RE: 📷 Steemit Photo Challenge #14 - Winners! - Guest Judge @dek
Dear Everyone:
I see now that these picks have caused some controversy, and I understand why. Please let me explain.
During this weekend and last night in particular, I was not able to follow along with the entries like I normally do, due to being really sick... Even the layouts and formatting this weekend were not done well, and I take responsibility for it and apologise for the lapse in judgment here which does not live up to the usual standard of the SPC. However, I do like to give my judges as much autonomy as possible, because the main point of using guest judges is so that my biases don't win every week.
I'd like to maintain a high level of quality for the SPC, and I don't want my being sick to seem like an excuse for shoddiness. So I apologise to the entries that deserve to be up there, but aren't. It is also not the fault of @dek, because I wasn't in the frame of mind to debate on the picks this weekend.
I hope that you understand and accept the apology, as we move on from this one.
If the winners would like to forfeit their prize and choose other entries in light of all of this, I would be happy to facilitate at this point.
Let's see what we can do with the theme next weekend.
Thanks for reading, for the feedback, and thanks for submitting each week.
Whoa! I didn't expect so many negative comments. Let me explain!
After looking at each photo submitted for the Steemit Photo Challenge, I selected only those, which I consider of acceptable quality (nothing blurry, crooked, etc.) - and believe me when I say that there are A LOT of photos for this popular challenge and reviewing each separate submission, by every author, takes hours.
I ended up with a selection of (technically good) photos, which had green leaves, brown leaves, red leaves, people's faces in leaves, feet in leaves , dogs running in leaves, kids throwing leaves up, friends laughing among leaves, houses covered in autumn foliage, autumn panoramas, where leaves were as big as a pixel, and so on, and so on.
So, the topic of the competition was perceived differently and subjectively by everyone, which is a very good thing - we are in search of diverse and original art work. As a photographer myself, I also favor certain styles of photography and therefore my opinion is subjective as well - that's the purpose of inviting guest judges. If you've followed me or Steemit's Photo Challenge, you will be very much aware of my style, as I've already had the privilege of winning a first and a second place in this cool competition.
As a street photographer, I would certainly favor any photos with autumn foliage, which had a subject in them, something to create a feeling of movement, of expectancy. It could've been a hand dropping a red leaf, a macro shot of a bug on a yellow leaf, or even a lovely autumn scenery of people in the distance (like the photo, which won second place). Foliage was the canvas on which you had to draw on!
I really didn't expect people to be disgruntled that a photo with a leaf centered in the middle of the frame didn't win the competition. If this was the idea of this competition, I have obviously failed your expectations. As far as my understanding of art photography, I've selected the best photos, featuring autumn foliage, from all the submissions.
p.s. Sorting through all the photos was hard work! @jamtaylor is doing it every week, for our pleasure - he truly deserves respect for his efforts (we should also buy him a BIG beer! :D).
Not impressed with the judging this week especially when you've stated you didn't want blurry yet 70% of the photos you choose had blur
but thank you for your time and effort because there was a lot of entrants and it is in your opinion as a judge like all judges and humans we don't always agree
https://steemit.com/steemitphotchallenge/@knight-angel/steemit-photo-challenge-the-ups-and-downs
Your strong opinion signifies that you have enough photography experience to judge other photographers. Yet you are having difficulties discerning blurry photos from photos with bokeh.
so you voted my reply down how immature like burying your head in the sand
so your telling me that you choose 70 % of the photos with the Bokeh effect which in lay mans terms the Japanese word for blur or haze
seems a bit one way to me a variety would have been more effective choice, because the challenge brief did NOT say a "autumn foliage with bokeh effect and possibly if you can include a portrait while your at it"
Upvoted not in agreement but because I thought it was unfairly hidden by flagging. Carry on.
thank you for your support
@dek check better, the first prize is given to a human portrait, not autumn foliage.
I think you picked good submissions, @dek. The theme was autumn foliage, yes. But part of art (Afterall, what is photography if not an art form) is taking whatever theme you're given, and putting your own personal spin on it. Just because the theme was autumn foliage, doesn't mean it has to be STRICTLY of autumn foliage, so long as whatever submission adequately portrays the theme. Artists are supposed to think outside of the box, and nothing in art is ever just a literal interpretation.
Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
Sorry to hear your still unwell @jamtaylor. Take it easy, and I hope you're feeling better soon.
As for @condra's entries, I thought each was really strong - I voted for 2 out of 3 of them. I feel like they were well suited for the theme. Photography is an art after all, a creative art form, and rules are there to be broken, once you've understood and mastered them.
Keep it steemy everyone!
I really don't see how your photo doesn't fit the theme, so I'd like to thank you for participating!
@jamtaylor I'm sorry you're not feeling well. And for, what seems like an unfortunate controversy. As editor of a mobile street photography column, I understand the incredible work it takes to make contests possible, the time involved, and coordinating guest judges, too boot, who also volunteer their time. If you need me to relinquish my place in the contest, though I was quite happy, I'd be happier to oblige in order to facilitate an easier outcome. Just let me know. You have my continued thanks for creating and maintaining this wonderful outlet here on Steemit. I hope you feel better soon!
