OcUK Photo Comp - THE FUTURE ...

Dear All

The OcUK Photo Competition has been running since 2003 in a similar(ish) format to now. It's had its ups and downs in that time, generally associated with member turnover, but I don't think it's a secret that its been struggling in recent years, along with the subforum in general.

Over the last 3 years, the average number of entries per round has gone from 38 (min 16, max 59!) to 14 (min 5, max 25). Now in Season 12, we start the competition with only 6 entries. Traditionally the competition has always started the year strongly and then waned down to somewhere around 1/3 the number of entries by the end of the year. Starting with only 6 entries, I fear this year is going to be significantly worse.

We're after your input to help save the competition. Please feel free to comment on how we can change the competition for the better - the format, judging, rules, etc etc. Even if you've never entered the competition but would like to if it took a certain direction, please let us know.

If the competition is still appreciated, we will do some plugging in GD (and elsewhere?) and attempt to get it back on its feet. Depending on the feedback we get, we will also be requiring a new judge, as Oxygen has decided to step down after a goodly 2 years of service.

A.N.Other, Ichabod Crane, and Oxygen

I'm a great fan of the photo competition. I was a complete novice when I first started entering (the beginning of last year), and it has taught me a lot of very useful and valuable skills.

To make the competition more asttractive (In my opinion), we could:

1. Be allowed to enter up to three shots per month (for any give theme), judges choose the best one.
2. Have only a single score, followed by the judges comments (makes it easier to mark).
3. Possibly a prize for the winner of each month, paid for by a sub to the competition or something similar??

The issue I tend to have is that the theme is very abstract normally.

To be honest, for resolutions, I just didnt have a huge number of ideas. But some of the themes are really rather abstract...

kd

If you want mass market, lots of entries, then smartphone pics?
For me, the standard of entries puts me off, Im not that good, and the level of PP involved for someone who has never PP'd a photo in his life is daunting, I want to take photo's, not spend 10hrs swearing at a computer because I don't know how to make it do what I want to.

Having said that, Chet84 made a good point, that sometimes it is just taking part that matters, maybe I will take the plunge one day..
For those that struggle with the time, maybe one method would be to publish all the themes for the year in advance, you can do them in any order, as long as you complete one a month, that way, people can be more flexible over how they do it, with the judging taking place at the end of the year

Will think on this some more

The themes have been rather hard to accommodate recently in my opinion, and whilst i like to have a dabble in types of photography I'm not use to, I often don't have the time to put the effort in for some of the themes I'd never normally bother with. If the themes where more general such as "portraiture", "nature", "wildlife", "macro" etc, I'm sure the uptake would be far higher than it is at the moment. The triptych theme was the last straw for me in terms of actually putting effort into submitting images.

I think multiple shots per month would mean a lot of extra work for the Judges and they already have enough to cover. How about the following:-

1. Twelve rounds as before and each chosen by the previous winner expect for 2 open rounds. One in June and the second in December as before. I like the idea of themes as thats the part which forces you to be creative.
2. Then three winning categories for the year:

• Highest score based on each persons top 10 scoring entries.
• Highest score based on each persons top 5 scoring entires.
• Highest scoring image of the year / Or favourite re-picked from the Judges out of all the winning entries.

My thinking behind this would be that the 10 entry comp would allow those that enter to miss two months or alternatively disregard their two lowest entries. Then the 5 entry target also allows newcomers to join in unto six months late and still feel like they have something to aim for.
As for the highest scoring image that's self explanatory but I feel might tempt some of the advanced to enter their work into the comp.

Anyway just an idea (and I'm going to be abstaining for the majority) but feel the above would encourage more people as it wouldn't been seen like something that needs a full years dedication to do well in.

Personally the themes have just too abstract, I just didn't have a single idea for Resolutions and its been the same for a lot of others.

Also I think the winner should be voted on via a poll from the members over say a 24hr period and not judges as the results turn around is just too slow imo.

Again, to reiterate, I don't think the themes are right (again too abstract), but in addition to that having thought more, I'm not sure previous winners choosing the theme is the best way forward?

If I win, I'll pick a theme I like, making me more likely to win it, or probably have an idea of a shot for that theme. This increased likelihood of winning again means that yet again, I may end up picking the theme.

12 months of basic themes such as portrait, street, macro, landscapes, cityscapes etc... would be much better I feel.

The most abstract I feel acceptable would be summer/spring/autumn/winter as themes. Which on its own would create 4 themes.

But yeah, poor themes, and vicious circle in winners choosing the themes.

kd

King Damager said:

Again, to reiterate, I don't think the themes are right (again too abstract), but in addition to that having thought more, I'm not sure previous winners choosing the theme is the best way forward?

If I win, I'll pick a theme I like, making me more likely to win it, or probably have an idea of a shot for that theme. This increased likelihood of winning again means that yet again, I may end up picking the theme.

12 months of basic themes such as portrait, street, macro, landscapes, cityscapes etc... would be much better I feel.

The most abstract I feel acceptable would be summer/spring/autumn/winter as themes. Which on its own would create 4 themes.

