*** CTF Challenge 73 - Body Language ***

[Richard Higgs]

Hi Rod,

Personally I feel many of the entries in this body langauge challenge are simply not on topic.... Legs spread wide open in the nude would be great if the topic was "glamour"

I thinking about starting another challenge... Want your thoughts on it.

A mini-challenge with a prize to the winner. (I'll put up the prize).

I could call it say, "CTF Prize challenge".

I would invite Phil Askey, Simon or his team to be the judges.

Most important criteria; Photo must be of high photographic standard and ON TARGET.

Does it have wings?

Kind Regards
Richard Higgs
http://www.pbase.com/rhiggs1
Canon Pro1, S1IS, Kyocera Contax SL300R & Nikon CP800
“Don’t feel you have to take photos of impressive subjects….
Rather, try to take impressive photos of any subject”.

Photography is 50% photographer, 40% light and 10% equipment.

 

[rodbam]

Most important criteria; Photo must be of high photographic
standard and ON TARGET.

But I don't think any of my shots would qualify
Regards Rod

 

[Techo]

I agree with Julian,

but blade, sometimes it's hard to express a topic in a photo. This
is my hardest challenge of all.

Hope I can make something work, so far my shots for this topic suck
and thats why nothing uploaded as of yet. But I will not upload
until I feel I am on topic and the photo is creative and worthy of
an upload.

I might also sit this one out. Ever have a the image in your head, but putting it onto the screen is what's challening. Apparently no one I know would glady have their photo posted on the net, so I'll have to think up of a good pose or find some one off the street ;-) But so far there are some great photos posted in thie challenge

 

[rodbam]

But so far there are some great photos posted in thie challenge

So you have seen my shots
Regards Rod

 

[Gayle159626]

I might also sit this one out.

Unless I manage to come up with a brilliant candid shot, I'll be sitting this one out too. There's not a snowballs chance in hell I'm doing a self portrait (even fully clothed!), my one and only model has over-saturated the galleries in the past, and I'm of a mind that a brilliant candid should win this but probably won't.

I did have one in eligible, but as Rod so rightly pointed out, there wasn't a lot of body language happening there, so I've removed it.

Cheers, and good luck everyone!

Gayle

'We don't make a photograph with just a camera. We bring to the act of photography all the books we have read, the movies we have seen, the music we have heard and the people we have loved.' Ansel Adams



http://www.shot2shot.com

 

[Pickwell]

Gayle wrote:
my one and only

model has over-saturated the galleries in the past, and I'm of a
mind that a brilliant candid should win this but probably won't.

A brilliant candid shot of a familiar model would get my vote! Rich

 

[db.]

I agree: there are lots
of good pictures that
are completely off topic
in the two galleries .
There are, on the other
hand, some really lousy
fotos right on the sub-
ject. And there are,
finally, only some very,
very few good images
on target.

But then—so it seems—
whether an entry is
"on" or "off" does not
seem to be as easy to
define as one should
believe (as the some
of the posts in this
thread show as well as
the pictures in the gal-
leries).

Gayle and Julian,

I agree with both of you. Most of the pictures submitted so far
are IMHO just off target. They're close but just not there. There
are a few that are dead on topic. Mind you, some of these off
target pictures are beautiful shots that I'd be proud to call my
own.

When all is said and done it's the vote that will, as it has in the
past, show what photo's are best and on topic.

Pops

--
PBase.com/pops
'Remember, The wind is your friend.'

--
db.

 

[Paul Donovan]

Your wife's an artiiist ? ;-p

When one has lived with an artiiiiist for over 35yrs one gets used
to furthering the artiiiiists creative desires &
wants.........................I had to wash the dishes to get a
yes
Regards Rod

 

[Paul Donovan]

I agree with the comments re: body language, and some shots not being on-topic. In some respects I probably can't comment because I too have sat-out challenges that were rough. I think we are probably all thinking up some great ideas but to be successful it seems likely that you need a very 'expressive' model or a great candid capture.....

BUT i'm not giving up so easily this time, i'm going to keep thinking and maybe try a few things out..... this challenge is NOT as accessible as many of the others, but someone hit it on the head when they said they had trouble putting their ideas into pictures, surely that's what a challenge is about! I may well not end up entering anything, but I'm going to spend every spare minute trying to think of something until I run out of time!

It sounds like people are giving up, but how about giving up when the challenge ends and you haven't been able to do anything !!!

You guys have been so creative in the past, there must be something you can come up with thats on-topic!!!!

I agree with Julian,

but blade, sometimes it's hard to express a topic in a photo. This
is my hardest challenge of all.

