February Photo Contest Theme
Last edited Sun Feb 3, 2013, 08:56 PM - Edit history (1)
"I See Music"Music is all about us, it's everywhere we roam
We listen in our car, we play it loud at home
Golden glint of a horn and sunburst on a Fender
A bass drum looks beat and the oboe so slender
Music sleeps in a piano key waiting to be heard
It abounds in nature in the song of a bird
So pop off your lens cap and perk up your ear
Follow that tune and let us see what you hear
Rather than explain further than that, I'll leave interpretation entirely to the photographer. My hope is that the abstract of the theme finds a variety of images hatched from within the left side of the brain.
This is my first stab at hosting a contest and I hope it goes smoothly. I'm likely to plagiarize some of the rules and suggestions from the previous contest, not so much to be lazy, but for continuity. I also think the way Solly Mack hosted last month was a fair standard.
Having said that:
Entries can be in Color or Black & White. No Sepia. No Infrared. No HDR. It's been discussed that overly edited photos may throw an advantage to those with high-end programs, and that may not be a level playing field for a photographer who knows composition and balance but eschews the kind of FX employed by George Lucas.
I agree with some caveat: If the pic background is too white and blends into the webpage, a light vignette or very thin opaque border is fine (black only). Focal B&W, where a small bit of color is present to accent a feature in an image, would probably not be something beyond anyone's capabilities either and is acceptable as well. I'm going to advise that when it comes to your editing, I plan to be more the contest host than gatekeeper. I don't plan to dissuade anyone for taking reasonable artistic privilege.
There is one etched in stone requirement however:
Finally, I want to thank the DUers who help keep this forum the best sanctuary in DU (you know who you are). There's never stress or debate here, and the people are always generous about hints and tips. I personally have evolved thanks to regular visits to this forum, and feel I'm a better photographer for it. I especially want to thank Solly Mack for delivering such a smooth January contest and all the DUers who voted for "Rinse & Recycle".
I accidentally tapped into the bottomless DU supply of love for flowers in my winning image, and was taken somewhat by surprise with my win. My humbleness on this is due to my interest in shooting the mechanical instead of nature. While others saw a photo of beautiful bouquets, I saw a fascinating old washing machine left out to die. I only used it because the subject I originally went after didn't pan out.
Partly because of that, I chose a theme this month that will focus on things or feelings that generally don't include cats, dogs, or plant life. Of course like everything in life, there are always paths around that, so if you see a loophole, go for it:
Good luck and happy shooting, we'll meet back here on the 15th.
JohnnyRingo
PS:
Please don't go on vacation Solly, I may need a frantic lifeline before this is over.
= new reply since forum marked as read
You'll do just fine and feel free to scream for help to any of us if you need it. I love the way you did the rules. Congrats on your win, a very deserving one as much for that old machinery as for the flowers especially for us flea market gardeners. I gave you host powers so you can pin your threads (making it easier for everyone to find) and lock them when needed. Can't wait to see what people come up with. 
Where we send you our submissions via DUmail and you post them so no one knows who entered which photo?
I can't see anything to add unless you do mean blind entries; then you should add that now and then remind people again later. People will want to know if they can submit early if they have a scheduling conflict that will keep them away from a computer during the submission dates.
The 3 day time frame is the norm and allows sufficient enough time for people to vote. Usually it goes 3 days for submissions, 3 days for Prelims, 3 days for Finals and then posting the Winner's thread. Reminders and encouragement along the way never hurts.
Best advice it to relax and take your time. To enjoy the process. Don't worry about making mistakes because everyone does. Fortunately we have unlimited editing time. I'm a nervous mess when it comes to hosting. I drive myself crazy before the contest actually starts and then relax once the Prelims are up. Which tells you that I don't take my own advice.
We usually have the Winter theme contest in February as well. The winner for the Autumn contest (misschicken) was banned and she was supposed to host the next seasonal contest, so... I don't know. I mention this because usually the 2 hosts work together to figure out the timing for running the contests without any conflicts. You won't have that added worry this time around (trying to squeeze in 2 contests in a short month). Unless someone volunteers to host the Winter contest. Never mind all that. While typing this reply I remembered about the seasonal contest and the banning of misschicken. My mind...it does wander.
You're doing great and your theme announcement post is a sheer delight!
Thanks, again!
Some people do peek at the submission thread but many don't bother. They wait for the Prelims. I don't think a sneak peek by some influences the voting.
I don't blame you on not wanting to deal with the extra work of 30 PMs or more during submissions. Especially since you're getting your feet wet. (and all that computer work you're doing)
During the Prelims and Final the photos are presented with the title only. Saving the screen names for the winner's thread. Well, that's how I've always seen it done.
Thanks for the reminder! I've got photos I need to back up. I've been neglecting that lately. Now I'm feeling kinda guilty about my laziness. lol
I don't know the story behind the ban. She won the first contest she entered. I do remember that. So she hadn't been around long. I think she was rDigital's spouse. I could be wrong about that. He was banned also. There was a thread in the group about his ban.
Feel free to lean. Glad to help.
You're most welcome!
