Voting competition #1 - Cycles - The Votes

The entries of the Voting competition #1 - Cycles link
You've from now till 22 August to vote what you think is the best entry of the theme.
When voting is closed the photographer behind each photo will be revealed.

They are placed in no particular order.

#1



#2



#3



#4



#5



#6



#7



#8



ps. Sorry that I'm so late, I overslept this morning so didn't had the time to do it and I'm just home

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Stefan


K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ

Voting is closed.

Doug won with 65% of the votes.



The results
#1 Doug - dougf8 - 65%
#2 Iqbal - ReklawyksEkul - 15%
#3 techno terminator - 0%
#4 Adrian - DrOrloff - 5%
#5 Tel - Telstar - 0%
#6 Tony - 0%
#7 Gary - JForeigner - 5%
#8 i-berg - 10%


ps. I don't have everyone user name

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Stefan


K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ

I think there isn't enough interests to continue this comp, if someone disagree please say so we can still continue.

I like the idea of the voting though, maybe at the end of the year we can vote for the best photo of the year and upload the photos in the normal competition where also the weekly is held?
Maybe something to think about later.

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Stefan


K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ

Well done for organising this Stefan, it was certainly interesting! Congratulations Doug, you got my vote

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Tim
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
Flickr • Fluidr • PPG • Street • Portfolio site
Feel free to edit any of my posted photos! If I post a photo for critique, I want brutal honesty. If you don't like it, please say so and tell me why!

I agree Stefan. I thought it was a very good idea. The number of entries and number of voters is disappointing. Maybe the problem is visibility, but it's not worth carrying on for the (your) effort involved.

Congratulations Doug, got my vote too. I only entered something to support the competition so I'm over the moon 'arry with a vote.

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You can see some of my photos here if you are so inclined

I really think the problem with this is the invisibility of the images all through the entrey period - the only person getting any fun out of that is whoever is collecting the images.

The other problem is the forum software doesn't allow adding a poll after the first post is made. The phpBB3 software I use for the ADAPS forum does allow for that, and whilst this was going on we did a quick test there for a similar competition by vote.

If you want a by vote competition, as things stand at the moment I would suggest posting into either the Gallery as a competition or into the forum as before, openly as in the fortnightly version, and then creating a poll and discussion thread after the closing date. Much simpler and it might encourage more contributions.

In the gallery version, after the poll the originator would just tick the "winner" box and the option to start a new competition would automaticaqlly be passed on.

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Best regards, John

And I also voted for Doug's shot - well done matey .

This seems to me to be a dual thing. Firstly, it's a process issue, and it's laborious - for participants, voters, and probably most of all the organiser/s.

Secondly, it may be that this comp is interacting with the other two, in that they each rob the other of time, energy, attention and entries. So if we take the path of least resistance, it is predictable that people who choose to enter comps, will do so for those comps that are easiest to deal with, most fun to be a part of etc. Simply put, people will vote with their feet, but not necessarily with the polling buttons .

FWIW, I think the two longer-standing comps we already have, roughly equate to the critical mass created by those forum members who choose presently to actively participate in comps. That said, comps are not everyone's cup of tea, and that has to be respected too.

That's my ha'pence worth - off the soap box now...

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http://www.pbase.com/iberg

I voted for Gary -JForeigner's photo. The cycle of life rather than a straightforward cycle.

I was torn between that and the winner though.

One of the aims of this competition was to attract people who don't enter the other two existing comps because of the judging system. Obviously the anonymous entry idea doesn't work, but maybe a simpler system would be possible.

I like Stefan's idea of an end of year best photo of the year competition too.

I was trying to be too clever with my "cycle" - the caterpillar stage of the moth - I voted for i-Berg as the handlimg of all the reflections and the colour were brilliant ( no pun intended ) - sorry Doug - couldn`t vote for it, but very well done though !

Great idea Stefan - but on reflection probably not what we need at this moment - thanks for all your efforts though.

Tony

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K20D,*istD ( now a dedicated M42 digital ),K100D,MZ5N,P50,ME Super,Spotmatic 1000,Spotmatic,ESII,ES,H2.18-55 II,18-55,75-300 FAJ,35-80 FA,80-200 F,28-105 FA,Sigma 24-70 AF Aspherical,Sigma 28-300 Hyperzoom , Praotor II 500 M42,Centon 500mm mirror,and a few Pentax M42 Taks,super-Taks,smc Taks,A and M lenses.Benbo trekker,7dayshop monopod and a Lowepro rucksack.

I am now on Flickr which is nice !

Congratulations to Doug! Well done, sir. Got my vote - after much umming and ahhing. A worthy winner.

Initially I felt it was too literal - cycles an' all - but after careful study of the others, I had to put that view aside (because it had nothing to do with the technical merits of the photo itself). For me, the clincher was the composition: the echoed alignment of the guy's back with the wheel-rim, the positioning of his hands rummaging around in the back with the spindle of the wheel, his eyes looking at the bag, but aligning with the spindle also. Plus the containment of all the 'interest/action' within the wheel, and the lead-in lines from the exterior of the shot - the wall, and the lines on the floor - leading back towards the wheel, and the action.

