# SO Photography Contest Discussion!!



## felix

I think it's about time we had one of these, to save cluttering up the contests themselves. 

Discuss: the rules, photography techniques, equipment, funny stories that happened when you were taking a photo for the contest  etc. etc. Anything that doesn't fit into a contest itself. 


COPIED AND PASTED FROM THE LAST CONTEST:




			
				ninjadanslarbretabar said:
			
		

> color accent is a integrate option in my camera, can i use it or does that fit in the "heavily manipulated " ?





			
				SillyAlien said:
			
		

> ^
> I'd have to go with "heavily manipulated", ninja. I think B&W was the exception.





			
				IAMTHOUGHTS said:
			
		

> i have to dissagree with ya S.A.
> 
> im dont really understand why this forum is so hell bent on restricting any type of manipulation. i mean if you talk to any real photographer or go to a real photography forum everyone in that line of work will tell you that post processing is an important part of photography. just as important as the photo it self. every photo in every magazine, poster, billboard, ect ect ect. has been post processed. it is PART of the skill. IMO these comps are basically only 50% of a photo contest. sure the photos have been taken but nobody is allowed to "finish" them?
> 
> im not trying to change the rules, just expressing my view.
> 
> plus ninja's photo has not even been "post processed" it does that right on the camera. i know some people complain because they cant afford photo editing programs or cameras with neat little features, but thats kinda their problem. its 2007 everyone should just get with the program.





			
				SillyAlien said:
			
		

> Originally Posted by IAMTHOUGHTS
> i have to dissagree with ya S.A.
> 
> 
> 
> IAM, you're not disagreeing with me, you're disagreeing with the contest rules. If you'd like to gauge the current sentiment and see if any of the rules are due for a revision, please feel free to discuss it in a separate thread. Thanks.
> 
> on ninja's entry...
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by IAMTHOUGHTS
> plus ninja's photo has not even been "post processed" it does that right on the camera. i know some people complain because they cant afford photo editing programs or cameras with neat little features, but thats kinda their problem. its 2007 everyone should just get with the program.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Under further revision.
Click to expand...




			
				IAMTHOUGHTS said:
			
		

> nah i dont care enough to push for revision, i just felt compelled to make my point i guess. sorry for even getting into it. things are working pretty well with these set of rules. i just dont fully understand the reasoning for them. if that makes any sense.


The reason for the rule (as far as I am aware) is so that we are all competing on a level playing field. 

It's a photography contest, not a photoshop contest. 

I like this rule.


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## SA

I'll post what I first posted in private then...

My reasoning is that if the "my camera does this on its own" doors are opened, it could invite manipulated entries, many of which will be damned near impossible to tell whether they'd been pre or post edited. I know it's "innocent until proven...", but we've been down this road before and it wasn't pretty.

To allow the on-camera goodies, we'd have to revise the rules to allow the post-camera goodies as well, IMHO, or there would likely be finger pointing in every single round. The reasoning against revising those broader rules are in felix's post above - 's a photography contest, not a photoshop contest.


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## L2R

imo. no post camera goodies.

this contest is more about fun and participation than professional photos. if you make it so that the few have a head start, others will be less inclined to contribute.

we'd do be by just sticking to *crops, resizes & B&W* only IMO.


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## QuestionEverything

I agree with the above.

I do think that if you open the submissions up to manipulation you might as well make this a photoshop competition.  Manipulation is manipulation, whether it is done by the camera or photoshop.  There is no way to tell the difference.

I agree that anything further than cropping, resizing, and desaturating should be out of bounds.


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## felix

"desaturating"? what's that?  

if you're talking about brightening things up, then i am in total agreement


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## QuestionEverything

Sorry - 'desaturating' is removing color.  Some programs fancier way of making a photograph B&W


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## Johnny1

What about brightness, contrast, and white balance correction?  You can do that in camera - by setting the WB and adjusting the in-camera processing settings before you shoot, or you can shoot RAW mode and do that on your computer.  If you shoot RAW, it's practically a necessity to do some very basic post processing.  But IMO that's not major image manipulation.  Unless you go for an extreme effect by making huge changes on the computer, it's pretty much the same as doing your settings in-camera.


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## Pander Bear

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> I'll post what I first posted in private then...
> 
> My reasoning is that if the "my camera does this on its own" doors are opened, it could invite manipulated entries, many of which will be damned near impossible to tell whether they'd been pre or post edited. I know it's "innocent until proven...", but we've been down this road before and it wasn't pretty.
> 
> To allow the on-camera goodies, we'd have to revise the rules to allow the post-camera goodies as well, IMHO, or there would likely be finger pointing in every single round. The reasoning against revising those broader rules are in felix's post above - 's a photography contest, not a photoshop contest.



Which is exactly why post-processing should be allowed, without exception.

