far as a comment as to why one votes the way they do, let's look at the implications of this. Our goal really is that anyone can win. If comments are allowed, then one will have people saying anything from, "I just like it", to "It has a great choice of DOF, sharpness is superb, composition is well done,..." So we have that. Great, now what do we do with it? We certainly are not going to disqualify a vote because it was made for the "wrong reason" (not saying anyone said that), and stating why a person voted such and such a way may actually influence another voter, particularly those who think, "I don't know anything and 'X' does so I will vote for that one." We really want the person to vote for it just because they like it. So, not trying to squash ideas here, but I just can't not see a solid reason for doing it. Anybody can always comment within the photo why they like it.
ericbirdman
Well-known member
Of course you are right, Bcurrie. My idea for the comment box was simply so that we could figure out how many of the members voted on the photos in the contest, since Janine at least was saying that she had no idea. After that, we could figutre out how to solve some of the problems.
janine13
Well-known member
I think eric was referring to determining people's motives for voting the way they did, because I said that I had no idea why people vote the way they do. Maybe I am also lost here... I was thinking that eric was suggesting some kind of rating system, like have set criteria such as composition, originality, technical photographic prowess, etc. So then each vote as it were would be some kind of point value? I am probably way out there. Is that what you meant eric?
IanF
Moderator
I don't think it's a very practical solution. People to my mind will always vote for the most visually appealing photo. It doesn't matter the equipment used as long as the photo looks good. Trouble is of course it's probably a lot easier to obtain a better looking shot with higher end equipment which not everyone has. I can't see a way around that. I think any complicating of the voting system would likely mean that an even smaller percentage of members would cast a vote than what do so at present.
I am not exactly against a rating system, but agree with Ian's anaylysis. Also, if you have a look in the "Photo Critique" forum, you will see that a rating system is supposed to be used and no one ever uses it (okay, I do, but I devised it). Also, you will see that not much true critiquing goes on there, which for me shows what type of comments we would get for the competition.
ericbirdman
Well-known member
It seems I worded a few things wrong myself. What I meant to imply was that maybe if we found some way to encourage members of BF to either follow the rating system or vote not just for the best photo but to take other things into consideration. However, it seems that the second idea has some dissaoroval, so why don't we stick to the first for now? If this is something we badly want to change, perhaps we should go to the extreme of disqaulifying a vote if it does not follow the regulations and either ask the member to vote again or not at all. I know that this may mean more work for the moderators and not a pleasent thing to do, but it is all I can see. Another idea that may help but not fix is what if instead of voting flat out for a photo, we had a bar where a member could choose their five favorite photos entered or some other number if needed, and they could rate them all from 1-100. The photo with the highest rating overall is the winner.
Sorry for any confusion. What do people say to these ideas?
Sorry for any confusion. What do people say to these ideas?
Unfortunately, we do not have a way to vote for five photos. Well we do, but not just five. It is a vote once or vote as many times as you wish. Also, unless admin has a way of seeing it, at least the moderators do not have a way to see who voted so that would be difficult and admin already has enough of their plate to not have to worry about who voted. We also do not have a way to see who rated and who did not, so the exact same problem.
Any ideas on how we could realistically force the voter to take other things into consideration? And of course, still have it be fair to their level of expertise?
Any ideas on how we could realistically force the voter to take other things into consideration? And of course, still have it be fair to their level of expertise?
Forcreeks
If you want to see something new in nature!
I think there are two ways to go; both have merits: 1) Members vote for one favorite as they please, given that every entry in the booth has met the minimum qualifications (the current system), and 2) a Panel of knowledgeable judges will select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The first method seems to best meet the goals of the site and Members, which are: wide participation, increasing interest in site photo contests, the pleasure of making comments on the photos, and fairness. The second would provide a contest with a consistently higher standard of photographic excellence (for winning shots), but would sacrifice some of the charm of Member participation, and all of the enthusiasm about getting to judge photos ourselves. It would not eliminate questions about fairness of judges, as it's human nature to always question that aspect.. just observe a crowd at any sports event reacting to the referees. Other than these two, everything else seems to be problematic in various ways, or overly complicated.
Forcreeks
If you want to see something new in nature!
An additional comment about themes and categories: Having categories might increase numbers of Members entering contests, by making them feel they are competitive at a particular level of equipment or skill; however skill is nearly impossible to referee until one has won a contest, or is a professional photographer. That leaves things like number of megapixels, film vs. digital, digiscoping vs. camera and lens. What percent of Members will be happy with what categories the Moderatores decide on?? It seems a morass of compromises. I suggest that the current method of choosing diverse themes 10-12 times per year gives a wide range of opportunities to anyone who is remotely interested in entering photos in a contest format: humor, in-the-yard, feeding, water, etc. I think the Moderators have been extremely careful, wise, diligent in time and thought, and fair. A point about equipment: since judging is based on, lets face it, the low resolution of a computer monitor where 75 pixels per inch can look good, though it would fail miserably in print, this already tends to level the playing field greatly as to the expense of equipment that has a chance to win for its user. Separating camera & lens shots from digiscoped pales by comparison to this leveling aspect. Color, compositon, uniqueness of subject, stealth, practice, patience, and time invested, are all greater factors for Internet competition in my opinion. And if after investing in all that, one does not want to sacrifice to upgrade equipment, that's a personal choice. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind for the way our comp's are run.
