Monthly Photo Competition Idea?

[Joe]

What do people think of the idea of having a monthly photo competition? All bush related photos. People submit photos and forum poll decides winner.

[walkinTas]

Yep. Maybe open 1st of the month, say 10 days to post entries and then twenty days to run the poll. (or 15 / 15 or whatever).

Are there any rules? Are photoshopped images allowed? What size posted? Seasonal, New or Old images?

[Joe]

Yep. Maybe open 1st of the month, say 10 days to post entries and then twenty days to run the poll. (or 15 / 15 or whatever).

Are there any rules? Are photoshopped images allowed? What size posted? Seasonal, New or Old images?

I was thinking more of whole month to submit photos. At end of month new thread is created with a poll for voting. you vote through the next month (while the new months photos are being submitted.) Winner announced 15th of next month. So for example:

January Photos Submitted
February 1-14th - Voting
Feb 15th Winner announced.

Photos must have been taken during the relevant month. Must have EXIF attached for this to be checked.

Image manipulation is ok within reason. Levels adjust, crop, bnw conversions etc all ok....as is cloning out dustspots etc....I think we just leave this to user discretion though....too many rules and things get a bit painful.

We will wait for feb 1st to start comp i think. Ill start a thread in feb and see how we go

[walkinTas]

January Photos Submitted
February 1-14th - Voting
Feb 15th Winner announced.

Sounds good

[Son of a Beach]

Great idea... I like it! I could add a thumbnail and a link on the index page for the winning photograph each month (as the prize?). This could be one competition that the moderators could actually be eligible to enter (at last!). Although, I'm not much of a photographer, I'd like to enter occasionally, I reckon.

(Since TW came up with the idea, he can run with it I reckon ).

[Joe]

Great idea... I like it! I could add a thumbnail and a link on the index page for the winning photograph each month (as the prize?). This could be one competition that the moderators could actually be eligible to enter (at last!). Although, I'm not much of a photographer, I'd like to enter occasionally, I reckon.

(Since TW came up with the idea, he can run with it I reckon ).

Being voted by everyone means that anyone can enter. And yeah im happy to get it all organised.

[tasadam]

Could be the push I need to finish sorting my photos rather than dumping them in the drives and looking at them once, as what currently seems to happen.
Staying tuned...

Exif info intact will remove anonymity from images in comp (if they were to be anonymous).
I don't mind either way.
I do like to see exif info though - it's a great tool for identifying techniques etc. You can learn a lot from it.

My biggest problem would be choosing an image to enter.

[Son of a Beach]

Should it be limited to one entry per person per month?
Should the content be restricted to bushwalking related content?

[tasadam]

Should the content be restricted to bushwalking related content?

The content of the photo comp?
Probably. But perhaps "walking" in Tas instead of strictly "bushwealking" - I went for a walk along Pardoe beach over the weekend and got some pretty good photos.

Not up to me to decide, though. Just putting my ideas forward for discussion.
Good questions.

[Son of a Beach]

Should the content be restricted to bushwalking related content?

The content of the photo comp?
Probably. But perhaps "walking" in Tas instead of strictly "bushwalking" - I went for a walk along Pardoe beach over the weekend and got some pretty good photos.

Not up to me to decide, though. Just putting my ideas forward for discussion.
Good questions.

The 'bush' in 'bushwalking' in Australia has always been misleading anyhow. Doesn't need to be any bush to go bushwalking!

[Joe]

1 entry per person per month. no anonymity when you post in a forum anyway...exif is just to prove it was taken during the right month. I'll create a thread in couple days for the February Comp.

[walkinTas]

My two cents worth - I think one entry per person per month, otherwise the poll might get to be too big. I agree with comments above about EXIF. Its good to know technique and authentication. I think it would be nice to initially keep the comp for photos with a bushwalking and/or a National Parks theme. Later if the comp was popular you might wish to look at other categories.

Are you going to keep the entries to 800X600 format or is it open.

[tasadam]

Are you going to keep the entries to 800X600 format or is it open.