1) as it stands, modest photoshopping cannot be detected by competitors and moderators, and there is no way to ascertain whether a photo actually meets the requirements or not. I believe this has already been an issue in past contests.

2) image manipulators are freely available (the GIMP) and can be run on a very very modest system. Tutorials are available freely on youtube, among other places, that teach novices how to do simple things that don't dramatically change their photos, like red-eye reduction, color correction, and other tricks that don't dramatically alter a photograph.

3) This competition is already biased in favor of people who have more sophisticated cameras: higher shutter speeds, better CCDs, DSLRs, image stabalization, extra lenses for macro photography, manual focus,  et cetera et cetera.

4) Post-processing is an essential part of any photographers work these days, from novice to professional, and its been that way for over a century.

5) A poor photograph that has been embellished ad nauseum will ALWAYS lose to the person who took a better picture and did little to nothing to it after the moment.

6) There are decent photographs in these competitions that could really benefit from a modest touch up.

it *is* time for a rule re-evaluation.


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## felix

but surely the point is to take a good photograph in the first place? 



			
				atlas said:
			
		

> 3) This competition is already biased in favor of people who have more sophisticated cameras: higher shutter speeds, better CCDs, DSLRs, image stabalization, extra lenses for macro photography, manual focus,  et cetera et cetera.


i've never thought that. i've won 3 or 4 () and i've never used my SLR, it's always been with my 'simpler' point n shoot cameras.


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## L2R

i'm not learning photoshop technique just for this contest. just as i won't buy a "real camera" as repeatedly suggested. 
the fun of this is it's simplicity. you take a photo, you post it. that's it. 
if we allow post manipulation then far more effort is required to actually compete. and where's the fun in that?


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## Johnny1

atlas said:
			
		

> 3) This competition is already biased in favor of people who have more sophisticated cameras: higher shutter speeds, better CCDs, DSLRs, image stabalization, extra lenses for macro photography, manual focus,  et cetera et cetera.



I agree with all your points, atlas, except this one.  I won three of these contests.  Two (shadows and temples of worship) were taken with a Canon G2, which is a six year old digicam you could buy now for less than a hundred bucks on ebay (but I don't recommend it - it's too old).  The third (people) was a scanned photo taken with a 35mm consumer pocket camera loaded with consumer-grade film.  There's no doubt that for some contests the better equipment has an advantage, but for most, it's the person behind the camera that determines how good the photo is.  

For $375 on Amazon, + a few bucks for a memory card and rechargeable batteries, anyone can get a Canon Powershot A650IS and have equipment as capable as anyone else's for almost every photo contest here.  My friend with a Powershot 620, an older version of that camera, takes better photos than I can with my new Canon Rebel XTi because he has a better eye than I do.

Edited to add: I didn't see felix's post because I had the compose window open for a while before I posted.  I should have just said, "I agree with felix."


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## Pander Bear

no no, I agree fully with you. I just brought it up to highlight the fact that post processing isn't the only place where technology can vary to the point where it effects the final product.

The best photographer almost always takes the best photo, and I think it shows in the contests we've had here.

edit: mmm, I want that fuckin' Rebel XTi


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## Johnny1

OK, I see your point now: someone can have an advantage b/c of their gear, or they can have an advantage because of their ability to post-process.  Is that correct?

Rebel XTi (aka 400D): I just got a Canon 50mm f1.4 lens for it and am loving it.  :D


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## Pander Bear

I assume the reason that post-processing is disallowed is because its a barrier to entry for people who can't/wont pirate a copy of photoshop, and there's a learning curve. I think I refuted both of them. Some people are really excellent with photoshop, but I'm personally not voting for anything that is all lens flared out and tinkered with, and I think the people who run these contests should show the same faith in the contestants (primarily so I can submit entries that aren't fit for even my personal folder until I "fix" them)


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## SA

atlas said:
			
		

> I assume the reason that post-processing is disallowed is because its a barrier to entry for people who can't/wont pirate a copy of photoshop,


So to enter the contest one has to steal software? Nice! Why stop there? Why not the best camera for the job? Really now. 8) 



> but I'm personally not voting for anything that is all lens flared out and tinkered with


And that is the freedom of the voting process. As long as an entry adheres to the rules, it will be there for you to vote on, not vice versa (as in it will be there only if you consider it worthy enough for you to vote on). 




> and I think the people who run these contests should show the same faith in the contestants (primarily so I can submit entries that aren't fit for even my personal folder until I "fix" them)


speaking of submitting... I believe you *are* being shown the same faith. Themes are given out well in advance. I believe if I, a photo-dunce, can pick out a reasonable entry from 45 lousy shots I managed to steal an hour for from a stupendously busy day, submit it without any post editing and actually manage attract a vote or three, then absolutely anyone should be able to outdo me every single time (which is what happens, LOL). Speaking of submitting...


