[laz-long]

Just a few random thoughts and ideas that I’d like to toss out there for discussion:

It seems that the voting in the Farktography thread might be sub-par. There could be several reasons for this. From my perspective, it can’t be the lack of excellent entries. I’d like to think that it has more to do with voter confusion. As someone mentioned earlier, it might not be clear what they are actually voting on (more on this later)

I’m hoping for a second wave of voting once the average Farker sees the PS contest. I have no idea how much overlap there is between the people who vote in Farktography threads and those that vote in PS threads. I suspect that while there is an overlap, there are bound to be those who fit exclusively in one group or the other. One of the things that I had in mind when suggesting this collaboration is to drive PS voters to the Farktography threads and vice versa (and maybe get them interested enough to became regular voters) To that end, I’m thinking about placing a second announcement in PS thread just before it goes “live” so that when the thread hits the main page the voters are encouraged to follow the links and vote on whatever they like. I’m trying to work out the wording because (as we’ve already said) there might be some confusion about exactly what they are voting on. The best that I have come up with is along the lines of “Any photographs that you find appealing” Any feedback on this idea and possible wording would be greatly appreciated.

On the subject of a future contest ? I’d love to see this sort of thing become a regular Fark feature. We’ve already seen support in both communities for a regular collaboration. With that thought in mind, I believe that I have gleaned some lessons from this collaboration and previous threads in this forum which I’d like to bring up for discussion:

1. It seems that an open theme might not be such a great idea for a Farktography theme. In all fairness to the person that suggested, it really did sound like a great idea. I sincerely hope that the PS crossover didn?t have a negative impact in either Farktographer participation or voter turnout. It works for the PS contest but that makes it a bit too one-sided for my taste.
2. Some PS’ers found the restriction to submitted photographs overly restrictive. I might have argued the point at one time, but someone was kind enough to demonstrate exactly what he meant. He tied together several photographs with an outside source to make an outstanding entry. (HansensDisease http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4469116#c52285970 Thank you Sir, point well made)
3. Given all of this, I’d suggest that the any future contests be derived from one of the normal Farktography contests and the PS rules be further relaxed to something like “Using one or more images from the linked Farktography thread and any outside sources that you might need?? This would allow the Farktography contest to run normally as long as submitters are aware that their entries might be shopped. Which brings up the next subject?.
4. I?m extremely uncomfortable with the idea that a Farktographer would feel excluded from a contest because they didn?t want to see their work mangled. I?ve seen a couple of approaches suggested in these forums and would like to add my own suggestion to the mix; If we are going to do this sort of thing again, the thread would first be declared as a possible PS source ahead of time and anyone who wished to participate in the PS contest would need to ?opt in? each image that they are willing to see used, abused, or otherwise distorted. If an image is not marked as ?opt in?, it is off limits (I really don?t like opt out)

On The subject of coordinating the two threads ? There are actually two types of PS threads:

1. PS this ?O? ? TF?ers have the advantage. They see the O about a week before the Non-TF?er. Sorry Non-TF?er. We paid for the advantage.
2. Themes ? Anyone can see the theme, they just can?t see what has already been submitted or the rules posted in the ?O?. The current mash up falls in this category. The enterprising Non-TF?er knows the basic rules. (Combine two or more images from Farktography contest “Homeless images”) They should be ready to post their entry as soon as the contest goes live. They won?t know about the credits and links (meaning that they?ll have to scramble) and might also find out that their idea has already been implemented (Again, sorry Non-TF?er. We paid for the advantage of posting first)

[laz-long]

Update! GIS is your friend. Drrrr.

Original robin thread – http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=1886950

For some reason, I prefer the video over the actual thread. I break up laughing every time that I read “142 Deranged Farkers”

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2896076985013363479&ei=S89CStDwC4u2qAOCxfXFBg&q=fark+robin&hl=en&client=firefox-a

[laz-long]

Wow. Thanks everyone. This is going to be a blast. I’m not that creative, but I’m having to go back and write down the ideas. They’re all starting to flow together.

Mopsy , those finches are going to be popular, Hopefully, they won’t suffer as much as the poor robin did 🙂

[laz-long]

Only final thing I would suggest is submitting the PS thread on the same night (Wed) or next day (Thurs) as the Farktography thread, then your submitted link will link to the Farktography thread itself, which makes more sense. You’d still have a week for TF’ers to read the rules and mangle away.

Yes, that would make a bit more sense. 😳

Just to double-check.. That will be Wednesday 6/24?

[laz-long]

except for the ‘within reason’ part I think you’re pretty much bang on. mangle away 😉

Good call. Since that was part of the “NSFW” question, it can go away.

[laz-long]

To summarize, here’s what I’ve gleaned from this thread so far:

Corrected Title (It took me forever to get this simple change through my thick skull. Sorry Curious and Choc-Ful-A. You are absolutely correct. It does run exactly like a theme when it?s properly titled)
? Theme: Photoshop/Farktography Mash Up. Combine two or more images from Farktography contest ?Homeless images?