That's a good point - what about maybe the photos as posted can be 800x600 as per forum requirements, with a link to a larger image if the owner chooses to...
Just thoughts again, not making rules here - just suggestions.

Actually I just noticed the requirement is 800 wide - so in theory an image could be posted in portrait (narrowest side horizontal) at a resolution of 1200x800 and it would still fit in the forum window without being cropped... But you would likely need to scroll to see it, which could detract.

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, please keep to the forum rules of a maximum width (in the Gallery forum) of 800 pixels. However, I think that for a photo competition, full resolution photos (or at least higher resolution) should be available where possible. As suggested linking to the full resolution shots from the smaller forum-posted pictures would probably be the best way to do this.

The full resolution shots could either be hosted on your own websites, or attached to your post here (in which case, the forums software will automatically create a 600 pixel thumbnail of it with a link to download the full size picture).

[Joe]

My thoughts were 800 on longest side...to allow for portrait or landscape orientation. no links to larger images. everyone limited to same size. Panoramas ok as long as they are 800 on longest.

[Son of a Beach]

My thoughts were 800 on longest side...to allow for portrait or landscape orientation. no links to larger images. everyone limited to same size. Panoramas ok as long as they are 800 on longest.

Sounds fair.

[tasadam]

My thoughts were 800 on longest side...to allow for portrait or landscape orientation. no links to larger images. everyone limited to same size. Panoramas ok as long as they are 800 on longest.

I can understand that thought.
But, no point taking the 10.2mp camera... might as well take the phone
I think a lot of the photography is in subject choice and composition, which you can generally see with an 800x600 image.
But what will you be judging - will it be a photography competition, or a "that's pretty, I like that one" comp?
Not that there's anything wrong with the latter, indeed most opinions of a photo come from the subject choice and composition. But with a smaller image, you may miss out on other aspects of a photo that may influence a vote - take for example my recent post, tripod use # 1. The initial photo doesn't look too bad - the image is recorded and all, but there are clearly major flaws in the image that don't easily get noticed at 800x600.

Then there is the other side of the debate - not everyone has a 10.2 (or greater) megapixel camera. Of course I understand this. So what to do?
Either do as you say, keep it to 800x600, or perhaps leave it at 800x600 displayed, with a link to a larger image, but the maximum file size for a linked image is something like 1500x1000, as most people would be shooting with a camera that can handle 1.5Mp.
Again, just thoughts.

[walkinTas]

Somewhere you have to be able to see the photo at 100% zoom to be able to avoid software distortion. Most computer software has correction algorithms <100% and >100% zoom. So you are not looking at the true image, but a software corrected version. Hence photos can look great at 800X600 but at 100% zoom you see flaws.

Also, before everyone with a compact camera gives up on the competition. I read a very interesting article in last months Digital magazine about why compacts can be a better choice than DLSRs for some landscape photographs. You can take very good Landscape photos with your compact.

10.x megapixels vs 7.x megapixels - You have to double the number of megapixels to be able to physically see the difference between photographs at normal viewing size. So, for example, you would need a 15Mp camera to see a noticeable improvement over a 7.5Mp camera. (At least thats my understanding).

[Joe]

Jesus, out come the pedants

I thought 800pix max was a good way to keep it fair on all users. I wont be judging...it will be 'judged' via a poll. Your peers will decide if your eleventeen megapixel photo is better than someone else's camera phone shot. Remember its not about your equipment boys its how you use it.

[walkinTas]

Photos must have been taken during the relevant month. Must have EXIF attached for this to be checked.

TasAdam talked about EXIF here.

If you are a FIREFOX user you can visit this site to download and install a plugin that will allow Firefox to display the EXIF info. I downloaded it first, then installed it - better result than clicking the link. Works fine!

If you are not a Firefox user, try praying!

[Joe]

The initial photo doesn't look too bad - the image is recorded and all, but there are clearly major flaws in the image that don't easily get noticed at 800x600.

I spend a good deal of my day printing photos. I see a LOT of prints. Our digital photo tellers have a minimum requirement of 600x400pixels for a 6x4" print. The same can be said for 5x7" prints with minimum of 500x700pix and again with 6x8" being 600x800". This is the minimum requirement for photo quality prints. Prints done at this resolution will look as good as a 6x8" print done at higher resolution. Those of the magnifying glass brigade will argue this point but screw em...

