Death of the APUG Photo Challenge

[FrankB]

The Photo Challenge seems to be dying a slow and painful death. The level of suggestions for themes is steadily dropping and in this month's poll so far a grand total of 1 vote has been cast. This poll is to decide where (if anywhere) we go from here. Multiple choices are allowed.

I'll leave this poll running for seven days and (hopefully) we'll see what people want to do.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I voted twice--once for having a separate summary page with the assignment, date, and link to the relevant gallery, and once for cutting back to once a quarter.

As I've written before, I think the challenge is a great idea, because one can learn a lot from doing an assignment that is outside of one's usual activity. This was Al Shaik's original idea behind usefilm.com, which began as a Yahoo!Group and a web site called "Photo Projects."

I just think it's too hard to figure out what the current project is, when it starts, and when it ends. Personally, I don't want to participate in the discussion about what the next project will be. I'm happy to leave that task to those who are interested. I just want to get the assignment and go, and then discuss the submissions afterward.

 

[Nige]

I haven't participated but enjoy seeing some of the pics posted. I did participate in Al's 1st Projects pre Usefilm and think the concept is worth continuing.

Can't find my pics to Al's Project 1, but here's my Project 2 efforts from way back in 2000! topic must have been "Industrial"

 

[rbarker]

Although I haven't participated because of my darkroom being dismantled at the moment, I think the basic concept is good. The summary page, wherever hosted, would make it easier to determine what is currently going on. And, while monthly may be too frequent for some, quarterly seems too infrequent to me.

 

[Tom Duffy]

Frank, I've never been involved, but now have a scanner, and so could be. As a latecomer to the process, it's not clear to me how you pick a topic. Does the majority win in the poll? or is there some other way to communicate the winning topic? Is there a deadline per topic, such as last day of the month?

I have a big backlog to post. For example I have a shot for the first annual APUG aniversay back in 2003 that I've not had the means to get online, untill now.

 

[FrankB]

Tom - Yes, the theme winning the APUG Photo Challenge poll each month is deemed the winner. I sometimes post a message to the month's poll and the month's suggestion thread, but may miss this if I'm busy.

There is a deadline (the end of that month or a week or so after) but having said that we've never turned our nose up at a decent submission! Feel free to contribute your backlog. I for one would love to see them!

All - Thank you very much for your comments and votes. Please keep them coming!

 

[Eric Rose]

David has summarized my views exactly.

 

[Andy K]

I just think it's too hard to figure out what the current project is, when it starts, and when it ends. Personally, I don't want to participate in the discussion about what the next project will be. I'm happy to leave that task to those who are interested. I just want to get the assignment and go, and then discuss the submissions afterward.

Ditto.

I find the photo challenge interesting, but I do not take part because I do not yet have a functioning DR. I could contribute colour photographs, but I thought the Challenge was a bw thing.

 

[MattCarey]

I like the photo challenge. I like the idea of being pushed outside my comfortable bounds. I also work well with deadlines (as my management will agree).

I think the interest in things like the camera-around-the-world and the loaner medium format threads show that this sort of thing can work well.

Matt

 

[titrisol]

I liked the idea, not much time lately
I vote for the quarterly or bi-monthly challenge and having a website for it.

 

[dschneller]

FrankB thanks for doing the challenge, but I have to agree, it appears to be dying a slow death. There are a grand total of two submissions for April, one of which is mine. I like the idea a lot, it pushes me to try something different or new. I like seeing how many different the interpretations there are for the same theme.

My vote is for a separate page, maybe this will drum up some interest.

Dave

 

[waynecrider]

I've never taken part due in fact to the original thread that promoted it and the confusion. Personally a bi-monthly contest of theme's picked by the person who started the thread would be preferable to asking about what everyone wants; Then you just get a bunch of different opinions. Also remember that those who are not subscribers will not be able to see any results if pictures are posted, outside thumbnails which are too small.

 

[chuck94022]

I like the concept. I participated last month. However, there might be more incentive or motivation to participate if there is some conclusion for each month, or quarter, or whatever. Perhaps a closing poll voting for the photo that most closely captures the theme (not necessarily a vote based on quality of the photo, so that those of us who are not experts yet can get a vote or two! ). Or a discussion of each of the photos, or whatever.

Regarding Andy K's comment, it wasn't my assumption that this was limited to B&W. If so, I'd argue against such a restriction. I think restricting it to general APUG principles is sufficient.

 

[MattCarey]

FrankB thanks for doing the challenge, but I have to agree, it appears to be dying a slow death. There are a grand total of two submissions for April, one of which is mine.

But, it is still rather early--it seems as though the schedule has been mid-month to mid month?

However, something to put some more life into it would be good. Also, making it easier on whoever is managing it would be good. It seems like geting responses for the monthly poll is not easy.

Matt

 

[Flotsam]

One problem as I see it is that every month there is a few weeks of nominations followed by a voting process. There are generally lots of excellent suggestions every month which makes it difficult to choose and unless you really follow it, it is often unclear what the topic is for which moth.

I was thinking, What if once a year, a couple of weeks was put into picking the 12 topics for the next year. Maybe just ask for nominations and then pull twelve out of a hat to avoid a long, difficult voting process. After all, the idea is to challenge ourselves with random projects within a specific time frame. Then at the beginning of each month, simply announce the challenge topic du month and let it go. This would reduce the amount of time and effort needed oversee the challenge and make it more clear and understandable to members that might want to participate without following the whole process.