But yeah, poor themes, and vicious circle in winners choosing the themes.

kd

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I have to disagree entirely, the themes are meant to challenge your photographic ability and help you to explore, a theme that takes you out of your comfort zone really makes you have to think about what it is you will shoot and how you will go about it, dull themes wield dull entries. You only have to look back at past seasons to see some of the best entries have come from the most interesting theme choices.

When a competition has been running as long as this one themes are going to be more difficult to pick each month, but this keeps the competition interesting and from a judges point of view fun to mark.

The main reason for this thread is that over the past season the competition has taken a lull in entries, personally I feel this is because the whole PV section has taken a dive and we need to look for ideas on how to pick this up.

I enjoy the competition. Sure I'm pretty poor at photography, but at least it gets me out taking a shot.

All too often though it's a shot hurried on 30th of the month, and limitations in terms of equipment, and ultimately skill means that I can never pull off the ideas that I have.

Some themes can be very difficult. I don't have a lot of kit, and I don't have any willing models as some people have. That can make executing ideas challenging.

Still I enjoy it all, and I'm determined to win one day.

Do you disagree on all points, because whilst I appreciate the argument with regards to making it challenging, I still stand strongly by the vicious circle of the person who wins proposing the theme gives them better chances of doing better. What's more, whilst I appreciate the idea of making something challenging, a challenging competition won't entice new members to enter and try their hand at it.

I myself am relatively new, and would much rather spend my time out shooting building up a set portfolio of work rather than aiming at some abstract concept. Of the seven people commenting so far (myself included), over half have commented on theme issues.

I don't neccessarily think there is a lack of popularity in PV. It might have gone down hill, but there are still a high number of posters who frequently post in PV, yet rarely contribute to the competition thread. There's also a number of posters who post spec me threads. Surely it's new members we wish to entice and bring into the sub community?

kd

Loser chooses the theme?

I disagree more on the flat out dismissal of the themes being of too abstract/challenging, it wouldn't be a competition if they weren't thought provoking. We already have threads for generic image posting such as Landscape, Macro etc..

Define generic though when it comes to landscape, macro etc. Theres hundreds of different things you can do with each which all give vastly different end results. Leave that to the interpretation of the end user and not the previous winner choosing something they are obviously interested in, giving them a direct advantage.

ichabod crane said:

I have to disagree entirely, the themes are meant to challenge your photographic ability and help you to explore, a theme that takes you out of your comfort zone really makes you have to think about what it is you will shoot and how you will go about it, dull themes wield dull entries. You only have to look back at past seasons to see some of the best entries have come from the most interesting theme choices.

When a competition has been running as long as this one themes are going to be more difficult to pick each month, but this keeps the competition interesting and from a judges point of view fun to mark.

The main reason for this thread is that over the past season the competition has taken a lull in entries, personally I feel this is because the whole PV section has taken a dive and we need to look for ideas on how to pick this up.

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Perhaps but I do agree with King. To get the competition moving again it needs to attract a wider audience. Yes a challenge is always good but a challenge can found in the simplest of themes, I don't think a simple shot can be found in most challenging themes.

So what if dull entries are put forward, does it really matter? I thought all levels of photographers would be welcome to enter regardless of how dull you deem it, the photographer may consider it their best ever shot and I would personally welcome anybody willing to contribute and not be alienated because the judges might not find it fun to mark.

Again as I said previously, I think a poll for members to choose the winner would also add some more hit counts to the thread and get people more engaged and interested in it rather than waiting a month to find out the result.

I know the poll idea does crop up a lot and it is something that will only be worked out by trying it. It will need a moderator to administer it.

ichabod crane said:

I have to disagree entirely, the themes are meant to challenge your photographic ability and help you to explore, a theme that takes you out of your comfort zone really makes you have to think about what it is you will shoot and how you will go about it, dull themes wield dull entries. You only have to look back at past seasons to see some of the best entries have come from the most interesting theme choices.

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Yes and No - resolutions would have had me stumped. Some people aren't naturally creative, so too abstract a theme will put people off, where a more generic theme will help with that.

When a competition has been running as long as this one themes are going to be more difficult to pick each month, but this keeps the competition interesting and from a judges point of view fun to mark.

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A good image is enjoyable regardless of theme? I get the bored judges bit though, would the community vote help with that?

The main reason for this thread is that over the past season the competition has taken a lull in entries, personally I feel this is because the whole PV section has taken a dive and we need to look for ideas on how to pick this up.

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A community vote might help with getting more people involved?

ichabod crane said:

I know the poll idea does crop up a lot and it is something that will only be worked out by trying it. It will need a moderator to administer it.

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Well a lot of us log on here everyday to check this forum so I don't think finding someone to administer it would be a problem.

Perhaps we might end up needing a poll about the poll?

ManCuBuS said:

Well a lot of us log on here everyday to check this forum so I don't think finding someone to administer it would be a problem.

Perhaps we might end up needing a poll about the poll?

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I meant more that Polls can only be created by the forum Mods so we would need one to come in here regularly to sort it.

ichabod crane said:

I meant more that Polls can only be created by the forum Mods so we would need one to come in here regularly to sort it.

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Ah I see, yeah I suppose in that regard we would need some buy in.

Or they could just promote you to P&V mod status and job done?