So by allowing a maximum of 800 pixels I am essentially limiting you to an 8x6" print size. This is what most photography competitions would accept anyway.

i know this is simplifying it to its lowest common denominator...but it seems I have to.

Paper is a great equalizer...its amazing how many 'fatally bad errors' can be hidden by just printing the photo and not stressing about 100% crops.

[walkinTas]

800X600 will be fine for this competition, since the judges are most likely going to make subject decisions rather than objective ones. The compromise is to allow a link to a larger version of the photo (if this is desired).

So by allowing a maximum of 800 pixels I am essentially limiting you to an 8x6" print size. This is what most photography competitions would accept anyway.

Well Not entirely! A photo quality 8X6 would have (8X300)X(6X300) pixels - actually 314 on my camera - equals 2400X1800 pixels. (8X100)X(6X100) is a minimum print quality.

But the competition isn't about printed images, its about images displayed on a computer screen, and there are so many variables here that it is just not worth making a fuss about. No two people will see the image exactly the same - different browsers, different screen resolution, different screen quality, different screen dpi setting, different size monitors, different graphics cards, etc. And then there is the compression engine of the software you used to make the 800 pixel image.

So pick something (anything) that you are happy with. As I said above 800X600 is fine since its mostly going to be subjective.

[Joe]

Well Not entirely! A photo quality 8X6 would have (8X300)X(6X300) pixels - actually 314 on my camera - equals 2400X1800 pixels. (8X100)X(6X100) is a minimum print quality.

DPI does not = PPI. but yeah, 100x100 is minimum as i said. I was (as i also said) taking it back to lowest common denominator to illustrate a point. As I also said though its only really the magnifying glass brigade who will see a real difference. I have done side by side prints.

[Joe]

OK rules of comp:

1. Photos must be from month of competition
2. EXIF data must be in photo to prove this
3. Photo must be 800pixels on its longest axis. This will be what the photo is judged on. Links to larger shots can be provided initially but they will not be present in the judging thread.
4. Photos must be submitted by the last day of calender month. No exceptions.
5. Must be somehow related to Tasmania and bushwalking.
6. If the winner of the competition for a month would like to set a specific theme for a following months competition this is allowed.
7. Photo Manipulation is allowed. Things such as panorama stitching, levels, curves etc all fine. HDR is also ok.
8. You do not talk about fight club

[tasadam]

Jesus, out come the pedants

I thought 800pix max was a good way to keep it fair on all users. I wont be judging...it will be 'judged' via a poll. Your peers will decide if your eleventeen megapixel photo is better than someone else's camera phone shot. Remember its not about your equipment boys its how you use it.

Yes. We know this, we were offering suggestions and points of view so as to help you in your kind offer of establishing this competition for all. Isn't that what this thread was about?

Thanks for your work. I'll go along with whatever you decide and appreciate your setting it up.

Cheers!

[Joe]

hope you noticed the big pokey out tongue smiley there. wasnt being serious.

[Son of a Beach]

Hi All,

I've created a new forum for the monthly photo competition as a subforum of the Gallery forum. Please note that normal registered users cannot create new topics there, and have relatively limited permissions.

As the head-honcho of these photo competitions, taswaterfalls has permissions to create the new topics and polls there and to lock the topics he creates, as required.

Note that this has involved some complex permissions settings, so please let me know ASAP if you come across any problems with using the new forum.

Cheers,

[TassieMargie]

Just a quick question... is there a theme for this month?

[Joe]

Not this month no, we will explore themes at a later date. this month is a bit of a beta test.

[tasadam]

My biggest problem would be choosing an image to enter.

Well, initially that was my problem. But as photos have to be taken this month, I am in a dilemma. No walks planned until later in the month when I go for a week or more and won't be home until March. So those photos will be no good for next month's comp either, as they will be taken in late February.
Might have to drag the camera somewhere... and take something... anything... just to get a photo this month that I can enter this month. If not, no entry from me this month