photo project poll

back alley · 12-02-2004

time for a little year end evaluation and to start looking ahead to 2005.
oscar had the good idea to see what categories we might want to try again in this next year.

there is only room for 10 choices so i have eliminated the least contributed to themes and this month's theme as it is too new to consider.

i have also added the option for no repeat themes.

i hope this makes some sense...

joe

Doug · 12-02-2004

Well, I think we could have OCCASIONAL repeats, especially if there are aspects to the theme that seem not to have been addressed. There've been some fun themes...

24x30 · 12-02-2004

No repeats, because I will have more difficulties to get an idea when I already saw a lot of images for this theme.

I hope you foregive me voting without having ever placed an image at a theme gallery.

/rudi

rover · 12-03-2004

Though people are so much what we photograph, environmental portraiture is a strong theme subject at any time.

taffer · 12-03-2004

Another vote for environmental portraits, I agree with Rover, it's a sort of universal theme.

Pherdinand · 12-03-2004

Well, i'm not very social lately, so i went for...self-portraits!

DougK · 12-03-2004

I voted for no repeats, but it would be interesting to see another go-around of environmental portraits or shooting to include a specific color. I didn't see people portraits or candids on the list either... that could be fun as well.

GeneW · 12-03-2004

Some of the themes are universal: environmental portraits, cityscapes, shapes, etc. If you want to repeat any of these, it's fine with me.

Gene

Peter · 12-03-2004

I agree with Gene. There are a finite number of themes in photography, if there is no repeat of themes we are going to run out of subjects to shoot!

back alley · 12-03-2004

good point!

c'mon folks i'd really like to hear from as many of you as possible.

joe

fraley · 12-03-2004

How about keeping the popular themes and repeating them annually? Good for anyone like myself who didn't get to participate the first time around. Maybe introduce several new themes each year to keep it from becoming stale. My two cents..

FrankS · 12-03-2004

How about, rather than monthly themes, we have 12 theme galleries that are determined and run for a year. This would be like 12 monthly projects, but presented over a longer term. Sometimes (usually) due to the demands of daily life, a monthly theme is too short for me to shoot, develop, print, and scan a photo. With theme galleries, if you get a good "env. portrait" shot in October, but env. portrait was the theme for July, you can still post it in that theme gallery that stays open for 1 year. You haven't missed the window of opportunity. Just a thought.

DougK · 12-03-2004

Good idea, Frank, I'll second that.

back alley · 12-03-2004

i think people have been going back and posting pics in 'old' projects.
i'd have to double check to see.

some interesting ideas folks, let's keep 'em comin'!!

joe

FrankS · 12-03-2004

If the gallery idea can be implemented, each photographer could post only 1 photo per catagory. This single photo could be updated with a "better" one during the year if a better shot is made. At the end of the year, we could see the best photo from each photographer in each category they were able to enter. We could stop there (I would stop there) or you could then do a poll for the best-liked photo in each category.

For those who like competition, "winning" photographers could be determined, and an over-all winner named. I'm pretty ambivalent about this kind of camera-club competition, but only because I have this "what the h*ll does this judge know" attitude. If it were done by a poll of all RFF members, it would be more meaningful. But then you get into the discussion of "appealing to the masses" versus naming a jury of experienced photographers... it just gets messy!

Rather than muddying the issue with this competition stuff, let's just focus (ha, ha) on the idea of theme galleries open for 1 year, instead of monthly themes.

digitalox · 12-03-2004

I like where Frank is going with this, but then again I am also one who has yet to post the themes.

GermanB · 12-03-2004

I'm with Frank, I've been in that situation too and I simply don't post the pic if it doesn't fit the monthly theme.
The idea of having just one updatable photo per photographer is fine otherwise it could turn to be like the "photo themes" already existing in the gallery.

FrankS · 12-03-2004

"photo themes" already existing in the gallery

Maybe we could just turn these into the yearly theme galleries, starting fresh every year with new themes suggested. Universal or very popular themes could be kept from one year to the next, but the photos should be from the current year's shooting only. That way the photography would stay "fresh" and the galleries would not get clogged up with old stuff.

Doug · 12-03-2004

I rather like the monthly theme, as it is an incentive to get out there and shoot now, applying effort and ingenuity to what may be an unfamiliar theme. The monthly theme galleries remain open later for photos taken within the monthly time period...

back alley · 12-03-2004

sounding complicated, joe doesn't like complicated.

we already have the themes section, which could be expanded with a few more themes i would think.

i like the 'monthly' projects because they offer incentive to 'get out and shoot'!

and i resist competition of any sort here on the forum. i just see it leading to 'bad' things.

good discussion so far!
thanks guys.

joe

back alley · 12-03-2004

Nikon Bob · 12-04-2004

I like the idea of having a number of updatable yearly themes but would want to avoid competitions . Competition can do many good things , the downside is that it could cause ill feelings and ruin the joy of taking photos . Positive comments on a photo should be good enough and declaring a winner implies that there are losers and should be avoided in the interest of friendliness.

Bob

FrankS · 12-04-2004

I agree, Bob. Once you get to a certain point in photography, you think more about pleasing yourself (no jokes please) and trusting your own eye, rather than hoping for affirmation from others.

"It's time for you to go, grasshopper. (Kung Fu)

taffer · 12-04-2004

May be that I'm a bit out of the real world, but don't really love the competition point of view.

We've worked pretty well for a year with the existing policy, and I think it's a good one, based on providing reasonable feedback and useful information about how to improve your pictures instead of giving a number which by itself means nothing.

As for repeating themes, I'd like that but another idea may be to use the most popular ones as a backup just in case we can't think of enough different subjects for 2005.

oh, and bump bump.

PS: oh, and I also realize that sometimes 'yearly' opened projects would be useful, but in some way that would steal some of the force from the original idea, that is a bunch of people from all around the world wandering at the same time about where the h*ll find a decent backlit shot in December

After all, the gallery is always opened for those shots even if they are not on the main monthly project folder.

denishr · 12-04-2004

I don't like the idea of competition. It can't make this a better place to hang around, and can only cause bad feelings... Let's keep things as they are.
Those insecure about their work can always submit photos elsewhere for grading, prizes, etc...
I know most of my photos suck, I don't need anyone else telling me that

Denis