[slowpez]

susan et al., do not let the rejection into *any* gallery get you down. The pleasure is in knowing *you* like your work, and it should be considered a bonus that others should like it also. We are after all doing the vocation because we love it, and is not dependent on others' opinions. If it were, i would have given up long time ago.

My own results attest to this: See here, here and here. And in trying to express my own opinions in the past i've back-peddled and had to explain myself a lot - likely for my own shortcomings, which causes me to feel somewhat downhearted.

If for just developing skills this forum is quite helpful, but i too could get discouraged when i see the amazing work some of the guys here produce knowing that i could not do the same. But it's rather encouraging to see what they can do and motivates learning. We can get heavily invested in our own work that we fail to see how someone could criticise it or disagree with us that it's good work that we end up feeling offended by the negative comments. Instead, choose to expect the criticism and be confident in yourself that your work, whilst never perfect, is a source of joy and self-worth.

The striving for that elusive perfection is what we ought to keep in mind rather than feeling bad that we can never be perfect. I consider photography like kind of like a game of golf - we're all not trying to caompete with each other, we compete against the course. Reaching par is nice, because it means we get a good result, but we can never always get the perfection of a hole in one.

amen!!!

[atupdate]

I had pretty good luck this round with 2 out of 3 accepted. Here is my reject.

Caution: Contents Are Hot


Judges Comments:

- Very creative- but the cup is unfortunately not very appealing photographically...

- Interesting concept. Good idea. The lighting on the cup is flat and unremarkable, however. If not for this it would be a yes vote.

- Complicated exposure. Nicely done. Great for an illustration!

- Great idea, made me laugh at first (in a good way). If the colored steam looked more like actual flame it would have been a winner for me.

The interesting part is that the flame is real and not done in PP (I hadn't thought of doing that). This was real coffee with a drop of gasoline on top. The coffee was cold to help delay the melting of the cup.

Tim

[rustynail925]

Need help on who to contact regarding this:
I havent receive the judges comments
when i registered on the forum i use my other email but i kinda forgot
either my email password or my email
is it possible to redirect the judges comments on my inbox in the forum instead of my email?

[atupdate]

Need help on who to contact regarding this:
I havent receive the judges comments
when i registered on the forum i use my other email but i kinda forgot
either my email password or my email
is it possible to redirect the judges comments on my inbox in the forum instead of my email?

Under Manage Account, you will find a link for User Control Panel. That page has a link on the far left under Settings and Options to Change Email and Password. I doubt they will be able to forward past comments but any future comments from the judges will be sent to your new email.

Tim

[rustynail925]

Thanks for the instructions Tim!

[atupdate]

Very quick turn around time on this one (Next day delivery).



Judges Comments:

Interesting pattern. This one has potential, however as is has too much negative space and extraneous clutter on either side. For an improvement also, consider having some of the shadow detail boosted slightly so as not to decrease contrast but rather increase detail in the image.

I really debated on this one. I like it for many reasons. Great symytry. Great colour. Nice lines.
What caused me to vote no is the crop/composition. I would have framed the left and right sides to the vertical poles (lights?) on either side of the stage opening. The lighting gear and equipment on either side, clutter up a nice clean central scene. I'm also not crazy about the dark ceiling above the stage and that could have been framed out of the image.

Interesting, but the crop doesn't quite work. Maybe crop it at the top where the lights stop so there isn't a black band across the top.

This would work better for me if not for the upward angle of the shot (which can be corrected in post if you choose to).


My Comments

The parts I love about this shot are what the judges hated, the perspective of the wide angle lens, the clutter back stage, the black curtain across the top of the image. All the things that bring back the memories of standing at the very back of the stage and looking out into the theater. Maybe I'll process to their tastes and see what happens.

Tim

[Ash]

You get to go to some cool places to get your photos Tim.

[atupdate]

You get to go to some cool places to get your photos Tim.

The picture above from the Schuster Center was from a backstage tour by a new member on this forum. Emily was asking about zooms longer than the DA 18-55 for shooting from backstage. I offered to let her borrow my DA 50-200 to see if that range would be long enough. I think she ended up getting a 18-250 from the marketplace.

Tim

[whitelotus9]

I just went through three rejections for a photo I had taken with an auto focus lens. As I suspected, there was a complaint about the subject (a hibiscus blossom) having a "soft focus". I think one of the most annoying or hardest to deal with is there will be 4 or 5 judges and each one of them will dislike something different from any of the others and sometimes in conflict with the rest. I mean this is 2011 for crying out loud...can't the judges talk to each other and come to a concensus about what is detracting about a given photo. When they can't agree about what's detracting about a given photo, how is the photographer going to have a prayer of a chance to improve the photo for resubmittal?

