Photo contest discussion

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

There has not been the interest in this photo contest format, that I would expect for a forum with 42,000 members, while many members are inactive, there is still 100 to 600+ members online at any one time.

I feel the need to change this up. I don't know what that might be yet, I don't even have an inkling, I have been thinking this, since I started grouping two months into one contest.

So since I haven't been able to figure anything out, I thought I'd open this up for general discussion.

Tell me your thoughts...


PS, if you feel like posting a photo, I've opened a thread just for that, in the interim, til we figure out a new contest format.


...

[Dutchie]

Well, for starters, i was waiting for the next period -december -.

I find it interesting to see the pics from other people.

Personally never had the right pic for the subject(s). (poor me ....)

Thats my excuse.....

You are right ,600 per day online , but not all have the same interest john.
As a hobby photographer its the same in such fora, and that makes me wonder even more.

Coming back to the topic, keep it so, there's at least 30-40 subjects like the forum to make a pic of any subject.

Contest, sounds like i can win something.....

Maybe a pic in the avatar/details when won for instance like ,

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sofmilitary.co.uk%2FImageGen.a shx%3Fimage%3DOfficial%2BU.S.%2BArmy%2BPhotographe r%2Bpatch.JPG%26class%3DsearchImage&f=1
and let the us part out of this patch, cost nothing , but fun or nice.

Hans.
P.S.
Or make it Photo bragg / showoff or something like that.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Maybe if the subject of the photos rotated through the sub-forum roster, like Jan. was Blackpowder paper patching, all the way down to Wheelguns, then started over? Or you could skip the sub-forums that have very little participation and just use the ones with a big following. There are so many specialized areas of interest represented on the Forum as a whole. Any given member's interest might not be piqued by a certain subject, but fired up by another.

[Eddie17]

Just to put it out there. Maybe continue with the selected subject, but also have a monthly general category, open for all photos?
Just a thought ��

[Dutchie]

i think monthly too, better throughtput, more reactions maybe ?

[Half Dog]

I too enjoy looking at everyone's pictures. The little helpers are my favorites.

[Sean357]

I've like these photo contests, just haven't started casting yet, so not many I could post in till now.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Pinsnscrews]

I love the contest, I just haven't been healthy enough to either cast up new subjects for photographing, or have items that fit the topics to have participated. I keep hoping another topic will come up that I am able to photograph.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well, for starters, i was waiting for the next period -december -.

I find it interesting to see the pics from other people.

Personally never had the right pic for the subject(s). (poor me ....)

Thats my excuse.....

You are right ,600 per day online , but not all have the same interest john.
As a hobby photographer its the same in such fora, and that makes me wonder even more.

Coming back to the topic, keep it so, there's at least 30-40 subjects like the forum to make a pic of any subject.

Contest, sounds like i can win something.....

Maybe a pic in the avatar/details when won for instance like ,

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sofmilitary.co.uk%2FImageGen.a shx%3Fimage%3DOfficial%2BU.S.%2BArmy%2BPhotographe r%2Bpatch.JPG%26class%3DsearchImage&f=1
and let the us part out of this patch, cost nothing , but fun or nice.

Hans.
P.S.
Or make it Photo bragg / showoff or something like that.
I like the idea that you hinted at and others have suggested of using each forum title as topic, rotating through them month by month.

I offered a prize one month, but still didn't get the amount of submissions I was hoping for. So that test told me it wasn't worth the effort.

I don't have 'permissions" to edit avatars, titles or add banners...and I'm not about to ask the admins that do have those permissions, to add another task/duty to their long list of duties.

Keep 'em coming...

[Guardian]

I think "contest" is too heavy a term to attract submissions. There are some very good photographers in the group and many more of us that are average or below. Being able to pull out one good photo is very different than being able to do it time and time again. Swede45, Team Termath, and others have proven themselves capable of repeating. As moderator, Jon is basically obligated to refrain from posting photos in a contest.

If the idea were changed from "contest" to "sharing opportunity," I think we'd see more submissions. It may be viewed as a copout, but I'm not wasting time entering a contest I'm highly unlikely to have a chance in. The one photo I've submitted was in jest, a twist on the topic....the barn photo that riled a few folks up.

Some folks obviously enjoy setting up a photo. I'm more of an opportunistic picture taker (I'm not even in the realm of a photographer, I don't own a camera that isn't built into a phone).

"Contest" highlights the ability to take good photos. I'd suggest changing that to highlight interest in the casting/reloading hobby.

That said, my hat's off to those who are good photographers. I truly enjoy seeing what you produce each month. I also acknowledge I'm not in the same league.

