February Contest -- initial discussion and call for topics

[regnaD kciN]

Well, here goes nothing...

Putting it bluntly, it's been a long time since I hosted a contest, and much has changed. For one thing, it was back before we had DU3 and its new polling capabilities. For another, blind submissions had not yet become the accepted procedure. I just spent some time looking over CC's "gathering of contest rules" post, and think I have a handle on the changes. Nonetheless, if any of the more-recent hosts notices a misstep on my part over the next month, I would be most grateful if you tip me off to it privately before I paint myself (and the contest) in the proverbial corner.

Anyway, here's the initial schedule:

CALL FOR TOPICS - 1/22-1/25
VOTE ON TOPIC - 1/26-1/28
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - 2/9-2/17
PRELMINARY ROUND - 2/19-2/22
FINAL ROUND - 2/23-2/26

If there are any potential problems with this schedule, please let me know.

In any event, I'd like to start the topic discussion now. One proposed topic per person, please (you can change your proposal, if you choose, before the deadline). First ten topics will be included in the poll.

Let's see those ideas!

[Curmudgeoness]

1. From what I have seen by lurking here

for a long time, you are god. You can chose whatever topic you want without asking anyone else what they think.

Edited to say: Congratulations on that awesome photo! It took my breath away.

[alfredo]

2. Cabin fever- get out and take some photos.

outdoor photography.

[Mira]

3. For what it is worth, blind submissions are absolutely at the discretion of the host.

Most of our contests are not blind submissions.
Trying them was a way to fight back and preserve a little privacy because we lost our blind voting.

I don't really know of anything major that has changed since you hosted, except the open voting. I railed against it in vain.

My suggestion:

"Get well soon" - an image you would put on a get well card to cheer up a sick person. My only concern with that topic would be that we may end up with 30 bouquets of flowers.

[mth44sc]

4. I absolutely hate the open voting

I find it causes me at times to not cast a vote at all... But I'm sure you all have been over this more than once.

[Mira]

6. What you missed is how I raged. I stood on my head and pretended

to gargle peanut butter, and acted like I was electric. I approached Skinner directly (got an answer after a couple of months, and it was no) I pointed out that exceptions could be made for us because we were in essence competing. That we deserve to be taken more seriously, deserved being heard, because we brought beauty to DU and people liked it.
I also did a poll among the photographers, and my views won out in that.
I got nowhere.

I actually lost a lot of good will from a few who thought I was being unrealistic, should accept it, and that there was no need to make a federal case out of it.
I finally, in writing to all of them, just gave up and said so.

In this last contest I voted for my own photo for the first time, something I'm not likely to do, because it makes me feel funny. But I liked it very much, and was really proud of it.

[mth44sc]

7. Strikes me as wrong

Proud of you for putting up the good fight!

[Mira]

9. ...

Thanks!

I like the idea of "In protest" - we may need to be specific and flesh it out some, or just let it stand and be surprised at the submissions.

[mth44sc]

8. Maybe this contest should be titled

in protest

That would be an interesting subject

[regnaD kciN]

10. FWIW, I did much the same...

...except, probably, not quite as vocally. (Skinner never even felt the need to respond to me about it.) Nonetheless, I continue to think it's a horrible mistake. In fact, I initially vowed to never again enter a contest here and, as you can tell, went for quite a time keeping to that. (Of course, having impaired vision for part of that time was a contributing factor.) This is the first time I've submitted a picture since then and, up to the last moment, was wondering if it was a mistake and considering asking my entry to be pulled from the contest. I'm still not certain if I will ever enter another monthly, although I do plan to submit something for the winter contest.

[Mira]

11. Maybe

just maybe
enough water has gone over the dam (and that reminds me: damn I missed your "water falling over things threads&quot to try to ask again.

After all, as I said at the time, I don't care if "they" think voting needs to be transparent for whatever their reasons are in other polls. In our polls it matters because we are competing with each other and don't have the freedom in our votes that we ought to have because of that. And I know enough about programming to know that if we were listened to and respected the feature of blind voting could be turned on for just our contests.

We photographers are working hard and many hours in shooting and in processing to bring our best work to these contests. Though it's in good fun, we are not playing. And I think we are important to the DU community. Why not keep us happy?
It makes no sense.

(I thought then, and still do, that a proper request from us, with signatures and the power of numbers may sway Skinner's heart to grant our request. But then, I just remembered: I said "I give up".)

[Mz Pip]

18. I remember that

And I completely agreed. I rarely vote in a contest anymore. Perhaps I should get over it.

I've never done the blind submissions. I guess grabbing the link from the PM really isn't any different from getting it from the submission thread.

[Mira]

19. I think we have not really recovered, but it is getting better.

The long time we could not run a contest because they had not created polls after the advent of DU3, and then the shock we had of the loss of secret ballot took a big toll on the spirit and enthusiasm of the contests.
I remember it well, because I sat holding 30 entries all that time and could not run the preliminaries, and then nobody cared any more. It was at least 6 months of a break.

We never used to have trouble like we have now filling the submission thread with entries.

I notice many photographers don't vote, you are not by yourself. I mostly don't, and except for this last time certainly not for myself.

On the subject of really secret entries I think it was Solly who put them in her account and posted them with her link. It looked like she had been really working hard at taking so many beautiful and diverse photos.

I did it once with blind entries, and I think that's how I did it. We have only had 4 contests with blind entries. Maybe 5 - they are a lot of extra work.

The only way this great general dissatisfaction can be solved in my opinion is if we were to make a formal petition with names and beg to have secret balloting for our contests. We were summarily ignored which I interpreted as not being valued when we simply asked or griped. Oh, well. I tried.

