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photo competition thoughts? please shout out

Rockmeister

Rockmeister

pfm Member
Just one thing, unless there are other issues to air?
My 2p before i post the next subject is:
That list of 300 'what we already did before' is, IMO, restricting us.
Please might we reduce this to a list of just 12 titles that are the last years ideas? But since i can't remember what the heck those were...
my plan is that we wipe the slate today to blank, and then simply start a list at the end of my contribution for Dec 2023, adding to that every month or so until there are just 11.
So in Dec (ish) 2024, the winner will just erase number 1 and add number 12 to the list and so it will roll on. Erase the oldest (on the left) , add the newest (on the right)
and we will only ever see the last year's ideas. I think this will free us up and be a tad more relaxed?
I have idea 1. I'll give it 2/3 days for this discussion to happen and then we roll on. Democracy will rule ofc :)
 
Rockmeister said:
Just one thing, unless there are other issues to air?
My 2p before i post the next subject is:
That list of 300 'what we already did before' is, IMO, restricting us.
Please might we reduce this to a list of just 12 titles that are the last years ideas? But since i can't remember what the heck those were...
my plan is that we wipe the slate today to blank, and then simply start a list at the end of my contribution for Dec 2023, adding to that every month or so until there are just 11.
So in Dec (ish) 2024, the winner will just erase number 1 and add number 12 to the list and so it will roll on. Erase the oldest (on the left) , add the newest (on the right)
and we will only ever see the last year's ideas. I think this will free us up and be a tad more relaxed?
I have idea 1. I'll give it 2/3 days for this discussion to happen and then we roll on. Democracy will rule ofc :)
Click to expand...


no that list is brilliant.
 
so negative and so quick

Can you take the time you are not rich in to explain why 300 previous ideas helps you?
Did you ever win, and have to think of 301?
Just asking.
 
I like the list; if an idea doesn't pop into you head, it's interesting just to browse it.
Change the font size down to 9pt perhaps?
 
Rockmeister said:
Just one thing, unless there are other issues to air?
My 2p before i post the next subject is:
That list of 300 'what we already did before' is, IMO, restricting us.
Please might we reduce this to a list of just 12 titles that are the last years ideas? But since i can't remember what the heck those were...
my plan is that we wipe the slate today to blank, and then simply start a list at the end of my contribution for Dec 2023, adding to that every month or so until there are just 11.
So in Dec (ish) 2024, the winner will just erase number 1 and add number 12 to the list and so it will roll on. Erase the oldest (on the left) , add the newest (on the right)
and we will only ever see the last year's ideas. I think this will free us up and be a tad more relaxed?
I have idea 1. I'll give it 2/3 days for this discussion to happen and then we roll on. Democracy will rule ofc :)
Click to expand...
I agree with you, it's crossed my mind before. Maybe archive the old list for posterity?
 
Surely the list is to both avoid retreading the same path, but also to prompt ideas? I’d like it to stay, as in the unlikely event I win some time I’d like to see it.
 
Reflecting a bit more - I don't see how the list is 'restricting us', at all; @Rockmeister - can you explain your thinking a bit ..?

The theme-setter can do whatever they like. there are a couple of conventions, but no 'rules'. Which was amusing in the only case to date where there was a Tie - myself with Guy Batey; we had a fine old chat offline about how we resolve that conundrum with a challenge we agreed on. (ps resulting theme was 'That was another fine mess you've gotten us into...'

The challenge (which is more about encouraging everyone with any kind of device from phone to pukka kit, to simply look at the world and consider developing your own photo interests! - not 'Winning, never that) is 300+ runs in - in fact once a upon a time it was a line by line previous list, now that was a mess - so I summarily condensed it to a run-on paragraph when I 'won'; and somebody else since did us a huge favour by ordering it alphabetically.

But for those who have never set such a challenge - and that has happened a satisfying number of times with new members in the last couple of years - I contend a review of earlier stuff might help; even when They subsequently choose to ignore convention - such as recent innovation on how 'the winner' is selected (the innovation of 2023 themes)
 
I also like the list it’s good to look through, I preferred it when it in order rather than alphabetically, but that’s just me.

I think it was me who suggested to go by the number of likes so more people could get involved, even those who don’t post pictures.

It can be tricky to think of a theme but ones like the golden ratio had a lot of discussion and I hope made some more aware of composition rules, and why you don’t necessarily have to follow them.

So just come up with something like Not Christmas, that would be fun.


