Rules and dates for Comp 5

[MHD]

Overview:
This comp is special, as it is the anniversary comp for the forum. And it is also the last d70users comp before the site, and the comp are rebranded as dslrusers. The basic rules for this comp remain the same and are outlined below. However, to alter (level, add bumps, insert landmines) the playing field we have decided to allow two entries. Both entries can be taken after the comp is opened (once the theme is announced) however, one can be entered in round one, which will close on the 26th of june, at which time your entry (but not your ownership) becomes visable. A second entry can be entered between the 26th of june and the 24th of july.



Eligibility:
Membership:
Images must be fully owned by members of the d70 users forum with no less than 10 posts, the final decision as to a users eligablity rests with the Comp Admin in consultation with the forum moderators, admins and prize donors. Spamming the forums to attain 10 posts, duplicate usernames, or any kind of unsavoury business will not be tolerated.
Once a user is eligible for entry he/she should PM me with:

Your d70 username
Your preferred name
email address

To attain a log in to the challenge site. All registrations from previous comps are Valid

Images:
Images entered into this comp are anonymus, there must be nothing in the image that can identify the photographer, this includes (but is not limited to): Signatures, familiar places, familiar faces (ie a spouse which is well known to the membership) or any kind of watermark.

Images must be taken using a d70, d70s or d50 body.
Images must not be taken before the timeframe mentioned in the dates section below.

Tags:
Images MUST contain the following tags:
Camera MODEL
Camera MANUFACTURER
(ie Nikon Corp, D70)
Image capture date

Images must NOT contain the following tag:
Comment
(A blank comment tag is acceptable)

Post proccessing:
As a general rule, any PP action that changes an image localy is not accepted. Exceptions include: Cloning out dust, cloning out hot pixels. Simple frames are allowed, however frames must be in adition to the image and not affect the image itself (for example a glass refracting frame around the edge of an image is not allowed)

Global PP actions, for example, Unsharp mask, colour ballance, curves and levels, blur, rotatiing... are allowed

If unsure seek a ruling from the comp admin (ie PM me)

Dates:

These dates may be subject to minor changes over the next few days

Images for both rounds Valid: As of the decision of the theme, Date TBA
Closing date for first round submissions, First round images revealed, second round submission open: Sunday, 26th of June,11:59:59 (Midnight) AEST (sydney time).
Closing date for the Second round, Voting begins on ALL images: Sunday 24th July, 11:59:59 (Midnight) AEST (sydney time).
Voting Closed, Names revealed, images open for comments: Sunday, 31st of July, Noon.
Winner announced and prizes awarded: Saturday, August 6th, at the dinner

Entry:
Entry will be by self submission ONLY. I can be PMed/Emailed to check validity of entries but please note: The final responsibility for ensuring that entries are valid lays with the entrant.
Images must be hidden once submitted
Detailed instructions for self submission were posted for comp 4 and will be reserected and revamped at a later date.
There is a test gallery on the site for testing submissions, DO NOT POST YOUR ENTRY THERE... one thing you can do is alter your entry beyond recognition (eg, selectall, cut, save as) and upload it to the test area... here you can check tags etc....
the test area is only visable to logged in users

and finally, some advice.....
Please dont leave submission to the last moment, you will find I will become decidedly unhelpfull at 11:55 on the due date..
The winning image for the last 4 comps has been a simple, clean and neat representation of the comp theme...

Enjoy, and if this comp does not meet your expectations I will happily refund 100% of the entry fee

Prizes:
Prizes for this comp are generously donated by forum patron Birddog114. Prized will only be awarded to Austrailian residents with the exception that overseas residents will be eligable for the prize if and only if they are present at the Dinner on the 6th of August.

Due to the advantages of running the comp (seeing the images as they are entered, and watching voting take place) I withdraw myself from being eligable for the prizes... Yet I may still enter the comp if I like the theme

LAST UPDATED:
9/5 (Times updated)
9/5 (Section on prizes added)

[Onyx]

Times: should update to "xxx midnight AEST" to avoid confusion as to "when is midnight".

[MHD]

done..
Changed the time ever so slightly so there is no 24hr degeneracy

[pippin88]

Is it allowable to enter an image that you post on the forums? Or post an image that you enter?

[MHD]

That would break Anonymity, so no...
(excuse my spelling)

[birddog114]

So members have two months to decide and submit their photos for the challenge.
Should be lot of fun!

[Aussie Dave]

I have a feeling that the site record for most people online at once may be broken when the announcement of Challenge 5 is let out of the bag.

I hope the server can keep up with demand.....?????

I must say though....I haven't felt a "buzz" of expectation like this since I sat at home waiting for the D70 battery to charge for the first time.....

I'm sure we ALL remember that !?!?!?!?!

[birddog114]

Hope we can do "Live Report" of each evening of the event.

[gstark]

So members have two months to decide and submit their photos for the challenge.

Sort of.

But please pay attention: if you miss cut-off date #1 for your first entry, then it's too bad. You will not be able to enter two images in the second period; it's strictly one image per member per period.

And a member is eligible to win one prize only. If a member's photos get voted to, say, P2 and P5, the P2 entry will attract a prize, but the P5 entry, while being recognised as P5, will not. The prize will flow down to whomever comes in at P6.

