WHATS WRONG WITH OUR COMPETITIONS?

[big pix]

....... do the comps run too long and people loose interest when they run out of time and it is just to late to enter........

I do not enter any comps due to my passed photographic experience which would put me at an advantage, due my photographic experience........ so I now just try to shoot wildlife as it is something I have always wanted to do, and a big photographic learning curve, so now I am, because I can......

[xorl]

I did actually shoot an image for this challenge but I wanted to do a bit more before submitting it. I hit crunch time near the end of the comp and any thought of cleaning up an image and sending it off went out the window. I guess you can put me in the "should have uploaded earlier and often" camp. I do enjoy the focus of the theme'd comps. Admins, thanks for taking the time to run them! Looks like I might be doing some shooting this weekend, so there is a reasonable chance of a submission for the open comp .

[sirhc55]

Bernie, I would beg to differ. I have been into and taking photographs since 1958 and I would class myself as ”professional” because I make money from what I do. Have I won a comp/challenge, a big fat NO. In fact most of the winners from the challenges we’ve had are not professional, so why not enter and be the first

[big pix]

Bernie, I would beg to differ. I have been into and taking photographs since 1958 and I would class myself as ”professional” because I make money from what I do. Have I won a comp/challenge, a big fat NO. In fact most of the winners from the challenges we’ve had are not professional, so why not enter and be the first

........ the bulk of my professional experience was studio and location, so that puts me at an advantage........... but if there was a challenge about wildlife I would be in boots and all......... but I think Fozzie has a head start over me

[big pix]

Bernie, I would beg to differ. I have been into and taking photographs since 1958 and I would class myself as ”professional” because I make money from what I do. Have I won a comp/challenge, a big fat NO. In fact most of the winners from the challenges we’ve had are not professional, so why not enter and be the first

......... since 1958........ makes you as old as me...... almost

[Frankenstein]

Time, I have just started getting time to read the forums again lately, and have only been shooting underwater for the last while.

The confidence thing comes into it too sort of. I think that to stand a chance would I would take too much time creating something because I see how good others are here.....

But mainly time....

Doug

Ditto (except for the underwater bit).
But I do appreciate the efforts of those who organise the comps.

Frank

[Willy wombat]

Andre, we have looked to find a suitable integration of gallery with the forum software, but have yet to find something that provides a level of integration that I find acceptable. Let me go further: I am not impressed with most of the gallery style software that I've seen, so I need to find one that I like, first, and then customise it to integrate with forum, and then, finally, customise it further to provide what Scott has done with Gallery in his. I'm open to suggestions - please provide me with URLs.

Hi Gary

On another website I frequent there is some competition software that might be suitable. Im not sure if it would work for you but I find this very easy to use (members upload an image) and it alows for member's to vote easily.

Check it out if you get a chance
http://wetpixel.com/competition/

Cheers
Steve

[Big Red]

i regularly enter several different comps a month in a few different forums.

they range from "off site" annonymous comps like the challenge here to interactive cmps such as the overlander one
[ http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=55466 ]

by far the most enjoyable is the overlander one and it has no prizes but is not taken seriously and is just plain fun and seems to have a strong sense of community.
it has changed a fair bit over time due to input from the members but is now basically two fortnightly comps that overlap each other so that one comp a week gets voted on.
comments and a general chat atmosphere make it a lot of fun and add that community spirit.

the little one i've been running on here for a few months is probably a bit too complicated with posting in one area and running the comp in another area but seems to be a fair bit of fun.

Perhaps you should run two comps ... the one you already have and another one, non anonymous, to spark more community spirit which may flow into more entries to the other one.

i'm just about to go away out bush for a holiday but could set one up before i go if you like then we could modify it as we go along with input from the members.

it would be similar to the overlander one and be run in the competitions area.

suggestions in the next reply

[Big Red]

example...

WEEKLY CHALLENGE #1 starts now ends 13-07-08 "water"
WEEKLY CHALLENGE #2 starts now ends 20-07-08 "sunset"
WEEKLY CHALLENGE #3 starts 14-07-08 ends 27-07-08 "-----"
WEEKLY CHALLENGE #4 starts 21-07-08 ends 03-08-08 "-----"

Each topic runs for two weeks and ends on alternate weeks.
[this is to make it easy for host to be contacted and to come up with a topic]
Posting your entries ends at 10pm on a sunday night [unless its a public hol on monday ... then it ends on monday night].

Voting starts at 10pm sunday and ends at 10pm monday [except for holidays as above where it gets moved back one day]

You cannot vote for your own pic.
Anyone can vote, whether you have an entry or not.

Entries must be taken by you and a maximum of two entries are allowed.
Name your entry so we know which of your pics is being voted on.
Pics are to be no larger than 800 pixels wide. [roughly 250 kb max]
Frames are allowed.
Post processing is allowed.
Pics from your archives allowed
The winner can enter pics in his/her own topic.
The winner can make special rules for that comp, eg:
[one old and one new pic]
[must be two new pics]
[must be straight from the camera]
["snakes" must be live! ]
[no frames]

comments are invited throughout the comp

only the first vote from each voter is counted but you can say who you would have voted second , third etc if you like.
[this is to keep it simple for the host]

The winner of the comp gets to pick the next topic and tallies up the votes at the end of their comp and anounces the new winner.

most important rule ...
Have Fun

[Jonesy]

I really am just saying the same thing as others....

but for me, its part (mostly) lack of time and part trying to think of something (which most of the time I should just keep it simple).

