Info on Photo Contest and BORDERS!!

[andromedaslove]

First I want to say WOW!! I think this is the highest number of entries we have ever had. 73 entries for this weeks contest!! It is gonna take me a little bit longer to get everything sorted out so bear with me, but it should be up by the end of the day, scratch that... it will be tomorrow before they are all posted. Sorry guys!!

Also, on a more serious note. A few months back the decision was made to not allow borders on the photos in the contest, and I have been trying hard to enforce this, but at the same time I don't want to be a police man so I have been letting some slide. I will no longer be able to let it slide. So let it be known that if you add a border to the photo you are entering in the contest it will NOT be accepted for the voting, I will not contact you and try to give you another chance, and I will NOT allow you to submit another picture.

Thanks guys,
Dana

 

[pyrxtc]

okay, I don't to be a butt, but I just went through all of the photos from this week and there was not a border added on a one of them. But thanks for the knowledge since I ahven't participated ina while. And good luck getting all the pics up, I know running this must be hard.

 

[andromedaslove]

Actually, there was one. I won't point out who it was because it really isn't important, and I don't think it was intentional. However, the reason I included this in a seperate post was because there was a big to do about it a while back and I don't want it to become an issue again.

 

[steery1]

While we are on the subject. What about the 800 x 600 rule?

 

[andromedaslove]

I haven't been running into as many problems with the 800x600 pictures. Once again it is one of those things that I try to be lenient about, I don't want to spend all my time on the boards policing entries. The same goes for those that edit their photos, and there are some that are doing that too. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions let me know. I want this contest to be as fair as possible. The 800x600 rule was for my benefit, to make things easier for me when I was posting the photos to the disboards photo section. Now that I post the winners to photobucket it really doesn't affect me one way or the other. The border and editing rules are there to maintain fairness in the contests. These photos are supposed to win on their own, it isn't a who has the best photoshop program contest, and shouldn't be allowed to become so.

Dana

 

[MICKEY88]

I haven't been running into as many problems with the 800x600 pictures. Once again it is one of those things that I try to be lenient about, I don't want to spend all my time on the boards policing entries. The same goes for those that edit their photos, and there are some that are doing that too. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions let me know. I want this contest to be as fair as possible. The 800x600 rule was for my benefit, to make things easier for me when I was posting the photos to the disboards photo section. Now that I post the winners to photobucket it really doesn't affect me one way or the other. The border and editing rules are there to maintain fairness in the contests. These photos are supposed to win on their own, it isn't a who has the best photoshop program contest, and shouldn't be allowed to become so.

Dana

it's a shame that people can't just follow the rules instead of making this difficult for you, I agree there are some definitely edited photos being entered, I just haven't bothered saying anything because it's not worth it to me, I just don't bother entering the contest, I figure if someone needs to win that badly, and they think no one can tell the difference between an edited pic and one straight fromthe camera...let them have their moment..

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

The same goes for those that edit their photos, and there are some that are doing that too. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions let me know. I want this contest to be as fair as possible. The 800x600 rule was for my benefit, to make things easier for me when I was posting the photos to the disboards photo section. Now that I post the winners to photobucket it really doesn't affect me one way or the other. The border and editing rules are there to maintain fairness in the contests. These photos are supposed to win on their own, it isn't a who has the best photoshop program contest, and shouldn't be allowed to become so.
Dana

Yes, some of us "edit' our photos - but the extent of that editing is only resizing them to conform with the size rule. Most of our originals are 3888 x 2592.

 

[MICKEY88]

Yes, some of us "edit' our photos - but the extent of that editing is only resizing them to conform with the size rule. Most of our originals are 3888 x 2592.

some photos are edited way beyond resizing..

 

[steery1]

In the rules it says that "minimal editing" is allowed.
Now, what "minimal editing" means to one person may be entirely different to another. Maybe the boundries could be defined so there would be no confusion.

But.....there is absolutely NO grey area on the size rule. An entry is either larger than 800 x 600 or its not. Simple as that.

 

[Master Mason]

I personally don't want to get caught up in a rules debate on the contest. There are no prizes, nothing to be won or gained, so in the end who cares really, it is more about seeing other peoples wonderful shots, and hopefully getting someone to say wow about one of mine when they see it.

Dana runs it, and does a great job with it, whatever she allows or disallows is just fine with me.

I'm as competative as the next guy, but lets try and keep the focus on what it should be about.

 

[mabas9395]

In the rules it says that "minimal editing" is allowed.
Now, what "minimal editing" means to one person may be entirely different to another. Maybe the boundries could be defined so there would be no confusion.

I agree, but I see both sides. How do you come up with a list of what can be edited? Are brightness, contrast, saturation, vibrance, sharpness, etc allowed? Do you have to use levels or can you use curves? Can you use layers to selectively edit the brightness? I don't think its fair to put Andromedaslove in the position to have to police that.

On the other hand, all digital images are edited/processed to a certain degree, whether you use the in-camera parameter settings, RAW converter presets, or photoshop/lightroom.

I shoot raw and process everything with Lightroom. I don't have a shot that does not have some sort of adjustments to brightness, contrast, saturation, vibrance, or sharpness, etc made. If a rule was made that brightness and sharpness are allowed but vibrance/saturation is not, then I would be disqualified from every single contest.

So I think that this is Andromedaslove's contest and she can make the rules to best suit her. She can leave it worded as "minimal editing" and reserve the right to disqualify anyone if something looks overdone.

