CLOSED POLL: 2.0 Advanced Competition 67 (W: ShaolinMasta)

[nanabu]

oooh dear . i hope this doesn´t happens to me next week ...

 

[SlipZtrEm]

There are plenty of us who are "qualified" (whatever that means) to discuss art. Nobody brought that up though: the poll choices are up to the judge, and Fishy can choose them based on what images he personally prefers. It's easy for users to criticize the judge's choice, but any previous winner will tell you it's not easy whittling the list down. In the end, you go with what you like. It is, after all, your theme.

This is a reminder that unnecessarily poor language, and text speak, will not be tolerated, neither here in the competition sub-forum, or anywhere else on GTP.

 

[Boabdulrahman]

oooh dear . i hope this doesn´t happens to me next week ...

Unfortunately it will
In the end, there will always be someone who is unhappy with the poll.

 

[przemekszulim]

Hey, relax, i was asking for feedback from Fishy. I never criticize his decision also i'm not angry or sad that i'm not in the pool
I just don't agree with opinions of the other users who are so nice that they are trying to relieve Fishy...

PS. this part about art was ironic of course

PS2.

In the end, there will always be someone who is unhappy with the poll.

haha, you sir are soo wrong is this too hard to understand that i'm happy with my entry (which was taken in few minutes)? God, let's finnish this conversation. I never asked for feedback.

And 85% of the poll is really awesome! (no, this is not irony)

 

[BluckBoster]

can i have feedback please

2.0 Week 67 by f1_stig, on Flickr

^I like that Stig very crisp detail^👍

 

[Boabdulrahman]

PS2.
haha, you sir are soo wrong is this too hard to understand that i'm happy with my entry (which was taken in few minutes)? God, let's finnish this conversation. I never asked for feedback.

I said unhappy with the outcome of the poll, not your own entry.
I have been a judge in many occasions and can see that many people who were excluded from the poll tend to be unhappy. This is understandable considering the time he took in his entry.
Ok ask for feedback but don't get upset when somebody actually gives you feedback.
No offence intended.

 

[JediRage]

From what I can see, there's hardly any reflections.

Don't take this personally, but this sentiment is exactly why we get the same type of pictures every week.

I don't mean to say the 'Hypermax' picture should be in there either. The poll selection is the judge's prerogative. Although, saying that, this must have been the first week I saw someone other than the judge make a poll selection too.

 

[f1_stig]

^I like that Stig very crisp detail^👍

thanks

 

[mattmflok]

Although, saying that, this must have been the first week I saw someone other than the judge make a poll selection too.

I would see that as his own tip, and I personally do not have any objection about anyone tipping for what makes it in the poll (to be honest, I did have my own tips as well).

However, I am very deeply concerned that anyone posting their tips in the forum or sharing them with the judge might affect the judge's decision, which makes it unfair to those whose work do not feature in those tipped. Expect a protest from me should there be a second occurrence.

 

[ZEROX]

Hey Fishy!
What about mine?
Not enough reflection or it's too focus on the backlight?




I'm not angry for not making into the poll because the photos that make into the poll are all fantastic! 👍

 

[jonjwlee]

It's easy for users to criticize the judge's choice, but any previous winner will tell you it's not easy whittling the list down. In the end, you go with what you like. It is, after all, your theme.

QFT.

It wasn't easy for me. You'd think it would be, just weed out the bad entries you see coming in every week and just hand in the necessary PM. Trouble is, once you do that, you'd inevitably end up with more than double the number of pictures than is required (even if you were picky). I think it was mentioned on the last page that FishyJuice had, what was it, 33 pictures on his shortlist?

And as you whittle down that list, you will eventually get to the point where those pictures aren't just good pictures, they're pictures that wouldn't look out of place in the Hall of Fame thread. From there onwards, elimination becomes a process of nitpicking and your own tastes start to matter. I once had to pull a picture from the shortlist because I preferred a cooler tint to the picture.

I now have greater respect for the judges every week. It's an unenviable job, and while I'm disappointed that my entry didn't make it, I don't hold it against FishyJuice at all, as this must've been a very, very hard week.