And then when I see only a small number of entries I do feel bad for not getting one entered. Many thanks to all the Mods (and Others) for organizing the comps and prizes.

I will try harder

[phillipb]

With all due respect Shane, if people can't find time for 1 comp a month, I don't see how 1 a week can improve things.

[Big Red]

With all due respect Shane, if people can't find time for 1 comp a month, I don't see how 1 a week can improve things.

perhaps they don't like waiting ?

i've noticed that the weekly comps at DPReview get more entrants than the Monthly comps ...

maybe knowing if they miss this weeks they know there another one next week so it takes the pressure off ???

dunno really ... it just is

[ozimax]

I fully intended to enter the crema challenge, in fact I took some shots for that purpose after discussing things with my local barista. However, after post processing the images, I found they were not within the guidelines of the coffee-customer relationship etc, so I didn't enter them. Then I got busy. I'm still overly busy, travelling, working and have hardly posted any images for months. My poor old Canon 30D lies asleep, waiting forlornly to be used in some manner. Maybe this weekend in Auburn I can bring him out into the light and introduce him to a lens or two?

That's my excuse anyway, and I'm sticking with it!

Having said this, I appreciate the effort given and generosity shown by all those who put these competitions together, and supply the prizes.

[scottvd]

I will preface this by saying the problem may be 100% me.. that being said.. and not to hurt anyone's feelings..

I find the entire competition process very very difficult to understand what current contest is, differentiate that from previous contests, and view who actually won a previous contest - just keeping everything straight is super confusing for me. Maybe if you troll the forums everyday, or you've been with the forums to see the evolution of the whole process it makes more sense.. but for me, I'm lucky if I can make it here three times a month - I'll hang out for an hour or two, but I'm not here everyday. I've only been tracking with DSLRusers for less than a year. I was trying to figure out what the current contest was just the other day, and I went to the contest discussion list and (albeit I must have skimmed and not really read it good) but I thought the current contest was the music one where you choose a song title to describe your picture (for like 20 min I was trying to select the perfect song.. shrug..) - then once I found the current contest it was just labeled as an "open challenge" - and once again, I may be really thick headed, but I don't even know what that means! I must totally be missing something, but bottom line is I'd enter more if I knew what the exact challenge was, when the dates were, and could easily submit my photo.

Sorry, don't want to sound negative, just honest - I'm always glad when people don't sugar coat stuff for me when I want feedback.

`S

[paulmac]

Hats off to the people who organise the comps.

I've particularly enjoyed doing Big Red's weekender challenges. My kids and I spent most of the weekend doing the first one I entered, and it was a great excuse to get us out of the house. I had a great sense of pride guiding my daughter on how to see things differently, rather than just taking snaps. I have to say I was pretty pleased with some of my own entries too.

But then I too have been disappointed to see only five or six or seven entries to the weekender challenges, which surely seem to be far more low-key than entering a competition with real tangible prizes.
What's been even more disappointing is that very few other forum members take the time to vote for the entries. For the last one, I had to find an internet kiosk (and pay through the nose) to vote, but it only took me 15 minutes to scan through and place my votes.

Had I not only had about 10 posts at the time, I would have entered painting with light. I love the feel and challenge of low or available light photography.

The current comp, however, I'm probably going to pass on. An open comp is just too vague, if that makes sense. There are some truly stunning pictures posted on a daily basis already, many of which are "automatic" winners for an open comp. I'll be stoked if I managed to pull off something of their calibre one day. (I'll keep trying though!) But, many of these stunning pics are in the photog's "field of expertise" or comfort zone. Gary's comment suggested that the comps should be a way of getting people to try something different. Themes are definitely a better idea.

No suggestions on who or how or $$, but many of the POTW photos would look awesome printed out at A2 or A1 size and hung on the owners wall. Perhaps something as simple as a poster printing voucher would be enough of an incentive for more people to enter more comps more regularly. (I'd love a torch too, btw...)


I've been to two mini meets, and entered two comps. Can I be a member now please?!

[PiroStitch]

Personally time has been an issue for me.

Overall the competitions and challenges are great regardless of whether prizes are included or not

[blacknstormy]

I just keep forgetting - I think 'I have to enter that', and then get tied up with life I spose
Pretty pathetic really I've entered quite a few, and really appreciate the time and effort taken by Gary & Scott and the mods to organise and get the comps up and running ... just have to get my finger out !!!
Wish I had Bindi's excuse though !!!!

[colin_12]

I love the comps and the challenges.
I have no good excuse for non entry in this one.
Regards Colin

[joey]

It’s not only the competition, people are participating less in forum discussions. I don't know why this has happened but it's different now in these forums to what it was a year ago.

My few cents worth…