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10/02/2009 04:40:24 PM · #1 |
Questions in the free study thread have made me start thinking about my voting patterns. I realize that, in the past, I have held the free study photos to a higher standard, and voted accordingly. I thought that it was basically a "best of the month" contest, and expected the quality to be higher. I'm trying to change that mind set.
This thread isn't to convince anyone of anything when it comes to voting. I'm simply curious to know:
Do you vote differently on the free studies vs the regular weekly challenges? |
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10/02/2009 04:49:00 PM · #2 |
| My voting insight of the week is that alot of people use what is essentially a 6 point scale, and don't vote lower than a 4, no matter what the image is. I think this is because people feel obligated to comment if they do, and don't want to take the time. |
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10/02/2009 04:51:47 PM · #3 |
| I don't treat a Free Study any different. I don't view it as a best of the month as much as a anything goes. So no DNMCs :) |
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10/02/2009 04:52:19 PM · #4 |
You already know how I do it, but since you started a special thread on the topic...
I vote the entries on their own merits.
Reason: I am primarily competing against my own past performance and would prefer to be able to measure my own entries against each other so that a 6+ represents the same level of performance and appeal across the board. FS average vote cast are usually a fair amount higher for me. |
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10/02/2009 04:54:09 PM · #5 |
| True for me. Has to be really bad to get less than a 4 from me. And I invariably end up leaving comments that suggest how to turn a 9 into a 10, rather than a 4 into a 5. But I've come to the conclusion that the standard in the free study may average out lower than other challenges. The best are still great, but there are lots of 5s to drag down the average. |
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10/02/2009 04:57:51 PM · #6 |
I usually reserve votes of 1,2,3 for images that don't meet the challenge (depending how bad the image is and off the mark they are on the challenge). Since its a free study? I rarely if ever give anything less than a four. I would think that most people would vote that way but I'm probably wrong.
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10/02/2009 04:59:43 PM · #7 |
| I think that unless you are trying to change the outcome of a challenge ( something that probably requires several people) , I think you are ok to vote anyway you want. The most important thing is have fun. |
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10/02/2009 04:59:45 PM · #8 |
Free studies are a different animal since there is no possibility for a DNMC, as there is for a themed challenge.
Entries in the regular challenges can get bumped or lowered based on how well they meet the challenge. The Free Study does not have that element to it.
So, I think naturally the voters are looking more at the photographic, be it technical and/or artistic, merits of the entry.
Having only this as a measure for a given image will tend to be more dependent on the tastes and interpretations of the voter, leading to a wider standard deviation of votes. Because of this, there will be a general lowering of score for those who usually score in the 6s and 7s, and should raise the scores of those who score in the 4s and 5s.
Of course, there is always the "WOW" factor that is necessary for higher scoring pictures on DPC in general, since most images get probably 5 seconds or less consideration per vote. That is more of a factor in a Free Study than in a normal challenge.
All of this, of course, is just MHO.
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10/02/2009 05:00:36 PM · #9 |
I used to play it as an "anti-DPC" challenge when I voted them. That is, I would vote your typical DPC fare (land/seascapes, flawless stock, water drops, typical pretty portraiture, etc) lower than usual, and I would vote stuff that wasn't very DPC typical higher. Just to rock the boat a bit.
But then, I only voted on the Free Studies I wasn't commenting on, and I wasn't voting ANY challenge a lot in the last few months either, so it's all moot. Now, I'm only a gray-shirt, so no voting this time either.
However, that's how I'd still vote it if I could. |
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10/02/2009 05:01:06 PM · #10 |
I see it as a best of the month.
11th hour entries deserve to get spanked.......8>)
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10/02/2009 05:13:30 PM · #11 |
I'm very generous in Free Studies. I like voting them.
Message edited by author 2009-10-02 17:32:08. |
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10/02/2009 05:14:47 PM · #12 |
| I would think your freestudy entry would be the best thing you shot that month, and an attempt to showcase a piece that didn't fall into any of the challenges, but at the same time, I guess it would be cool to see some challenge entries without the limitations of what the editing rules were for it (but obviously not the same exposure) |
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10/02/2009 05:18:34 PM · #13 |
Interesting question! I'm not someone who goes overboard on DNMC, I tend to score on the basis of what I like and a DNMC doesn't preclude a decent mark from me if the picture is good enough.
I tend to score for 'crafted-ness' and especially so for a Free Study - people have the choice to offer anything so I am interested in the choices they make. The ones that I score low (and I most definitely use the full scale; my given average might look harsh to some) are the ones that seem to be uncrafted -just offered up with what seems to me to be little care or vision.
But here's the rub - last month I started going through the Free Study images picking out the less conventional and offering longer comments; that has changed my voting pattern. I now ALWAYS ask myself, what were they trying to say and given that the photographer had a choice of anything - they entered this... why? Those thoughts lead to all sorts of comments, perhaps I have a tendency to read too much into the images but better that than to read too little.