The other thing is that when I visit the challenge area in the gallery, I often can not tell where one month ends and the next begins and I don't know what topics the photos are illustrating. How about definitively ending each month and starting the next with a placeholder announcement in the gallery that states the month and topic for the submissions following it? For instance, on the last day of the month, post a "new challenge" graphic with the new topic and what it is about in the subject and description areas.

I have no idea whether this would increase participation but it would simplify the managment of of the challenge and make it easier to sustain.

 

[TPPhotog]

Frank, now I have my brain back in gear I'm happy to come and play again.

I agree having the deadlines at the end of the actual month would make remembering them would make things much easier.

Also may I suggest that just for this one (if Sean has no objections), that the results are posted to the thread. That would allow members who are not subscribers to take part. Sorry if I've openned a bag of nails here.

 

[MenacingTourist]

I contributed once but the hassle of deciding what the theme was kind of turned me off. Similar to what others have suggested, I think you should just make a list of what each month's theme will be. That way we know in advance. Maybe you can ask for suggestions and make the list from the ones that seem the most fun or challenging.

Bottom line: I love the concept but the execution is a little weak.

 

[titrisol]

Good idea that of voting only once a year, maybe in wintertime.
And then you dra randomly one challenge per month

I was thinking, What if once a year, a couple of weeks was put into picking the 12 topics for the next year. Maybe just ask for nominations and then pull twelve out of a hat to avoid a long, difficult voting process. After all, the idea is to challenge ourselves with random projects within a specific time frame. Then at the beginning of each month, simply announce the challenge topic du month and let it go. This would reduce the amount of time and effort needed oversee the challenge and make it more clear and understandable to members that might want to participate without following the whole process.

The other thing is that when I visit the challenge area in the gallery, I often can not tell where one month ends and the next begins and I don't know what topics the photos are illustrating. How about definitively ending each month and starting the next with a placeholder announcement in the gallery that states the month and topic for the submissions following it? For instance, on the last day of the month, post a "new challenge" graphic with the new topic and what it is about in the subject and description areas.

I have no idea whether this would increase participation but it would simplify the managment of of the challenge and make it easier to sustain.

 

[Flotsam]

I think you should just make a list of what each month's theme will be. That way we know in advance.

I don't favor the idea of announcing the whole list in advance. The specific and limited time frame is part of the challenge. I would like to see an announcement post at the beginning of each month, "The APUG Challenge for May Is : [Whatever]" With a further explanation if required.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Neal's post does a good job of explaining why it's so confusing to participate in the Challenge, if you're not following the discussion from day to day.

 

[Sanjay Sen]

I agree with Neal. I also think that the current monthly format gets a little too tight for some of us who otherwise like the concept and would love to participate.

Personally speaking, I haven't been able to go out and shoot much because of various reasons. So, although I like this month's subject, I haven't been able to shoot anything worth putting up, and there's not much time left. A quarterly, or even bimonthly, format would be nice.

Just my $0.02

 

[kjsphoto]

I just couldn’t figure out how to do it or what it was so I just said forget about it.

Just need a better way to define what the current project is and I would be interested but have to make it easy.

 

[Ole]

I too think that once a month is too short. Of course my opinion is loaded by my own situation where I can get a picture of a drilling rig any month, but sometimes nothing else. So unless the theme is "oil drilling", I need two months at least.

 

[TPPhotog]

I too think that once a month is too short. Of course my opinion is loaded by my own situation where I can get a picture of a drilling rig any month, but sometimes nothing else. So unless the theme is "oil drilling", I need two months at least.

Ole post away I'd love to see some "oil drilling" and related stuff. The only oil we get in Devon is in cans or spillages in the bay.

 

[FrankB]

I'm not going to respond to all the comments and views (although the sheer amount of them does show that at least the concept is worth pursuing, just the method needs tuning).

Please keep them coming, though. I'd love to get this right!

I'll take a stab at a few of them:

Andy K - Like APUG itself, anything non-digital goes in the Challenge. Feel free to blast in with some colour, and thanks for pointing out this misapprehension; I'm sure you weren't alone in that belief.

Neal - I like your ideas, especially the placeholder graphic in the gallery; I should be able to come up with something for that. I agree that the current polling system seems to be a lot of palaver. However, if we go for the yearly selection, what happens if someone comes up with a cracking theme halfway through the year? Or a new member joins with a radically new way of thinking that really appeals to everyone? A quarterly polling system might give us more flexibility and a summary webpage (as per David's original suggestion) would certainly help with the clarity...

waynecrider - Thanks for your confidence but I'd rather not get into a situation where I'm picking the themes unilaterally. That way, you just get what flicks my switch and Cheryl might never get her Fairytale theme (where the hell am I going to find two kids called Jack and Jill and a bucket?! ) I'd do it this way on condition that all practical suggestions go into the hat and I pick them out completely at random.

chuck94022 - I hear you, but I'd rather not turn this into a competition (we're having enough trouble with polls as it is!). I really like Ailsa's original concept, and that's what I'd like to stick to. Comment and discussion is very welcome, either on the month's Suggestions / Discussion thread or in the Challenge Gallery comments

MattCarey - Thanks for the thought (and I mean that!), but I can cope with this level of workload, no worries. I'm also happy to host and maintain a webpage summarising the Challenge and the current theme (provided people are prepared to put up with my crappy HTML! Sean I ain't!)

Tony - Nice to have you back on the roster! Erm, I'm going to duck the nails! There's already a looooonnnng thread running on a very similar subject, and I'd rather not mix this one in with it!

Ole / Sensanjay - Yup, I'm having trouble with the monthly timetable too!

Thanks for all the responses, suggestions and ideas. Please keep them coming.

All the best,

Frank