Light alternative to the competition

[eyetrip]

Was thinking, I like the idea of the competition that used to exist here, to a degree, but would like a lightweight alternative.

I want something to get me thinking outside the box, and while the competition offered that, it was perhaps too "demanding", for lack of a better word.

What I mean by that is, I don't want to compete against other, far better photographers, and at the end of the day, it's likely always going to be a select few who "win" to pick a subject, etc.

My suggestion is this:
A weekly task (for the sake of this post, let's say chosen by me to start)

People can simply post their contribution, which will be open to feedback by other members, unless they state they don't want any.

At the end of the week (say Sunday), the current task chooser picks someone at random from the contributors to come up with the next task.

Then the next task simply starts (maybe in a new thread), rinse and repeat.

It's that simple.

Nothing complicated, no competing with anyone, no pressure on anyone.

Does this sound like something that might work? Wouldn't want to start anything like this if I was the only one keen

 

[Solaris]

Or I'd love to see a competition that has a scoring system based on improvement rather than the quality of an individual photo.

Say person A is a pro photographer and scores 4.8/5 and 4.9/5 two months running. His improvement is 0.1.

And person B is learning, and scores 3.2 and then 3.6 two months running. Person B will win because he improved by 0.4...

That way everyone is judged on how much they improve. Not how good they are.

 

[eyetrip]

That already sounds far more complicated and serious than what I was suggesting

 

[Solaris]

Yeah true. I'd enter photos if you kicked this off...

 

[Genoma]

Would also be interesting if we could host the pictures somewhere where people could enter their scores for various aspects or 'upvote' them in order to judge

 

[ElDude]

Or I'd love to see a competition that has a scoring system based on improvement rather than the quality of an individual photo.

Say person A is a pro photographer and scores 4.8/5 and 4.9/5 two months running. His improvement is 0.1.

And person B is learning, and scores 3.2 and then 3.6 two months running. Person B will win because he improved by 0.4...

That way everyone is judged on how much they improve. Not how good they are.

That would discourage any half decent photographer from posting at all, if it was a competition. After all, who would want to enter if they have virtually no chance of winning over a period even as short as two months?

You'd be better off having a competition for beginners, but that being said I doubt very much you'd have much response. Not being negative but the reason these competitions stopped was because no one bothered entering. Personally I have very little time outside a stressful working day so the only time I'd have would be Saturday but I wouldn't want to feel like I'm being forced to enter a competition as that ruined it for me last time I did a photo52 on the TP forums.

I think people may be better suited to looking at other dedicated photography forums for competitions.

 

[D.P.]

That would discourage any half decent photographer from posting at all, if it was a competition. After all, who would want to enter if they have virtually no chance of winning over a period even as short as two months?

You'd be better off having a competition for beginners, but that being said I doubt very much you'd have much response. Not being negative but the reason these competitions stopped was because no one bothered entering. Personally I have very little time outside a stressful working day so the only time I'd have would be Saturday but I wouldn't want to feel like I'm being forced to enter a competition as that ruined it for me last time I did a photo52 on the TP forums.

I think people may be better suited to looking at other dedicated photography forums for competitions.

This really, why on earth would a photographer enter a competition that they have no chance of wining because they are good?

As for making a beginners competition, how do you define a beginner? Do you go by years experience? In which case where and why is there a cut off?

Why don't you just post your photos and ask for feedback? Why the pressure to always have to do something each week?

 

[eyetrip]

Well, I don't think I should have used the word competition, as if you read what I suggested, it wasn't a competition at all - I simply mentioned it as an alternative TO the competition, something to get myself, or possibly others thinking outside the box.

It was more of a weekly 'challenge' I suggested, not competing against each other, but simply contributing something, if anyone so felt the desire to contribute.

The competition was too serious for this forum I think, and also too slow.

 

[Solaris]

Because now all people do is dump pictures onto separate threads for landscape, sport, etc and no-one really critiques them, they just sink further and further down the thread.

Themed competitions are fun because they make you take photos of subjects that you may not normally consider taking photos off.

 

[Twinblade]

I like the idea - I was reading a photography magazine left at work by a colleague the other day and they do something similar in that every month - set their staff and readers the challenge based around a single word to produce a shot using whatever they can get hold of and produce easily. I think the edition I was reading was titled coffee.

 

[D.P.]

Because now all people do is dump pictures onto separate threads for landscape, sport, etc and no-one really critiques them, they just sink further and further down the thread.

Themed competitions are fun because they make you take photos of subjects that you may not normally consider taking photos off.

easy solution: search the net for completion themes or photography ideas, write them all down on separate pieces of paper, pick a a theme from random out of a bag, go shoot said theme, post photos here or else where explicitly asking for C&C on the post title. Job done.


Nothing is stopping you asking for feedback here, go ahead and post some images asking for critique.