11-17-10 – Artistic Bent

odd, based on what little i know from previous contests, how there seem to be so few votes. when i added mine this morning, there were already 160 posts…but the leading vote-getter was at 10.

Liked your entries today, Eden.

I think perhaps it’s the subject and people’s interpretations. I found when voting so far, there’s a lot that I didn’t consider to be ‘artistic’, within my definition. As a percentage, I probably voted for fewer entries than in any other contest I can remember.

I almost feel guilty about it, even, but I cannot in good conscious vote for entries I didn’t personally find to be artistic. I think it’s likely that others, within their{edited} own definitions, also limited their votes.

Or maybe the teeming masses just haven’t started voting yet. I’m just happy I have any votes, as I kinda came in with an “I’m gonna fail” fear.

ennuipoet, I love your HDR photo. Too bad you could not use it. I happen to be one of the ones that really likes HDR and it does have an “artistic” look to it. In fact, I’m going to stick my neck out and ask why HDR is so often ruled out. Lately, it seems, that there are a growing number of photos using techniques that change the finished product much the way HDR does. Just an observation.

I think it is because when people hear HDR, they think this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuipoet/4120221380/in/set-72157622842248524/#/photos/ennuipoet/4120221380/in/set-72157622842248524/lightbox/

and not this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuipoet/4977027572/in/set-72157622842248524/#/photos/ennuipoet/4977027572/in/set-72157622842248524/lightbox/

When I first started using the technique, I went for the crazy, distorted unrealistic stuff and the realized the technique was created for overcoming technical limitations. When used to create realistic images like the second one, I think it should be considered as valid as any darkroom method to enhance exposure. But that is purely an opinion.

ETA: I should amend this statement to say that I am not advocating HDR in every theme! I think the process has a real and effective use in themes like this one, having the threads littered with overdone photoshopped crap would irk me as much as it would anyone who dislikes the process in general.

I was the same way. My earliest HDR’s were crap, but once I got a hang of things, I went hog wild:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4622708378/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4758465677/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4622109831/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4547495478/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4622158231/

Then I started calming down a bit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4769733796/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/4622290453/

And now I’m here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/5116180093/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionid/5157034532/

In regards to voters this week, I got nuthin. I know it’s early yet, but with a total of 11 votes, this is my worst pull out of the gate in over a year. I try not to let votes get to me, and won’t comment on a specific photo unless it’s a glaring rules violation, but this is the first time since I’ve started that I’ve felt downright insulted by the voters.

In regards to voters this week, I got nuthin. I know it’s early yet, but with a total of 11 votes, this is my worst pull out of the gate in over a year. I try not to let votes get to me, and won’t comment on a specific photo unless it’s a glaring rules violation, but this is the first time since I’ve started that I’ve felt downright insulted by the voters.

I wouldn’t say I feel insulted, but I do feel like I basically wasted two of my favorite photos that, hindsight being 20/20, would probably have been better used somewhere else. Ah well. I wonder if the “artistic” thing just doesn’t speak to Farkers in general…that they think it’s too lofty maybe?

I’ve got a ton of photos that are my favorites that are way way down at the bottom of my FSM profile page. Sometimes a certain photo just doesn’t jump out on the page, either due to the photos before and after, or just due to the overwhelming amount of great images. It’s a whole different ball game than looking at one photo on a neutral background and being able to see the detail without distraction.

I never feel like I have any cause to gripe about how I place, because I’ve had so many photos finish really high, but it’s frequently humbling to be a part of this group, because there is some fantastic talent and imagination to be found here.

In regards to voters this week, I got nuthin. I know it’s early yet, but with a total of 11 votes, this is my worst pull out of the gate in over a year. I try not to let votes get to me, and won’t comment on a specific photo unless it’s a glaring rules violation, but this is the first time since I’ve started that I’ve felt downright insulted by the voters.

I wouldn’t say I feel insulted, but I do feel like I basically wasted two of my favorite photos that, hindsight being 20/20, would probably have been better used somewhere else. Ah well. I wonder if the “artistic” thing just doesn’t speak to Farkers in general…that they think it’s too lofty maybe?

you mean i wasted my votes on you guys?

/know the feeling…

Should have gone TTV of a pintglass.
/Lovelovelove the canoes, btw.

I have not voted yet but I know the canoes shot is getting my vote. The pintglass idea probably would do well with the masses on fark though. Hmmmm maybe I should try to find my own version of Hagrid.

I almost feel guilty about it, even, but I cannot in good conscious vote for entries I didn’t personally find to be artistic. I think it’s likely that others, within their{edited} own definitions, also limited their votes.

Or maybe the teeming masses just haven’t started voting yet. I’m just happy I have any votes, as I kinda came in with an “I’m gonna fail” fear.

In a contest like this one, I feel I have to take the poster’s intention as legitimate and not let what *I* consider art be a factor. We all have different tastes. Just because it may not strike me as artistic doesn’t automatically disqualify it for me; the photographer might think it’s the most artistic thing he or she has ever done. So when it comes to a photograph that doesn’t strike me as arty, I decide based on technical execution and whether or not I just plain like the photograph. Which I might, even if I don’t think it’s art, although I can’t say yet. I haven’t voted yet. I’m a Saturday voter.

Elsinore – I suspect Olav is feeling much the same way. =