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## felix

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> I should have just said, "I agree with felix."


Always. Let that be a lesson to you, young man 



			
				atlas said:
			
		

> no no, I agree fully with you. I just brought it up to highlight the fact that post processing isn't the only place where technology can vary to the point where it effects the final product.


this is true.  


			
				atlas said:
			
		

> I think the people who run these contests should show the same faith in the contestants


well, i think we all need to. there's no point breaking the rules, you'd just be cheating yourself really.


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## Pander Bear

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> So to enter the contest one has to steal software? Nice! Why stop there? Why not the best camera for the job? Really now. 8)



really now, if you read my post with the same care you put into making a snide response, you'd have seen that image software is *freely* available.

The GIMP, for macs, Windows, and Linux 8) 



			
				silly alien said:
			
		

> speaking of submitting... I believe you are being shown the same faith. Themes are given out well in advance. I believe if I, a photo-dunce, can pick out a reasonable entry from 45 lousy shots I managed to steal an hour for from a stupendously busy day, submit it without any post editing and actually manage attract a vote or three, then absolutely anyone should be able to outdo me every single time (which is what happens, LOL). Speaking of submitting...



My camera is "special" in some respects. Use of the zoom *always* results in a blurred, shaky image. Lighting must be perfect, whether in manual or automatic focus, or my images come out extraordinarily dark. In my personal use, I shoot to RAW, and fix it in post, but since I've been told that I can't, I rarely submit. I _respect_ the rules of the contest, and am waiting patiently to be heard on the points I made about post processing, rather than just getting comments that smack of fatherly condescension as they completely miss the thrust of what I was saying.


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## SA

atlas said:
			
		

> My camera is "special" in some respects. Use of the zoom *always* results in a blurred, shaky image. Lighting must be perfect, whether in manual or automatic focus, or my images come out extraordinarily dark. In my personal use, I shoot to RAW, and fix it in post, but since I've been told that I can't, I rarely submit. I _respect_ the rules of the contest, and am waiting patiently to be heard on the points I made about post processing, rather than just getting comments that smack of fatherly condescension as they completely miss the thrust of what I was saying.


So rather than replace what is admittedly a defective camera, you'd rather argue for a contest's rules to be changed to suit your needs. Grand philosophy you got there. Yet you accuse me of fatherly condescension? Wow!


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## Johnny1

But what about us RAW shooters?  Do we have to change to JPG to participate?  Will you concede, based on felix's and my posts above which state that we have won several times between us without having used advanced gear,  that it's really the shot that wins and not what might be done with it in post?  If I can't change the exposure or the white balance or the sharpness, then my photos taken with my new gear could look all washed out.  Whereas someone who is shooting JPG can tell their camera to apply contrast and sharpening to the JPGs that come out of the camera and theirs will look good.  

Subject choice, lighting, and composition are so much more important.  They make the photo; you can't turn a photo with a poor subject, lighting, and/or composition into something great on a computer.  Aside from cropping, which can make huge improvements, you can't really do that much with the basic image adjustments on the computer other than to make sure your shot came out with the right exposure and white balance.  For example, someone who gets up early in the morning or stays out late, and uses a tripod or stable surface to capture the golden light falling on a subject, will always prevail over someone who takes that same shot at noon.  No image manipulation, except maybe by a true artist, could change the flatness of the light or the absence of shadows or the lack of interesting contrasts that the "noon" photo will have.

My own choice would be to prohibit "special effects," such as high-dynamic-range photos made from several shots of varying exposures that are later combined on the computer, large changes in color saturation or use of selective colors or colors that vary significantly from the original photo, use of filters other than sharpening, and use of advanced Photoshop-type techniques such as layers and masks.  I would permit, in addition to L2R's limitation of crops, resizes, and B&W: changes to contrast/brightness/levels, sharpening, and white balance.

BTW, the shot I took of the Buddhist temple in Thailand that has an eerie blue glow: that was straight out of the camera with the default settings.  The look of the photo came from a long exposure, nothing else.  So I do see the logic in restricting major changes, as I've always been proud of that photo and did nothing extra to achieve the look.


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## SA

Johnny1, I have absolutely no problem with either your or felix's reasoning.


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## Johnny1

Cool, SA.  But please see the last paragraph I just added to my post.  Does that change things any?  How to reconcile displaying the photo one captures, such that it is still representative of the scene, with allowing more adjustments which could make it easier to make the photo look much better than what was was originally captured?  (despite the fact that I said earlier you can't make big improvements to a bad photo in post-processing, which I still believe)

Also, I don't want to misrepresent felix's position.  I am probably more in agreement with atlas about allowing more post-processing than I am with felix, who I think favors fewer.

However it comes out, I look forward to participating in the future.


