Ideas, Weekly Photo Challenges

The last two weeks the participation as been weak to say the least. Giving all our "normal" players (yes, Pete is normal) the benefit of the doubt I like to think it's because it's the Holidays.

Because right now we are between Challenges I thought it would be a good idea to start a list of what challenges we would like to see done in the future, and if the moderators approve any challenges we would like to see revisited.

No need to post examples, just copy the list and add to it. Add as many as you would like.

Here is a list of what we have done so far Weekly Photo Challenges Forum

Ideas, Weekly Photo Challenges

Portraits
Multiplicity - Revisited

Good idea, Rick. Let's hear some suggestions!

I would like to see a desktop wallpaper challenge.

how about animals? (might get a lot of pics of cats, haha)

Landscape, simple but easily accessible to all.

Since all photographs depend on light, I'd like to see some challenges involving the use of flash, no matter what the subject challenge is about.

I would like to see a 2 week Calendar shoot in that all twelve months representative pictures be shot in less than 2 weeks.

The winner would get to have the calendar made by Zazzle as a prize.

Maybe instead of a Genre of photography such as landscapes, portraits, etc, we can pick an object and let people get creative with their ideas. I noticed some of the most participated challenges seem to entail a specific object, fences, railroad track, birds...

Anthony's letters challenge was a great challenge and project just as Pete's idea would be, but I think the more complex the project the less participation there would be. Although the project would be more rewarding many people just do not have to mind set to put together multiple images like that.

Every year I do a "BEST OF" collection. maybe to combine Petes idea take that and create a callendar from it. more of a processing challenge than a photography challenge...

I think we should have a challenge where the quality, time and effort put into a photo actually matters! Subject makes no difference!

Hey Joe, thats an interesting idea. What do you mean by matters? I certainly understand the desire to have your work matter in one way or the other.
I am down for something like the calendar but not sure how I could convey 12 months, 4 seasons, in 2 weeks, in florida.
another idea worth thinking about is maybe a print of the winning image. nothin to costly. Really when it comes down to the rewards etc it is going to come down to the site admin's desires for where he wants the site to go.

no need for rewards, the atta boys and pats on the back should be enough. I'm sure the site costs enough to operate as it is, and it is free for everyone to use. Why put it on the site to do "rewards". Or, if a member wants to "sponsor" a reward, that should be up to them, on their own dime.

As for what matters, all i meant was just the photo based on the quality of the image, the artistry, the effort. Taking snapshots or random things, in mediocre quality at best, shouldn't win a challenge because it was a cute or a funny idea, or even because they are friends with that person, while someone who goes out and takes the challenge seriously and puts tons of effort in gets the shaft. This is STRICTLY going off of past results. Sure, there were some great winners, but a lot of not so great also.

This "oh don't listen to them, your photo is your photo and if you like it that's all that matters" crap. That is true to a POINT. Photography is NOT just about your eye, or what YOU think looks good or likes, its technical too, and requires SOME skill. That's what I want. I want to see the SKILLS...I can care less what the subject it. just make it an even playing field by saying no flash can be used since not everyone has one.

I get the rewards part and actually do agree. The whole idea here is to get more people to participate, I am souly throwing ideas out that might produce that. Granted I have not been here that long but I have not noticed this favoritism that you mention above. Of course photography takes skill but you can have all the technical skills in the world and still produce crap. When it somes down to it the real people we have to answer to is our clients/customers. As photographers we pick photos apart because many of us know the "rules" and have a specific idea of what we are looking for. A gal I know started in photogrpahy about 5 months ago. She has zero clue of rules and barelly knows what her camera is capable of doing but guess what? She is booked by paying customers every day. I honestly dont get it myself. I can pick her stuff apart all day. over exposed, no fill, bad pose, bad composition, etc but guess what her customers love it and she is making bank. I know there are people that do not like my photography just as I dont like some others and guess what thats fine! thats why the challenge is designed the way it is. so every one should get a chance to show off their skills. using or not using a flash does not equal the playing field at all because of the different levels of knowledge, different genre they generally shoot, etc.

What I am trying to get at is you cant please every one all of the time and today might not be your day.

