Some Thoughts on a New Challenge...

[Levina de Ruijter]

Rosalie said this in the last WET challenge Transformation and I want to discuss this and talk about some things I've been thinking about for a while regarding maybe one or two new challenges.

So picking up Rosalie's comment:

I came from SmugMug and we had a slightly different competition there which we tried in the other group which shall be nameless and didn't work out over there. Maybe it would work better here. The person setting the challenge gives examples - so if I decided to set a challenge for Lighthouses, or Toilets or Silhouettes, I would give several examples of the kind of photograph I was thinking of or would like to see. Then people have 10 days or two weeks to enter up to three photos. At the end of the time the person who set the challenge picks a winer, but when they do it, they give an evaluation of each persons photographs. I usually pick a favorite one of the three and tell why I like it. Positive comments first before any suggestion of what could be (in our opinion) better. And then an overall winner, who gets to set the next challenge.

Sounds rather complicated. Do people have to shoot new material for this competition or can they use photos from the archives?

The reason I ask is, I've been thinking of a new challenge, but one in which we can't use photos from our archives but need to shoot new material in the period the challenge runs. Much like the old WWPW from POTN, which was continued on the other forum.

I'm looking for a challenge that pretty much does the same: encouraging us to go out and shoot. Or stay in and shoot if we can't go out. But it has to be something that is NOT the WWPW. It HAS to be different. I think it's something that is missing from our forum. We have Photo of the Day, but archived photos are allowed in that thread. I did that because some of our members aren't mobile and it would be difficult for them to "go out and shoot". It's also not theme based.

In short, we need a challenge for which we have to take photographs in the period that the challenge runs. Doesn't have to be a weekly challenge. We could make it a 2-week challenge or even a monthly challenge.

I have also been thinking about starting a thread in which we can post, say 3 pics maximum, on any given day, but they need to be taken on that day and posted on that day. So on a Monday you post a pic on that Monday, taken on that Monday. Tuesday, you post a pic on that Tuesday, taken on that Tuesday. No theme, so people could post anything they like. We could call it Days of the Week.

I don't know, I just think we need something to encourage people to take pics instead of browsing the archives and post from there.

Thoughts anyone?

Would Rosalie's old Smugmug challenge be something to try maybe?

 

[greatgrandma]

If I was going to participate it would have to be photos from our archive although of course anyone could go out and get new photos. They had one of those contests where you had to post on a subject photos that you took on that day and it has disappeared from view through inertia. For me, the challenge to taking new photos is not only restricted mobility but that I have great difficulty using anything other than my cell phone now, and I have to jump through a number of hoops to get those photos onto my computer.

The original context that I referenced was something that was from archives.

We had another type of contest which was called "Out Of Your Comfort Zone". That was for new photos - we did table top photography, tilt shift, landscapes and various other types of photography and submitted photos for judging and fixing.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

If I was going to participate it would have to be photos from our archive although of course anyone could go out and get new photos. They had one of those contests where you had to post on a subject photos that you took on that day and it has disappeared from view through inertia. For me, the challenge to taking new photos is not only restricted mobility but that I have great difficulty using anything other than my cell phone now, and I have to jump through a number of hoops to get those photos onto my computer.

The original context that I referenced was something that was from archives.

We could have two new challenges. One in which archived images are allowed. Could be something like your old Smugmug game that we could make a 2-weekly or even a monthly thing. I would want to change the rules some though. Like post 1 to 3 images on a theme given. Each image should go in a separate post and those posts don't have to be sequential. No liking until the challenge closes after which people can vote by Liking the pics they like. The photo with the most Likes wins and the images can be discussed. The winner sets a new theme.

And then a second challenge without any winners. Just a personal challenge, for new photos only, like Days of the Week that I described above.

I am also looking at an add-on at the moment that I think is interesting. That add-on has two modes:

1. It generates a new album each month in the media gallery in which people can submit their best images of that month. Then there is a voting phase in which people can vote.
2. There is no dedicated album, all images in the gallery from the last month can be voted for.

In both scenarios the image with the most votes, wins. And gets a ribbon in their user window, for a month, until the next winner is known.

So this add-on works without themes. The upside is it runs automatically, so nobody has to do anything, except submit images and/or vote. The downside is that this takes place in the media gallery and our community lives on the board. So not sure it would work. But I like the idea of it anyway.

 

[Jan1977]

Both options of using archive and stimulation to shoot to the theme have their merits. There are some challenges, for which I do not have a proven solution.

• When using archives around a theme, the member base can be quite important as you need sufficient members with a 'substantial' archive to get the challenges running. For example lighthouses I do not have many (if any) photos of those in my archive. So with a theme like that, other people will have to provide the input. With a more sporty subject, I might have a suitable archive, whereas non sports shooters get challenged. Nothing wrong with not being able to participate every now and then depending on the theme, but with a limited number potential users getting the critical mass to make the respective challenge worthwhile can paralize it.
  @greatgrandma : the example you gave from the smugmug community, do you have any memory on the number of people actively participating to keep things going? (I can imagine Smugmug had quite a broad member base).
• When stimulating new content, people need some time to develop an idea, prepare and find time. Too short of an interval and time flies before you know it. Too long of an interval and people postpone and it doesn't get done. Also with a limited number of potential participants sufficient members should be able to find some time.
  An about 2 weeks interval seems a nice starting point in that case or set the interval on a month.

Furthermore, too many different challenges on the forum may spread members over several challenges, making it harder to reach the 'critical mass'. Only time will tell and it will also depend on how much which members are attracted to a certain type of challenge.
It will take time for a challenge to mature, so I feel new challenges would best be started when already existing challenges have settled. It can also help when deadlines for submissions and voting are spread over the week (although that on the other hand can cause a bit of confusion as well, like mixing up deadlines).