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## SA

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> Cool, SA.  But please see the last paragraph I just added to my post.  Does that change things any?  How to reconcile displaying the photo one captures, such that it is still representative of the scene, with allowing more adjustments which could make it easier to make the photo look much better than what was was originally captured?


That's why felix got this thread started, IMO, for everyone to come to some sort of a decision of what level of editing, if any, was going to be acceptable going forward. I fully appreciate, understand and agree with the type of detailed arguments for or against as you've posted. I've given example a few posts above of the type of argument which will be lost on me.

Definitely if you're shooting in RAW mode, you cannot avoid some sort of editing. How much though? Especially considering that RAW editing is virtually undetectable, this opens the door for mild editing of other formats as well. Again, how much?

I think the real problem here is not whether we should or should not allow editing, but what limits to set. Once the editing door is opened, it is hard to define boundaries and even harder and often impossible to detect them. That's the problem we had last time, IIRC, and of the two easiest choices - all or nothing - we picked nothing. 

Leaving aside the ownership and/or knowledge of software and hardware, I'm looking to hear more opinions for and against.

edit: spelling


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## Pander Bear

the software is free 8)


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## tambourine-man

I'd draw the line at brightening an entry.  My electricity submission could've benefited from being a couple of tones lighter... but, then again, I kinda like the idea of it being a contest of who can literally 'capture' a particular moment or image on 'film'.

Post-capture manipulation kinda takes away from that purist element.


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## felix

johnny & atlas: what is the point of shooting in RAW mode? is it cos you don't feel jpeg is high enough quality?


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## MazDan

Im a swinging voter..........in other words, convince me either way.


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## frizzantik

i wish there was a contest for digital art like manipulated photos and graphic design


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## SA

atlas said:
			
		

> the software is free 8)


New, non-defective cameras are likewise widely available. And very affordable, to boot. All one needs is discipline to save that little bit of money, or a convincing sob story for the relatives to get one as a gift. Reader's Digest got it right decades ago - "Life's like that". 

Atlas, I did mention, right before your post, _"Leaving aside the ownership and/or knowledge of software and hardware, I'm looking to hear more opinions for and against."_. So please let's. Thank you.




			
				frizzantik said:
			
		

> i wish there was a contest for digital art like manipulated photos and graphic design


Would you like to start one, frizz? There are probably others sitting in the sidelines wishing the exact same thing.


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## Johnny1

Hey felix, shooting in RAW gives you more latitude to get a usable photo.  When you shoot in JPG mode, the camera takes the data off the imaging chip and processes it.  It makes a number of decisions, such as how to set the exposure details (not how long the shutter was open and how big the aperture was, but what parts of the image are light and what parts are dark, i.e. brightness and contrast, and how this tone curve is set), the white balance, color saturation, and how much the image is sharpened.  Then it uses lossy compression to generate the JPG file.

For most modern cameras, the JPGs out of the camera are excellent.  The camera makes the best decisions for most shooters.  You can set the camera on P mode and adjust the ISO to your liking and the result is great-looking photos right off the memory card.  Or you can even set the camera to Auto and it will do everything.  And the JPGs are relatively small files.

RAW files are much larger, because they haven't been compressed.  And you have to do the extra step of using a program like Adobe Camera RAW (part of Photoshop), Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, or one of the programs that come bundled or as an extra with cameras, to post-process the RAW photos into what you want.  The benefit of this extra step, especially if you have a good computer and a color-calibrated monitor, is that you can make adjustments to the image that was initially recorded by the camera before any processing.  

Setting the white balance is extremely easy, for example.  Digital sensors can't tell what white is, so the camera has to guess, and the result is often a color cast, especially indoors or under clouds.  I use a plastic gray card called a WhiBal, which costs a ridiculous 30 bucks USD delivered.  Whenever I take photos, I try to take one of the WhiBal card at the same time.  Then I can just click on the card in the photo with the WhiBal card and set the white balance to that photo, and the rest of the photos taken in that session can be immediately set to perfect white balance.  Not a preset white balance such as Tungsten or Daylight, but the exact white balance that makes the colors correct.  You can use any proper gray card for this; I like the WhiBal because it's sturdy and also has true black and white on it.  Or, if you didn't take a gray card photo, you can find a neutral color in a photo and use that to get a good white balance.

You can also adjust the exposure to bring out shadow detail and blown highlights much more effectively than you can while adjusting a JPG, because all the data is still there to work with.  I often reduce blown out highlights because I don't know yet how to adjust my shutter speed and aperture to stop highlights from being blown.  I just shoot and deal with it later.  It can't work magic, but you can usually get one stop of recovered blown-out whites or blacked-out shadows.  The other things the camera does when making a JPG, color saturation, sharpening, and so forth, are also things you can set.  All of this is done with the original file, which results in the best quality output, because you have access to all the data; the camera discards data it doesn't need to generate a JPG file based on its internal decisions.