And like Tim stated, the items that he liked the most about the photo are the things the judges disliked. And that happens way too often!! We may work to capture a given image only to have the judges dislike it based upon the areas we worked hard to capture or bring out in the photo.

Why can't the judges judge a photo on how well it attained what the PHOTOGRAPHER was seeking to accomplish or capture when he/she took it? would that make too much sense?

[JeffJS]

I just went through three rejections for a photo I had taken with an auto focus lens. As I suspected, there was a complaint about the subject (a hibiscus blossom) having a "soft focus". I think one of the most annoying or hardest to deal with is there will be 4 or 5 judges and each one of them will dislike something different from any of the others and sometimes in conflict with the rest. I mean this is 2011 for crying out loud...can't the judges talk to each other and come to a concensus about what is detracting about a given photo. When they can't agree about what's detracting about a given photo, how is the photographer going to have a prayer of a chance to improve the photo for resubmittal?

And like Tim stated, the items that he liked the most about the photo are the things the judges disliked. And that happens way too often!! We may work to capture a given image only to have the judges dislike it based upon the areas we worked hard to capture or bring out in the photo.

Why can't the judges judge a photo on how well it attained what the PHOTOGRAPHER was seeking to accomplish or capture when he/she took it? would that make too much sense?

Assuming you mean the photo that shows in your gallery link, What were you trying to accomplish or capture with it and from viewing the photo, how is anyone supposed to know that?

Take a look at My gallery link. Every one of them are PEG rejections. Not once have I been told Why (the reason for my original post in this thread several pages back).

[Ash]

I just went through three rejections for a photo I had taken with an auto focus lens. As I suspected, there was a complaint about the subject (a hibiscus blossom) having a "soft focus". I think one of the most annoying or hardest to deal with is there will be 4 or 5 judges and each one of them will dislike something different from any of the others and sometimes in conflict with the rest.

You may want to post the image in the Photo Critique forum and get a wider consensus as to what does and doesn't work about the image if you wish...

[atupdate]

And like Tim stated, the items that he liked the most about the photo are the things the judges disliked. And that happens way too often!! We may work to capture a given image only to have the judges dislike it based upon the areas we worked hard to capture or bring out in the photo.

I really didn't communicate very well in the referenced post. What I was trying to point out that I had memories that helped link my favorite portions to the wow factor of image. Without those memories, they became distractions to the judges.

Although, all the images I have submitted that had distortion have been shot down. I don't think the judges are wide angle people and that is OK with me.

Tim

[atupdate]

I just went through three rejections for a photo I had taken with an auto focus lens. As I suspected, there was a complaint about the subject (a hibiscus blossom) having a "soft focus".

One of your hibiscus shots in your gallery [A nice red hibiscus] does look soft. The first thing that comes to mind when I see a soft shot posted is "Did the photographer sharpen the image after down sizing?" Some images just look soft after down sizing.

Tim

[whitelotus9]

One of your hibiscus shots in your gallery [A nice red hibiscus] does look soft. The first thing that comes to mind when I see a soft shot posted is "Did the photographer sharpen the image after down sizing?" Some images just look soft after down sizing.

Tim

The photo of the Hibiscus blossom was taken with my Pentax IST DL camera using a SMC Pentax-FA 28-90mm lens. The camera was set for AUTO so it managed the aperature and the focus. It was not breezy that day and there was a "in focus" indication in the viewfinder when I tripped the shutter.

What is interesting about photographing a hibiscus blossom is that part of the blossom sticks out from the petals by several inches...enough that both parts of the blossom can NOT be in focus at the same time, either the petals or the stamen will be in focus while the rest will be soft or some point in between will be in focus. That's just the nature of that type of blossom. For the judges to expect it all to be sharply focused is insane! When my camera focused on the blossom, it focused on the closest part which left the petals less than crisply focused.

I'm wondering how much longer we're going to put up with the judging and PEG before everyone calls for it to end and PEG to be shut down. I propose starting to identify what the judging for PEG should be like...how can we seek to improve the broken system.... Maybe the right people will read it and listen...

[Ash]

I'm wondering how much longer we're going to put up with the judging and PEG before everyone calls for it to end and PEG to be shut down. I propose starting to identify what the judging for PEG should be like...how can we seek to improve the broken system.... Maybe the right people will read it and listen...

From your rationale I cannot see how your above statement follows. Shut PEG down? For not accepting your image?

The attempt to justify the photo as being PEG-worthy is specious and unfounded. Are you assuming that judges are seeing the 'sharpness' issue as the only matter in question for the image? If you posted your image in question in the Photo Critique forum as suggested you may be surprised to see the responses.

Please avoid catastrophisation.