*** July Contest -- Topic Suggestion Thread ***

[regnaD kciN]

Oh, Lord. How do I get into these things? :banghead:

I should know better than to enter any contest that might require me to host the one directly before or after a Seasonal. Of course, in this case, there were unforeseen circumstances...such as the photographer who took what should have been this contest's sure winner deciding to withdraw his or her entry in the finals. I don't know who the mystery photographer is, but let me say "thank you for a beautiful image from that location...and no thanks for sticking me with the July hosting job!!!" ;-)

Seriously, while I don't have a topic yet, I do have a (rather forced) schedule, and here it is:

Submissions: 7/11-7/19
Preliminaries: 7/21-7/23
Finals: 7/24-7/26

Seeing as submissions start in eleven days, and I assume everyone wants as much shooting time as possible before that, we really need to have our topic set by the 5th at the latest. I am therefore opening the floor to any and all suggestions for the next couple of days. I plan to put a topic poll up on the 3rd, to run through Independence Day, so that I can announce the topic when I get back from whatever fireworks show I'll be photographing this year.

Just for reference, the following topics have been suggested in the past few months...

Festivals and Performances (not including fireworks)
Let's Get Physical
Critters
Cell Phone Camera Photos
Portrait of a Musician
Familiar Objects Shown In Unfamiliar Ways
Doors or Gates
Squares
Mirrored Images
Wood
Dancers - Parade
Contrasts
Metal

...but, if you want any of these, you need to "re-nominate" them, as I won't be carrying anything over from previous months.

So, let's hear your ideas!

[rdking647]

1. topics

how about black and white
or
Red

[rdking647]

2. a third suggestion

similar to my first
black and white and color mixed (requires a good photo and post processing)

[Mira]

3. Like a little terrier at a pants leg I yap:

Symmetry

[NV Whino]

4. Cell Phone

Or any low res camera if you don't have a cell phone.

And dump the anonymous posting. I think that's fun for a couple of contests, but annoying to do all the time. If you will notice there was a dearth of postings in the forum during both anonymous contests. Not fun.

[Celebration]

5. I like leaving that up to the host

There are plusses and minuses for each. I don't really care what one particular host decides, but I think we will invariably have both if we leave it up to the host.

[Mira]

6. I was intimidated by it and found it stifling. There are things I wanted to say, show, do, I was not

able to. Of course, stifling myself could be considered novel and worthy of exercise.

The only fun for me was in the ultimate revelation of the identity of the photographer, and that was short lived because I would slap my forehead and say: I knew that:)!

If there were a poll, I would say, rarely for a lark. But not as a rule.
We lose spontaneity, and interaction, and closeness.

[regnaD kciN]

8. That's a load off my mind...

The one thing to which I was really not looking forward was handling the anonymous submission process. Very well, we'll have traditional submissions this time around.

[Mira]

9. One more reason I think it is not a good permanent thing to do

is because it limits us greatly even in what we can post to show and tell for fun just on a regular basis. I had to think, how many people remember that little girl shot in the Arch, because I had shown it to you with great pride 2 years ago. It limits what we can "talk" about.

Anyway... up to the host... works for me...

[Celebration]

7. hmmm

Since a lot of these are from the list I had people vote on, I guess I'll pick one out of that to throw into a poll. "Festivals and Performances" (no fireworks). People could still have time to go to Fourth of July celebrations and get interesting shots of performers but probably people have archives, too. I think something like Portrait of a Musician is asking too much of photographers in a short period of time.

Doors and Gates we have done before. I know it was awhile back. I happened to really like my entry and it didn't make the finals. I would probably resubmit it, LOL. If it has been long enough to rerun the contest, it is long enough that I can submit the same photo. But I don't particularly like the topic...........

[alfredo]

10. "Familiar Objects Shown In Unfamiliar Ways", but if Macro is used,

it should only be in-camera, no extension tubes, lenses, or bellows.

[Solly Mack]

11. I'm easy. I like all the ones already suggested.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. shadow

click on the link and then scroll down to see the example photos:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://blog.reflexstock.com/2009/08/30-stunning-examples-of-shadow-photography/&usg=__YFO5Q0EY-8fbLnxIIQ1O0Sb6-hU=&h=391&w=600&sz=71&hl=en&start=20&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ugLOW3fRRkFEyM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=135&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dphotograph%2Bshadow%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D654%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&ei=DoEOTrKXDYTVgQfHiq3mDQ

[Mira]

13. My dear Elsewhere's daughter, my adopted sister, we did Shadows about 6 or so

months ago. I might even have hosted it.
But we have talked about doing "Reflections" - that would be a repeat I think but it's been a long time. And as soon as we have done "Symmetry" I'll mention it.

:rofl:

Love the photo.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

15. opps, I missed that one, sis ...I go now to reflect on my lost time and

we could just play with the title "silhouete" instead?

:rofl:

:loveya:

how did I miss the shadow one

[Alameda]

14. I like doors and gates. mirrored images, wood in that order

[HarveyDarkey]

16. I like portrait of a musician,

but that's just me so never mind.

[CC]

19. I like portrait of a muscian too!!!

Whether a beginner or a pro.

[GoneOffShore]

17. Another vote for Door and Gates.

[ohheckyeah]

18. I vote for metal. n/t

[bluedigger]

20. Industry and/or Technology

We should probably get these off the list while we still have some.:P

[Drunken Irishman]

21. Oooh, I like the idea of cell phone camera photos!