Fortnightly Competition - Do we want it?

To quote Tony (Tozza27) “some lovely photos if a rather limited entry” seems to be the trend for the Fortnightly Competition.

Maybe it’s just me but I found it disheartening to have so few images to look at. It may be more work when, on the very odd occasion, I’ve judged the weekly competition. However it is far more rewarding.

I know this has been talked about before but maybe we should look at why so few people enter and try to find a remedy, or do we just knock it on the head?

I do like the concept of the fortnightly competition, having to take the image after the theme has been set, it’s something specific rather than just shooting what you find and making it fit. However I think it was John Riley, who said he did not enter because he has to balance his time with other commitments, so was pushed to go out in that way.

Question – Would it help if it was extended to run for 4 weeks or a calendar month?

I’ve seen other people comment that it’s hard to enter compared to the “Weekly” as you have to use a hosting site. I was not around, but gather the Weekly started in the same way and part of the thinking in starting the fortnightly was to recreate the feel of the original before it moved to the current system.

Question – Could the system of uploading be improved?


Anyone got any more thought?

what's involved?

getting out and taking a pic on a particular subject? If we are interested in photography rather than "topics" or "subjects" then perhaps more lateral allowance for the subject will encourage people. The subject is just a stimulus.

resizing: a key skill in digital photography, difficulty: easy, software is free and every basic editor can do it, picasa, PSE, PS, gimp, fastone, photoscape, irfanview etc etc ... I'll be happy to give up a PDF with how to resize using all of the above if it will help.

Perhaps the site will allow a couple of PDF downloads (from member pages?) with the required skill tutorials.

hosting: difficulty:easy to moderate, at the simplest level, get a photobox account, know how to find your resized pic on your hdd, and upload it, click the IMG link and paste in the forum. This is no harder than getting a forum id, and knowing where your image is and clicking on upload to the weekly comp. Maybe someone could knock out a tutorial for this, one for photobox, one for flikr?

I can see no substantive overhead for the fortnightly apart from motivation and opportunity. I entered with a 10 minute stop on the way home, probably 10 more mins editing etc ...

You couldn't have got much more inclusive than tree? Maybe we need to ask the people who nearly entered? Or those who discounted entering for other reasons. Indolence and lack of imagination excepted.

I usually enter both the weekly and fortnightly competitions.

Guilty of indolence and lack of motivation this time, but due to personal circumstances, not the competition theme.

On the whole, as a relative newcomer to dslr photography, I prefer being set a challenge to picking something from the back catalogue, but the latter is easier. I still think having to link to a photo rather than uploading it puts people off. It's easy when you have done it once, but why put any barriers in place to entry?

Perhaps the fortnightly competition could concentrate on techniques rather than subject? Tutorials from experienced members would certainly be welcome.

For me, finding the fortnightly competition (or rather working out which was the current one) wasn't easy. I feel putting it in same 'Competitions' place as the weekly one would help. The hosting is another one, not difficult (for me), but I appreciate it may not easy for others.

As to fortnightly (or otherwise), a longer period would help those who shoot film (and three-weekly doesn't really work). Maybe a monthly competition with each member limited to two/three shots)?

Weekly, take a pic, transfer to PC, edit, resize, upload, titles, done.

Fortnightly: take a pic, trsansfer to PC, edit, resize, upload, COPY LINK, PASTE LINK, titles, done.

Its one small extra step for weekly entrants (hover and click the IMG, then paste), a giant leap to be unkind.


Techniques: Puma's great thread about grunge is an example and perhaps there is a way forward for exploring techniques.

Would something like this help?
[IMG]http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx49/df8/832b9548.jpg[/IMG]

Agreed about Puma's Grunge thread. Something like that could be the basis for some of the subjects. A short how to and then have a go.

Is there any reason why the gallery cannot host the fortnightly entries as well as the weekly? There's already a link, "Add a competition" so I cannot see it would require any extra work for anyone save updating the already misleading rules.

