Yildiz, I have a problem.

[Winston]

Newsflash to the forum: Taste in art is SUBJECTIVE.

If I think my photo is the best, I've voting for myself. If you disagree, then vote for what you like. It's not like we are trying to save the world here. There is no money, or real prizes at stake. Nobody's going to prison if they lose.

In reality, the results here mean nothing, maybe bragging rights at the most. But who wants to brag about winning here? If you want to vote for yourself, go for it.

You are completely missing the point.

The idea is to get some sort of quantitative measure of what we think of each other's work. If we vote for ourselves, we learn nothing.

[Lonnie Utah]

Winston,
Then why even have this forum an not just post in give it your best shot. THere are lessons to be learned in defeat...

[KevinBarrett]

The idea is to get some sort of quantitative measure of what we think of each other's work.

Understanding Poetry

To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with its meter, rhyme and figures of speech, then ask two questions: 1) How artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered and 2) How important is that objective? Question 1 rates the poem's perfection; question 2 rates its importance. And once these questions have been answered, determining the poem's greatness becomes a relatively simple matter.

If the poem's score for perfection is plotted on the horizontal of a graph and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness.

A sonnet by Byron might score high on the vertical but only average on the horizontal. A Shakespearean sonnet, on the other hand, would score high both horizontally and vertically, yielding a massive total area, thereby revealing the poem to be truly great. As you proceed through the poetry in this book, practice this rating method. As your ability to evaluate poems in this matter grows, so will, so will your enjoyment and understanding of poetry.

Just teasing, Winston, I understand your meaning, but there's simply no way of implementing a scoring system smoothly, fairly, or quantitatively (at least not with more than ten entrants). The forum isn't designed for it.

[Lonnie Utah]

This really isn't a problem, but more of a suggestion. In the comps, having a "rule" that the photos be taken with in the contest time period. That would encourage more of us to go out and shoot (and use our heads) than just post up images we have laying around.

Just a suggestion.......

[Winston]

This really isn't a problem, but more of a suggestion. In the comps, having a "rule" that the photos be taken with in the contest time period. That would encourage more of us to go out and shoot (and use our heads) than just post up images we have laying around.

Just a suggestion.......

My problem with this is that submissions become a function of where you live rather than where you have been. Depending on the challenge subject, this can be severely limiting.

[Lonnie Utah]

Depending on the challenge subject, this can be severely limiting.

Yeah, winston, that's the point. Exactly the point. This will do two things. It will cause the originator of the challenge to put some thought into the topic so as many people will/can participate as possible. I mean, if the challenge was "snow" that will naturally eliminate a lot of people. If the topic is "frozen" then no matter where I am, I can come up with something.

It will also make the posters/shooters have to think. In other photo contests I've seen, the best part of it isn't the photos themselves, it's the interpretation of the theme. I've found that there are some really creative people out there, and the photo challenges I've been a part of have "forced" them to shoot pics that they've had in their minds for a long time.

It also puts everyone on an equal footing so to speak. I don't care what someone did a year or more ago. Given a long enough time, even a monkey randomly banging away at a typewriter will eventually come up with a Shakespearean sonnet. What can you come up with under a deadline?? If you have a great pic that fits the theme, but taken out of the time frame, there is nothing that says you can't post it, just identify it's not eligible to "win".

But hey, this group always seems to poopoo my ideas, so I am used to it.

[Winston]

Lonnie,

I see your point and it indeed has some merit. We just have vastly different points of view.

I haven't had to deal with "deadlines" in ten years and don't intend to anytime soon.

I've been told that I have an appointment with the undertaker. I will likely be late.

My interest is in people's best work and I don't care when it was done.

Cheers,

[aster]

But hey, this group always seems to poopoo my ideas, so I am used to it.

Hi Lonnie,

That never happened. You have very 'healthy' thoughts on the matter and it is worth a try at least some of the times. I'm sure we can come up with topics that can be creatively handled in a specific period of time even by our Winston. He's not going anywhere just yet!
Any contract of his with the reaper is suspended indefinitely!!

Lets all keep the ideas for topics coming...

Yildiz

[Birma]

I agree with Winston, and Lonnie . No reason that we can't have '"open" challenges when pictures from any place and any time are allowed, and "time specific" challenges when you have to go out and shoot to a brief and a defined timescale.

I like the "open" challenges as it is interesting to look back though your own personal catalogue, as well as others. (Who wouldn't want to see one of Winston, David, Henry, etc. submissions?)

I also like to see the creativity that comes from a timed brief, as Lonnie describes.

Surely we're a broad enough church to embrace both options. Who's for a big Photoclubalpha group hug?

[Winston]

Surely we're a broad enough church to embrace both options. Who's for a big Photoclubalpha group hug?

Sounds good to me.