PHOTO THEME project

[delee36]

What do you guys think of this?

First theme inspired by bugman:


THEME:
Around your Hometown.

Take up to 3 pictures that show either the "character" of your hometown or express what your hometown means to you.

[RoadrashPaul]

I like it.... what is the prize though??? Since this is your baby now what kind of prize are you giving out Also can we photoshop or not?

[Sneezy Beltran]

I like it as well, but have also been wondering what we could do for prizes.

I'd be willing to ante up if others are.

IMHO PS should certainly be allowed since that's how most people process.

[RoadrashPaul]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Sneezy Beltran &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I like it as well, but have also been wondering what we could do for prizes.

I'd be willing to ante up if others are.

IMHO PS should certainly be allowed since that's how most people process.</td></tr></table>

Don't take this wrong but some of us (very much including me) are not as good with photoshop and don't know how to do a lot of the things such as hdr's and cutting out backgrounds and replacing them with others etc. I am working on learning them but I am not there yet. I can throw up something I think is pretty cool but if you drop a 7 shot hdr that is F-ing awesome..... there would be no contest. What you think???

[Sneezy Beltran]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by RoadrashPaul &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Don't take this wrong but some of us (very much including me) are not as good with photoshop and don't know how to do a lot of the things such as hdr's and cutting out backgrounds and replacing them with others etc. I am working on learning them but I am not there yet. I can throw up something I think is pretty cool but if you drop a 7 shot hdr that is F-ing awesome..... there would be no contest. What you think???</td></tr></table>

Fair enough, then let's just say minor sharpening/exposure/color correction adjustments only, stuff you can do in almost any program.

No layer masks, HDR's, composites, etc....

[jb882]

Am i wrong in thinking that this would be more of a project then a contest? Something where the theme would be put up and we could all take pics to not only post them and get some C&C but also to help us all grow as photographers?

" I think is pretty cool but if you drop a 7 shot hdr that is F-ing awesome..... there would be no contest. What you think???"
Personally i dont think that is 100% true at all. If this were a "contest" and someone posted a hdr for instance that was all photoshopped up to the max but was nothing more then a camra phone style snapshot and someone else posts a well composed shot that isnt even cropped but that has feeling and tells a story id think that the well composed pic would win over a techincal marvel, i have done other photo contests where this is the case just about every time.

[bugman]

i like the contest but we have nothing to give.i like to post mine just to see what everybody thinks.it wont bother me if somebody told me to do this or to try this cause i still learn each day and its all ways different.to my eye it may look good but to yours it may not.the thing i like the most is how it changes every few mins,when your out shooting.

[mikeSF]

I'll toss in my 2 centavos worth. Im all photo forums the subject of PS always comes up as it is a popular program to edit photos. As mentioned though there are soooo many different levels of ability that we, in another forum, decided to have three categories. the first was just basic. One can download the photo to see it but the only adjustment was to reduce the pixel size for downloading so what you shot was what you got. One category was HDRs and another was all you could do with just one photo. We did one category for a month or so. Also we showed two photos in the layout. The original and the finished product in the catgegories we could make adjustments. That seemed to be a big help for some to see how photos can be adjusted using PS or Elements or other programs.
Mike

[mikeSF]

Another thought. instead of a prize how about just a simple contest for each theme and all those who participated can vote for the best photo posted but cant vote on their own. The winner gets their pic as a photo of the month with all the information.

[pickupman66]

I sharpen and gently touch each of my photos with gimp or Photoshop. I like the allowance of that. But nothing that Cabot be acomolished for free by most available photo programs. Also just one photo should be good. Otherwise way too many photos to choose from.

Also this is a great board. Maybe we could find sponsors from some of the advertisers and let them assist in the judging.

[JohnM]

I have PS but in all honestly haven't taken the time to use it on one shot.

I like your ideas of the before and after for those that know how and are willing to share how too.

I also like the photo of the month idea. This board is for learning, most of us are blessed and a "prize" really isn't going to add much. My prize would be motivating me to learn how to use what I have. My two cents worth.

[Angry]

As I posted on the "our town thread ", I think its a great idea & a different theme each month.

nothing too great prize wize....freight to Aussie is too dear

How about minimal PS colour change/sharpening only.

So its not donw to just onw pic , how about 6 shots of your town ??

Count me in, allowing its miserable winter down here & we dont have snow here to make it "intery",, I 'll give it my best shot.

[bugman]

i have PS but i dont know anything about it.i just got elements 9 last night and it seems fun if i could learn the basic.wife told me to get the other with my discount but i said i would never use half of it.ok so lets keep it simple,if you take a picture and fix it up.why not put both up and then tell us what you did to it.we all could vote on it then the winner have there picture pinned at the top for a month.

[delee36]

Prizes???
Damn fisherman! always has to be something to win!
How about the prize is just the fun of doing it, the challenge, and the knowledge you might gain...etc! That was my plan for prizes.

can we photoshop...sure...but I think we should post what we did to the pics in photoshop or other program. If you make changes, either post a before and after or explain what you did.

because there are so many different skill levels, different equip ( my camera is a crap little point and shoot) and those sort of variables...I think this should not be about the best picture...not really a contest like that...but maybe more about learning a little from each other and seeing how each interprets the "theme"....
For instnace...Sgt93 has taken a few really nice pics with his cell phone. Maybe the quality was not the same as if they were taken with a DSLR...but the "point" of the pictures came across in the pictures. The pictures "said" what he wanted them to say...so to me those pictures are "winners".

Oh Darn...is that too "artsy fartsy"?

[RoadrashPaul]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by delee36 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Prizes???
Damn fisherman! always has to be something to win!
How about the prize is just the fun of doing it, the challenge, and the knowledge you might gain...etc! That was my plan for prizes.

can we photoshop...sure...but I think we should post what we did to the pics in photoshop or other program. If you make changes, either post a before and after or explain what you did.

because there are so many different skill levels, different equip ( my camera is a crap little point and shoot) and those sort of variables...I think this should not be about the best picture...not really a contest like that...but maybe more about learning a little from each other and seeing how each interprets the "theme"....
For instnace...Sgt93 has taken a few really nice pics with his cell phone. Maybe the quality was not the same as if they were taken with a DSLR...but the "point" of the pictures came across in the pictures. The pictures "said" what he wanted them to say...so to me those pictures are "winners".

Oh Darn...is that too "artsy fartsy"?</td></tr></table>


Actually the more I thought about it last night, I think it should just be a learning tool for everyone. I will agree that if you want to ps everything then go ahead. We can all vote but you can't vote for your own pic. Winner gets his pinned at the top and bragging rights for the month (gotta be something to win ) What you think?

[pickupman66]

Im good with Bragging rights.. heck just to say you are a winner is good many times!

[Bsktball55]

Well hell lets get some pictures up here then. Enough talk, lets post something to look at.

[delee36]

EXAMPLE:



this was taken with my $80 point and shoot. It will never be the quality of a really good camera, but...if we were doing a theme of what we love about fishing...I would post this. While the quality is not there in comparison to better cameras, I still like the pic and it "says" what I wanted it to say...

[RoadrashPaul]

Lets do it.. when do we start and when does it end???


BTW.....Very nice pic ^^^^^^

[TightLip]

Is someone going to create a poll for each photo for the voting? There needs to be a deadline to post photos and a deadline to vote