 - Ken Smith  Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
BP's New Catch-All Category BP has replaced "Special Effects" with a new category called "Catch All." It's verhy similar to Special Effects. Here's the link to the description for all the categories: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/categories.php
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Sharon Day |
I got an email about that this morning. It will be fun to see all the Buzzed Catch-Alls :o)!
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher  Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
Buzzed shots are clearly Digital Darkroom. This would be a good place for still lifes that don't fit in flowers or macro and for car shots and stuff like that.
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BetterPhotoJim.com - Jim Miotke Contact Jim Miotke Jim Miotke's Gallery |
Yes, Carolyn is exactly right. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
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Charlene Bayerle |
Oops, I didnt know about the new category when I entered at 2:00 am last night, so, my still life, which should be in the "catch all" category, I put into flowers. Anyway I can change the category?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
It's the place for people to complain that it's too hard to win a finalist because they need to sub divide it because still life shouldn't compete with special effects. Not to mention the complaints that there's too many people, and this and that are in the wrong category.
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BetterPhotoJim.com - Jim Miotke Contact Jim Miotke Jim Miotke's Gallery |
It's okay for you to do that - for example, if it's a still life of flowers, it could go into either category. No way to change the category. I would let it ride and if you really want to try the new category, enter it there tomorrow. Just try to categorize in the other nine first. I have a fear that this category will have lots of images that really belong in other categories (submitted by people who, let's face it, are too lazy to read the rules and learn how the categories work). But this category has been highly requested and the old Special Effects category wasn't working because people kept submitting digital darkroom stuff into it. Hopefully this will be a change for the best. You should all know that I was also very close to making it so that contestants can only enter one every other day... because the load is so heavy. But I decided to not do that because, frankly, I love that you all love to come to BetterPhoto each day. :) Enjoy the contest and have a super 2007. I wish you all many POTDs, Finalists, and Winners!
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
I have always opposed limiting the number you can submit, but I can see lately it's becoming almost too much to keep up with. I wouldn't even argue with one every other day. I've heard others that formerly opposed limits say the same thing.
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Charlene Bayerle |
Thanks Jim....I think this is a good change of categories.....
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Mike Rubin |
Another vote for every other day. I would even go with 1 a week. I think this would make people pay closer attention to everything that goes into a shot and only entering their best work. Although it may make the judges job more difficult because all the images would probably be worthy of winning, Just an opinion. Many contests have a limit of only 1 entry per person.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Well, since I started this thread I figure I can chime in again. I think weekly is too infrequent. As long as the BP staff can keep up, then I think daily is fine, just as long as they can give each shot an honest look. Every other day is OK too. Weekly, I vote no.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Well, since I started this thread I figure I can chime in again. I think weekly is too infrequent. As long as the BP staff can keep up, then I think daily is fine, just as long as they can give each shot an honest look. Every other day is OK too. Weekly, I vote no.
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Corinne M. Thompson |
I think it's great that they have added a new category for those hard to fit images.
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- Linda D. Lester Contact Linda D. Lester Linda D. Lester's Gallery |
I think it is great to have the category and shouldn't be a problem as long shots that don't belong there just don't get picked. Like in Special Effects they were picked and shouldn't of been. I also think if they are getting to big of load they should hire someone else to help. With more people that means more money coming in. I look forward to posting everyday and socializing.
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Corinne M. Thompson |
And Jim, thanks to you and the staff for all the changes to the site, very nice. "But I decided to not do that because, frankly, I love that you all love to come to BetterPhoto each day. :)" Can't speak for the others but I come every day, contest or not! There's much more to BP than just the contest!
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Mike Rubin |
There's much more to BP than just the contest! I agree Corinne, and would add that more people need to be reminded of this.
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Diane Dupuis |
YAY YAY YAY!!! I'm thrilled with this new category! Thanks so much!!! It was annoying seeing d.d. in s.e. all the time... Plus having a category with hundreds and hundreds of less entries than the others was also annoying... But best of all is having somewhere to put that shot that just doesn't fit anywhere else... Jim - I know when you tried a while back to limit the entries we all started an uproar... But in the meantime things seem to be getting out of hand and I see I'm not the only long-time regular BP'er to agree that one every other day would not be the end of the world... One other comment though - back when there were 14,000 entries or so - there were certainly as many finalists as there are now or even sometimes more... I remember a month with over 1,000... In the meantime the contest has grown to 10,000 more entries - and the number of finalists does not reflect that... I know that there are not 20,000 fabulous shots every month - but I'm quite sure many fantastic ones are overlooked due to the limited number of finalists... Seeing it really doesn't cost you anything to award more finalists - other than maybe some more time picking through those for the winners - would it not be possible to increase the numbers of finalists a bit?? Thanks for listening! Thanks again for making BP such a wonderful place!