I self-Dq'd this month, I stuck up the wrong (but still very legal) edit of my image - it was doing well but I wasn't happy with it. I should be a bit fed up - it's the first FS I've missed, but you know what, taking the time to look at stuff in a new way is making the FS hugely enjoyable nonetheless.
Why not give it a go yourself, try just one; pick an image that isn't your cup of tea and write a comment, spend at least 5 minutes looking and writing - ask yourself what did the photographer see and then see how it has the potential to change your score.... give it a go, we can all spare 5 minutes can't we....?
Now, back to commenting... |
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10/02/2009 05:37:06 PM · #14 |
My vote is based on how useful these free studies are after I've downloaded them.
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10/02/2009 06:10:13 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by yanko:
My vote is based on how useful these free studies are after I've downloaded them. |
Didn't your pappy teach you "Ya gets what ya pays for, son..."?
R. |
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10/02/2009 08:40:21 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I see it as a best of the month.
11th hour entries deserve to get spanked.......8>) |
Yep. |
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10/02/2009 10:07:02 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I see it as a best of the month.
11th hour entries deserve to get spanked.......8>) |
Originally posted by glad2badad:
Yep. |
Holy smokes!
Barry & I agreed on something!!!!
Hold on, folks!
The earth's gonna counter-rotate!!!! LOL!!!
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10/02/2009 10:13:43 PM · #18 |
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10/02/2009 10:39:46 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Barry & I agreed on something!!!!
Hold on, folks!
The earth's gonna counter-rotate!!!! LOL!!! |
I'm dizzy already. What's next? Slippy being polite and diplomatic? |
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10/02/2009 10:47:45 PM · #20 |
I always vote on it as if it's a free-for-all type of contest... sort of, anything goes... My votes are based soley on my personal taste and have nothing to do with "technical" merits of the photo... I could care less if it's what an expert of even one of the know it all's would consider to be done well, if it appeals to me, I vote it accordingly....
I do go back and change votes more often in the free study for some reason.. Maybe because I want MY personal vote to count more, so if I give out 30-10's, I may go back & widdle those down to lower votes so I can pick my best of the best out of those 10's... But, I kinda have to wait & see them all after I've finished voting when they categorize them so nicely into their sections.. Same thing goes for the lower voted images.. I will go back and vote higher on some too... |
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10/03/2009 01:06:36 AM · #21 |
This month I intentionally let my emotions control my vote more than my eye for technicals. I wish I had been voting like that since the beginning. I realized this when I was voting past the images, and one of them made me laugh. It wasnt technically perfect, or the typical eye candy, so I first gave it an average vote. Then, I immediately hit the back button and realized that of all the images in the challenge, this one had a bigger impact on me, and will be much more memorable as well, so I adjusted the vote accordingly.
I just hope that I will soon grow enough confidence to let my emotions, and not my perceived or estimated score, determine my future entries as well. |
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10/03/2009 02:11:45 AM · #22 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I see it as a best of the month.
11th hour entries deserve to get spanked.......8>) |
I donno about that, sheesh... I had an entry all set to go from my Maine trip, had entered it by 9/12 or so, and then on the 30th in the afternoon an opportunity presented itself. I got the entry processed and posted by 11:45PM on the 30th. It's doing rather well. You gonna spank me now? Jejeje�
R. |
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10/03/2009 06:52:10 AM · #23 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Barry & I agreed on something!!!!
Hold on, folks!
The earth's gonna counter-rotate!!!! LOL!!! |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I'm dizzy already. What's next? Slippy being polite and diplomatic? |
I believe the planet would just crack in half. |
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10/03/2009 06:55:15 AM · #24 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I see it as a best of the month.
11th hour entries deserve to get spanked.......8>) |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I donno about that, sheesh... I had an entry all set to go from my Maine trip, had entered it by 9/12 or so, and then on the 30th in the afternoon an opportunity presented itself. I got the entry processed and posted by 11:45PM on the 30th. It's doing rather well. You gonna spank me now? Jejeje� |
Hell, yeah, if I can figure out which one it is!........8>)
You know what I mean.....I just don't think that dumping something that fit into the time parameters with little or no effort or composition is suitable for these challenges.
Just my whiny-ass opinion!......8>) |
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10/03/2009 07:31:41 AM · #25 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I see it as a best of the month.
11th hour entries deserve to get spanked.......8>) |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I donno about that, sheesh... I had an entry all set to go from my Maine trip, had entered it by 9/12 or so, and then on the 30th in the afternoon an opportunity presented itself. I got the entry processed and posted by 11:45PM on the 30th. It's doing rather well. You gonna spank me now? Jejeje� |
Hell, yeah, if I can figure out which one it is!........8>)
You know what I mean.....I just don't think that dumping something that fit into the time parameters with little or no effort or composition is suitable for these challenges.
Just my whiny-ass opinion!......8>) |
Hell you never know, that image may have been one of mine that took several hours to destroy in Photoshop.. |
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