It works for me. The competition part is not as important as having a theme to get you thinking. If people like your shots then thats a bonus.
January Monthly contest
- Thread starter DrEntropy
- Start date
It works for me. The competition part is not as important as having a theme to get you thinking. If people like your shots then thats a bonus.
All well and good but what happens to the $1000 prize each month
Sounds like a good idea
I almost tossed in last night to eliminate the judging or even counting of likes, both of which seem to be the real chores. Could do a post at the end that mentions all the entries that received 10 or more likes, since they get highlighted now.
AxeMan - Rick S.
Senior Member
You know it appears the weekly challenge is running fine right now. I can't understand why the Mods that run that cannot help out with the monthly assignment. The Mods that "Run" the weekly challenge all have flashy name tags that say "challenge team". Weather you call it a assignment or a challenge one would think everyone would be on the same page or is the Moderator staff that divided that they cannot lend a hand? From the outside it looks that way guys.
Not trying to step on anyone toes here, I been around for a long time. If I say something out of line and get banned or something not going to matter to me, I gotten about all I can get out of Nikonites. Not that I can't get more out of it, I sure I can, but it the same thing I seen before over and over again.
On the other side of the coin, if the Monthly Assignment group or the Weekly Challenge group needs help I would be more than gladly to donate my time to either one or both.
Not trying to step on anyone toes here, I been around for a long time. If I say something out of line and get banned or something not going to matter to me, I gotten about all I can get out of Nikonites. Not that I can't get more out of it, I sure I can, but it the same thing I seen before over and over again.
On the other side of the coin, if the Monthly Assignment group or the Weekly Challenge group needs help I would be more than gladly to donate my time to either one or both.
Because we are not Mods. All we get is a flashy name tag. We don't get any keys..
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
I fairness, the weekly challenge team is mostly made up of non-moderators, so we don't carry the extra work load of also moderating the forums. For the work that goes into keeping the weekly challenge running (at least with our small team of 4 right now), I'm not surprised that there would be some impact on the monthly assignments.
It's not that the mods are not interested, but most (all?) of them also have day jobs and their own images to capture.
I do like the idea of having a monthly theme, and possibly eliminating the "judging" part that surely consumes most of the time for the mods running the assignments. If there was a group of non-moderators that wanted to step in and assist with the running of the monthly assignments, or if it makes sense to loop in the weekly challenge team for extra support, I'd be up for that.
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nikonpup
Senior Member
hi, imo i think the "judging" should be by all members, as done in the weekly (likes) challenge. That takes the pressure off the mods as judges and saves time picking "winners".
1. Mods pick the monthly assignment and announce it a week b 4 assignment.
2. Each week has a "qualifier" for vote at the end of the month. 4 entries permitted, 1 per week (images taken any time during month of assignment. (i think this would keep the assignment more active during the month)
3. At the end of the month have a runoff of the weekly qualifiers.
4. Have "mods" just for the assignment, let the moderators watch the forum.
1. Mods pick the monthly assignment and announce it a week b 4 assignment.
2. Each week has a "qualifier" for vote at the end of the month. 4 entries permitted, 1 per week (images taken any time during month of assignment. (i think this would keep the assignment more active during the month)
3. At the end of the month have a runoff of the weekly qualifiers.
4. Have "mods" just for the assignment, let the moderators watch the forum.
That's interesting because this highlighting of the "more than 10 likes" is new. So I guess it could apply. What bugs me most is the "winner" thing. I'm against having a "winner" because this forum is all about learning and practicing, not winning. Art is something that is really hard to judge and no matter how many "likes" a picture gets, it doesn't guarantee that that person will be great next week. I would hate that this Forum becomes an "ego boosting" platform. I think that all members should be able to go over a thread for a monthly theme and decide for himself which picture is his favorite one.
So I say let's keep discussing this thing. I think we are close to something that I would like very much. A single theme per month, no judging, no winners; just an exercise for all eager member that wants to participate. Each participant can then compare his work with others and we could keep the thread open for more discussion.
