What a long,strange trip it’s been.

[olavf]

As I alluded last week, I got roped into a WWE-style “smackdown” photography contest, and this week was my turn in the ring. Basically, we got the theme last Tuesday, and all shots were due by 5pm PST today. No archive diving, No dilly-dallying, just up to seven shots on theme posted through the day and judged by a secret panel comprised of other participants that aren’t competing in the particular week. My, and my opponent’s, assignment was ‘Light Playing’ meaning doing unconventional things with lighting.

So, basically, pull out all the stops, make six or seven of the most creative shots you can in a week, and put them up for the world to see. I think I developed an ulcer.

Including B-sides, my effort is here: https://plus.google.com/photos/113330053950020592701/albums/5672097028397536097
(linking the album because some of the shots are marginally SFW, and most likely NSFF) I cranked out nine shots I’m proud of in six days. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.

I’d post my opponents, but he didn’t post a cohesive album. If you’re not familiar with Giuseppe Basille, he could probably wipe most of us clean in Farktography contest (which I’m not telling him about) if he wanted to because he’s that good. Somehow I snuck in with the win though. So yay me?
/On a side note, if you consider that G+ brought in the ‘follow’ concept from Twitter…he’s got 32,000 people following his work to my paltry 4500. Seriously

His G+ profile is here: https://plus.google.com/107362628080904735459/posts and if you hit the #PhotographyDeathMatch hashtag on G+ you’ll see the other contests (both this week’s and last – which was the inaugural)

[Farktographer]

Congrats!

[staplermofo]

So yay me?

Yes, absolutely yay you. Congratulations.

[lokisbong]

Too cool!

[Kestrana]

4500? Geez. I’m participating in as many themes as I have photos for and I only have a measly 80.

[olavf]

Thanks guys 🙂 I’m not sure when round two is, but quite frankly I’m glad there’s some time. And I thought Farktography contests could be difficult… I still think we should do the ‘shotgun’ theme though.

kes Yeah, I dunno either. I met a few people initially in the Self-portrait stuff and other interactions. I suspect I’m in a couple of shared circles because 50-100 people a day find my profile on average. 150 people circled me from yesterdays shenanigans alone. It probably helps that I’m pretty chatty over there too, and don’t have a problem jumping into a conversation?

[Kestrana]

Well I have been commenting on a few people’s things but I’m also kind of scared of some of them since they’re actual professionals and I don’t know which of them are REALLY big names and which are just professionals. I don’t want to look like an idiot. And it probably helps you that your subjects are more often people while mine are definitely not…

At the same time it frustrates me that sometimes I do contribute to a theme and I don’t even get a +1 from the curator (and I always tag them in the post). I realize curating a theme has got to be a ton of work but I equate it to what I do in Farktography and that they signed up to do the job. And then the best received picture I’ve posted was one that I accidentally posted as limited so I missed an opportunity there. I guess just overall I’m at a point where I’m struggling with my confidence with photography in general and what direction I want to go in for the future, how much more money should we invest in this hobby, etc. and I’m in a lull in my own personal creativity where I have ideas of what I’d like to do but the push to actually make them happen is pretty low due to all the other crap going on in our lives right now. TL;dr, I know. Just venting. Google+ is really interesting, maybe once David is on there it’ll heat up more. Sorry I didn’t mean to make this all about me.

Congrats on your win again! I think your photos showed more depth, warmth and humanity than his did and that’s why you won.

[olavf]

Well I have been commenting on a few people’s things but I’m also kind of scared of some of them since they’re actual professionals and I don’t know which of them are REALLY big names and which are just professionals. I don’t want to look like an idiot. And it probably helps you that your subjects are more often people while mine are definitely not…

At the same time it frustrates me that sometimes I do contribute to a theme and I don’t even get a +1 from the curator (and I always tag them in the post). I realize curating a theme has got to be a ton of work but I equate it to what I do in Farktography and that they signed up to do the job. And then the best received picture I’ve posted was one that I accidentally posted as limited so I missed an opportunity there. I guess just overall I’m at a point where I’m struggling with my confidence with photography in general and what direction I want to go in for the future, how much more money should we invest in this hobby, etc. and I’m in a lull in my own personal creativity where I have ideas of what I’d like to do but the push to actually make them happen is pretty low due to all the other crap going on in our lives right now. TL;dr, I know. Just venting. Google+ is really interesting, maybe once David is on there it’ll heat up more. Sorry I didn’t mean to make this all about me.

Congrats on your win again! I think your photos showed more depth, warmth and humanity than his did and that’s why you won.

Kes I think the biggest problem with the running themes is the hastag system. It can be really difficult to even see all the posts. I think a lot of people have started tagging the curators in them as well, and that seems to help. Some of the themes, like SelfySunday and WindowWednesday have gone to shared albums, and the Selfy has started a theme page, so we’ll see how that goes on the next one. Having all the shots in one place has certainly made curating and commenting easier. The Selfys, most participants comment on nearly every shot, it seems.

As far as the photogs, there are a few that are aloof, but for the most part they’re pretty engaging, and often quite nice. But it’s impossible for them to keep up with every comment on every post – I can have problems with that and I’m not even remotely popular, really. And, don’t knock your skills. Sure there are people that are better – that’s almost always the case because a lot of people specialize in one thing or another. Sumit Sen, for example is a spectacular bird photographer, but his street work is not really any better than anyone else’s. It’s just compelling because, well, he lives in India. Thomas Hawk often posts pictures that you and I could (and do) do. Big thing is to just go for it, really 🙂

And, thanks again! Much needed after the slump I’ve been in around here. I was really close to just giving up on the whole idea last Thursday – that whole lack of confidence thing – but somehow managed to barge through.

[Kestrana]

I do tag the curators! I’ve decided to add more commentary on the photos, it seems there’s more of a response when there’s a story. I know there’s a lot of content going through G+ and I’m not sure about the whole pages thing. It’s just going to get more confusing from here it seems.

[ravnostic]

I’m up to some 2K followers, but I try to be pretty active in the Photo Critique circle–I know I got a lot of them from there, but I doubt that many of them see my posts–the circle is just too damned many people. I try to visit the pages of those who do comment on my shots and return the favor. I get so many requests daily that I just go lump them all in a group circle ‘to be determined later’. If they comment me, then I go figure out which circles are more appropriate for them (the rest of them who aren’t saying anything…I don’t bother.)

It’s a great venue for vetting my contest selections. I just post the ones I’m considering, then wait to see what people like the most.

Congrats on the win, Olavf–that’s quite the accomplishment against the likes of Giuseppe!!

[orionid]

So. I’m on G+ now. Can I play, too, daddy?

[olavf]

Thanks Rav! It was definitely harrowing 🙂

I saw that Orionid. Sweet!

[Farktographer]

So google plus has a photography contest grouping? Hmmm…getting interested.

[ravnostic]

There’s about a dozen contests a day for one style of picture or another. But Olavf’s contest is special.

[olavf]

Farktographer there are several ‘themes’ every day, but very few actual ‘contests’. I’ve seen a few where there was a little corp sponsoship with prizes and stuff, but not rarely. I suspect that’ll change now that corps can have a presence on G+. This thing I did is one of the few ‘challenge/contests’ I know of, and if it goes well, I suspect we’ll expand it somewhat.

[Author]

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