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Diane Dupuis |
Sorry to correct you Jim - but Charlene there is a way to change the category... Tomorrow - before entering a new photo - sign in and go into your photos Go to: Enter our monthly Contest from Your Photos Under the photo entered in the wrong category - hit Enter the Contest And choose your corrected category... Then you can still go in and enter a new one tomorrow...
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Charlene Bayerle |
Thanks Diane....I will give that a try. Also, I think that instead of making another rule about limits of entries, I'm sure we can all do that on our own, if we choose. For those who feel every other day would be better, then it's ok to limit yourself. Without another rule. I know I don't feel pressured to enter every day, (although I used to feel that way). But, I will admit, that knowing I enter BP, it keeps me on my toes with my photography and I keep learning new things, just by reading the Q&A and seeing other photos and learning new techniques. So, in my opinion, there are already too many rules in this world, why not just decide for ourselves if "once a day" is too many. Just my opinion...... Charlene
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sherry-adkins-photography.com - Sherry Karr Adkins Contact Sherry Karr Adkins Sherry Karr Adkins's Gallery |
I, too, am very happy with this new category. I've had some that just don't fit anywhere. I take alot of old trucks and cars and they don't fit in other categories. I'm glad that BP listens to it's members and adjusts accordingly. I also don't mind if the contest entries were limited to every other day, but not once a week. And like Diane suggested, maybe a few more finalists. Maybe 15 instead of 10 per category. There are, afterall, so many more entries. That says alot for BP. Many great photographers on this site. And growing!
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Sharon Day |
At the risk of being contrary Digital Darkroom entries can and are placed in any category. With that in mind I still think there will be Buzzed Catch-alls the same as are there are Buzzed landscapes and flowers, but that's fine as long as everyone understands this and if they read ALL of this page there shouldn't be any misunderstandings. I agree with Jim. Some people are too lazy to read it all. I also agree SE was due for an overhaul. It was getting to the place the only thing you saw in there was IR or intentional camera movement (which many people hate) so change was definitely in the wind. I'm looking forward to ALL the changes I know are coming including every other day entries if that's what BP wants. Happy New Year everyone!
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Diane Dupuis |
Charlene - here's the thing - unless you get everyone at BP to limit themselves - then there will still be those "snapshots" entered every day - and the better photographers who choose will be holding back to every other day??? I'm not saying I still enter every day - I think I actually missed 6 in December -but if they want to significantly reduce the number of entries every month by several thousand - there will most probably have to be a rule... Sherry - I was referring to more finalists - not winners... There are 10 2nd places (only at BP!) per category... But those actually cost BP revenue because they are giving away their premium galleries. I was just referring to finalists... The free grey button!
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Sharon Day |
Inquiring minds want to know! The email I got this morning was no big deal. Jim didn't run anything past me so I have no inside scoops ;)! Just kidding! It was simply someone wanting to know if I'd seen the new category probably knowing I'd be bummed (and I was) but being the old person I am it takes me a while to come around to change so I apologize for being grumpy this morning. I'm looking forward now to the new category. A general category makes much more sense and will likely have many more entries which will in turn make competition more fun as well. Good luck people!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
"I have a fear that this category will have lots of images that really belong in other categories (submitted by people who, let's face it, are too lazy to read the rules and learn how the categories work)." It's good to confront your fears. And you probably will.
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Laura Clay-Ballard |
here's a solution ...for those too lazy or whatever .. eliminate categories completely and just submit your images.. period ..LOL .. a good image will stand on its own two legs regardless of a category..what do you think? (how about this can of worms? LOL)...the judging should be easier .. good vs not so good! and then sort through the good ...then maybe what ddk was talking about (ratios of number of images submitted versus finalists and lots of good images being overlooked) won't be an issue any longer ??
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
There are so many good images overlooked I've had people ask if I think they are being picked by computer. While that maybe would explain it, I saw where Jim said they wouldn't do that to us, so who knows why so many really great shots are left out. Maybe just to 'spread it around'?
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Sharon Day |
What a concept, Laura! No categories :o)! That would make for some interesting wins LOL. There will always be great images overlooked. They can't help it. If Marc Adamus entered everyday he should win 31 finalists, he's that good. That kinda leaves out those of us that aren't that good so I don't have any kind of problem when a really good photo gets left out. It happens to me all the time ;)!
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Marianne Fortin |
Just to mention that the Contest Entries page drop down menu still shows the Special Effects category.
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
I think a lot of us are as good, we just are good at other things than he is. And if he is that much better than us, he SHOULD win every time.
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Marie Fields |
I think this is a good change, Jim... but like you said it has the potential to be a HUGE category! I was wondering since Still-Lifes are actually listed in this new catch-all category and are NOT listed in the description of Details and Macro (where we have been placing them)... Does that mean that you WANT the still lifes (for instance food images) to go into the catch-all INSTEAD of Details? Or is it still acceptable to place them in the details and macro category?