My suggestion would be to continue to run competitions starting a fortnight apart, but allow four weeks for entries. One would be subject based as per now, and the other a technique comp. Each would start two weeks apart but run for four weeks so there would always be two of these running concurrently. This would allow more time for taking shots or doing PP so may help in attracting more entries.

With that tree comp for instance, if the weather hadn't been right last Monday, I wouldn't have found any other day recently where the lighting was right to take something worthwhile. It could have been I had other commitments that day and couldn't have made use of the opportunity that day so I wouldn't have had an entry either.

Another suggestion is to operate the rule as it is currently actually written in that photos taken in the previous fortnight are also eligible. I've had to go and do retakes already where I had a suitable photo taken a couple of days before the comp was announced but often the retakes are not as good as the originals, eg subject matter has disappeared, flowers have faded, got waterlogged or the light is just wrong.

John

Only that people didn't want to do it. The facility is already there to be used.

I wonder why? Perhaps if it was new at the time and the current way was working there was no need to change. I'm happy either way but feel some would find using the site facilities much easier.

Re johnha's suggestion above that maybe a monthly competition with each member limited to two/three shots)? Perhaps there is scope for allowing multiple entries on occasion if not regularly. A theme could be set which requires a series of several photos that together tell a story, for instance.

John

However you interperate the wording, the spirit of the rule is that the entry should be taken during the time the competition runs. I believe it was made to stop people using stock images and focus on the set theme.

Can you elaborate on why John?

Could we ask those who do not enter what might be done differently to encourage them to do so; or is there just a lack of interest or lack of time?

I'm sure if JohnR offered a K-5 as a prize each time there would be a huge rush to enter But really, what else might encourage others to enter?

John

I have to agree with you John and unfortunately disagree with dougf8. The fact that entries have to be hot linked to the forum puts me off. I also think that having to use an image taken after the comp is set is a limiting factor. You may recall a few weeks ago I set a Weekly Competition which I didn't think was restrictive, but got lambasted by some for insisting on shots taken with manual focus lenses. This in a competition which allows shots taken at any time, even 40 years ago!

I don't think we can underestimate just how busy many people are (me included) - it's hard enough to find the time to do the hobby justice.

Remove as many barriers as possible and magically more people will enter.

Regards
David

It's been suggested many times, but nobody has wanted to take it up. It's much easier to use the Gallery than the Forum for competitions and uploading images but there seems to have been a reluctance to do so. Not from everyone of course, but from some.

Personally. I would use the Gallery as there's no messing about with web hosting.

Barrie, apologies for not entering. I haven't entered many comps on here but recently decided to make more of an effort.

I knew the shot I wanted. It was a tree in a poppy field or a rapeseed field. Took scenic routes to and from Seahouses on Sunday, and then to and from Corbridge on Monday. Unfortunately, I didn't find the shot I was looking for.

I will try to enter more comps going forward, and I'm quite happy using a hosting site.

As the person who initiated the discussion that led to the Fortnightly being set up, I do feel a little guilty as each two weeks pass and I don't enter. My problem is that I have taken on another monthly theme-led shooting project over the past couple of years, which is enough for me to be going on with.

The main rational for the people who were active in setting up the fortnightly was because the weekly had recently shifted to the gallery and it had lost some of its character. For one, more entries in the old weekly comp were shot with that week's theme in mind. When the fortnightly was initiated it was decided to keep it in the Forum, instead of the Gallery, as people preferred the old format. Given that almost all the old guard have now moved on, I think it would probably make sense now to move the fortnightly to the Gallery section.

I do think it would be a shame if the fortnightly was to lapse. I think it is a good exercise to shoot to a theme. For me the concept remains sound - it's just that I've taken on a slightly more intensive task along these lines elsewhere now, which limits the attention I pay to PUF (going through my archive for the weekly is otoh usually straightforward).