@dek thank you again for taking the time to be a judge.
yours so deserved to be there so loved your work when we saw it https://steemit.com/steemitphotchallenge/@knight-angel/steemit-photo-challenge-the-ups-and-downs
@knight-angel! Thank you VERY much! :D
We appreciate your response @jamtaylor thank you maybe you should of delayed the results ,hope you get well soon!
we wrote this in honour of the steemit photo challenges
https://steemit.com/steemitphotchallenge/@knight-angel/steemit-photo-challenge-the-ups-and-downs
Not impressed with the judging this week especially when you've stated you didn't want blurry yet 70% of the photos you choose had blur
but thank you for your time and effort because there was a lot of entrants and it is in your opinion as a judge like all judges and humans we don't always agree
https://steemit.com/steemitphotchallenge/@knight-angel/steemit-photo-challenge-the-ups-and-downs
I've reposted this as the guest judge @dek down voted it for my opinion yes it seem the opinion is wide spread
I downvoted your opinion, because you don't see the difference between motion blur and bokeh. Your claim of 70% blurry photos, out of 9 in total, means that 6.3 photos are blurry and 2.7 photos are not. I will continue downvoting your posts, unless you stop posting such nonsense.
Why are you being such an arse! as you can see from my original post I actually thanked you for the judging so whats your problem
Does it make you powerful with your miss-use of a down vote?
The Bokeh effect which in lay mans terms the Japanese word for blur or haze
seems a bit one way to me a variety would have been more effective choice, because the challenge brief did NOT say a "autumn foliage with bokeh effect and possibly if you can include a portrait while your at it"
So you just copy pasted your response, without reading mine, but also insulted me. I will do the same, without the insult.
I downvoted your opinion, because you don't see the difference between motion blur and bokeh. Your claim of 70% blurry photos, out of 9 in total, means that 6.3 photos are blurry and 2.7 photos are not. I will continue downvoting your posts, unless you stop posting such nonsense.
There's a certain nuance in when making a point exaggeration may prevail over accuracy to accentuate the point being made. Ergo, sarcasm. Know you've had a rough time here being a punching bag for many but I would think your skin would be thick enough to handle some sarcasm.
Anyway, in your corner as you might see from my other comments on this post. Just lighten up a little please. Easy for me to say when I'm not being personally attacked the way you are. But please for everybody's sake handle the criticism for what it is. It's people's opinions differing from yours. Sucks for those who weren't judges on this contest am I right?
Ah, but you misunderstand.
Subjectivity goes along with criticism, which is perfectly understandable - you will see many users disagreeing with my choice for this week's challenge and others accepting my decision. I'm actually grateful to be supported by the authors, who submitted the most creative and professional looking entries, which shows me that experienced photographers agree that assignments should not be accepted literally. As I've said, autumn foliage does not translate to "one thousand shots of tree leaves", but people should've used the autumn foliage as their creative canvas. And the (subjective and according to my taste) winners did.
What I don't agree with is technically incorrect opinions and bashing by disgruntled users whose photos weren't selected.
For example, @t3ran13 posted multiple times in the comments, calling me crazy and a drug addict. I've not called his entries bad or insult him in any way, but there it is - a disgruntled user, whose photos weren't selected. I should've downvoted his posts, because of the personal insults, but I haven't.
But when someone, like @knight-angel, expresses an opinion, which shows his blatant lack of any photography knowledge (is there a photographer, who can't distinguish motion blur from bokeh?), I will downvote his comment. And I will continue downvoting any comments, in this or other threads, made by users who have no photographic experience, but who, for some unknown reason, feel the urge to publish their technically flawed opinion. This adds to the confusion of many aspiring photographers, who are here to learn from the work and words of experienced photographers.
I get the feeling a lot of entries did not get judged and the quantity of entries are going up all the time. Why not extend this weeks and future challenges to cover two weeks. I for one find it difficult to get the theme shots in the time allowed. I like the challenge to go out and take new photos for the challenge but find it difficult to do anything other than crop and post in the time allowed.
No worries mate! I hope you will feel better soon! Never mind about this week issue... I was thinking my first entry was enough to become "Honourable Mentions" but I was wrong!
Will see next challenge ;)
All the best.
@webdeals
Thanks for the reply @jamtaylor. I hope you feel better soon. Continued thanks for hosting this photo challenge.
How about spider webs for this week's theme? It's kind of Halloween-y, but doesn't restrict it to areas that celebrate the holiday or keep it focused on fall (for areas where it's currently spring). "Spider webs can be found in almost every imaginable place — even underwater — and have allowed spiders to populate every continent except frigid Antarctica."
I would be happy to be a guest judge if you like the idea for spider webs as a theme @jamtaylor :)
Second that. Creepy little things.
Solid suggestion this one.