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Kai Eiselein |
LOL, I thought about entering my newest entry in "Catch all", but after a bit of reflection put it elsewhere. Where does one put a shot of a girl and horse barrel racing? People? Animals? Nope, Travel and Place. I DID travel to the place... a rodeo!
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John P. Sandstedt |
I think the change is terrible. That's because there's just too much digital editing going on - every picture that's significantly adjusted with an editing program should be placed in this new category. But, for Special Effects - how about that picture where the photographer moved his zoom lens to get those fabulous light lines. What about panning?? Isn't Infrared or Gaussian Blur or Posterization or . . . a Special Effect? And, once a photographer places his/her image in a category, that should seal it in concrete for the month. If s/he feels the image should be in a different category, it should be entered in the succeeding month. I mean, after all, we've seen thread after thread complaining about the fact that the initiator hasn't won. By letting an image get entered into more than one category per month, these complainers will start all over again - now because they didn't assign their pictures to the "right place." One other thing, if a Title is to be assigned, it should relate to the Category and count in the judging process. Imagine the Theme "Moving Water." Now, visualize the image of the three racing kayaks - we see the anguish as well as the exhaustion on the sharply defined faces of the racers. There are a few droplets of water to be be seen, to be sure. And, the Title is FINISH LINE!" Of course the image is entered in the Theme Moving Water - and, I'd disqualify it in a heartbeat.
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Diane Dupuis |
I'm afraid you'll be in the minority over the digital editing comment John. At BP it's allowed in all categories. And the changing of category is only if you've entered it by mistake - it doesn't show up in two categories - just the corrected one... Gaussian Blur and Posterization are digital darkroom effects... They belong in that category.
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John P. Sandstedt |
Gaussian Blur - used in a tutorial to achieve a glamor photograph. Never would I expect to see sucha an image in Digital Darkroom, when I [or the tutorial writer] could enter the image in the People Category. Posterization - been around long before digital - but it is a Special Effect. Of course, I'm an aging dinosaur. I fully recognize I might be in a minority - it doesn't mean my comment is incorrect. But, there are just too many people who truly believe they'll take/make better pictures with digital. Just ain't so. One might be able to correct a marginal image, but if the picture isn't great to start with all the editing in the world may not be sufficient to make it a winner.
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Sharon Day |
"I think a lot of us are as good, we just are good at other things than he is." That's true, Carolyn. I just wish I knew how to capture a scenic like he does and I've tried. How I've tried LOL. John, I have a book on darkroom techniques for film leftover from the days when I shot film. Posterization was most definitely a special "darkroom" effect as was many other techniques that were used to achieve some really neat effects. Solarization was another one which anyone might think is a PS filter but in fact has its origins in the wet darkroom. This book shows how to do photograms and bas-relief. Those are cool. You just never saw them in the SE category, mores the pity, but the film darkroom is a disappearing art. Too bad.
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Is this the first call to change the categories? Wake me up when somebody calls for still life to have their own separate category.
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- Jill Odice Contact Jill Odice Jill Odice's Gallery |
I agree with Laura! No categories...too many great images don't win because they are in the wrong category....How many times have you just not been sure which category to put something in? I also read something in the rules about a person only being able to win once per month, yet have seen one member in aprticular win 5 in one month...there are so many great photographers here, it just is not fair to give so many of the prizes to the same people every month....How come there are several 1st place winners who are also listed as 2nd place winners with the same photo? That takes away from someone elses's chance to maybe win....sounds like somebody is not paying attention...?
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Laura Clay-Ballard |
Jill, I see we think alike. Why not just make it really simple? LOL
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Diane Dupuis |
I doubt there are very many that don't make it to the finalists because they are in the wrong category... DD was forever winning in the SE category... In the meantime - if there are no categories - how will that change the number of photos that get recognized. If they still keep their numbers down to around 750 - that's not going to change the number of great pics that don't make it every month... I like the categories - especially when I have one that obviously fits... flowers in flowers - people in people - I thinnk it's very simple 95% of the time... Just sometimes it doesn't quite fit anywhere - and that's what catch-all is for... And no one gets more than 1 first place win or GP per month - but there have been several finalists and I believe also 2nd place wins per photographer many times... I've seen up to 14 finalists in one month for one lucky photographer... Jill - I believe this past month there was an error with the winners/finalists... I'm sure Jim could explain what happened... There are a few categories that don't have first place wins - and multiples in others - while some of those are really 2nd places... I'm sure they'll get that straightened up shortly...
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- Jill Odice Contact Jill Odice Jill Odice's Gallery |
I have a very hard time fitting my work into the categories...Where do you put an obviously architectural image? To me it isn't about travel and place even though I have to travel to get there...It is not really a landscape, it's more about the shapes of the buildings, some of them fit in to elements of design, but some I do alot of work replacing/changing the sky...so do I put it in DD? I did an entire series of images from Bodie, and was not sure how to categorize them either...If there were no categories, they would just be judged on whether they are good or not...
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- Jill Odice Contact Jill Odice Jill Odice's Gallery |
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