Re: Time and Themes for Contests

I noticed in Earth_First's thread on how we approach contest entries that a lot of people seem to feel rushed on a contest theme. Therefore, though they would love to shoot a special, new photo for the theme, it can get impossible. Some even require certain weather conditions (storm). And, often we find perfect things for the theme............the prior month.

I'm not doing a poll now, but just wondering if anyone here would like to know the theme one month ahead of time? Just as an example, "favorite picture of 2010" could be this month, but "Shadows" could be next month. Then the winner of favorite picture of 2010 (Feb.) would help select the April Theme, but be in charge of the March contest (other than the theme).

I think one reason that the Fave 2010 is not doing well is that it is very limiting in terms of taking new photos. Yet Shadows, to me, seems in particular a theme that should not be rushed. For people that love outdoor photos and natural light photos, it depends on sunlight, and often at certain times of day.

But in general, I think it would be fun to work on two themes at the same time, for two months. I think most of us would have more of an opportunity to shoot a new photo for the theme, whether we decide to use them or not.

If anyone has any thoughts on this, please put them here. I don't want to upset the applecart or anything, but I get frustrated because I feel like I just start getting going on a theme when the photo is due. Then I find more possible entries after the deadline passes.

improvements as we go along and learn from our experience. I think a dialogue about your idea would be great - I for one think it is a very very good one for all the reasons you state.
If we make this change it's an easy one to get used to especially if we keep it all as simple as possible.

As the hostess for this month, let me go one step further than just giving you my opinion, let me help observe the responses and then if a poll becomes the answer you or I can run one about "Favorites" for Feb., "Shadows" for March, and the new host/hostess simply determines the theme for April while the March contest is going on

Onward and upward
Bigger and better

The way the contests are done should get better along with the incremental improvement already happening in our photographs.

a sticky at the top of the forum that stays that way all the time.

Then the theme for a previous month could be up for the whole month prior at the top where people will be reminded to vote.
The deadline would be the last day of the previous month.

be small, and just one at a time. The new way then needs to be integrated and tested a few months.
After that we may be ready for another change.

When you ran the contest, the activity and the reminders you generated were unprecedented in 2 1/2 years.
It gave us a much larger amount of votes, and a vibrant presence.
You did a great job.

It allows us to take advantage of current events. For me, planning ahead 2 months takes all the spontaneous fun out of it. To me, it would become a chore. Yes, I miss out on some contests because I don't have time to shoot for the theme, but I don't have to enter every contest. And we have more than enough people to fill the slots these days.

what we have done with the winner hosting and having dictatorial power over the next month? what if the host did not like that topic? are we gonna march in the square against them?

and designate that the winner of that contest will run March and the subject is "Shadows", then the new host will accept that and run a poll (or declare a unilateral theme of his/her chosing) for the April contest to come.

So the host has complete dictatorial power over the theme of the contest that is a month off and that he will not run, and everybody knows the theme for a full month and has more leisure to shoot. The interesting change will be that the host will be able to participate in the contest for which he found or chose a theme.

That may answer your question.
It changes little and gives us more time, as Celebration has pointed out.

Yes, the winner of, say, the March contest would have dictatorial power over the following--1. running the April contest (although the topic would have been already selected), and 2. selection of the topic for the May contest (but nothing else having to do with May).

It turns out that way more than half the time, I don't really have time to get out and shoot something new for the contests. Even if I have something in my archives, I'd like to be able to look for something new, even if I don't end up using it. One thing is that I am a bit too cerebral, and it takes me a bit of time just to get in contest mode. I literally have to spend time getting my brain to be in sync with the subject. That makes me a bit of a trainee I suppose. And then there are some subjects that are helped by certain kinds of weather, or light. Another issue is that some people that run contests don't really get around to selecting a subject until the middle of the month, and there is no turn around time at all. This kind of has the result of making me lazier about photography than I would want to be. I would like to use the contests to help motivate myself. I do that with the seasonal contests only because there is plenty of time to prepare. With the rest, I just say, screw it, I don't have time to even think about what to do, much less shoot it, I'll just pick something from the archives. Invariably after the contest runs I get good ideas. Frustrating!

myself and get ideas. So even if it is after the contest is over it still has done the job for me.

I think it would get confusing to layer them. We have enough of a time getting new victims over here to learn when 1 contest is being started. :)

I doubt there is a solution that will please everyone. That's the way it goes. So for me, it really doesn't matter. Tell me a theme and I'll try to provide a pleasing entry. Sometimes I'm more successful than others. When I've won I've tried to do polls far enough in advance of the submission thread to give people a chance to shoot. But it doesn't bother me if someone does something different and dictates a theme. Sometimes I really don't even like the theme but I consider it a challenge and it pushes me and makes me be creative.

Sometimes I get the chance to shoot something new. Sometimes I have to go in my archives. I almost always have to do that for some of the seasonal contests since I have to rely on photos I took where there are actual seasons.

And I always find betters entries after I have submitted something. Again, that's just the way it works.

Just my 2 cents. :hi:

The winner could take a lot less time picking the subject after the contest is over. I have more concern the times when the entry thread goes up within a few days of getting the subject. It just seems to be happening quite a bit lately. I can keep going to my archives of course, but it just feels lazy. One solution that would be really helpful is to try to legislate the winner picking the topic within three to five days after the end of the contest, or maybe sooner. Then I say start the entry thread no sooner than ten days after that. As far as I am concerned the actual voting in the contest takes too long. The voting results usually don't change after the third day of the poll going up. What I am saying is that we could compress the topic selection time, and compress the entry thread time somewhat, compress the voting time, so that there is more time in the middle of the month to get new photos. This month shouldn't be a problem, because we pretty much know the topic now and it is the beginning of the month. One month we got the topic one day, and the entry thread started the next day. Two weeks would probably be enough time to shoot new photos--for most things except a topic like storms.

Everybody tries to be very solicitous about selecting a topic, and getting suggestions, and have long lasting polls. But that all takes time away from getting new photos. I care a lot less about what the topic is than I care about having time to think about it and try to figure out what to do with it.

I do have to say that I enjoy the seasonal contests more than the others just because I know they are coming.

on the theme, that is true. Even if I'm going through my archives a few days notice is good to find the photo make cropping and formatting adjustments.

I like the idea of having the GD threads go from Friday - Monday morning so people who only check in on weekends have a chance to vote.

I guess I'll start looking for some shadows!