What takes most time in administering the actual format is the going in the forum, counting the "likes", and then copying (most times screen captures) the selected pics and then paste and post to announce the selection. If this could go, then I'm ready to start a new year and we can ask for suggestions if we run out of ideas. It certainly is easier to find one theme per month than one per week.
If you're against having a winner, then don't have the contest/challenge or whatever you want to call it.. I'm sorry but isn't that the project 365 is for? Learning? We now also have a 52 in 15 thread which is great and I love to participate.
Why is there no room for a contest or a winner? Competition is a natural fact of life and nature itself. The best thing for learning is competition.
Project 365 is very different because we can post whatever we want. Having a monthly subject fores us to go out of our comfort zone and experiment more IMHO.
I don't agree with you on your last phrase. I think that the best thing for learning is practice. Winning doesn't make anyone better except in their ego boost. Comparing your images with others and judging (when you do your own judging) can help improve your skills, specially when it's done in a non competitive basis with peers.
Again, just my opinion.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
Just to help clarify... I'm the sole Moderator for the Weekly Challenge Team. I'm there to keep things "on track", and wipe up any spills that require a Mod, but other than that The Team members and participants run the show while I sit at the corner table making the place look classy.
* swirls martini *
...
I'm of the same line of thinking... without the "challenge" part to it, there are plenty of "Post your xxxxxx photos here" threads. Limited entries with a guideline of DON'T LIKE EVERYTHING to pick a top 5 makes it fun, and forces everyone to strive for putting their best effort forward vs. just posting something that matches the subject/topic. It's that "challenge" that helps folks grow and stretch themselves, IMO.
I know there are no prizes, but just being nominated as one of the 5 best for the month is a fun thing, grants a sense of accomplishment, and gives everyone something to work toward. Even if it's simply peer recognition... it creates a goal. As for topic choices, I love the randomness, so I'd hate to see a list posted in advance as you lose some of that creative pressure, but maybe a thread for suggestions to draw from would help take off a bit of the pressure?
GRANTED, 1 mod shouldn't have to do it all. Perhaps a set of qualified folks that run just the monthly challenge should be chosen? Then rotate those folks out, so only 3 are working it each month, then get a chance to recover for a month before doing it again, or... ? I dunno, lots of good ideas already posted on this thought. It would also be cool to try and invite a "celebrity judge" every once in a while, although that might be more than someone would want to take on. I'd bet you could get KR to come judge a month if he could post his paypal link... *SNARK* (to be fair, I've read KR's viewpoints a time or two myself, although I don't rely on it as my only source)
Anyway, that's my .02. (actually worth about 1/325098th of a cent, give or take)
Let me ask you this. Why do you post your photos here, or on Flickr or anywhere else? To be brutally honest, everyone has an ego and a need to have it stroked once in a while. Some more then others, but we all do.
Even when someone puts up a shot for critique, we have to tiptoe around, because we don't want to hurt someones feelings or bruise their ego.
You're right, winning may not make anyone better, but the pursuit of the "win" sure does.
Being fairly new to the forum (about 6 months, I think) I really haven't totally understood how the monthly challenge/assignment works. Yes I have posted pictures actually snapshots in a monthly assignment. I did it just to see if I could determine how they compared to others. I have never known how the "winner" was actually determined. I thought it was the mods who judged and that the "likes" given helped them in judging, but really never knew the criteria. All of that being said, it would be a BIG task for one person or for that matter even two.
Why do I post pictures here? To get feedback, good or bad. This feedback can come in various ways. The likes system is one way, however not always real reliable because to grant a like can mean many things to many people. Verbal comments are usually much more reliable. Because I have never had the opportunity to be instructed in photography, I really don't know what is good and what is bad. Sure the common rules of thumb, ie 3rds, vanishing point... , but feed back on distractions in a photo or too much crop or not enough, etc are great. What does all of this have to do with the monthly challenge? Having a theme gives me something to concentrate on in a new way, just as the weekly challenges do. Likes and getting an atta boy actually tells me that maybe I am getting on the right track. Hopefully that is the case anyway.