Sequence/timing
1. The Farktography thread will post as normal.
2. I’ll submit the PS thread a day or so before the Farktography thread with the understanding that it goes green for TFER?s at pretty much the same time as the Farktography thread hits the main page. Elsinore has volunteered to help with this part. (Thank you Elsinore. I can?t imagine having to do this part myself)
3. The mangling begins
4. PS Theme hits the main page in its normal sequence (about a week after the Farktography contest). Non-TFER’s might have to scramble a bit with their credits once they see the complete rules, but everyone had a fair start.
5. Awesomeness ensues

Rules to be posted in the PS thread:
Our friends in the Farktography forum have graciously given permission for their photos in (Link to Farktography thread) to be mangled/enhanced/combined within reason. The rules are fairly open:
? Use two or more of the photos from (Link to Farktography thread) as O’s.
? Outside sources are acceptable as long as they are a minor part of the entry (Gold Krylon paint will probably have to shipped in, but complete elements from outside the thread are strongly discouraged)
? Please give credit to your sources by name and a link to the O (thumbnails would be extra nice if you have the bandwidth)
? If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to vote for your favorite photograph(s) while you are perusing the O’s.

Have I missed any points or misunderstood anything?

BTW ? My Fark handle is Laz Long. This forum doesn?t allow the space. Sorry for any confusion.

[laz-long]

Are we going to have a guide on what’s photoshop friendly again?

Here are my suggestions, which are just one person’s perspective. I’d encourage other PS’ers that are reading this to chime in as well… Also, I’ll post something on the PSAEF forum asking for more feedback. It can’t hurt, eh?

All of these characteristics add to the potential of a source image when I’m searching for something to work with.

– The higher the resolution the better, with something like 800×800 being the minimum if I’m cutting something out of the image to be added to another image. The process of pulling an element out, resizing, re-shaping (perspective tool), and adjusting color levels all tend to introduce blurring or other distortions. So starting with a larger image helps hide those artifacts. So providing a link to a bigger version for this one is definitely a plus.

– The larger the depth of field the better. As much as a love artistic, abstract photos where only a small window is in focus, it’s hard to turn them into something else. Adding to them is painful since you have to simulate various degrees of in/out focus. And pulling elements out if hard since they aren’t likely to be completely in focus.

– If there’s an element (or elements) that are the core focus of the image, which PS’ers will probably want to cut out and put in another image, those element(s) should be completely visible and not cropped by the edge of the photo. If the focal element(s) are entirely captured in the frame, then there should be a clean/obvious way to cut out the element and have it make sense without the bits that got left behind. So if “supporting imagery”, as opposed to the main focus, is between the camera and the main focus of the photo such that it partially obscures the main elements that makes more work for the PS’er. It’s harder to cut out and might require them to construct missing bits, which can be a pain.

– Good lighting, meaning where you get a wide contrast range without overexposure or underexposure is great. Combining images together often involves match colors, bright/contrast levels, and levels of blurring. If the source your working with covers a wide range of light/dark and also a wide range of color saturations it’s looks better once you tweak it to match other imagery.

– A number of people have suggested that photos which are already funny are harder to work with. I think the idea is that a photo which is intentionally composed to tell a joke has a narrow focus already and might be hard to deconstruct and repurpose. I think that can be the case for elaborate setups, say groups of people dressed in costume. But if you can see a way to pull elements out of a funny photo someone can probably work with it.

On the “oh cool” bonus front…

– Extra images from a photo shoot showing the same imagery from a different perspective, with things shifted a bit, obvious passage of some time, etc… are all great. If you provide a link to more photos related to the image you posted it could help a PS’er create a composition where design elements are rotated slightly, duplicated but not identical, etc… Also, if some part of the primary photo does need reconstruction due to cropping, being partially obscured, etc.. the alternate photos might have elements that can be used.

I’d also add that high quality background images are also fun. Many PS’s entail moving an image element into a new background or environment. Some specific examples from your anniversary thread (The first one is what really kicked this off. It is so full of win and I wanted to see if there were enough pixels to turn it into a textured overlay)

Sunset by maced
Virgin River by Ranger Joe
Alleyway by sclark5150

By no means an exhaustive list. Just three completely different examples of cool backdrop photos.

[laz-long]

maybe I understood it wrong. I thought that there was a week from the post date to the contest for PS’s. So my understanding was that they’d have a week from when we started posting pics to do their entries before voting starts?

OK, then we’re saying the same thing and I just misinterpreted you. Sorry about that!

To try to clarify (in case I’ve confused other people too). Here’s a rough idea of what I was suggesting.

– Farktography contest goes live on the main page Wed night

– PS mash-up idea goes on the “upcoming contests” page the night or the night after

– The “go live on the main page” date for the PS contest would be roughly a week later, say the following Tuesday

Actually if the PS contest hits the “upcoming contests” page on Wed/Thu the timing should auto-magically work out based on how far out the contest are usually scheduled.