[MHD]

yes... I will update the top post to reflect this (the prize rule)...

[MHD]

updated again

[Geoff]

I am sooooooo excited and I just cannot hide it, I know I know I know I know I want to...

[Manta]

Scott - do we have to re-register for each challenge or once we have entered and voted in a previous challenge we're right to go with this one?

[MHD]

To attain a log in to the challenge site. All registrations from previous comps are Valid

[Manta]

[darb]

I have a couple of images in mind MHD, and i daresay some of you may recognise the work, or at least the state and terrain, linking it to me. Does this exempt me from submitting those images? (too bad im going to anyway, heh !)

Also, I unforunately can not make it over from Perth to the dinner, am I still eligible?

[MHD]

Its only if it is pretty obvious...

I dunno, Perth is nearly OS!


yes, you are eligable for the prizes

[darb]

cool ... obviously then the whole anonymity thing is cant be too strict, or just about every image ever taken could be likened to one of our lifestyles

Personally i dont think theres any positives in someone knowing its your image ... if anything, a possible negative, so obviously its in one's interest to remain anonymous as possible.

What is the idea behind the anonymity rule?

[MHD]

to limit voting based on friendships and animosities..
Things automatically rejected:
*Images posted before on the forums
*Images with your name or well known psuedonym in the the gallery text (title, blurb) or filename
*Images with anything in the comment tag
*Images with any kind of signature on the image


Things to avoid (may cause rejection):
*Images of people who are recognisable to a large portion of the forum population (family members, well know friends etc. Eg if I submitted an image of Louise or Isabelle I would reject it)
*Images of objects that are recognisable to a large portion of the forum population (eg your car, helicopter, house)

As Darb said, the rule is fairly relaxed, and is decided on a case by case basis..

If in doubt contact me with the specific case.

[MCWB]

*Images of objects that are recognisable to a large portion of the forum population (eg your car, helicopter, house)

Lucky no-one's seen my helicopter yet then!

[darb]

*Images of objects that are recognisable to a large portion of the forum population (eg your car, helicopter, house)

Lucky no-one's seen my helicopter yet then!

damn, do you think it matters that my F355 spider is in the background when you and i took yer chopper to hamilton island for the week?

[Glen]

Brad, there are a few others in WA, even though you are most active, so nothing is necessarily you. I must say every time I have guessed the photographer of images in each comp, based on past images or preferences, I am wrong. I think for the comp we tend to think outside our comfort zone and shoot accordingly.

[phillipb]

There has to be one exception. If the house in the photo is Birddog's then just about anyone could have taken the photo.

[MCWB]

damn, do you think it matters that my F355 spider is in the background when you and i took yer chopper to hamilton island for the week?

As long as the supermodels aren't in the shot, we're in the clear.

[darb]

damn, do you think it matters that my F355 spider is in the background when you and i took yer chopper to hamilton island for the week?

As long as the supermodels aren't in the shot, we're in the clear.

nah we'll be OK, new one of them every week ...

[Frankenstein]

Is using Neat Image (after PS work) on competition entries allowed?

Frank

[xerubus]

I have brought this up in the past but haven't been paying attention to whether images are hosted on a new server yet etc etc blah.

How 'edgy' can we go mate? .... i have an image i would like to submit however it would be M rated... the idea may be a bit disturbing to younger viewers.

cheers

[MHD]

As Xerubus did, people should contact me if images are more than PG rated... I am happy for edgy and disturbing pictures to be submitted, as long as it is in the spirit of the comp...

There are a few "dark" images already submitted!

[leek]

So when do we get to see the Part 1 images??? I've been trying since midnight without any luck... Is there a hitch Scott?

[birddog114]

Me too! Tried to see what are the first crop of the labour of our members, but see none.

[MHD]

Right now in fact

[embi]

Well they are a lot different to what I expected.

I will have to go over them a few times before I make a vote or two.

Well done to those who have entered so far.

For those who want a link to the images

-->http://www.potofgrass.com/gallery/challenge5

[birddog114]

So only 18 challengers in Part 1 and they'll qualify for part II.

Finally we will have a maximum of 18 challengers, am I correct?

[Glen]

No Birddy, anyone is free to enter part 2, same as anyone was free to enter part 1, those in part 1 get two bites at the cherry

[birddog114]

No Birddy, anyone is free to enter part 2, same as anyone was free to enter part 1, those in part 1 get two bites at the cherry

Thanx Glen, I thought that way but would like to confirm.

[leek]

Frankly, considering the quality of the prizes on offer, I am amazed that there are only 18 entries in the first phase...

Did everyone have trouble with this theme or are you keeping your winning shot secret until the second phase of the competition?

[birddog114]

leek,
Probably there're "surprise and sursprise"

[MHD]

Frankly, considering the quality of the prizes on offer, I am amazed that there are only 18 entries in the first phase...

Did everyone have trouble with this theme or are you keeping your winning shot secret until the second phase of the competition?

heheh... to many uni student mentalities...

leaving the run until the last minute! or waiting until round 2 begins to gain inspiration...

[johndec]

Very good so far, I'm impressed. One appears to be either a brilliant capture or a composite image.. Hope it's the former.