Pete
 
I had assumed that the list was there to illustrate themes already ‘done’ and therefore not to be repeated. At some point even the most imaginative of people would have to admit to walking into a brick wall if that were true.
And I still don’t like winning by popular vote!
Anyway, humble pie day tomorrow when I have to publish entirely new idea 301 without upsetting those who hate to think at all. Piece of cake ofc. I forgot…’some stuff’ hoho.
 
Rockmeister said:
Anyway, humble pie day tomorrow when I have to publish entirely new idea 301 without upsetting those who hate to think at all. Piece of cake ofc. I forgot…’some stuff’ hoho.
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Bit of an odd response, tbh: 'hate to think'.

I think most of the above responses suggests - there's a wide open range of views & values, are no 'rules'; let whatever chose, stand, for your (or any other) turn! Yet you summarise such (very few) suggestions as ... 'hate to think'. I mean - really? In what way has your grandiose exceptional Imagination found itself inherently-limited, merely by previous 'serving suggestions' ?

Give it more time; very very many more than on this thread, take part in that little bit of photo community engagement, just not all the time; and def not in 1/2day or so of reactive response to a Q like yours tonight.
 
martin clark said:
Bit of an odd response, tbh: 'hate to think'.

I think most of the above responses suggests - there's a wide open range of views & values, are no 'rules'; let whatever chose, stand, for your (or any other) turn! Yet you summarise such (very few) suggestions as ... 'hate to think'. I mean - really? In what way has your grandiose exceptional Imagination found itself inherently-limited, merely by previous 'serving suggestions' ?

Give it more time; very very many more than on this thread, take part in that little bit of photo community engagement, just not all the time; and def not in 1/2day or so of reactive response to a Q like yours tonight.
Click to expand...
I’m being over sensitive. My ‘hate to think’ was a reference to some of the very negative views expressed when I posted the previous ‘golden section’ theme.
My grandiose etc is in your imagination I’m afraid. My point is simple. If, as some suggest, the list is there as inspiration, yet we are still to be original, I feel that it presents too many subjects that are well used. If the argument is that we should simply ignore them and reuse a slight variation, then why not go the whole hog, and have a clean sheet? I thought a years worth of memory would avoid obvious repetition.
It’s just me thinking aloud however, so I’ll go ahead and post the next theme later.
 
I don't see why previous themes should not be repeated if that is what the "winner" wants. The subject might be the same, the photos would certainly be different...
 
My short answer is ‘I’m really not that fussed, I think there are more important things to concern oneself about than a list of past photo subjects’ but you asked nicely for thoughts with a ‘please’ an’ all, so here goes…

Do what you want. You are the boss this time round. If you don’t show the list and folk get upset they can either boycott the contest or enter, win and reinstate the list next time round. If they want to look at the list for inspiration, it’s there in plenty of other threads. Repeat a theme if you want, why not? It’s been done before, after all. (See ‘movement’).

‘Rules’ have been in a kind of flux lately anyway - certainly if I won again I’d go back to choosing the winner myself. The ‘likes’ method may be nice and democratic, but it skews things in favour of early entrants in my view. Of course, if I choose the winner I might let the number of likes influence my decision, but who knows? In addition, I see the image size limitation has now disappeared. Not too sure about that either, I thought the compression levelled the playing field a bit for those of us at the cheap end of the market. But again, life’s too short to let yourself be bothered by such trivia.

As regards your ‘hate to think’ comment, I was put off entering that particular comp by the words (paraphrasing from memory) ‘contestants must show they have understood and applied the rule’ which read rather too much like an exam for my liking. I gave those up 45 years ago. I’m a happisnapper, I like taking pictures without switching on grids in my viewfinder.

tl;dr… do whatever you want, but be prepared for moans and don’t be surprised if things revert to the way they were when your tenure is over.
 
For me each theme is a separate event and it's up to the "themer" to set it up as they wish. When that has been me I've found the list useful as a guide to the sort of themes we like and a trigger for my thoughts, so I say keep it but just for reference not as a "this can't be repeated" rule. Several of the themes are pretty similar anyway.
Obligatory Grateful Dead content... "It's got no signs or dividing lines, and very few rules to guide".
BTW at least one of my themes, "Hospitality", isn't in the list.
However each theme is set up I'll continue to take part if I have something suitable.
 
Please keep the list. It’s a nice reminder of themes and photos I have enjoyed submitting to in the past.

I do hope people take this thread less seriously. It’s about getting out there and snapping! Drives me nuts when the intricacies of a particular theme are debated by those who remain on the sidelines.
 
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