[SteveM]

I like the competition of the contest. I'm not even a photographer, I just have a cheap digital camera. I just try to mimic what I see in gun books and magazines. I don't edit my photo's at all, I just take a bunch of pic's and select the best one. I love seeing everyone else's pic's and seeing how mine compare.

[MOA]

Ok John, here is my two cents worth.
1. Drop the "Photo Topic" requirement.
2. Photo contest should be each month.
3. Contest should be centered around the photo's entered. Let each of us enter whatever photo, and subject we think is interesting and informative.
4. Winning to be based on content, composition, lighting, clarity, detail, and background. The usual elements that make a photograph stand out and interesting. More activity and images will be submitted I think.
5. All the above will bring in many of the spectators and help them to become contributors to the thread.

[Swede 45]

I like the photo competition/topic format.
It´s fun to see how different members interpretate different topics. I like to view other members pictures as much as I like to submit my own and getting feedback on them.

Members here has different gear and knowledge in photography, and photography as many other skills are evolved by watching others. Myself, I´ve learned alot and still do by looking at, and analyzing pictures by other photographers.

Myself, I´m a former photographer by profession and like to work with staged setups and controlled light.. others dont. Thats the fun part of it, to see how others do it..
The tool (camera) is not the only way to take good pictures, as we can see in the "What camera do you suggest" thread.
You can take great photos with a cellphone today and with small pocket point and shoot types of cameras. It´s all about your eye for a picture, the setup and use of light. All fun stuff to experiment with.

So the competition/topics are a great way to experiment and grow as a photograper, and a challenge/competition is a great way. The digital era has made that possible to each one of us owning a digital in a less expensive and easy way. Go out of your comfort zone, try something new..

Topics could be made to favour different styles of photograpy and gear? Like "Range snaps" (quick snapshots of a range moment), "existing light" (no flash or studio lights) "cellphone only pics" and so on..

Maybe also a tread where you get to explain how you shot your picture? What lights you used, how you built your setup, how the picture has been edited.. a bit of behind the scene thing?
Might be interesting to see how easy/or complicated the take was.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

great suggestions so far.

one thing I will probably incorporate into the new rules/guidelines is NOT having a separate comments thread...it's rarely used, but surely could be as Swede 45 suggests, I think having one thread per month to incorporate everything... submissions, commentary, and voting as well...may inspire more participation. The only drawback is the thread could get messy, but I'm less concerned about that, than I was years ago when I took over this responsibility.

[Dutchie]

Jon, sit back and relax and see what happens.
do something and look what happens....

Spoke to swede , or Per in chat about it, similarities ? lol, enough.

and then completly something else , with 42.000 members , i see only max 100 members in chat , *** ?

is everybody afraid ? no time , to late , too early ??? offline ? gone ? not active ?

Hans.

[CASTER OF LEAD]

Jon,
I try to submit as many pictures as I can. Not all subjects touch on what I do which is fine. However when the subject matter is in my wheelhouse I sure will continue to post them. I am sure this will all work out. I support whatever direction you take cast pic of the month. I enjoy seeing the pics and am always impressed at just how good,inventive, or what some people are doing in our cast boolit world. Best regards- CASTER

[RogerDat]

I was going to suggest what Swede45 suggested in terms of having information on how the shot was taken or what equipment was used. I'm sure people are out there that would like to learn some tips and tricks or basic techniques on taking photos of bullets, or firearms and equipment or even outdoor range pictures.

There are some people here who are really knowledgeable on the subject of photography and not only seeing the good pictures but hearing how it came about would add interest I think.

I don't know if judging only on technical merit is good or bad idea. Something to be said for capturing a moment of a great composition.

[condorjohn]

​What they said...

[Good Cheer]

This looks like a great place to find pictures to put on a calendar... I like to have one to hang on the wall.

[Wayne Smith]

1) not really interested in the competition, I'm not a good photographer and I know it and have little interest in investing the money and time to become one.
2) I enjoy others pictures very much.
3) Unlike some, I don't live on my computer or on-line. I drop by to visit now and then.
4) I wouldn't know how to edit one of my pictures - what I see is what you get.

[OlDeuce]

Pictures are worth a 1,000 words getting the right setting is tough ! I really like taking photos of what I DO ! kinda fun for other people to see it.
my problem is using the Iphone bad habit!!! I have the small Canon and also the SLR Canon Hmmmm :-) OL Deuce

[Preacher Jim]

If I could learn to post pictures I think this would be fun. I wonder how many computer illiterate like me just can't get a photo in this forum?
Maybe simple lesson on posting photo here in layman's term might help your posting.