All this sounds difficult, but it's actually very easy once you get used to the software.  You can even make presets if you find you're using the same settings over and over for a given situation.


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## Pander Bear

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> New, non-defective cameras are likewise widely available. And very affordable, to boot. All one needs is discipline to save that little bit of money, or a convincing sob story for the relatives to get one as a gift. Reader's Digest got it right decades ago - "Life's like that".



So your egalitarianism arbitrarily extends down one avenue (no image software), but tough shit if you've got better things to do than satisfy the rules for an online amature photo contest.

forgive me, but to me it sounds like you're just being inflexible for the sake of inflexibility. 




> 1) as it stands, modest photoshopping cannot be detected by competitors and moderators, and there is no way to ascertain whether a photo actually meets the requirements or not. I believe this has already been an issue in past contests.
> 
> 2) image manipulators are freely available (the GIMP) and can be run on a very very modest system. Tutorials are available freely on youtube, among other places, that teach novices how to do simple things that don't dramatically change their photos, like red-eye reduction, color correction, and other tricks that don't dramatically alter a photograph.
> 
> 3) This competition is already biased in favor of people who have more sophisticated cameras: higher shutter speeds, better CCDs, DSLRs, image stabalization, extra lenses for macro photography, manual focus, et cetera et cetera.
> 
> 4) Post-processing is an essential part of any photographers work these days, from novice to professional, and its been that way for over a century.
> 
> 5) A poor photograph that has been embellished ad nauseum will ALWAYS lose to the person who took a better picture and did little to nothing to it after the moment.
> 
> 6) There are decent photographs in these competitions that could really benefit from a modest touch up.


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## frizzantik

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> Would you like to start one, frizz? There are probably others sitting in the sidelines wishing the exact same thing.



I wouldn't mind starting one but honestly i wouldn't be able to keep running them like you run your contests.. i'd forget about it or something lol or just lag too much


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## DG

I am in the middle because of two reasons...where do you limit the manipulations? Only to brightening/sharpening or color balancing and exposure? How do you know? I like the idea of allowing some manipulation especially if done on camera as almost all cameras these days have this capability.

I also like the idea of having a manipulation/graphic design contest however I think SO is already cluttered with so many contests.


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## L2R

for the third time, let us not forget the all important *FUN FACTOR*. i play here cuz it's FUN, not because it's all serious and "professional".


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## Johnny1

I recall a previous contest photo of a woman in a long, flowing red dress lying on a bed of grass.  It was striking (also richly saturated--in post processing?).  People loved that photo.  But I'm sure it took work, both on the part of the photographer and on the part of the model.  One could say it was a professional photo, or at least that it aspired to that level.  And despite all that, I can imagine that it was also fun.  

If I can be permitted some repetition: Someone with a good eye for subject, lighting, and composition will beat someone who's trying hard to be professional but who doesn't have as much talent.  I've seen photographers on the street stop and grab a shot that I would never have thought of.  It takes them two seconds and they have something that I spent all day trying to get.  I walked right by that shot and didn't think of it.  Sometimes I copy their shot but I never take pride in the resulting photo.  So it's really quite a level playing field, even if some people are taking it very seriously.  There's no substitute for talent.


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## BA

You shoot the picture, you enter it in the contest - end of story.

All this fuckin crying and blabbering on and on about photoshopping is ridiculous. *This is a photography contest - not a silly photo manipulation contest.* If you want to start up a photoshop contest then go right ahead, all the power to you.

This was supposed to be a fun contest, not a ruling on what is considered "manipulation" and what isn't. Way to fuck up an otherwise easy contest where a lot of people can participate in. 8(

Not everyone has the skills to doctor up their pictures with shading, layering, blurring, etc. But most people can master the basic uses of a camera quite easily.


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## SA

atlas said:
			
		

>



The make up sex was great! Thanks.


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## ninjadanslarbretabar

BA said:
			
		

> You shoot the picture, you enter it in the contest - end of story.



did you understood the op's post ?

ill try to show you :










^this is all done *on* my camera
( my camera is a 2007 model in the 200$ range )

so the question is (was), if i can use a function like white balance, can i use a function like color accent too?
if i want yellow to come out nicely i can put it on +1 or +2 or...up until its B&W + yellow






so people are trying to reevaluate where we draw the line cuz its becoming blurry
(thanks to the progression of new technology)

personally i ain't got any problem with the rules, i just want to participate
if i wanted my own rules i would have started my own thread


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## ninjadanslarbretabar

BA said:
			
		

> not a silly photo manipulation contest.



btw, how is a photo manipulation contest "silly" ?

are you that much into a 35mm mentality that you feel the need to yell in red to protect your own preference?

%)


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## MazDan

lol.


