Vote! MPC #5. Abandoned-> Voting Thread

[Pura Vida]

Good work Mags. Place your votes. Voting ends Tuesday, Midnight PST.

Shepherd Wong - Hippy-Bus




LaZapatilla - Steinsberg Castle




MakersTeleMark - Gilman




Rontele - Alcazar Real




TeleHoar - Dillon Garage

[brice618]

And shepard wong wins again!

You are really good at this photography thing dude.


I will say Rontele's was stiff competition. Really nice shot!

[Lonnie]

First, my opinion and all that jazz, and it's not that the work above isn't good, but I also think it's kinda bogus that the winner from like 1 contest back gets a nod over those that haven't had a chance to "win" yet. I mean, there are only like 10 of us that read this forum anyway. Spread the love around folks....

Sour grapes? Maybe.

Edit: My vote =

[Tippster]

Meh - the Bus and the Shack are the only images that say "abandoned" to me - the Alcazar hallway is pretty, but it's a hallway. The Gilman shot looks like a landscape - unless you know that the town is abandoned there is nothing in the picture to tell you why it qualifies.

Steinsberg castle looks like 1/2 the castles in Yurp - falling down, but hardly abandoned.

Lonnie - this isn't kindergarden. Not everyone gets a ribbon simply for participating - you want to "win," take a winning picture.

[Lonnie]

Lonnie - this isn't kindergarden. Not everyone gets a ribbon simply for participating - you want to "win," take a winning picture.

Not what I'm saying at all. What my point is here is that if the same folks get the nod week after week, then it's the same folks coming up with ideas for the next contest week after week. Hardly the way to push peoples thoughts, creativity and imagination (which is what I see and the real goal here).

This is only the 5th one of these that has been done and with anything along these lines unforeseen "problems" arise as these things evolve.

As I was lying in bed at 4:00 am unable to sleep, here's a tweak that I think could/should be made. The winner of the previous week still picks the topic. The winners of the previous 3 contests will be exempt for entering (on a voting level, but can still post ontopic photos), but will form a committe of judges that picks the 5 photos for that contests voting. Other than that everything is the same.

But again, it's not my show to run....

Edit: Here are the other photos I thought were in for sure...

[Tippster]

Ah, gotcha. Hey - it's as much your show as anyone else's. I have nothing against your proposals, but I do think it's a bit unfair to "punish" previous winners by making their entries ineligible. Repeat winners do so because they're good - thus raising the level of competition, IMHO.

[hemas]

Repeat winners do so because they're good - thus raising the level of competition, IMHO.

Bingo...

You wanna win, take a winning pic.

But I do agree that only the bus and the shed are really "abandoned". The rest are still nice shots, though.

[Lonnie]

I have nothing against your proposals, but I do think it's a bit unfair to "punish" previous winners by making their entries ineligible. Repeat winners do so because they're good - thus raising the level of competition, IMHO.

Right (and I agree), but I also look at those folks as teachers too. By making those folks judges, and seeing (no pun intended) what they value in a photo, they can push others by teaching us lighting, composition, etc, etc, etc. Also, by having a committee decide the final 5, it becomes less about personal taste, and more about the topic at hand too (as we are seeing by some of the comments in this thread....)

And it's not like we are kicking them out forever....

[Pura Vida]

Bingo...

You wanna win, take a winning pic.

But I do agree that only the bus and the shed are really "abandoned". The rest are still nice shots, though.

It was hard choice and I figured even though this is just a fun, little "contest" it was just a matter of time before someone starting whining about the choices. While some of the images I didn't choose may have been sticking to theme better, I felt they were lacking in other technical ways, such as being overexposed, overprocessed, etc.

[hemas]

It was hard choice and I figured even though this is just a fun, little "contest" it was just a matter of time before someone starting whining about the choices. While some of the images I didn't choose may have been sticking to theme better, I felt they were lacking in other technical ways, such as being overexposed, overprocessed, etc.

True, but it's actually quite simple. The guy who runs the comp, decides what pics will be on the poll.... Sure, there rest can bitch and moan, but it doesn't matter as the person running the particular challenge calls the shot.

so while I'm entitled to my opinion, so are you... And in this case, it's your opinion that carries the weight.

[Lonnie]

It was hard choice and I figured even though this is just a fun, little "contest" it was just a matter of time before someone starting whining about the choices. While some of the images I didn't choose may have been sticking to theme better, I felt they were lacking in other technical ways, such as being overexposed, overprocessed, etc.

Ok, so wouldn't you have liked some help in making the choices?

And BTW, I'm not saying changing the rules for this "contest". What I'm proposing is stuff for the future....

[Pura Vida]

True, but it's actually quite simple. The guy who runs the comp, decides what pics will be on the poll.... Sure, there rest can bitch and moan, but it doesn't matter as the person running the particular challenge calls the shot.

so while I'm entitled to my opinion, so are you... And in this case, it's your opinion that carries the weight.