 

[Jacob]

Yeah, I'm really, really sorry to all people who put down so much time creating a great shot, and great entry. I had 33 pictures in my "I'd add those to my Flickr favorites anyday" list, and I had to let ~55% be excluded.

I have my flameshield here, should a public outrage arise.

Thanks to all entrants for making this a great, albeit hard week to judge. I am convinced the poll will look really good. The PM has been sent, just the poll-creation left.

// Jacob.

And I'll say it again...

I haven't sent the PM yet, will do soon. It is killin' me trying to decide which ones that are passing through. I decided to go with those that I feel fit the theme most, over personal preference.

...

And that is why I picked entries I feel "show a pretty large amount" of reflections, and yes, przemekszulim, that is "landscape reflections".

And no offence to Musical Artist, but, really? I mean... really? It's feels like it's a:
"Ooooh, look at me, I study art, I might even have a degree in it!"

"And therefore should I be regarded as the person to ask about these things".

I am sure as hell that he (MA) knows what is "good", and what is "bad", and yeah, okay. But he isn't me, and he isn't nanabu which is going to judge in a week.

And it is a very subjective question of what entries which move through, and the quality and quantity are... just through the roof, people like Sejtur, RG, and Moglet, etc have "returned" to side alongside the ~10-15 persons which continuously produce stunning work. It is hard judging, it was the first time I got to judge, in week 52's 2.0. But this is so, believe me, so much harder, since there are just so many amazing entries. New people join everytime, and it feels like there are more great up-and-coming people participating every week more than there are competitors leaving the comps.

In 10 weeks, the judges will have ~50 fantastic entries, if there theme isn't too restricting. And I do not envy them, I will try to give feedback based on my opinion of "good photography". And I am just a teenager who learned to operate a camera via GT5, I had a D grade in the Swedish equivalent of "Art class", so what do I know?

But my issues, in short. I thought Moglet's entry was a bit overexposed, great otherwise, ShadowPeter had an underexposed picture, BluckBoster's image was fault-free, but a major lot of people had to go. And I would have chosen his should I have realised andrea's previous usage of his image.

ZEROX, Ferrari_458, f1_stig, in order of preference (1-3), there were just simply better entries in my eyes. And przemekszulim, slightly vague, though accepted theme interpretation, but felt under-edited and had a detracting location choice.

And finally, I'm gonna be a whiny 🤬 here and say that I don't think it will be particularly enjoyable winning a week in about 10 weeks, due to the fairly large amounts of "feedback" you have to hand out. And the discussion arising from it.

Thanks to all participants, again.

// Jacob.

 

[BluckBoster]

Cheers Jacob,
I know how hard it is to judge and then run the gauntlet of dissapointed participants.
It almost makes you feel like you don't want to win so you don't have to go through it, but the elation of actually winning a poll is awesome and it gives you self confidence in knowing that you can produce outstanding work yourself, a double edged sword if ever there was...
I have no complaints about not being in the poll as close ups generally do not do well when up against full car shots but it would have been interesting non the less..

 

[SVX]

[snip/]

👍 A thumbs up to you, Jacob. Written perfectly.


I hope you don't think I'm one of those whinny people, I simply just ask for feedback so I can improve, and so I know what to do, and what not to do to perhaps get in the next poll with my new info.

 

[Jacob]

I should add, thanks SVX, that I do not blame anyone for asking for criticism since:

*goes digging in the poll threads*

Screw this, couldn't find the post. The thing was just that people want response to be able to not to the things that weren't so good - that they want to improve, and I fully respect that. But I just think that just the fact that you have point at this and that as the reasons for not making the poll is a bit tiresome when you have at least those 15 contestants which were on the shortlist to make the poll, and then another 10-20 shots to be an 🤬 and say that it simply wasn't good enough.

I'll try to go into larger depth for feedback for this poll, and the thing is just that when the GT5 photomode community at a whole is so competent at taking pictures, it is hard to say that there was a reason for them not making the poll, since they are pretty much flawless technically (relatively to at the start of the competitions). Pretty much everyone knows how to use the panning modes, as well as change the aperture. So it becomes even more about personal taste, IMO.