Oh dear


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## SA

ninjadanslarbretabar said:
			
		

> if i wanted my own rules i would have started my own thread


ten points to the first person who follows up (read: acts) on that line of thought




edit: in brackets


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## Pander Bear

BA said:
			
		

> You shoot the picture, you enter it in the contest - end of story.
> 
> All this fuckin crying and blabbering on and on about photoshopping is ridiculous. This is a photography contest - not a silly photo manipulation contest.



So wait, you can't use bit torrent _or_ photoshop? What the hell _are_ you good for, BA?


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## Dtergent

Hmm personally, I would go with the "as is", just to make things simple. I have no long-winded argument to back this up. It's just more challenging, and makes you put more thought into your photo while you're taking it.

Damn you people with DSLRs! Soon I'll have one too.


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## Dave

Having only participated in 2 rounds, I don't know how much weight my opinion has, but I'd have to lean towards non-manipulated. If they had a picture of 'beginner photographer' in the dictionary, it'd be me, and as it is I'm usually quite outclassed by the entries. If manipulation were allowed, it would make it pointless for very inexperienced people such as myself to enter.

I'm not opposed to any manipulation of photos in general, nor am I opposed to getting a copy of photoshop and learning how to use it. However, I'll likely be so far behind others who already use PS that there may still be virtually no point in my participating.

Personally, I thought that the point of the contest was for people who wouldn't necessarily go out and take pictures for the hell of it to do so. A contest based on composition if you will, rather than how polished the final product may be. Not that I'd boycott the contest if manipulation were allowed, I just likely wouldn't be able to get any votes with my 'all auto' photos.

Dtergent-- ditto, except that I won't be getting a DSLR anytime soon


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## BA

ninjadanslarbretabar said:
			
		

> did you understood the op's post ?
> 
> ill try to show you :
> [filler]
> 
> personally i ain't got any problem with the rules, i just want to participate
> if i wanted my own rules i would have started my own thread



Umm ninjawhatever - not to burst your bubble... but I never said anything about you. I'm sure you think your $200 non-image stabilized, no-battery power display having Canon 1000 is the end-all-be-all because it has some color splash feature but my argument was directed more towards those who saturate, layer, shade, blur, and sharpen their images using software.

And atlas, bit torrent incompetencies aside - you should really look at the Nikon D40 or D40x if you are considering a Rebel XTi. :D


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## ninjadanslarbretabar

ok maybe i should say it like that :

BA would you have had a problem with my entry if it would have been this one :






and if so, why ? ( where do you draw the line ?)


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## Johnny1

I think the problem people will have with it in general, ninja, is that it doesn't look like the scene you took a photo of.  

And, if I can jump in for a moment and not derail your direct question to BA (and I hope he answers), *my proposal *would be that you should not be able to adjust a photo such that it looks substantially different than the scene you originally shot.  But you should be able to make it look like the scene you captured, whether that's done by changing the brightness, contrast, sharpness, or white balance.  Hell, even Irfanview, a free image editing and display program that's probably the single most popular non-OS program in the world, can do those things in less than a minute the first time you use it.  It's not about manipulation, it's about making the photo look like what you shot.  There would be three exceptions, to borrow from L2R: cropping, resizing, and B&W.  Again, this is just my $0.02 USD, revised as stated here, and I will participate no matter what is decided.


----------



## L2R

ninjadansblahblah's image does indeed throw a spanner in our previous rule: whatever you can manage with your camera at the moment of taking the picture. 
therefore, the rules need to change in some way. to keep things minimal and easy for the greatest amount of participants, i think it should be as stated earlier and reiterated in Johnny1's post.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

just to be sure ill quote myself...



> personally i ain't got any problem with the rules, i just want to participate



so ill ask this for the fun of this discussion .. 
a black and white of that shot would have been accepted ? (funny thing is on that B&W round i did use a software to tuned my colored pic into shades of grey...)


----------



## Pander Bear

BA said:
			
		

> And atlas, bit torrent incompetencies aside - you should really look at the Nikon D40 or D40x if you are considering a Rebel XTi. :D



I need to get with you, and hash it out, since you seem sage.


----------



## BA

atlas: check this link out. I am going to buy either a D40 or D40x sometime within the next month. I am a camera review junkie so I can steer you to good sites for reviews if needed.

ninja: I dont know what to make of your picture, but johnny1 summed it up nicely. It doesn't represent a scene the way it was when you took the picture. My camera has that same feature as yours & a fisheye lens feature, should that be allowed? I dont submit those images because ultimately, it's just not the way I took it.

