I would say those who know how to network well and are generally popular do get allot of votes out of favour other than aesthetic skill.
And quite a few of members who do enter reguarly and do win reguarly generally build up a good reputation in their work, because they win reguarly, out of skill and people wanting to vote for their work.
I don't always think the same sort of image should always win, but it doesn't stop it from being considered good.
I sense a small amount of hostility from your OP and your profile..
EAS PHOTOGRAPHY wrote: Pic of the Day contest...thoughts??? I personally think its a popularity contest..
It isn't. While a cheater sneaks through with a win occasionally by stacking votes, the overwhelming majority of the time quality wins with no regard to who took or is in the picture.
So you can pretty much judge the quality of your work by whether you've won or not. Have you won?
If I did really think it was that and wanted to participate, I'd be sort of embarrassed to publicize that I couldn't round up 19 votes or whatever.
Why are people so cynical about it?
I think it's great personally. I often enter it and have only ever won once or twice and the shots that do win I would say that 99.9% of the time are much better than my work.
If my entry only got 19 votes, then so what? I wouldn't care. I enter because it is often a useful barometer to the quality of my work. I'm sometimes misguided by what I think is good and not so good. It's all a learning process and a fairly painless way to get feedback.
At worst it's a bit of harmless fun. At best it's a great source of inspiration and more often than not (with odd exceptions) it's an object lesson in how to produce good quality photography.
It isn't. While a cheater sneaks through with a win occasionally by stacking votes, the overwhelming majority of the time quality wins with no regard to who took or is in the picture.
So you can pretty much judge the quality of your work by whether you've won or not. Have you won?
i havent won, yet.... but to get off the subject, Your work is FANTASTIC!!
I think it's great personally. I often enter it and have only ever won once or twice and the shots that do win I would say that 99.9% of the time are much better than my work.
If my entry only got 19 votes, then so what? I wouldn't care. I enter because it is often a useful barometer to the quality of my work. I'm sometimes misguided by what I think is good and not so good. It's all a learning process and a fairly painless way to get feedback.
At worst it's a bit of harmless fun. At best it's a great source of inspiration and more often than not (with odd exceptions) it's an object lesson in how to produce good quality photography.
great response! Your work is truly amazing! thank you
I think it's great personally. I often enter it and have only ever won once or twice and the shots that do win I would say that 99.9% of the time are much better than my work.
If my entry only got 19 votes, then so what? I wouldn't care. I enter because it is often a useful barometer to the quality of my work. I'm sometimes misguided by what I think is good and not so good. It's all a learning process and a fairly painless way to get feedback.
At worst it's a bit of harmless fun. At best it's a great source of inspiration and more often than not (with odd exceptions) it's an object lesson in how to produce good quality photography.
Drew Smith Photography wrote: Why are people so cynical about it?
I think it's great personally. I often enter it and have only ever won once or twice and the shots that do win I would say that 99.9% of the time are much better than my work.
If my entry only got 19 votes, then so what? I wouldn't care. I enter because it is often a useful barometer to the quality of my work. I'm sometimes misguided by what I think is good and not so good. It's all a learning process and a fairly painless way to get feedback.
At worst it's a bit of harmless fun. At best it's a great source of inspiration and more often than not (with odd exceptions) it's an object lesson in how to produce good quality photography.
Drew, My cynicism is directed more towards the complaint than the contest. When I write that it's not a very good popularity contest I'm referring to both the low participation numbers and the fact that I do think image quality and content counts for something. I have entered and will again, but not often and I don't think that much about it.
My view could be summed up as: Does networking or popularity help? Sure, and what's wrong with that?
In a larger view I'd say that, for the most part, what is being sold in art is a signature and a story. Individual pieces are placed within a narrative that is either going to help them reach an audience or hinder the process. If that sounds cynical, then, from that point of view I guess I am.
Popularily contest? Up to a point. But I have yet to see a winner that was of mediocre quality. I have entered it a number of times, and have never won. Sometimes I do feel that my work was slightly better, but not by much.
The first 2 rows (top 8) to me look to be of the same level, with the winner winning probably only because of the tastes of that day's voter. My goal has always been to be in the top row.
They may be popular, and they may get votes because they are popular, but the consistent winners always turn out quality work.
Brooks Ayola
Posts: 9,604
Chatsworth, California, US
I've been making a living with photography for over twenty years and shoot what I think looks good according to my own taste, but I doubt I could ever win a contest here on MM. My work just doesn't fit the popular aesthetic of the majority of users here.
So, what I'm saying is that not winning the POTD here is not necessarily a barometer of quality in general, just what people around here like.
Brooks Ayola wrote: I've been making a living with photography for over twenty years and shoot what I think looks good according to my own taste, but I doubt I could ever win a contest here on MM. My work just doesn't fit the popular aesthetic of the majority of users here.
So, what I'm saying is that not winning the POTD here is not necessarily a barometer of quality in general, just what people around here like. [/quote
Brooks Ayola wrote: I've been making a living with photography for over twenty years and shoot what I think looks good according to my own taste, but I doubt I could ever win a contest here on MM. My work just doesn't fit the popular aesthetic of the majority of users here.
So, what I'm saying is that not winning the POTD here is not necessarily a barometer of quality in general, just what people around here like. [/quote
Brooks Ayola
Posts: 9,604
Chatsworth, California, US
Brooks Ayola wrote: I've been making a living with photography for over twenty years and shoot what I think looks good according to my own taste, but I doubt I could ever win a contest here on MM. My work just doesn't fit the popular aesthetic of the majority of users here.
So, what I'm saying is that not winning the POTD here is not necessarily a barometer of quality in general, just what people around here like.
When I say "...what people around here like," I should really be more specific to say the people around here who actually know or care to go vote on contests, which knocks the numbers way down from a simple "people around here." :-)
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