I hope this is somewhat understandable - and what I'm trying to say is that there isn't really anything I can say about the entries, and point to as the reason for not making it. It was just that I liked that other one better. And then, that might be where people like Musical Artist, and contestant which are employed in the graphics/imaging/designer professions could come in and give out these little details which could've been improved, but that's not something I feel that I am qualified to do.

 

[tonilleshusband]

Not that I have told this to anyone, but a poor judging experience contributed to the 3 month break I took from competitions. It's just no fun putting up with some of the completely senseless stuff people do. Some of the PMs were beyond stupid. Why is it that being voted by everyone that your the best one week gives a rotten few the license to be absolute knobs the next week? Most of the time it seems to be newbs who think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread who cannot accept that they need to learn before they can lead. So many times they have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

Some complain our polls look exactly the same every week. There is accepted convention as to basic photography standards. Rule of thirds, balance, sight lines, symmetry, depth of field, framing to name a few. 9 times out of 10 these photographers who complain so badly have missed the ball on half of them. I am no expert. I am not an art major. I have no authority other than experience to say anything about anybody else's pictures. All I know is what I like, and how people should be treated. So it's great if people ask for feedback, but to get ugly over not making a poll is just silly. Unless we want to start hiring professional judges we all need to start cutting each other slack.

The whole reason I competed in the first place is because people here were encouraging, and everyone just wanted to take good pictures. Let's not forget why we're here.

 

[Jacob]

Some of the PMs were beyond stupid.

I fully agree with your post, I hope a small fraction of what you just said so well was identifiable from my two earlier posts since I tried to give out a similar message. But may I just ask what PMs you refer to, ones received from disgruntled/disappointed contestants, or did I misunderstand you?

 

[tonilleshusband]

I got 3 PMs from a member (who is no longer here) basically intent on informing me how awful a person I was if I was one at all. It happened at the same time as another incident where he was banned so I didn't do anything about it. Some people just cannot handle friendly competition.

 

[ceiling_fan]

I think if I win a 2.0 I'll just make the theme "Upside-down chromeline cars on DLC tracks"

 

[Moglet]

But my issues, in short. I thought Moglet's entry was a bit overexposed, great otherwise, ShadowPeter had an underexposed picture, BluckBoster's image was fault-free, but a major lot of people had to go. And I would have chosen his should I have realised andrea's previous usage of his image.

Thanks for taking the time to give some feedback FishyJuice! 👍 I think I would have produced a better image with a lighter car, therefore avoiding overexposure. It's a good thing to have learned and it means I can keep it in mind for the future.

It must have been a stupidly hard poll to choose this week, I can only imagine how difficult it is to judge one of these contests these days, the quality is through the roof!

 

[sejtur]

I gave you some feedback too, Mog. 1st page.

 

[bmxmitch]

I suggest, the ones who claim about the judges/poll decision should also judge one week, just to actually feel how hard it is.

I offer a free judging week for those who do keep on claiming (if I win again of course )

 

[zambuca]

Oh boy Fishy, it seems like you have fallen into the judges pit of despair and that's not a nice place to be

You're doing a great job Jacob 👍

My advice to all new entrants would be: go with the flow for half a year and then you're starting to know the way of the competitions. It's not really about winning and it's not about who interpreted the theme correctly. Of course recognition is nice to get, but the main reason I find the competitions satisfying is that I can compare my creativity with others and constantly get new inspiration that encourages me to get new ideas.

Keep up the great work everyone

 

[Moglet]

I gave you some feedback too, Mog. 1st page.

Ah, sorry sejtur, I completely missed that. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for the good feedback too, it's much appreciated. 👍

On a related note, I voted for your image in this week's poll. I've always found it hard to shoot a good photo there and you've done a brilliant job.

 

[jonjwlee]

Oh boy Fishy, it seems like you have fallen into the judges pit of despair and that's not a nice place to be

You're doing a great job Jacob 👍

Indeed.