Hope I can make something work, so far my shots for this topic suck
and thats why nothing uploaded as of yet. But I will not upload
until I feel I am on topic and the photo is creative and worthy of
an upload.

I might also sit this one out. Ever have a the image in your head,
but putting it onto the screen is what's challening. Apparently no
one I know would glady have their photo posted on the net, so I'll
have to think up of a good pose or find some one off the street ;-)
But so far there are some great photos posted in thie challenge

 

[Pops92470]

I could call it say, "CTF Prize challenge".

IMHO

You assume that Phil and his crew have the time and inclination. I'll bet they don't, especially on a volunteer basis.

As soon as a real "Prize" is involved it'll get serious. It will lose the friendly atmosphere we have now.

Who supplies the prize for challenge 2? ... Challenge 73? Are you willing to put up a prize for 50 challenges?

It'll die a quick death just like the scavenger hunts in the D300 forum.

$.02

Pops

--
PBase.com/pops
'Remember, The wind is your friend.'

 

[thefly]

Personally I feel many of the entries in this body langauge
challenge are simply not on topic.... Legs spread wide open in the
nude would be great if the topic was "glamour"

... but that sounds like body language to me.
--
Lee

~ Be the person your dog thinks you are. ~

http://www.flyfamily.org

 

[Richard Higgs]

.... If the prize was a 20D .... And even if it meant the rules stated he had to include a frame and sig

Kind Regards
Richard Higgs
http://www.pbase.com/rhiggs1
See my Profile for Camera & equipment listing
“Don’t feel you have to take photos of impressive subjects….
Rather, try to take impressive photos of any subject”.

Photography is 50% photographer, 40% light and 10% equipment.

 

[Paul Donovan]

I'm in two minds, but it does beg the question 'why'. What does a prize bring to the table that the current challenges lack? Other than the chance to 'win' something. Winning the challenges is fun (i've never actually won in terms of coming first, so i'm guessing it is) but you don't get a prize, but you do get a fun, perhaps some respect, a free way to improve your photography. Why does it need a prize?

Now, I think you are talking about an ADDITIONAL challenge, for those presumably who have time and inclination and want the prize. That does beg the question, why not? If you are prepared to put up the prize, people are prepared to enter (otherwise it'll be not much fun!) then go for it - no harm done. I don't think, as pops seemed to think, that you are suggesting a replacement for these challenges, but an additional one-off new-style challenge to see how it goes? Go for it. It can only go one of two ways. Hell, if the prize is good enough and I feel I can compete I might even enter!!!!!!!

I'm interested though - what does the prize bring to the table i.e. why would you want to do this?

Regards,

paul

I could call it say, "CTF Prize challenge".

IMHO

You assume that Phil and his crew have the time and inclination.
I'll bet they don't, especially on a volunteer basis.

As soon as a real "Prize" is involved it'll get serious. It will
lose the friendly atmosphere we have now.

Who supplies the prize for challenge 2? ... Challenge 73? Are you
willing to put up a prize for 50 challenges?

It'll die a quick death just like the scavenger hunts in the D300
forum.

$.02

Pops

--
PBase.com/pops
'Remember, The wind is your friend.'

 

[Paul Donovan]

Rod,

I think your view on this, or the way you put it, smacks of insulting voters intelligence, and sounds as if a powerful photograph is created by having a list of photographic experience up your sleeve, with a two-tier system of good photographs that the voters couldn't possibly understand the value of, and 'pretty pictures' that real photographers would not touch with a barge-pole. I don't think it is as clear-cut as that.

It is rare that a winner (particularly first place, versus 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc.) does not have a very strong photographic element, IMHO, although I do think I know which photographs you are talking about. Ones that are staged to fit the topic perfectly, but could be snapshots with little effort or photographic merit. There's definitely evidence of your argument but I think you draw too much of a distinction between winners and good photographs and that doesn't say much for the talent and creativity and genuinely strong photgraphs or their photographers that we have seen in the challenges.

It comes back to a philosophical debate about what the challenge is for. If you produce a techically perfect photo but it does nothing for the voters, then is it a great photo? I doubt it. I think it is very rare for an incredibly strong, on-topic photo, to do badly in the vote. IMHO.

Kind Regards,

Paul

Gayle and Julian,

I agree with both of you. Most of the pictures submitted so far
are IMHO just off target. They're close but just not there. There
are a few that are dead on topic. Mind you, some of these off
target pictures are beautiful shots that I'd be proud to call my
own.

When all is said and done it's the vote that will, as it has in the
past, show what photo's are best and on topic.

