Christmas Photo Contest?

[torsten]

it will never stop, not everyone will be happy about what is done. just listen to the majority and then you will have least people with a problem with the it.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

I don't understand why your location should affect you. Why does it have to be purley live prizes? Why can't an international person win, turn down the live prize and chose something else...?

It doesn't have to be live prizes, but lets say someone donated a roll of flexwatt or something, it would be pretty expensive to ship overseas and would complicate things. It's just easier if there's separate for US and international. There are plenty of Europeans on this board, that it shouldn't be that hard to set something up.

 

[Spurticus]

I would love to submit an entry to the contest.
I wish I had read through the orginal thread of the Holloween contest. I saw the first few posts, and thought it was going to be a contest for decorated vivs, or special photo shoots with Holloween settings . . . that kind of stuff. I didn't read the entire thread and realize there was a catagory for Photoshop entries.
The ones I saw after the contest ended were fantastic by the way. Everyone did a great job on those. I would love to get in on this one if you have one !

 

[torsten]

i think that there are several options for non-USA members:

1. an international competition

2. enter in the USA competition but know that if you win you will either have to pay delivery or just not get a prize (which i am sure plenty of people would be willing to do and just 'have come ...... in the competition'.)

3. internationals can enter the USA competition and have a list of othe rinternationals who could enter prizes so if a international entry wins then theyt can be offered one of those instead.

just some ideas, dont know how other will feel about them???



i personally would love to help organise an international competition but i cant receive pictures due to the fact i am on my parent internet and we have a small download limit. also i am doing my GCSEs now and then my AS and then my A2s so sometimes might be too busy to be able to do them.

 

[Tula_Montage]

Exactly... I don't care about prizes, I just want the equal oppertunity to enter.

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

The last photo contest that I remember being hosted here prior to the Halloween one was last year by Susan.

These were her rules regarding editing of the photos:

No Photoshopping that adds or removes image content will be permitted. You can make MINOR adjustments to the lighting and color (I do that myself if needed) and cropping is allowed. Color and originally black & white images are allowed. The only exception to the photoshopping restriction would be for images that have been partially changed to black & white as long as the snake remains in full color.

How about you have the Photoshop category for those who want to get really technical - and include the minimum two photo image requirement - and then use something similar to the above for the general contest? I think her description above was pretty clear cut and still allows minor photoshop editing without it being a "technical" contest. Or tweak it a little as needed...

Just another potential suggestion?!?

i think that there are several options for non-USA members:

1. an international competition

2. enter in the USA competition but know that if you win you will either have to pay delivery or just not get a prize (which i am sure plenty of people would be willing to do and just 'have come ...... in the competition'.)

3. internationals can enter the USA competition and have a list of othe rinternationals who could enter prizes so if a international entry wins then theyt can be offered one of those instead.

I think those are both good and logical suggestions for the international contest.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Thank you for finding that! I remember Susan had a pretty nice write up on a non-Photoshop category, I just couldn't find it. How about it we adjust it just a little bit...

No image editing that adds or removes image content will be permitted. You can make MINOR adjustments to the lighting and color. Cropping is permitted. Color and originally taken black and white or sepia tone images are allowed.

i think that there are several options for non-USA members:

1. an international competition

2. enter in the USA competition but know that if you win you will either have to pay delivery or just not get a prize (which i am sure plenty of people would be willing to do and just 'have come ...... in the competition'.)

3. internationals can enter the USA competition and have a list of othe rinternationals who could enter prizes so if a international entry wins then theyt can be offered one of those instead.

I'm certainly open to these...I just won't take on a separate International contest. I guess we could try out #3 if we don't have a volunteer for a separate International contest by this weekend? Problem would be getting the International prizes donated. I don't think we had too much luck with that in the Halloween contest.

 

[snakewispera snr]

i think that there are several options for non-USA members:

1. an international competition

2. enter in the USA competition but know that if you win you will either have to pay delivery or just not get a prize (which i am sure plenty of people would be willing to do and just 'have come ...... in the competition'.)

