How often do you see the final results of the weekly pic contests and wonder...?

[Golf4food]

How on earth did that picture win?

I voted quite a bit. Seems like a lot of the winning pictures are cute or sentimental in value but are by no means the best photograph of the choices nor do they necessarily best depict the theme of the week.

Not that any of it matters since it is all just in good fun, I was just curious.

 

[Uncle Servo]

One could also ask that question every week of the college football season... "How did ________ get ranked so high/low?"

It's all part and parcel of voting processes in general. Different voters will have different criteria -- and each one believes said criteria is perfectly legitimate (whether the rest of us agree may be another matter entirely).

 

[daannzzz]

It can be really difficult to pick one. I voted rarely because the specifics of what we are voting on is not super clear. I try to pick something that I think is composed interestingly or different, looks really good and the subject matter is interesting. Sometimes two or three of the values are excellent but on part is not and I will still choose it. Many people who enter are great photographers and others (like me) have good cameras but don't know about the technical parts. Many times when looking at the current contest during the week I can see a sentimental or super cute photo that is going to win even though I think it is not as good as others. I understand why it wins but am sad that some of the other more innovative photos don't.
It is very hard to choose sometimes.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I wondered the same thing recently when I posted this.

I think it's just very subjective. And seeing that this is overall a Disney site as opposed to strictly a photography site, there will be a lot of votes not necessarily looking at things from a photographic standpoint. (And that's ok.) Further, even if it was strictly a photography site, among photographers there's still varying levels of skill, interpretation and subjectivity.

Something must have been going on "behind the scenes" when the contest photo IDs went from names to letters.

 

[fhirleighinn]

I never actually look and see who won, I just vote and let it be at that.

 

[jann1033]

i voted other cause i don't always look at the winner since i never enter and know it's not me but i think my vote is a sure sign the one i vote for will lose since so far it's 100% that it has. i almost never vote for " cute kids with whatever" photos since i vote "photographically " and usually that isn't the same as the cute kid ones but assume most don't vote like that but go by the emotional aspect where a cute kid will beat rule of thirds everytime
i think the thing is since this is not a forum dealing strictly with photos, just a part of a forum about disney you have a real range even on just this board...i looked at p-n-mes thread and it looks like lots don't give a snitzle about the technical merits or lack thereof so that is probably what makes some photos "winners" while leaving those who vote with technique in mind scratching their heads a little.
ok and this is going to make me sound like Photosnob but i haven't even voted on all the sections lately...sometimes there just isn't a good photo in a particular bunch and i bothers me that if i vote on a mediocre photo, it's going to have the same weight as a really good photo...so now i only vote on the sections i feel have a winner worthy photo or 2 in them...maybe that is not playing fair but i don't think it's fair for a not so good photo to win over a better photo either( at least what i think is not good)

 

[DebºoºS]

I voted other because I've only had one situation where I just couldn't understand how a photoshopped pic could've gotten so many votes.

I don't usually pay that much attention to who wins but maybe will now.

 

[ukcatfan]

Given the audience, things will never be voted like they are on a photography related website. I consider myself a winner if I get to the final vote.

 

[Mckymousefn]

The thing is... not everyone see's pictures the same way. You may ask why a cerain picture won... someone else may say that about the one you thought should have won. That is what makes photography so interesting to me.. there are different ways to see the same photo.... there is no wrong way to view them.

 

[DueyDooDah]

...there are different ways to see the same photo.... there is no wrong way to view them.

Oh no, this is totally incorrect. There is only ONE way to see the same photo --- My Way!!!

 

[Mckymousefn]

Oh no, this is totally incorrect. There is only ONE way to see the same photo --- My Way!!!

Me bad!

 

[DisneydaveCT]

I consider myself a winner if I get to the final vote.

I'm not there yet. I am happy if I get more than one vote ...MINE!

 

[Groucho]

I wonder that sometimes...

For me at least, it's very difficult to predict what people will tend to go for. A good example is the one that just finished, the Main St USA contest. As it happens, my photo ended up winning, which I'm very proud of - but I honestly didn't expect it to get past the first round, much less win overall. Anyway, point being, I have a hard time deciding what to enter sometimes as I just have no idea what will resonate with people. I entered the shot I did because I happen to like it a lot myself (I love me dem fisheye shots ) but was figuring that it wouldn't be my week.

Other times I'll put in a shot that I think will do really well and it bombs. Or if posting on the PotD thread, I'll get a good reaction from a shot which didn't really grab me as anything special. Who knows?

So, I do wonder sometimes, but it doesn't bother me. Especially with this being a Disney board, it's kind of nice to know that people don't need a big-dollar DSLR and collection of lenses, but can still win a photography contest with any ol' PnS as long as the subject, timing, composition, or some other attribute is just right.

 

[Minnie-n-Mickey4ever]

I voted "rarely" because to me it seems that a chosen few are always winning. Not to say they are the favorites - but their photos are wonderful and inspiring - therefore they win.