[alamo5000]

I lurk around here a lot but I haven't been posting a lot recently. Sorry about that.

I wasn't sure exactly where to post this so please feel free to move it to the appropriate sub forum if you want.

I have an idea for a monthly contest. The whole idea will be to skill build and familiarize forum members with new aspects of shooting.

The contest I have in mind is "Action!". Any kind of action is fine.

The rules will be simple. All shots must be taken without the aid of any auto focus.

Bonus points will be given for shots that are wide open aperture wise. The faster the better lens wise, but use what you have on whatever format you shoot.

Additionally the more or faster the action in the shot will also get bonus points. A shot of grandpa walking through a park with his walker might be great but preference will be given to a shot of a bouncing 3 year old or a dog catching a Frisbee.

I would be happy to judge or host but then again I would like to enter too

I am wondering what the consensus is on this kind of idea? Please comment below.

The idea is to push forum members to try to expand their skills and discover new concepts and ideas.

Please feel free to comment or give brutally honest feedback below.

[Adam]

It's a cool idea, and would be a prefect competition for you (or someone else) to host in the mini-challenges section. We could also turn it into a larger site event.

My only concern is that limiting things to manual focus may not have the intended effect. How about just having users do something differently- i.e. use a prime where you'd normally use a zoom, use MF when you'd normally use AF, or shoot hand-held when you'd normally use a tripod? It wouldn't have to be exactly this, but IMO the restrictions should be a bit more generic.

[alamo5000]

It's a cool idea, and would be a prefect competition for you (or someone else) to host in the mini-challenges section. We could also turn it into a larger site event.

My only concern is that limiting things to manual focus may not have the intended effect. How about just having users do something differently- i.e. use a prime where you'd normally use a zoom, use MF when you'd normally use AF, or shoot hand-held when you'd normally use a tripod? It wouldn't have to be exactly this, but IMO the restrictions should be a bit more generic.

I am totally up for hosting I would definitely like to have it more 'site wide' to get more people involved.

As far as the so called 'rules' are concerned I was throwing ideas out there. Naturally I am open for suggestions. I am kind of partial to maybe keeping it simple... "Manual focus action shots" or something like that.

Part of the thing here would be to have people get out of the comfort zone, maybe get exposed to new techniques, get them more exposed to (and possibly interested in) more legacy lenses or any other number of things.

It can also dispel a bunch of myths about 'auto focus', ie people using that as a crutch and thinking they 'have to have' some super advanced AF system... in the end it will put the challenge back on the photographer, not so much their gear. In the end it will help people be better photographers when they ARE using AF, or without either one.

Basic rules I lean towards (which I am still open for ideas) are:

1. NO AF!

2. Shots should be focused around or have some element of motion or movement, otherwise all the entries would be flowers (that don't move), the Grand Canyon (again not moving) or a bunch of static portraits which might be stellar but kind of defeat the idea of pushing the envelope a little.

How should we get this ball rolling?

[alamo5000]

How about just having users do something differently- i.e. use a prime where you'd normally use a zoom, use MF when you'd normally use AF, or shoot hand-held when you'd normally use a tripod? It wouldn't have to be exactly this, but IMO the restrictions should be a bit more generic.

I am open for it... but we won't know until we try eh? We could see if maybe we could get a few contests out of it...trying different formats on each one.

I kind of think if it's too broad 'just do something different than what you normally do' is ok if you are really self motivated but the aim I had in mind initially was to try to hone in on one thing (for example) at a time. Just my thought, but the more input we get the better.

I still kind of lean towards 'MF with an element of motion' and see what we get.

[Wes_G]

I'm game, sounds like a fun idea - agree with the MF idea, it is about pushing people outside the comfort zone. Shall we say end of June is the submission date?

[alamo5000]

I'm game, sounds like a fun idea - agree with the MF idea, it is about pushing people outside the comfort zone. Shall we say end of June is the submission date?

Let's light this candle! I think the end of June is as good of a time as any.

[Kerrowdown]

get out of the comfort zone

You'd better let me get hold of some sort of a Pentax autofocus lens and let me compete with that... as my "Ladies" are all part of my "comfort zone".