Thanks for all the fish

[orionid]

U-Man got me thinking enough to put a firm voice on something I’ve been kind of wanting to say for a while.

I don’t know who to credit specifically, but I’d like to thank farktography in general. Perhaps some of the old-timers like veruca and monkeybort, if they still cruise these threads, the people who gave farktography it’s intitial zeal and flavor. And all the people who have kept it going all along the way. I was a sandbag spectator for a while before I finally jumped in (mostly because I didn’t even remember my technical boobies, submitted drunkenly from a bad port call in Spain).

Through the years, I’d considered myself a well enough hobby/amature photographer, but I knew there were things I was missing. I knew the basic technical aspects and the relationships of aperture, shutter speed, and focal length – a byproduct of growing up with a fully manual Pentax MG. But I couldn’t tell what I was missing. I’d look at other peoples’ photographs and just wonder how it they were done, and how they could come out so well.

Farktography discussions have taught me alot about the parts of photography I didn’t realize that I was missing. I used to just find cool things and take pictures, hoping the pictures would be just as cool. When I tried to do something creative, it would usually turn out looking like something out of a colorblind autistic kid’s coloring book. Now, I take a whole different approach. When a theme is posted, I form an image in my mind of what I want my photo to look like and treat it like a technical problem and figure out how to create that image. And I’m still learning. As I’ve been uploading alot of my old photos to Flickr I’ve found myself critiquing them and telling myself how I could have done it better. In the last few months, I’ve had lots of “Aha!” moments. I was telling Pangolyn the other day that I wish I knew half of what I know now before I went on my last deployment, but, oh, well, can’t change the past. But I can still give a general thanks to farktography.

On another note, in the grand scheme of things, I’ve only been here half a year, but I do now consider myself one of the regulars. I don’t know so much about a “clique” that I’ve heard reference to – usually by a recreational or non-regular participant complainging that only the “clique” gets the votes. Anybody that I’d figure would make up the clique – the usual heavy hitters – U-Man, Schnee, Elsinore, Corsec67, Ranger_Joe, Redwoodcruzr, etc. have all had a photo tank in recent history. But I’ll look at the photo(s) of the person complaining (or just saying “man, I wish I were that good”), and I’ll think to myself about cropping or white balance or general compostion and how the photo is almost there, but needs a little tweaking to be great. There’s lots of evidence that it’s not just the “clique” that gets the votes. Just look at the one hit wonders list. There’s a list full of people who have only played once, ever, and still gotten 50, 60, or even 80 some votes! So, to all the first timers and recreational submitters, keep trying, keep learning, and I hope to see you in the threads for many weeks to come.

/gets off soapbox.

[nobigdeal]

Amen Brotha!

I could have wrote that word for word. I used to be a lurker for a long time until I finally decided to submit something. Now I can’t miss a week, even if I don’t have anything good I will find something.

I too credit Farktography with awakening the inner Ansel Adams or Annie Leibovitz in me. I took a photography class in HS so I know the basics of exposure, F stops, and all that crap. I even had an expensive camera that spent most of it’s life in Auto mode. Now I look back at old photos and go yea…shoulda framed it this way, or wider aperture woulda softened the background etc…

As for the “cliques”, and certain people getting all the votes. There is only really a small group of us that are on this site all the time. I think if we all voted for each other every week then we would all get the same number of votes. ( I got 5 on my “best” shot this week) I vote based on the photo, not who took it.

It’s Farktography…all the rules of normal photo contests don’t apply 🙂

[U-Man]

Yep. I’ve written similar stuff someplace around here. I still feel that way too. Thanks to the community. 🙂

/and there are some really smart, involved and experienced farkers around here.

[schnee]

Given the source quote, I thought orionid was getting all valedictory on us. Glad he’s not.

+1

[orionid]

Given the source quote, I thought orionid was getting all valedictory on us. Glad he’s not.

+1

Oh, hell no. Mamma raised me better than that.

[U-Man]

Ummmm…Hitchhiker’s Guide?….valedictory?….I got lost somewhere.

[schnee]

Ummmm…Hitchhiker’s Guide?….valedictory?….I got lost somewhere.

HHG – yup. valedictory defn.

[U-Man]

Ahhh. Now I’m not lost. And, yeah, don’t go away orionid. You got skillz.

[schnee]

Hey orionid, you may want to get a new screen grab soon. It is much nicer looking now:

[U-Man]

Hey orionid, you may want to get a new screen grab soon.

…and I’m coming to get you…

…dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun (Jaws spooky music) dun-dun-dun…

😈

[nobigdeal]

Holy Carp!!! What am I doing on that list?

[bucky_bacon]

Boo… I’m off of the chart by one stinking vote! I’m pretty jacked just to be that close though. All of you guys are amazing, week in and week out. I’m making a run at it though.

But yeah, kudos to and ditto everything that orionid said.

[olavf]

Holy Carp!!! What am I doing on that list?

lol! I’ve was just wondering the same thing. especially how badly I tanked the last two weeks :/

[orionid]

Hey orionid, you may want to get a new screen grab soon. It is much nicer looking now:

Hehe, thanks.

…and I’m coming to get you…

…dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun (Jaws spooky music) dun-dun-dun…

I can hardly wait with antici…….. PATION!

/Edited to fix BBCode f-up.

[corsec67]

I used to just find cool things and take pictures, hoping the pictures would be just as cool.

My main criteria for a great photographer is one that can take anything and make it look interesting. I am nowhere near that level yet, but Farktography is expanding me beyond cats, deer, trees, and burning stuff.

One thing I try to do is put 3 entries in every contest, even if I have almost no idea of what would be good, Brown being a good example of that. That means that I am constantly challenged, and have (hopefully) been improving. Looking at FSM, it seems that I had a really bad January, otherwise I have been slowly improving. Tableau is another contest where I am sure I am going to do poorly, but I am going to enter 3 anyways.

Since there aren’t any tangible prizes, even after 5 * 1st place finishes and at least one each of 1st-27th place, self-improvement is the main thing I get out of this contest. (And now I want a 28th, 29th, and 45th place finish to complete 1-50).

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