3. internationals can enter the USA competition and have a list of othe rinternationals who could enter prizes so if a international entry wins then theyt can be offered one of those instead.

just some ideas, dont know how other will feel about them???



i personally would love to help organise an international competition but i cant receive pictures due to the fact i am on my parent internet and we have a small download limit. also i am doing my GCSEs now and then my AS and then my A2s so sometimes might be too busy to be able to do them.

Exactly... I don't care about prizes, I just want the equal oppertunity to enter.

So why not let internationals enter and if they win something, they can donate it to a chosen 'friend' off their friends list... That would be easy to sort out...

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Thank you for finding that! I remember Susan had a pretty nice write up on a non-Photoshop category, I just couldn't find it. How about it we adjust it just a little bit...

No image editing that adds or removes image content will be permitted. You can make MINOR adjustments to the lighting and color. Cropping is permitted. Color and originally taken black and white or sepia tone images are allowed.

I am just glad that I remembered it!
With the "minor adjustments to lighting and color" - would that include or exclude the use of some filters? Some filters only adjust the color scale...
Again, I know we don't want the description to get so detailed and convoluted that it can't be understood - but we also need to make sure it is clear enough that it can't be questioned.

I also personally thought her option of having an adjustment to the photo that made it black and white except for the snake in color was a good one - but that is just my opinion. It gives people a little more room to be a little more creative in a general category without it still being too overly technical.

 

[Drizzt80]

These were her rules regarding editing of the photos:

How about you have the Photoshop category for those who want to get really technical - and include the minimum two photo image requirement -

No image editing that adds or removes image content will be permitted. You can make MINOR adjustments to the lighting and color. Cropping is permitted. Color and originally taken black and white or sepia tone images are allowed.

With the "minor adjustments to lighting and color" - would that include or exclude the use of some filters? Some filters only adjust the color scale...
Again, I know we don't want the description to get so detailed and convoluted that it can't be understood - but we also need to make sure it is clear enough that it can't be questioned.

I thought I had already covered that using the KISS method . . .

PHOTOSHOP RULES
To qualify for the "Photoshop" category, an entry must be a significantly altered photo taken by the entrant. Adjustment of brightness/contrast/lighting or color for the purpose of keeping the image "normal" does NOT constitute photoshopping.

. . . if it's not photoshopped, it's "regular". :shrugs:

D80

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

I am just glad that I remembered it!
With the "minor adjustments to lighting and color" - would that include or exclude the use of some filters? Some filters only adjust the color scale...
Again, I know we don't want the description to get so detailed and convoluted that it can't be understood - but we also need to make sure it is clear enough that it can't be questioned.

Well, I guess it would include the use of some filters, but within reason of course. Blur & Sharpen make sense to me for minor adjustments. Are their other ones that you use for minor editing? I don't do a ton of actual photo editing (I'm a designer, not a photographer ). Maybe if a specific list is presented their would be no question?

I also personally thought her option of having an adjustment to the photo that made it black and white except for the snake in color was a good one - but that is just my opinion. It gives people a little more room to be a little more creative in a general category without it still being too overly technical.

I thought on it, but I think that's diving a little too far into the realm of Photoshopped. It sort of contradicts the "originally taken black and white or sepia tone images" as those would not be adjusted by Photoshop, but originally taken that way with a camera.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

if it's not photoshopped, it's "regular".

"Regular" would be a raw photo...
IE absolutely no editing (outside cropping/resizing).

We're discussing what would be acceptable use of image editing software for non-Photoshop categories.

 

[bekers71]

Just a suggestion for what it's worth. Why not do away with a "photo shop" category seeing as how it's so dang complicated with rules and all. And make it a "abstract photo" category. Any thing goes except the original pic. Let people show off their own individual talents and the public will vote for what they like best. Just an idea-take it or leave it.

 

[Tula_Montage]

Why does there need to be different categories? Why not just lump them all together and the best photo/manipulation wins! It's not a contest to make sure everyone wins a prize... and it means less pressure on people to donate prizes. The amount of prizes for the Halloween contest was ridiculous.

 

[Spiderfly]

I won't be participating, but I must say that I like Becky's idea

 

[Weebonilass]

Exactly... I don't care about prizes, I just want the equal oppertunity to enter.