It's worth bearing in mind that Fishy didn't really have to do any of this -- once the final list has been sent out, his work is officially done. Any explanation or feedback tacked on afterwards is out of his good will, and I commend him for setting it straight.

My advice to all new entrants would be: go with the flow for half a year and then you're starting to know the way of the competitions. It's not really about winning and it's not about who interpreted the theme correctly. Of course recognition is nice to get, but the main reason I find the competitions satisfying is that I can compare my creativity with others and constantly get new inspiration that encourages me to get new ideas.

Also as you improve, you'll soon learn to add a bit of your own flair into the mix, and that will make you stand out in the shortlist and eventually, the polls.

Plus, these competitions could very well be the single biggest source of improvement of your real-life photography skills, because everything you learn here can easily be transferred to your DSLR.

 

[DYLAN777-is-not]

I'm disappointed with these polls..! These "reflections" aren't OF anything, its just trees or clouds or pieces of buildings splotched on the cars meaninglessly. I would have liked to see an actual reflection of SOMETHING on the car. Good car photos though:tup: shows off their shininess. Wish I had had the time to contribute a picture.

 

[Moglet]

I'm disappointed with these polls..! These "reflections" aren't OF anything, its just trees or clouds or pieces of buildings splotched on the cars meaninglessly. I would have liked to see an actual reflection of SOMETHING on the car. Good car photos though:tup: shows off their shininess. Wish I had had the time to contribute a picture.

The theme was simply to capture reflections though. I think most of these images fit the brief perfectly!

 

[mattmflok]

Oh boy Fishy, it seems like you have fallen into the judges pit of despair and that's not a nice place to be

You're doing a great job Jacob 👍

My advice to all new entrants would be: go with the flow for half a year and then you're starting to know the way of the competitions. It's not really about winning and it's not about who interpreted the theme correctly. Of course recognition is nice to get, but the main reason I find the competitions satisfying is that I can compare my creativity with others and constantly get new inspiration that encourages me to get new ideas.

Keep up the great work everyone

On the other hand chaps, I am still a newbie, but I would suggest newbies to always ask for feedbacks (Keep and appreciate them if any is received, as those who did are under no obligation to give feedbacks) on shots regardless of whether did they make the poll or not, because that would help a lot in future photography, and much better than groaning about not making the poll, which does no good but tons of harm.

On the other hand, I might have got mitch upset over my comments on the judging decision thing. To mitch: if it did, please accept my apology.

 

[sejtur]

Ah, sorry sejtur, I completely missed that. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for the good feedback too, it's much appreciated. 👍

On a related note, I voted for your image in this week's poll. I've always found it hard to shoot a good photo there and you've done a brilliant job.

Thanks Mog, means alot coming from you!

 

[Miklad]

Can I just add my 10 pence-worth here?

Fishy - great job on the poll. There were some excellent shots in the competition and it must have been hard whittling it down to a handful.

The standard on this community has shot through the roof recently - I would estimate there are now 50+ really good, talented, creative, technical photographers right now - all with various backgrounds (students, designers, unemployed - heck, kids too!). The talent on here staggers me.

There are also those who are not so good - whether they are 'newbies' (hate that phrase) or users keen to improve their talents. Deep down, you know who you are. Asking for feedback is vital in improving your skills as a creative - it happens in the professional industry also. Critiques are a valuable tool.

Just please, don't hassle the judge of a competition for picking the selection he has picked. At the end of the day it is HIS competition. He chose the theme. He judged the entries according to HIS preference. End of.

If you didn't make the poll this week (like me I add) don't take it personally. It's either:

1. Your shot wasn't good enough - in which case try to figure out what was wrong. Composition? Thirds? Tones? Exposure? Keep at it - the results will come.

2. Your shot just didn't appeal to the Judge - simple. Don't take it personally, it just happens. You'll face this when you (hopefully) win a Tourney!

Just everyone, use a bit of common sense when receiving feedback.

(Sorry about the rant and the repeated views above, I just felt it had to be reiterated).

Peace and Love! 👍