#4 and #5 came very close to getting my vote - both were well-made, highly-technical photos that took some luck and skill in equal measure, but I felt that the cyclist in #4's expression was a bit lacklustre (not the photographer's fault, mind, but it still affected the shot), and the composition could've done with a better crop - to remove or include the half-cut cyclist on the right, and maybe the one on the left too. #5 was very nearly my vote - but I felt the depth of field was slightly too shallow. The background blur is ace, but the focus on the back of the seat, exhaust and rider's leg looks off, given that his shoulder and elbow are in such sharpness. But still, it is a classy shot that I would've been proud to take! Just pipped at the post by Doug's effort.

As for the competition - I disagree with John a tad. I agree that the absence of 'anything to see' for a while, means that the competition can lose visibility - but I don't agree with having the entries come in in dribs and drabs. I think one of the key differences with this competition (aside from its anonymity) is its 'all in one time and place' factor. I think that if the earliest photos are hanging around for a fortnight before people vote, and 'new' photos have arrived as late as voting day, then sadly, people (who are human after all! ) may tend to put more stead in the 'new'. The excitement/interest factor is always highest in stuff which we're not bored with - and two weeks is a long time for 'old' photos to be hanging around, and I think people may get tired of them (compared to other, newer photos). I'm sure I've felt this effect even in the weekly compos, tbh, though of couse, I've never had to judge one, so it may be different in that case, where a 'one-judge, one-compo' factor may put one under greater pressure to be scrupulously fair. But I think in an open voting poll by the anonymous general public, it's fairer to do one big 'reveal', and let them decide on first viewing of the entire lot.

I think the problem of visibility may be solved by keeping the entry-period shorter (one week instead of two), and flagging it up in other places around the forum, maybe? Yes, I know the collation and reposting requires more effort than a normal compo (and thanks Stefan for doing it for us this time) - but I think it pays dividends. I don't think we should give up yet. Out of little acorns, as they say... Who knows? This may go on to be a much better subscribed competition in due course...

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Neil
≡≡≡≡
Pentax K-x ♥ Pentax DA L 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL ♣ Pentax DA L 55-300mm f4-5.8 ED ♦ Pentax A 50mm f2.0 ♠ Pentax AF360FGZ flash ♥ Rikenon P 50mm f1.7 ♣ Vivitar CF 28mm f2.8 (K02 Komine) ♦ Tokina 80-200mm f4 ♠ Vivitar MC 2x22 Tele Converter

"Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men" - Douglas 'Tin-Legs' Bader

Thank you all for your comments and the one that entered, thank you for taking part with it. It was all experimental and we now know what work and what not.


Care to elaborate that John?


I agree with that here but I also agree with Neil.

What did the ones that entered think about the photos being submitted and then displayed all at once and did you took another approach in making an entry than with the other comps?


The problem is with such a short time that it interfere with the other two comps quite a bit, that's one reason this one was longer. I was hoping the longer comp would attract more entries since you don't need to judge the number of entries doesn't really matter.
Maybe we should do it as John suggested?

I'll leave it in Doug's hands to start a new competition in the same place as the weekly competition. About the running time, 2 weeks might indeed be better since the number of entries didn't depend on that and 1 week of voting.

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Stefan


K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ

Sure, it means that it's interesting for the person collecting the images to see what is coming in. Everybody else has no connection to it whatsoever, and hence no emotional investment in the process. If an image is sent, the sender is sending it into a black hole until it appears later, so there's no way of knowing whether or not it's a waste of time or not.

With anything that requires input, it's vitally important to stimulate interest so that people want to contribute. There's nothing worse that the silecnce that goes with no clue as to how things are going.

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Best regards, John

Total agreement John and well put

Tony

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K20D,*istD ( now a dedicated M42 digital ),K100D,MZ5N,P50,ME Super,Spotmatic 1000,Spotmatic,ESII,ES,H2.18-55 II,18-55,75-300 FAJ,35-80 FA,80-200 F,28-105 FA,Sigma 24-70 AF Aspherical,Sigma 28-300 Hyperzoom , Praotor II 500 M42,Centon 500mm mirror,and a few Pentax M42 Taks,super-Taks,smc Taks,A and M lenses.Benbo trekker,7dayshop monopod and a Lowepro rucksack.

I am now on Flickr which is nice !

Many competitions, indeed most, and not only photographic ones, work by submitting an entry and never knowing what else was entered by other contestants, until you, maybe, see the results.

By not seeing the other entries it is possible for people to put their own interpretation on a subject, without feeling intimidated by a couple of fantastic entries, or discouraged when someone else beats them to the same idea.

But it is clear this is a minority view, and the competition is unpopular.
It was a worthwhile experiment though.

Back to my non-competitive hole now.

Gwyn, I'm with you and I don't see what difference it makes if you see other entries or not by the feeling of being involved with it?
And the waiting is part off the game and it encourage others to enter, when you see a very strong entry with almost the same photo as you, you might think twice submitting your photo, thinking it's a waste off time.


I agree with that but only with the progress thinking if you want to enter or not.

I've replied to everyone that entered and I don't have the feeling anyone was worried that their entry was not right or that it ended in a black hole.

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Stefan


K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