I'm just glad that you are across the pond, so I don't have to compete against you Susan and AA are bad enough

 

[Weebonilass]

Why does there need to be different categories? Why not just lump them all together and the best photo/manipulation wins! It's not a contest to make sure everyone wins a prize... and it means less pressure on people to donate prizes. The amount of prizes for the Halloween contest was ridiculous.

Because it's really not fair to have heavily Photoshopped picture against something that was taken with a regular camera or a cell phone. Even in Art competitions they break out the two.

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Just a suggestion for what it's worth. Why not do away with a "photo shop" category seeing as how it's so dang complicated with rules and all. And make it a "abstract photo" category. Any thing goes except the original pic. Let people show off their own individual talents and the public will vote for what they like best. Just an idea-take it or leave it.

Why does there need to be different categories? Why not just lump them all together and the best photo/manipulation wins! It's not a contest to make sure everyone wins a prize... and it means less pressure on people to donate prizes.

I think both of these could be acceptable solutions as well. Going back to Brent's idea - it is a photo contest - not a photoshop contest....

If we are going with a photoshop/abstract category - I think Becky and Brent may be on the right path here - it would certainly simplify things and we wouldn't have to worry about "rules" for what is or isn't allowed. The more I think about it - I really think this might be the better solution for everyone involved. It would also eliminate any calls of potential "cheating" if someone thinks more was done to a photo than the rules allow and the subsequent needing to verify photos or what not.

I don't mean to sound like I am flip-flopping...I was hoping we could find an easy solution to outlining rules for a photoshop contest - but the more I dwell on it and see other input - I think we might just be asking for more trouble with it than it is worth or meant to be.

So...I suggest we either go with two categories - one that is basically as Steph called it earlier - a free for all editing category - and may the best photo win....and a separate no editing category except for crop/resize. Or we go with just one lump category and have people enter however they see fit. In the end - the best photo will win as determined by the voters regardless of editing techniques.

For example - I recently entered a photo contest on another website that did not allow for photo editing other than crop/resize. I had a photo entered done with great natural lighting, composed perfectly, colors were great etc...
The photo that won had poor lighting, colors were dull etc...but it was CUTE. That was the deciding factor. So the editing techniques are not necessarily what is going to sway the voters. People will vote for what they like - a cute picture, a morph or animal that they like, good technical qualities - you never know what is going to be the deciding factor.

 

[Drizzt80]

"Regular" would be a raw photo...
IE absolutely no editing (outside cropping/resizing).

We're discussing what would be acceptable use of image editing software for non-Photoshop categories.

No. "Regular" means a picture that doesn't have a snake with flames shooting out it's butt or a lizard dressed in a two piece with a shark skin purse or a frog with ponytails eating a double cheeseburger and fries while on the slopes of Big Sky.

Again, the KISS method.


D80

 

[Jadie.Glitch]

Okay, I have been following this but haven't been saying much. I've just been an innocent bystander so far, lol uke02:, j/k ^_^.

Although, now I feel like I want to put in my (very small) two cents.

Just a suggestion for what it's worth. Why not do away with a "photo shop" category seeing as how it's so dang complicated with rules and all. And make it a "abstract photo" category. Any thing goes except the original pic. Let people show off their own individual talents and the public will vote for what they like best. Just an idea-take it or leave it.

Why does there need to be different categories? Why not just lump them all together and the best photo/manipulation wins! It's not a contest to make sure everyone wins a prize... and it means less pressure on people to donate prizes. The amount of prizes for the Halloween contest was ridiculous.

These are both fabulous ideas and I am TOTALLY on board if either of them are what we decide to go with.

Becky's idea makes sense and I like the simplicity.

Tula's idea is great too, is simple, takes a lot of the guesswork out, and we can have "places" based on the amount of prizes we have. So far this has been my favorite idea.

If we get one prize donation then there will only be a 1st place and some honourable mentions. If we get 10 prizes we can have 10 places. Or we can just have 3 places and save the prize donations for the next contest if we happen to have an overload of donations. Just my thoughts...