[regnaD kciN]

34. I still haven't voted in one...

If I had been required to do so this time around, I think I would have chosen NV Whino's entry.

[groundloop]

5. Granted, doing blind submissions is a bit of work, but not horrible

I kept the photographers, photo titles, and photo links in a spreadsheet then just copy and pasted the links when it was time to vote. I'd guess other past hosts probably have figured out even more efficient ways to do it. And honestly, if you're pushed for time it's no big deal to just have a submission thread where photographers post their photos.

As for a topic suggestion I'm thinking ACTION. I don't recall seeing action shots as a topic here before.

[Solly Mack]

12. Texture

[ohheckyeah]

13. Actually, for the most part they

really aren't blind submissions. A simple right click on the photo tells the story with most of the photos since they are in Photobucket and the Photobucket user name matches the DU name. I found out by chance when I right clicked on one of the submissions to view it without the distraction of other photos. I doubt I'm the only person that knows that.

I like the idea of texture as a subject.

[groundloop]

14. Very true about the photobucker or flikr accounts, maybe the host should......

Maybe the host should move everything to his/her personal photobucket account to keep the submissions blind.

JUST KIDDING !!!!!! (The hosts have enough to do as it is, not fair to expect even more out of them.)

Actually I'm somewhat of the opinion that, in general, having blind submissions or not having blind submissions won't have much effect on voting. I'm with Mira though that voting itself should be hidden.

And speaking of changes, what I'd really appreciate would be a loosening of the 800 pixel size limit. I know a lot of my photos, and I'm sure I'm not alone, would display better if we didn't have such a small size limitation. I suppose that once upon a time that limitation made sense, but I just don't believe there's a good rationale for it anymore.

[a la izquierda]

15. I like outdoors, but only because I'm going to Montreal for the very first time...

next month and I'm so, so freakin' excited. I have a feeling I can do some serious photo damage in that city.

[handmade34]

16. ahhh...

the only thing better than going to Montreal, is going during the Jazz Fest!!!!





(awesome Montreal photo by La Toan Vinh)

[a la izquierda]

17. I'm really stoked, I don't care if it's -40.

I'll really only have one full day of outdoor sightseeing, because I'm going for work. But I'll have nights. Apparently, there's some sort of mountain (of which I'm doubtful, having lived in California and now in West Virginia ), but I get to see the city with my friend, so I don't care what I see.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. the second pic is amaaaaaaazing. looks like a spy walking in Paris. nt

[regnaD kciN]

35. I agree, but when was it taken...?

Considering it's Montreal, I would have to guess "April" or "May," because, the one time I was there over the New Year's break, there was a lot more snow on the ground than that!

[Mira]

26. Both of these - though diametrically different

are simply phenomenal.
I had forgotten how CLOSE you are to Canada...

[rdking647]

20. my suggestion for a topic

music

[Laura PourMeADrink]

21. I'll let you have my idea because I will probably be old and grey before I actually

win.

'PORTALS"

Any kind of portal. In a window, out a window. In a door, out a door. Doorways. Gates. Entryways. Signs on doors, etc. etc. Or even anything less literal but would qualify as a portal.

[mnhtnbb]

23. That's a fun idea.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. No, you're fun !!!

[Mira]

27. Girrrlll !!!

You make me laugh. You've entered a couple of times (right?) and done well. It's a rare thing for new participants to break through to a win right away.
I really like your theme suggestion. That one ought to bring wonderful entries.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

28. Maybe I should ask a therapist....but I am really drawn to this subject. A room with a view.

A stunning entryway. A glimpse of a courtyard through a wrought iron gate.

[elleng]

31. Love it,

and its a major reason for me to live where I live!!!

[regnaD kciN]

32. What Mira said...

I remember it was quite a thrill to have simply made the finals (in which my entry wound up finishing predictably near the bottom) with my second entry. And this was after having done professional work, gallery exhibits, etc., over the course of thirty years. And, after that, it still took too many monthly contests to count before I actually won one.

Keep entering -- you'll be hosting one of these before you know it!

[ohheckyeah]

22. How about photos based on a song?

Either the title or lyrics from a song.

[intheflow]

29. Oh heck yeah!

I love that idea! I can think of a couple possibilities with song titles, I could play around with.

[ohheckyeah]

30. I could come up with a few myself....

it would be different if nothing else.

[regnaD kciN]

33. O.K., we have eight topics...still need two more!

1) Cabin Fever (Outdoor Photography)
2) "Get Well Soon"
3) "In Protest"
4) Action
5) Texture
6) Music
7) Portals
8) "...based on a song"
9) ???
10) ???

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. Portals

just kidding

[Mz Pip]

37. Metal

Transparent

A color we haven't done - yellow?

[mnhtnbb]

40. Here's an idea: Graffitti

[JCMach1]

38. Sepia!!!

[Mz Pip]

39. Cyanotype!!!!

🙀

[regnaD kciN]

41. I think that would be hard to do digitally...

Do you still want to submit one of your previous three: Metal, transparent (?) or yellow?

[regnaD kciN]

42. "Sepia" is now number 9...

...with one spot currently being held for Mz Pip's choice...or "Graffiti" should Mz Pip decide against continuing with metal/transparent/yellow.

[Mira]

43. I had to google Cyanotype (and now I forgot how to spell it) -- I like Graffiti

a lot better than my own idea of "Get well soon" - so whatever you do, dear host, please consider that I'd rather withdraw that one in favor of giving Graffiti a run than NOT have it included.
Am I making sense to anyone other than myself? (I just got up)

[Mz Pip]

44. Go with transparent.

It could be interesting.

[regnaD kciN]

45. O.K....I'll go with "Graffiti" and "Transparent"...

Poll thread (my first under the new system, so this could be interesting) will be up by tomorrow morning.