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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> DPC genre bias (?)
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12/10/2017 03:43:17 PM · #1
Hi all - 12 years here and Im not trolling with this. I know our ranks include many commercial and stock photogs, but was wondering if Im the only person that has experienced a strong bias in scoring against the STREET and CANDID genres. Even within Street, Ive seen a bias against NYC in particular, which is understandable in our divided US society right now (the cold civil war and all that). My guess is that this isn't a political thing but an attitude from those with big budgets and studios that somehow Street and Candid are accidental or in other ways inferior as genres. I too fall into a personal bias against the EXPLOITIVE sub-genres (e.g. candids of homeless street people). Your thoughts?
12/10/2017 04:41:55 PM · #2
I don't know if the bias exists within DPC voting ranks, but I can say I'm not a part of it if it does. I'm more inclined to be biased against shiny-gleamy-perfect product shots than anything else, because I tend to want to see an image with a little soul. That said, I actually DO have a minor personal bias against certain street shots that don't seem sincere, if that's the right word, and against street shots where you see only backs, not faces...
12/10/2017 06:33:41 PM · #3
I am a wildlife and sports photographer and like Robert I am biased against the studio shots. Part of the reason is I feel if you have complete control over everything the photo should be perfect. For that reason I tend to score them harder than other genre of photography. I also am not a fan of street photography that shows homeless people, those types of photographs I feel take advantage of the poor for a photograph (they tend to get a low score from me). Other than those types of shots I love street photography and do a bit of it myself.

But I do feel that the studio shooters are also biased towards other types of photography because of a comment I got during a challenge about how I could have done more in camera to control the exposure. The photograph in question was takin in some of the most difficult lighting conditions I have ever faced while trying to photograph a wild animal, if it wasn't for the amazing action I wouldn't have pulled out my camera it was that bad.
12/10/2017 06:42:40 PM · #4
I don't get too excited about genre classification, but it is true that the majority of peeps prefer stuff to be clear and recognizable and kind of pretty. not just here at dpc. but fortunately there are people like bearman and oldbimcop who want a little more. Thing is, its nice to hit all spots, and this is where composition composition composition comes into play - the kind of pretty that is not the attribute of the thing portrayed, but of the portrayal of the thing.

12/10/2017 06:51:40 PM · #5
I think everyone's looking at it a little more negatively than it warrants.

I don't think it's a bias against -- I think it's just that people know (and usually like) their own types of photography better. When I first started, I had no use for abstracts, and no interest in them. Blurry messes looked like blurry messes. I didn't know what to look for, so it was hard to appreciate it. Indoor photography and set up shots were static and uninteresting.

But now that I've played with and experienced more, I judge abstracts against the abstracts that I appreciate and like and take a deeper look. Studio shots are much more interesting because I continuously amazed at the control that people have over the lighting they use.

I appreciate the wildlife shots because of the patience and timing involved -- you cant just use a camera with impressive frames per second and get the National Geographic quality shots.

If you find an expert in everything -- then perhaps they have a bias -- but most likely it's that they have a greater knowledge and appreciation for the things they adore.

12/10/2017 07:27:17 PM · #6
The crowd here is hard to please, so please yourself. I don't think folks are biased at will, it's just a matter of taste, exposure to different genres and possibly location. For one who has always lived in a small rural town, it's hard to imagine the streets of a big city. For those who don't frequent museums, the standard is different than for those who do. Some people learn by seeing, some by doing. For me, I'm happy that of the street photos I post, the ones I am most proud of are generally picked up on by the select few with similar taste. I've grown to laugh at the comments that tell me my photo would be much better without the annoying shadows or wonder why I didn't wait for a person to be in a better position. Ha!
12/10/2017 07:39:03 PM · #7
I can't tell what the bias is because there's a Gaussian blur on it.
12/10/2017 10:24:25 PM · #8
Originally posted by posthumous:

I can't tell what the bias is because there's a Gaussian blur on it.


LOL, with a large radius!
Surely all of us have our personal preferences. Shots that fall outside of our "zone" may not get the appreciation they may deserve. I don't know if that really constitutes a bias, per se.
12/11/2017 01:11:31 AM · #9
Originally posted by kirbic:

[quote=posthumous] I can't tell what the bias is because there's a Gaussian blur on it.


LOL, with a large radius!
Surely all of us have our personal preferences. Shots that fall outside of our "zone" may not get the appreciation they may deserve. I don't know if that really constitutes a bias, per se. [

Good point agree with you.
12/11/2017 03:05:21 PM · #10
Originally posted by oldbimmercoupe:

Hi all - 12 years here and Im not trolling with this. I know our ranks include many commercial and stock photogs, but was wondering if Im the only person that has experienced a strong bias in scoring against the STREET and CANDID genres. Even within Street, Ive seen a bias against NYC in particular, which is understandable in our divided US society right now (the cold civil war and all that). My guess is that this isn't a political thing but an attitude from those with big budgets and studios that somehow Street and Candid are accidental or in other ways inferior as genres. I too fall into a personal bias against the EXPLOITIVE sub-genres (e.g. candids of homeless street people). Your thoughts?


Funny, I've found the opposite. When ever I enter a studio shot I know for a fact it gets dinged by people. I usually chalk it up to the fact that maybe they don't own strobes or are afraid of trying to shoot with artificial light so they say they prefer natural lighting or natural/candid conditions. Whatever the case may be, I can guarantee you that if I could get away with PS'ing a street scene on the b/g of some of my shots they would score higher.
12/19/2017 10:53:41 AM · #11
My rose-colored glasses have pretty much always been firmly in place here. There was a lot I simply did not have much familiarity with in photography that I became exposed to as I spent time here viewing, voting, shooting, and reading what folks had to say about this or that.

I learned old school techniques, experimented with new and different ideas, PP, and composition. There are certain types and styles of photography that I find more visually pleasing than others, but by and large I find DPC a wonderful melange of differences.

As to what others vote up, down, or how their comments are represented in a negative fashion, it usually seems to me to be more of a reflection of their own personal tastes, which doesn't much influence me at all.

This post and a buck will get you a cup of coffee......
12/22/2017 01:39:37 AM · #12
Not sure that the “bias” would have any baring due to the fact of being an “international “ site. Personally I find New York shots interesting - simply because I am not from there. But then again - they would have to be a little different if they were shot in Sydney or Newcastle. Just personal preference.
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