I think deep down everyone knows what the hell a "simple picture" consists of for entry into a photo contest. I just don't see the need to split hairs over digital processing of it.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

"fisheye lens" cool, i would love to have that feature %)


----------



## tambourine-man

BA said:
			
		

> ninja: I dont know what to make of your picture, but johnny1 summed it up nicely. It doesn't represent a scene the way it was when you took the picture. My camera has that same feature as yours & a fisheye lens feature, should that be allowed? I dont submit those images because ultimately, it's just not the way I took it.
> 
> I think deep down everyone knows what the hell a "simple picture" consists of for entry into a photo contest. I just don't see the need to split hairs over digital processing of it.


Bingo.


----------



## Pander Bear

ya, but everybody used the macro function to take photos for the macro round, and danmed if people who don't have SLRs shouldn't be allowed to use the expensive lenses they bought.

As is is seems absurd to me. We're talking about technology, not magic. Cameras are a series of varied parts that captures the _likeness_ of the real world. Its not a copy. Photographs of the grand canyon generally don't look quite as awesome as the real thing. The social notion that cameras provide some kind of truth died about 150 years ago. If you're shooting with a digital camera, you're already digitally processing.

I will continue to agitate in this thread. :D


----------



## L2R

^the total time and energy that you're spending on this argument can be diverted towards working a little "harder" professionally and saving a little more so that you can buy a camera that works. 

p.s. my phone has no macro function


----------



## felix

atlas said:
			
		

> I will continue to agitate in this thread. :D


i might delete it 

TBH i don't really understand why some of you guys are so fervently opposed to the current simple rules. do you actually want to have an advantage over people who don't have the skills, inclination or time to tweak their entries in photoshop? 

i don't think the _spirit_ of the competition is so difficult to understand. 

compose > shoot > crop > upload

leave out the fancy on-camera or post processing. simple.


----------



## alasdairm

^ i agree.

i'd like to think we can operate this just fine on the honour system. if you think something's been heavily manipulated, query the photographer and/or don't vote for them.

alasdair


----------



## tambourine-man

Then it's settled.

Can we move this thread to Philosophy & Spirituality where it belongs? :D


----------



## DG

ninjadanslarbretabar said:
			
		

> "fisheye lens" cool, i would love to have that feature %)



My camera has this feature and I love it.


----------



## Pander Bear

felix said:
			
		

> TBH i don't really understand why some of you guys are so fervently opposed to the current simple rules. do you actually want to have an advantage over people who don't have the skills, inclination or time to tweak their entries in photoshop?




you are under the understandable, but incorrect, delusion that i have these skills.


----------



## L2R

look at these photoshopped images.

would you consider these "heavily manipulated"?


----------



## frizzantik

hey so about the 2d design contest.. it says something about manipulating mediums in real life or something.. but people have submitted digital art to that one.. so is that ok?  maybe the other contest could have its rules expanded/clarified so people knew they could put enter their shopped pics there? :dunno:


----------



## SA

frizzantik said:
			
		

> hey so about the 2d design contest.. it says something about manipulating mediums in real life or something.. but people have submitted digital art to that one.. so is that ok?  maybe the other contest could have its rules expanded/clarified so people knew they could put enter their shopped pics there? :dunno:





			
				2-D Contest Rules said:
			
		

> No complete photographs; i.e. pieces of photos/images may be used as long as the manipulation is obvious; there will be a suitable thread for your 100% manipulated/photoshopped photographs (in the near future).


I agree that the first line (The idea here is the physical manipulation of mediums in real life) needs to be clarified. Thanks for pointing it out, frizz. 



[humour]



			
				L2R said:
			
		

> look at these photoshopped images.
> 
> would you consider these "heavily manipulated"?



L2R, doesn't your camera have the Sepia 2.0, Kiwi Jungle Book, Martian Fish Landscape, or the Walk on Water  modes? Let's get with the times already!

[/humour]


----------



## Pander Bear

it inserts a mowgli? boss!

im still curious about the resistace. I like all those photographs better than ours, and its terribly hard to get a nice warm light without fixing the color levels. Don't we all like nice things?


----------



## SA

^
Thanks for getting the Jungle Book reference. 



> Don't we all like nice things?


I believe people are opting for the KISS approach here. The majority being point and shoot hobbyists, I don't see anything wrong with that.


----------



## L2R

just like breasts.
fakers may look better in shirts but reallydooleys feel better


----------



## Pander Bear

so I take it you don't like magazines, or professional photos?

all photos are fakes.


----------



## Pander Bear

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> I believe people are opting for the KISS approach here. The majority being point and shoot hobbyists, I don't see anything wrong with that.



Isn't thin ultimate KISS the absence of the rule entirely? There's no _obligation_ to complicate your hobby with anything other than cropping and resizing


----------



## SA

atlas said:
			
		

> Isn't thin ultimate KISS the absence of the rule entirely?


No. KISS is "less is better", not "nothing is best". Nice try though.

I know the following was directed at L2R, but...