Now that I’ve read your suggestion, it makes sense too.

I’m wondering if we should just take this question (timing of the two contests) back to the PSAE forum and see what everyone thinks?

[laz-long]

maybe I understood it wrong. I thought that there was a week from the post date to the contest for PS’s. So my understanding was that they’d have a week from when we started posting pics to do their entries before voting starts?

Sort of. Usually TFER’s get a week to work on an O. The link hits the main page with voting enabled. The non-TFER’s then have to play catch up. It is sort of lop-sided since most of the voting is done before they have a chance to post. That is a perk we get for subscribing.

Themes are a bit different. Everyone can see the upcoming contests in the queue and have their theme ready to post as soon as the thread hits main.

This case is little strange. Everyone would be able to see the title as soon as it is in the queue, but the rules won’t be available to non-TFER’s until it hits the main page. This is why I’ve suggested dropping them simultaneously. It would be discouraging if someone saw the title in the queue, did all of the work and then found out that their work didn’t qualify.

[laz-long]

I’d drop the “You might want to delay voting for a week” bit. I’m not sure what that means, so maybe I’m missing something?

It’s tied into the timing question. In most PS contests, the thread hits the main page with TF entries and most of the voting is done before the liters have time to post. I’m just trying to figure out how to maximize participation.

[laz-long]

Wow. I didn?t expect this kind of response. Thank you all. I?m really excited about seeing this go forward. Doubly so since it has been so well received by you. Special thanks to swampa for suggesting a Farktography theme that is practically custom made for the cross over.

I?ll try to answer everyone in a single post. If I miss any questions or concerns, please let me know,

Some of your posts bring up an interesting question. The original idea was to limit everything to what was found in the Farktography thread but I?m not sure if that would work. Allowing tertiary sources leads to some interesting wording of the rules and some questions about what is acceptable IE: What if I see two elements in the thread that need to be combined with the Great A’Tuin? Should this be this allowed? What about bringing in some gold Krylon paint? What do you think?

Since no one seems to be opposed to NSFW versions of their work, we can just not mention it. If someone feels so inclined, they?ll go for it.

As to using your own photo as a source, I have to join with those that say that it shouldn?t be a problem. If we?re limiting it to ?two or more photos from the linked thread? There really isn?t an advantage other than isolating the various elements ahead of time in the hopes that they will fit with what someone else supplies. As I understand it, no one sees all of the entries until the contest goes live. Is this correct?

This still leaves an open question about the timing of the two contests. Do we place the PS contest in the ?Upcoming Contests? queue a week before it hits the main page (a week after the Farktography contest is published on main) or do we drop them basically simultaneously? In this case, I?d like to see them show up on the main page at the same time with a note saying that everyone is seeing it at the same time.

Yes, Laz Long (laz-long) is a Heinlein reference. The ultimate dirty old man.

HDR? I have no idea. I?ve never worked with it.

Elsinore was kind enough to ask that I submit the PS thread to kick this off on that side of the house, so I?m trying to hash out what the initial post is going to look like. So far, I?ve got the title and rules as something like this:

?Photoshop/Farktography mash up ? This time it?s official?

Our friends in the Farktography forum have graciously given permission for their photos in (Link to Farktography thread) to be mangled/enhanced/combined within reason. The rules are:
? Use two or more of the photos from (Link to Farktography thread) as O?s.
? Please limit the yourself to what you find in the thread. Note that this one is debatable. I?d appreciate feedback and any suggestions on the wording depending on whether tertiary sources are allowed.
? Please give credit to your sources by name and a link to the O (thumbnails would be extra nice if you have the bandwidth)
? You might want to delay voting for a week to give everyone a chance to participate. Everyone is seeing the contest at the same time. Again, depending on how we approach this contest
? If you haven?t done so already, don?t forget to vote for your favorite photograph(s) while you are perusing the O?s.

What would you like to see added, changed or deleted?

[laz-long]

Greetings all,

I?d like to start by thanking you all for the lack of torches and pitchforks. Special thanks to Elsinore and Curious for getting it back on track.

I did have some thoughts to run by everyone to see what you think. A good set of rules for the PS community should help keep this as a fun project for everyone

1. The original idea was a true mash-up of just the photos in the thread even though I didn?t explicitly state it. I?d vote for specifying it as part of the contest.
2. I?d like to see each source photo given proper credit. In the first attempt, the submitters were posting thumbnails of their source photos. This is a great idea but I?m not sure that everyone who would want to participate has an image server that can stand up to this. Would a link to their sources be acceptable?
3. It probably shouldn?t have to be said, but I think that it should be declared as SFW in the rules. I?m constantly amazed (and amused) to see Rule 34 in play in some PS threads, but this probably isn?t the best place to apply it.

Thanks for the participation in this. I really think that it will a lot of fun. The more variety that you provide, the more interesting the outcome.

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