Photography Challenges

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

Hello!

On the Photography thread, there was a colour challenge that kind of got lost in it.  I thought it might be an idea to set up a new thread and do weekly challenges, but is anyone interested in that?  Having a theme every week.  Someone tossed me their old 50mm lens and I'd like to learn how to use it so I'd find it helpful anyway.  If anyone participated, we could set a theme a week each.  I'll post up a list of people who are in and then each person can suggest a theme a week.  Better to do that than go round and round voting on one.  And it makes it a bit harder, too.

What do you think?

[An tSaoi]

I think it's a great idea. Not much else to say, just an indication of support. I'm no good at taking photos, but I really love looking at the photography thread, and themed challenges sounds like it could be very interesting.

[Zero Gravitas]

This is a great idea, a bit of constraint is always very fun, consider me included.

[kittens]

I'm totally up for this, yeah.

[sproggy]

It's sometimes nice to suggest themes that you're not usually comfortable shooting, like people (strangers), gigs, abstract or pigeons or something, just to push your envelope a bit and explore what you're capable of doing.

Currently I'm using manual flash & light meters at the moment and it's a right pain in the arse but I'm learning a lot.

[Milo]

Yep, I'd definitely be up for this sort of thing. I did have an idea of doing a complete a-z in photos for one but several people posting 26 photos each would probably guarantee that virtually none of them actually got looked at.

EDIT TO ADD: As a side note, there is this too:
http://community.livejournal.com/photographers/16364357.html

No particular important meaning to it but it's not a bad excuse to burn through a roll of film.

[falafel]

I'm totally up for this, yeah?

fixed, etc

I'd like to have a go.

[mook]

I'll have a bash.

[Milo]

A few people then, so now what we need is a theme.

[sproggy]

Film shooters might want to think about stocking up, rumour is that Fuji are cutting a lot of lines and I can't see 35mm at all lasting too much longer.

As for themes, it's open to anything.

I'll throw a few out there to get things moving:   Workplace, strength, colours, people in unusual situations, water, reflections, pain, thought, anger, home, arrogance, night shot, broken rule portraits, rule of thirds, waste, 50mm landscape, perspective, angles, dirt, shadow, distortion...


How about a maximum of three images over a month and a judge is chosen to pick the best three and offer a little critique?  Winner chooses the next theme.

[Cerys]

I'm in, time permitting.

[Nik Drou]

Sod it, I'm in.  I have a camera, so no excuses.

...what's this about, then?

[An tSaoi]

This week's theme is naked women.

[NattyDread]

I'll have a bash.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

Film shooters might want to think about stocking up, rumour is that Fuji are cutting a lot of lines and I can't see 35mm at all lasting too much longer.

As for themes, it's open to anything.

I'll throw a few out there to get things moving:   Workplace, strength, colours, people in unusual situations, water, reflections, pain, thought, anger, home, arrogance, night shot, broken rule portraits, rule of thirds, waste, 50mm landscape, perspective, angles, dirt, shadow, distortion...


How about a maximum of three images over a month and a judge is chosen to pick the best three and offer a little critique?  Winner chooses the next theme.

Sounds good but people should bear in mind that some have more reet posh cameras than others.

Since you're one of the people who post most to the photography thread, do you want to set the first challenge?

[sproggy]

I'll go for "broken rule portraits".

Sod perfect lighting, pose and angle, get in close and distorted and shoot some wierd angles to show a different side to a person.

Might be worth clarifying the rules before people start posting and maybe a seperate thread for each theme?

[weekender]

"The side breast"

Come on, it's got artistic merit and I'm horny as fuck today*.

*_{To the point at work that when someone asked for sponsor activites, I suggested a sponsored breast cancer check.  Women pay a pound to have me feel their breasts for cancerous lumps.  I don't think it's being taken seriously, which fucking sucks, frankly, best idea I've had in ages.}

[the midnight watch baboon]

I'm in, time permitting.

Cor, I think time will continue to exist whether you're in or not, darlin'! Get her! Me in too.

[Cerys]

Yeah, well, you smell.  Of gibbons.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

I'll go for "broken rule portraits".

Sod perfect lighting, pose and angle, get in close and distorted and shoot some wierd angles to show a different side to a person.

Might be worth clarifying the rules before people start posting and maybe a seperate thread for each theme?

I don't think we should have many rules but how about:

Up to 5 photos per person
Retouching is fine, but nothing more than the basics like exposure, colour balance, etc.

I don't know, what else?

[sproggy]

Sounds like you're almost as useless as me at organising these sort of things :)

From past experience, a week is not long enough, a month is better with a cut off date and a week for the judge to ponder the entries and make a decision on the best three.  Talking of which, we'll need a judge, it's quit nice to use someone outside of the forum, but it all depends on how serious you want to take it.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

I am indeed!  A month is much better, I meant to add that in my post.  Ah bollocks!

[The Masked Unit]

I would in principle like to take part, but I too would like to suggest that a month is a much better time frame, for me at least.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

It is, I meant to add it in my post.

Right, rules, and I am bollocks, so apologies.  I don't think we should have many rules really.

• A challenge a month, new thread for each


• Five photos at most from each poster


• A week to judge the photos, the winner sets the next theme.  Anyone fancy volunteering being a judge?  If not I'm grabbing someone who posts lots of comments in the photography thread and asking them. 


• Retouching is allowed but nothing overly elaborate that transforms a mediocre photo into a good photoshop


• For this challenge, broken rule portraits, you can't use the same person for each photo.  Self portraits are okay, but only one.


• Include at least one candid shot


• Don't do everything in black and white.  It's a bit of a cop out.

Anything else?

[the midnight watch baboon]

Anything else?

Yeah... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

^{I am very excitable today}

[Vitalstatistix]

Anything else?

Yeah what the bejeezus is a broken rule portrait? Also, what does 'include at least one candid shot' mean?

Please excuse my ignorance!

[the midnight watch baboon]

I would also like clarification on these points...

[rudi]

For fuck's sake you idiots.



_{As you can guess, I don't know either.}

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

It's sproggy's thing:

I'll go for "broken rule portraits".

Sod perfect lighting, pose and angle, get in close and distorted and shoot some wierd angles to show a different side to a person.

So I imagine not the kind of soft focus loveliness that portraits often are, designed to show the beauty of the subject.

Candid, I mean not getting someone to pose or asking them to do anything, just catching people.  Which is kind of a given but I don't know how much people might feel like getting slightly stagey shots, so thought I'd include it anyway.

Also, I think nudity is fine but people may disagree.  This is not an invitation to post photos of your cock here.  PM me that shit.

Christ, I really am balls at this, I blame lack of sleep.  Ah well, I have a new (old) lens to play with so I'm excited anyway!

[Milo]

I guess



'subject remained inside pub for the shot' would be a bit too far, but I think I get it. Though I do quite like the idea of a shot of a perfectly lit chair or something with a shallow depth of field set perfectly at where a portrait subject should be but isn't.