looking for your opinion - an idea for some challenges

[blueraven95]

One of the things I have always liked about the Photography forum is the challenges that happen here - the "Extreme Processing" challenge (which we should have another one soon - hint, hint), the "Everyone take a pic Saturday and post it here" challenge, the Holiday lights exhibition (which if we are going to do that this year we should start thinking about it soon), and so on. Here is my proposal for a new one...


What I am suggesting is a "Photo that caption" contest
I am involved with an author's organization and one of the things we do is writing prompts, usually a sentence to start your piece around, but it can be other things as well. (One of my favorite prompts is the award-winning "The five congressmen met in hell") I found myself thinking that it would be cool to do it with photographs as well - start from something very suggestive and see how far we can take it creatively. I am thinking that it would be less about the technical aspects of photography and more about working to push the boundaries of our usual creative connections. For example, instead of a theme like "Doorways" the prompt could be "When I walked through the door, my life changed." For something like this, I feel that photos that have gone through the extreme processing challenge would be acceptable - like the door could lead to Mars, or something. I am even more comfortable with it considering that there is no longer a graphics group - but it is something we could discuss.

I want to stress that it would be a challenge, not a contest, so no one needs to get self-conscious about what they are posting. These are for us, not for fame and fortune.

So if people are interested, I was thinking we could do a prompt periodically (frequency depending on the interest expressed) - and I have a near endless supply of captions - trust me. I want to make sure that however we do it, we work around the contests which should get top priority. So what do you think. Are you up for it?

[Mz Pip]

1. I'm up for anything

that gets me out there taking pictures with a different perspective. It's easy to get locked into what works for me, so having to think outside the box would be terrific.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[F.Gordon]

2. Sign me up

I'll go for anything as long as I don't have to wear a funny looking uniform or speak in tongues.
:crazy:

[blueraven95]

3. I'll do my best to keep you from having to do those things...

however if you decide that you need to in order to get the shot you want, then I'm not stopping you. :silly:

[F.Gordon]

9. Hmmm....

It would probably get me into Focus on the Family but I don't know what would be worth snappin'. I guess I could pickup some crystal meth while I'm there.

I was plannin' on doing a Holiday Lights thread thing. Unless you want to. Ya' seem like a natural at this stuff and you put much more thought into it than I would.

[blueraven95]

10. Why don't you do the Holiday lights thread

as much as I like to do these sorts of things, I don't want to wear out my welcome.

[JeffR]

11. But he should have to wear a uniform & speak in tongues!

:+

[blueraven95]

12. aww, see...that's just mean

:spank:

[babylonsister]

4. Since I have no clue about extreme processing, it could be

educational for us newbies. Sounds like fun to me. I'll be watching and hopefully learning!

[F.Gordon]

5. I'd like to try some "digital imaging" stuff

I met this guy early in the year. We talked for quite awhile bout' snappin' stuff. I've seen prints of most of his work but this one blew me away. The "guy" is a pic of an acupuncture statue outside a store in San Fran and the Baby is one of the pics he took for some friends who wanted some baby snaps....

http://www.richardcooksart.com/lgcurcifixion.html

It's really not my bowl of weed but I can certainly appreciate his work. He calls what he does "fucking up a photo". Check out his site. If ya' like his stuff drop him a line and say (my real name) the "Lens Baby" guy referred you.

http://www.richardcooksart.com/

Like I said... it'd be fun to try to do some of this "kind of stuff".

[Eurobabe]

6. I'm game, sounds like fun!

48

[JeffR]

7. Super idea

Hope you start one of these challenges as soon as the contest ends. One per week other than when the contest voting is in progress would be great to see here, I think.

It might be nice to see a mixture of traditional photography and whatever extreme processing some people might want to try. Since it wouldn't be competetive, it could really be wide open as far as what gets submitted.

[blueraven95]

8. that's exactly what I was thinking...

really wide open seems like a good idea. So if everyone is okay with it, I'll post the first one as soon as finals voting is over.

[xiamiam]

13. great idea...im open...and i like the idea of challenges instead of contests..regularly..

keeps the creative juices flowin..