Relying on the voter’s expertise for the cream to rise to the top
is a forlorn hope. Quite often the top ten is weighted towards
pretty pictures, not powerful photographs that are on topic. I have
no problem with this as this is the way these challenges are
structured & we have lots of fun. To get the cream to the top we
would have to get a group of experts judging the results, not
without controversy of course. I've often thought when seeing a
very good shot with positive comments under the photo not getting
many votes that we should have a posters award for best shot. (I’m
assuming that posters may know more about photography than non
posters) as a lot of people that don't submit shots are regular
voters. I haven't suggested this as it would take some of the glory
from the popular vote winners. I bet if someone posted a nice
sunset or close up flower shot in every challenge it would get lots
more votes regardless of the topic
Regards Rod

 

[JennyR]

I'd be in, as would quite a few people I know.

There are many photo comps on the net that offer prizes, for example betterphoto.com, and they get hundreds of entries. So the idea has merit.

The question is, why not have one on the canon forum?

regards

JennyR

 

[thefly]

Having been ask to remove a picture by a host as being off topic and having another poster challenge my picture by name as off topic. I would just like to add my 2 cents. It is not fun to have either done and should not be taken lightly.

If you feel a picture is off topic you should list the picture here by name and artist and let the host decide. If you are not will to do that then just do not vote for that picture.

Also, having been a host of a challenge. It is very hard to ask someone to remove their picture.

I think this is the hardest challenge we have had. I also think that the subject can be very subjective.

Let's not forget this is only for fun.

--
Lee

~ Be the person your dog thinks you are. ~

http://www.flyfamily.org

 

[Bill Prosser]

Here are my three. Comments desired and welcomed.

HS Ballet Dancers:



.

Flying Bodies:



.

A Mime Says it All:



.

Bill

 

[rodbam]

Gday Paul

I think your view on this, or the way you put it, smacks of
insulting voters intelligence,

It has nothing to do with intelligence Paul but it has everything to do with knowledge of the art of photography. I wonder how many of the voters know the works of the great & not so great photographers past & present. Without this knowledge we're back to just "oooh I like the colour in that one" "What a cute looking kid" "What a lovely dog/cat" (which doesn't bother me as much as frames & bleeding sigs)

and sounds as if a powerful photograph is created by having a list of > photographic experience up your sleeve,

It's either that or the person has a heap of talent. Making statements about the art of photography doesn’t require the talent to take good shots, it just requires an interest in the art of photography.

with a two-tier system of good photographs that the
voters couldn't possibly understand the value of, and 'pretty
pictures' that real photographers would not touch with a
barge-pole. I don't think it is as clear-cut as that.

Nothing is ever clear cut but half of the shots in the top ten would not be seen in books on the art of photography but would find a place in the Kodak "How to do" series. Postcard Photograpy, which is where I'm at.

It is rare that a winner (particularly first place, versus 2nd,
3rd, 4th etc.) does not have a very strong photographic element,
IMHO, although I do think I know which photographs you are talking
about. Ones that are staged to fit the topic perfectly, but could
be snapshots with little effort or photographic merit.

That's right, but I wasn’t saying 1st or 2nd place etc but generalised on the top ten.

There's definitely evidence of your argument but I think you draw too > much of a distinction between winners and good photographs and that
doesn't say much for the talent and creativity and genuinely strong
photgraphs or their photographers that we have seen in the
challenges.

We have seen some fantastic shots in the challenges & some rubbish shots as well. Your statment above also doesnt say much for the talented photographers that don't even get into the top 20 or 30.

It comes back to a philosophical debate about what the challenge is
for. If you produce a techically perfect photo but it does nothing
for the voters, then is it a great photo? I doubt it.

What do you call a technically perfect photo? Ansel Adams, "Yes” Cartier Bresson "No" the art of photography has nothing to do with technically perfect photos.

I think it is very rare for an incredibly strong, on-topic photo, to do badly
in the vote. IMHO.

I agree “incredibly strong, on-topic” will always do well but as often as not will be beaten by a snapshot.

I'm not railing against these challenges I have great fun, I also don't resent the choice of the top ten otherwise I would become all bitter & twisted & I have too much fun here with nice people. I was just responding to Pops assertion that the voters will pick the best & on topic shot. Also I will add that I critique photos on what little I know about the art of photography not because I can take a better shot myself. I get the impression that some of you think that someone should put their money where their mouth is, how many art critics can actually paint? But they sure know a thing or two about the subject.

 

[rodbam]

... but that sounds like body language to me.

At my age it doesn't sound like body language it IS body language
Regards Rod

 

[Bill Prosser]

Here are my three. Comments desired and welcomed.

HS Ballet Dancers:



.

Flying Bodies:



.

A Mime Says it All:



.

Bill