I like the idea of having a "bucket" of themes for the monthly challenge/assignment. Randomly pick one from the many in the "bucket" for each month. Submit one entry a week per person including a description of the technique used (That is so I can learn. Ha!). Use the like system and at the end of the first week select the top 3 or so who would then become finalists. The second week the same thing, third week the same... At the end of the month have a forum vote for the best of the finalists from each week.
Will a monthly challenge like this aid in my photography skills? Sure! I will look at the finalist's photos, like I do in the weekly challenge, and see what people seem to like and try to figure what I can do to accomplish similar results.
I say do the monthly and let the "convicts run the jail". Ha!
Why do I post pictures here? To get feedback, good or bad. This feedback can come in various ways. The likes system is one way, however not always real reliable because to grant a like can mean many things to many people. Verbal comments are usually much more reliable. Because I have never had the opportunity to be instructed in photography, I really don't know what is good and what is bad. Sure the common rules of thumb, ie 3rds, vanishing point... , but feed back on distractions in a photo or too much crop or not enough, etc are great. What does all of this have to do with the monthly challenge? Having a theme gives me something to concentrate on in a new way, just as the weekly challenges do. Likes and getting an atta boy actually tells me that maybe I am getting on the right track. Hopefully that is the case anyway.
I like the idea of having a "bucket" of themes for the monthly challenge/assignment. Randomly pick one from the many in the "bucket" for each month. Submit one entry a week per person including a description of the technique used (That is so I can learn. Ha!). Use the like system and at the end of the first week select the top 3 or so who would then become finalists. The second week the same thing, third week the same... At the end of the month have a forum vote for the best of the finalists from each week.
Will a monthly challenge like this aid in my photography skills? Sure! I will look at the finalist's photos, like I do in the weekly challenge, and see what people seem to like and try to figure what I can do to accomplish similar results.
I say do the monthly and let the "convicts run the jail". Ha!
AxeMan - Rick S.
Senior Member
First off let me apologize to the weekly challenge team I assumed you all were moderators. Perhaps I should not be in such a hurry to type things out and get my facts straight before start posting. I found Nikonites on a Facebook ad advertising a photo contest so when it comes to the monthly assignment or the weekly challenge I'd take a high interest in the post.
Obviously there is enough interest in my opinion that the monthly assignment should continue on. As for the format if people do not want a winner there's really no goal in doing it. I would agree with one of the other posters you need to have a goal. If you're not going to have a winner at least post the top three or five photos, this way someone would feel that the that their photograph was good enough to make the cut. I think the monthly assignment is running quite well except for it not being started and stopped in a timely manner. Marcel and anyone else on the monthly assignment team please don't take this comment personally, in is just my personal observation and not meant to slam anyone. I think the people involved in the monthly assignment and the weekly challenge have done an outstanding job.
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nikonpup
Senior Member
hi all,
while the discussion on the monthly assignment goes on i would like to open a thread and start the assignment for january. problem - there is no "post new thread" for monthly assignment, will someone fix it. The assignment will be "birds". There will be no judge, five
images would be posted at the end of the month with the most "likes". This should give everyone a chance to put in their 2 cents, figure out what the heck to do for a monthly assignment and give us a january contest.
while the discussion on the monthly assignment goes on i would like to open a thread and start the assignment for january. problem - there is no "post new thread" for monthly assignment, will someone fix it. The assignment will be "birds". There will be no judge, five
images would be posted at the end of the month with the most "likes". This should give everyone a chance to put in their 2 cents, figure out what the heck to do for a monthly assignment and give us a january contest.
I know Rick and understand your point about not starting in time. I'm just begging other mods to take their turns and ask who can do it for january and I get no response. I asked the question the last week of December and so far haven't heard of anyone else that wants to do it. It leaves me with questions about our team.