Besides, everyone knows that every time you over photoshop a photo, a fairy dies. Do any of us really want that on our conscience?

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

I personally don't want to get caught up in a rules debate on the contest. There are no prizes, nothing to be won or gained, so in the end who cares really, it is more about seeing other peoples wonderful shots, and hopefully getting someone to say wow about one of mine when they see it.

Dana runs it, and does a great job with it, whatever she allows or disallows is just fine with me.

Well said!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I personally don't want to get caught up in a rules debate on the contest. There are no prizes, nothing to be won or gained, so in the end who cares really, it is more about seeing other peoples wonderful shots, and hopefully getting someone to say wow about one of mine when they see it.

Dana runs it, and does a great job with it, whatever she allows or disallows is just fine with me.

I'm as competative as the next guy, but lets try and keep the focus on what it should be about.

Could not have said it better, MM, so I will just repeat yours.

 

[andromedaslove]

The editing is where I have the biggest problem. There have been numerous entries lately that have been obviously edited. However, I can't prove that it has or has not been done, and I can't just go around accusing people of breaking the rules. I did that once, and it was a horrible mistake, and I felt really bad about it (dcg0317, I believe it was your flower photo). I don't want to do that again. My opinion is that if the editing changes the actual picture, adds brighter color where it wasn't, deepens colors that weren't as deep as preferred, removes things or adds things that weren't there to begin with then it is edited too much for my contest. If you enter a photo that doesn't look like the original one, then it is edited, regardless of what you had to do to get it there. Everyone says that RAW photos HAVE to be edited, and since I am ignorant when it comes to RAW I can't really argue. However, I can tell you that it doesn't make sense to me that RAW would give you the right to change so much of the photo from the picture the camera actually took. I just don't get it. That's why I use the term "minimal editing". I don't know what else to do. It is a shame though.

Dana

 

[boBQuincy]

And as always, thanks for running this contest, Dana!!!
With 73 entries you must be doing something right!

 

[CheshireVal]

The editing is where I have the biggest problem. There have been numerous entries lately that have been obviously edited.

I've noticed this too. They look like fantastic pictures, but it's kind of obvious that a lot of work was done to get them to look that way.

But, like you said, there's really not much you can do without flat out accusing people, which is way more trouble than it's probably worth.

 

[steery1]

I personally don't want to get caught up in a rules debate on the contest

. I dont think anyone does.

There are no prizes, nothing to be won or gained, so in the end who cares really,

I care. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who "cares". Sure theres no prizes but I'd really like to win one of these. Thats why I enter it - its a competition. I love it when people vote for one of my efforts. Its a great feeling

it is more about seeing other peoples wonderful shots, and hopefully getting someone to say wow about one of mine when they see it.

I also love seeing everyones beautiful shots. But I can see everyones wonderful shots on numerous threads. This one is a competition - its different.

Dana runs it, and does a great job with it, whatever she allows or disallows is just fine with me.

Me too

I'm as competative as the next guy, but lets try and keep the focus on what it should be about

Yes indeed there is that element for me too.But also it is entering my best shot to share with everyone to try to win. Maybe I've missed something. I thought thats what we all were doing.

I shoot raw and process everything with Lightroom. I don't have a shot that does not have some sort of adjustments to brightness, contrast, saturation, vibrance, or sharpness, etc made. If a rule was made that brightness and sharpness are allowed but vibrance/saturation is not, then I would be disqualified from every single contest

.I'm pretty much in the same boat. Ive recently (almost) finished converting RAW files from my DWO trip and was looking forward to posting them up in the weekly competitions. I dont know if they are allowed now?

 

[MICKEY88]

Besides, everyone knows that every time you over photoshop a photo, a fairy dies. Do any of us really want that on our conscience?

that's why I choose to PAint SHop Pro my photos.. I have no trouble sleeping at night, knowing I never kill fairies

 

[steery1]

Besides, everyone knows that every time you over photoshop a photo, a fairy dies. Do any of us really want that on our conscience?

Oh no. I must be responsible for quite a few. I'll not sleep tonight.

 

[ukcatfan]

Everyone says that RAW photos HAVE to be edited, and since I am ignorant when it comes to RAW I can't really argue. However, I can tell you that it doesn't make sense to me that RAW would give you the right to change so much of the photo from the picture the camera actually took. I just don't get it. That's why I use the term "minimal editing". I don't know what else to do. It is a shame though.

Let me see if I can help you with the RAW thing. Basically, every digital camera takes RAW images. Most cameras take that RAW data and run it through a processing program in camera, spit out a JPG, and then discard the RAW data. When you adjust things like sharpness, saturation, WB, contrast, etc. in the camer's menu, you are essentially adjusting how the RAW processing program will deal with the data it receives. So technically everyone is RAW processing even if they do not know it. Why the RAW file users say that it would not be fair is that they were not given the chance to make those basic adjustments and without any of it the images would look sort of dull and lifeless. I can see where having control after the fact is sort of an unfair advantage to RAW users, but dot being able to do it is a huge disadvantage. For the contest I think it should be down to the basics though like contrast, sharpness, saturation, etc. I do not think it would be fair to bump the exposure a bunch, mess with curves, etc. We are going to have to rely on the honesty of the users on this though as it is almost impossible to tell when the RAW file has been processed a bunch. I now have a RAW capable camera, but I do not think I have entered a shot from it yet b/c two weeks ago was its first real trip to WDW.

Kevin