Exactly, with things like this of course not everyone is going to be happy as everyones tastes and eye are different.

FWIW, Lonnie this is the voting thread, not the my panties are in a bunch over some silly Maggot photo contest thread, maybe you can go start your own thread about all your wonderful ways to make this an epic contest.

[Lonnie]

FWIW, Lonnie this is the voting thread, not the my panties are in a bunch over some silly Maggot photo contest thread, maybe you can go start your own thread about all your wonderful ways to make this an epic contest.

No, I think I'm done...

[StormRider]

There is a fine line between using the theme as a guide and trying capture and image that states the theme. While I try to state the theme I think the other approach is OK too.
Also I think the format of the MPCs if fine too. I just need to get better.
Right now, however, I’m going to go cry in my Cheerios.

[Ripzalot]

fwiw, i'm lurking and voting. no time lately for photo contests, only if it crosses somehow with biking and skiing. i enjoy the contest and havent really paid attention much to which photo belongs to whom. i just try to vote with which one matches the theme the best.

i picked the castle, although i do agree with tip's comments on it. but hippy bus (and some others non finalists) just seemed like a pic of junk to me, the garage didn't seem so abandoned (maybe it was too close up of a shot), rontele's was more empty than abandoned (too clean and well kept), and the gilman one had a town sitting on top, hardly abandoned.

just thought i'd throw out my interpretations, not criticisms, just how they made me feel and think. keep rolling the contests and posting pics!

[TeleHoar]

I am just here to say I am stoked that I made it to the top five, and someone voted for my shot. I can die a happy man!

[amyzilla]

I think the voting/judging is fine the way it is. I don't think we have enough contributers to bench people for a number of contests. Besides, competition is good - it inspires me to work harder. I haven't entered the past few contests, but I've been paying closer attention to the composition of all my shots lately, probably as a result of what I've seen/learned from these contests.

As far as theme goes, I haven't been voting based on how closely an image fits the theme - I've just been picking which one I think is best. I think it's interesting to see how people interpret the theme. If everyone took pictures of abandoned buildings (for example), it would be harder to find shots that stand out. That said, I voted for Rontele because I like the patterns made by the light. It was a tough choice though, because they're all interesting shots.

[truth]

Ah, gotcha. Hey - it's as much your show as anyone else's. I have nothing against your proposals, but I do think it's a bit unfair to "punish" previous winners by making their entries ineligible. Repeat winners do so because they're good - thus raising the level of competition, IMHO.

That's bullshit. All previous winners should be punished and cleansed of their sins. All of them, those bastards!

[Pura Vida]

Edit: Here are the other photos I thought were in for sure...

Lonnie, if you're curious why I didn't choose any of those, here was my reasoning...


Out all the ones you mentioned, this one, was one I almost choose, but I didn't care for the out of focus beam in the foreground.



Composition.



Lighting, tone, composition.

[smalls]

i actually really like the tone of the last one ^^^^

but that's just me. carry on.

[Rontele]

I am just here to say I am stoked that I made it to the top five, and someone voted for my shot. I can die a happy man!

that is why I love you, Bondo.

I was shocked i made the top five!

[Pura Vida]

That's bullshit. All previous winners should be punished and cleansed of their sins. All of them, those bastards!

Maybe winning is overrated. Reminded me of the last girl I dated, sure that happy feeling in my pants was nice at first, but then the questions started.

[Lonnie]

And here's why I like the following...

Out all the ones you mentioned, this one, was one I almost choose, but I didn't care for the out of focus beam in the foreground.

Personally, I like all of the "junk" in the center being framed by the beams. It makes the viewer think as to what is beyond what we can see. We are left wondering "How big does this go?" The fact that we can only see very little of this machinery leaves us with more questions that answers.

Composition.

Personally, I love the B&W. The contrast between the old wreck in the foreground, and the masts of the new yachts in the back ground speaks to what a throw away society we are. Maybe some of the foreground could have been cropped, but overall I think this pic is one of the best in capturing the theme of the contest.....

Lighting, tone, composition.

I think the lighting here is awesome. Smalls has alluded to the almost monochromatic tone of this photo. The wooden spools which are made of a natural material, maybe from a forest not unlike this one, but also speak of human industry. In this shot, they are surrounded by and returning to the nature of the forest.

Edit:
My vote =


Last but not least. I love the lighting. I also like the dust on the floor. I like the starkness. I love the faded color on the far wall. It makes me wonder, "Who lived there?", "Why did they leave?", "What stories would they tell if they could?"

Regardless of composition, lighting and what ever else you'd like to mention, these four photos speak to me in ways that the other 5 above do not.

[Pura Vida]

Regardless of composition, lighting and what ever else you'd like to mention, these four photos speak to me in ways that the other 5 above do not.

Well there you go, you got that happy feeling in your pants without even winning the contest.

[brice618]

I am with tipp on this one, if you don't like the way its done, then start winning the contest and doing something about it.