When I "Like" a photograph, I don't do it based on whether I like the person that took the shot. I do it because of what I get out of it...how it affects ME. I don't get into the nitty gritty of technical features, the skill of the photographer, time of day, moon phase.......whatever! It's all about what I see. Quite frankly, I'm not crazy about a lot of Ansel Adams stuff..........and he was considered to be one of the best.
When it comes right down to it, it's how the photo affects YOU, isn't it. I really don't care how or where or why the picture was taken....what I care about is how I'm affected by it. I either like it or I don't.
Some do this for a living, for some it's a serious hobby, for others a pass time. Whatever the reason, the fact that a picture was taken is what it boils down to. Some "see" something that captures their imagination. Some like to show their work to others, some don't. Some solicit critique, some don't. Personally, I couldn't care less the reasons. To me, it's all about how I feel about a picture. And that's pretty much all I have to say about it.

Carolina Photo Guy said:

I would like to see a 2 week Calendar shoot in that all twelve months representative pictures be shot in less than 2 weeks.

The winner would get to have the calendar made by Zazzle as a prize.

Click to expand...

I'm quoting MYSELF!!! Is that cool or what?

I can see the misunderstanding now. I meant the calendar as a reward, but for NIKONITES!

I meant that the winner would have the calendar made by Zazzle and posted for sale on Zazzle

along with the cups, hats and tee shirts.



Can you believe that I quoted MYSELF?

Carolina Photo Guy said:

I'm quoting MYSELF!!! Is that cool or what?

I can see the misunderstanding now. I meant the calendar as a reward, but for NIKONITES!

I meant that the winner would have the calendar made by Zazzle and posted for sale on Zazzle

along with the cups, hats and tee shirts.



Can you believe that I quoted MYSELF?

Click to expand...

Great Idea!

Now how about this: I have quoted you quoting yourself, in quotes no less!

cnyram said:

Carolina Photo Guy said:

Carolina Photo Guy said:

I would like to see a 2 week Calendar shoot in that all twelve months representative pictures be shot in less than 2 weeks.

The winner would get to have the calendar made by Zazzle as a prize.

Click to expand...

I'm quoting MYSELF!!! Is that cool or what?

I can see the misunderstanding now. I meant the calendar as a reward, but for NIKONITES!

I meant that the winner would have the calendar made by Zazzle and posted for sale on Zazzle

along with the cups, hats and tee shirts.



Can you believe that I quoted MYSELF?

Click to expand...

Great Idea!

Now how about this: I have quoted you quoting yourself, in quotes no less!

Click to expand...

Sorry could not help myself.
That sounds like a really fun idea

I'm very happy with the Weekly Challenge. I remembered participating in something like this on another forum awhile ago, and custom tailored things a bit when I presented the idea here.

The main difference with our challenge is that it is judged by the community, not the moderator staff. I (and a great deal of other members) often felt that favoritism played a part in many contests on the other forum. We don't have that here. People don't have to take photos a certain way to appeal to a static panel of judges or try to suck up by posting photos they may not normally do in order to win. We have had many repeat winners for the Weekly Challenge, but there has also been a wide sampling of winners.

Some people will judge based solely on feeling or creativity, while others look for more technical merit. We always post the winner's name in their challenge thread so that A) they get much deserved recognition for winning and B) so that participants can at least have some idea of who is considering their entry.

We've have a few hiccups in the system, but overall, the Weekly Challenge has helped all of us grow, share, and get better. That's the whole point.

Johnathan Aulabaugh said:

A gal I know started in photography about 5 months ago. She has zero clue of rules and barelly knows what her camera is capable of doing but guess what? She is booked by paying customers every day. I honestly dont get it myself. I can pick her stuff apart all day. over exposed, no fill, bad pose, bad composition, etc but guess what her customers love it and she is making bank.

Click to expand...

Is she related to Ken Rockwell? DOES SHE HAVE A GROWING FAMILY???

OH MY GOD!

SHE'S KEN ROCKWELL IN DRAG!!!

Haha not really. She is very up front, tells people this is her hobby and she is just getting started. She IS working really hard to learn and takes advise as it comes but she has a pretty good sense of what she is trying to accomplish just lacks the total know how to follow through lol. What's bad is she is using all of my old equipment lol. It started like every one else, shooting friends, now she has shot tons of child portraits, senior, and family. Its rediculous hahaha. She is learning though and all of her free times goes into studying.