It seems like the challenge mentioned by Rosalie has some similarties with how the WET is currently going. I feel like in the WET the submissions are to be 'related to' the theme, whereas by the thread as it was on Smugmug, the submissions have to more strictly apply to the theme. I think it is important to make such things clear in the challenge subscription. (I do think both challenges could co-exist here, but the 'Smugmug' one needs a longer duration).

The idea of a photo of the month crossed my mind as well. Some Dutch photo forum I occassionaly have a look at (without being registered as a member) has something like "Todays Choice", "Photo of the week", and something like "Yesterday's choice" where they highlight photos from the past on the forum.
I think the week photo is something where people can submit a photo to participate, whereas the todays and yesterdays choices are picked by the moderators of that forum.
On that forum they also have monthly assignments where members submit photos to that months theme (although I do not know whether archive material is allowed or not.

@Levina de Ruijter the forum is Dutch/ Belgian and I think they are relatively small as well, it is called " photodrome.nl ". Due to their small base and the focus on Netherlands/ Belgium, they are all in similar time zones.

They have 2 weekly online zoom meetings where they discuss photos like a photo club (I guess) and particpants can post up to 4 photos (prior to) per session. With the time difference the members on this forum face that will be more challenging, but it might give some ideas (for example not via zoom, but just in a thread (multiple people posting in a specific thread aimed at joined critiquing, where all participants give their opinion on the submitted photos.

No clear ideas from my side for now, but wanted to share my thoughts.

 

[greatgrandma]

I was not with SmugMug very long and have no idea how many of the members participated in the challenges - I think they did originally have actual prizes (like free prints or something) but that had gone by the time I got there. When I submitted Lighthouses as a theme I added that the photo could be something other than an actual lighthouse but could be light shining from a house window or a beam of light. Some people had trouble with that one, but mostly when they looked, they found that they did have an example.

 

[LtDave]

whatever you all come up with, im good with at least trying it out.

there was something on Pekka's POT.N that i THINK was a scavenger hunt? there was a list of 4 or 5 things (maybe 7, one for each day of the week?) that we had to find and then photograph. i dont remember if it was a competition amongst participants as much as it was just to get people out shooting...

 

[Terry McDaniel]

First, I love WET and the ability to use archives.
A new contest of new photos only would also be great, but like others I think it should be two weeks to begin with and maybe even a month if necessary. Admittedly, that's a selfish reason, as in my rural area, there is just not that much to photograph without a bunch of repeats, especially in the winter. Or maybe there is lots to photograph and I just don't have the artistic side of the brain that lets others see things that make great photos. Maybe that's why I like macro, I see this little bitty thing that most people just overlook. But how many photos of Dandelions or Henbit do y'all want to see?
Anyway, let's give it a go, and if it works we've won, and if it doesn't at least we can say we tried.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

whatever you all come up with, im good with at least trying it out.

there was something on Pekka's POT.N that i THINK was a scavenger hunt? there was a list of 4 or 5 things (maybe 7, one for each day of the week?) that we had to find and then photograph. i dont remember if it was a competition amongst participants as much as it was just to get people out shooting...

I have a vague recollection of a scavenger hunt. Not sure how it worked though as I never participated in it.

 

[StephenM]

I have read through this thread. I haven't any immediate suggestions, but I am thinking about it...

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

First, I love WET and the ability to use archives.
A new contest of new photos only would also be great, but like others I think it should be two weeks to begin with and maybe even a month if necessary. Admittedly, that's a selfish reason, as in my rural area, there is just not that much to photograph without a bunch of repeats, especially in the winter. Or maybe there is lots to photograph and I just don't have the artistic side of the brain that lets others see things that make great photos. Maybe that's why I like macro, I see this little bitty thing that most people just overlook. But how many photos of Dandelions or Henbit do y'all want to see?
Anyway, let's give it a go, and if it works we've won, and if it doesn't at least we can say we tried.

Sure, we could do a 2-weekly challenge with new photos or if that is not long enough, we could make it a monthly thing. But I would prefer to make it a personal challenge so without winners. Two weeks or a month of silence is not inviting. So my vote would go to not making it a contest. That will enable us to freely interact as we post pics and click the Like button. And we can post as many pics as we like. Well, that would make it just like the WWPW of course... except for the duration.

Jan suggested we could do a poll for themes. So I would post a poll with say, 10 or 12 themes. And the top three will then be used for the next 3 turns after which we do a new poll. That would make it more likely the themes appeal to everyone and maybe would make more people participate.

EDIT: And we would need a good, catchy name for it!

 

[inphoto]

World Wide Photo Week?
Every week we select a new theme, and then go out and shoot that theme.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

World Wide Photo Week?
Every week we select a new theme, and then go out and shoot that theme.

That is out of the question! I just made a ton of changes to the forum to make us not look like a duplicate of the other site! So no, we can’t use this.

EDIT: I mean, not the title, not the description either. But yes to the format.

 

[Terry McDaniel]

The Daily Game?

 

[LtDave]

I have a vague recollection of a scavenger hunt. Not sure how it worked though as I never participated in it.

a list of 10-20 things

objects like Apple, Book, Chair, Deck, etc.... not necessarily alphabetical. just random different things.

started on a monday or sunday or wednesday (whatever) and ran for 7 days. starting in the middle of the week, allows for weekend days (Sat, Sun) to be used for shooting vs just finishing up the challenge or ending it.

any person could make the next week's list. no judging, no winner. just a list of things to go look for and apply your vision to the image/shot.

 

[inphoto]

That is out of the question! I just made a ton of changes to the forum to make us not look like a duplicate of the other site! So no, we can’t use this.

You're right, but I meant something like that game we used at Potn days, the title can be different, the rules can be different.