> so I take it you don't like magazines, or professional photos?


BL is not a magazine or a professional photo forum. 



> all photos are fakes


Raw, unedited photos are not fake, the way the general photo world interprets them. If you wish to take this into a deeper discussion on whether all reproductions should be defined as fake or not, I'll be happy to split this off into its own thread and shuffle it off to the Philosophy forum.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

^*fake*
its not a pipe its a representation of a pipe...


----------



## SA

^
I'm talking about pieces which could at least try to qualify for the contest. What are _you_ talking about? Because that up there certainly couldn't, for a myriad of reasons.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

i was just trying to say that all photo are "fake" anyway, they just represent a part of reality...

i thought we where already in the_ Philosophy & Spirituality_ mode...


----------



## L2R

atlas said:
			
		

> so I take it you don't like magazines, or professional photos?
> 
> all photos are fakes.



actually yes, i don't. magazine images of airbrushed models looks errily subhuman, or inhuman and are revolting to me.


----------



## SA

ninjadanslarbretabar said:
			
		

> i was just trying to say that all photo are "fake" anyway, they just represent a part of reality...
> 
> i thought we where already in the_ Philosophy & Spirituality_ mode...


ninja, please re-read the last sentence in my post #68. Thanks


----------



## L2R

atlas said:
			
		

> There's no _obligation_ to complicate your hobby with anything other than cropping and resizing



Quite the contrary. Allowing some to spend hours on polishing their images would in turn obligate other entries to spend just as much time to _compete_ fairly.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> I'll be happy to split this off into its own thread and shuffle it off to the Philosophy forum.



 
thats why i did it
it was my _Philosophy & Spirituality_ brand of humor... 

sorry


----------



## chrissie

why not let the voters decide?  if you don't like the photo or artwork or feel it doesn't fit the rules, then don't vote for it.


----------



## SA

chrissie said:
			
		

> why not let the voters decide?  if you don't like the photo or artwork or feel it doesn't fit the rules, then don't vote for it.


No disrespect, chrissie, but should we then include in the poll absolutely every entry submitted, regardless of how far from the rules each has departed? That opens this up to (the argument for) ditching the rules altogether, doesn't it?


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

holy crap i missed the whole argument....
and i started it. ha
owell.
im over it.


----------



## L2R

chrissie said:
			
		

> why not let the voters decide?  if you don't like the photo or artwork or feel it doesn't fit the rules, then don't vote for it.



this coming from the expert in computer graphics, who if the rules were made lenient, could probably enter a photo that never even involved a camera ! 

but to answer you question, well, that's simply not going to happen. people will inevitably vote for the prettiest entry. the majority of voters are lurkers who don't even contribute a response to why they voted for whoever let alone put in images. 

i've found the same thing happen in the facey pastey comps. generally the best quality work (graphics wise) will win and not the funniest. this is despite the glaringly obvious humourous intent for the whole thing.


----------



## Damien

Would it be frivolous to have a mirror thread with the same theme as the original photography contest but with no limitations on post processing?


----------



## L2R

hey we could even use the sync them with the same themes

no bad


----------



## Johnny1

I think that would be a bit crazy.

Why doesn't everyone who has not been post-processing at all just get Irfanview and use that to do a one minute once-over before you post the photo?  You can tweak it to fix it up a bit so it's the best photo it can be.  Are you all telling me that it will ruin the contest to spend one friggin minute on an entry before posting it?  One minute??  With a free program?  If you love the photo and are proud of it and want to put it in the contest, why NOT make some basic adjustments.  If you can figure out how to use the camera and get the images off it and resize them and post them to the Internet in the first place, not to mention doing the work to take them, will it really ruin the fun to spend a whole minute on the photo before posting it?  

Why not limit the time spent taking the photos in the first place?  After all, someone who spends some time at it and uses a tripod or waits for the good light or carefully studies the subject for the best angle has a far greater chance of winning than someone who finds that too much work and wants to take only a snapshot.  

Do you see the inconsistency in this thinking, that spending any time whatsoever on post processing is wrong but that it's OK to spend unlimited time taking the photos?  What is really going on here?  Is it that for *some* people even a minute spent ruins the fun and therefore they want everyone to upload the photo exactly as captured even though it may not look as much like the scene as it could and even though post processing is an integral part of photo taking even for newbie amateurs in the digital age?  Grandmas use iPhoto to make adjustments to their photos without even thinking.  But we can't?


----------



## Pander Bear

yes, that's what they're saying.


----------



## felix

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> Why not limit the time spent taking the photos in the first place?  After all, someone who spends some time at it and uses a tripod or waits for the good light or carefully studies the subject for the best angle has a far greater chance of winning than someone who finds that too much work and wants to take only a snapshot.


^ is photography. THAT is what it is all about. 

anything after that is not.  

people who don't spend time on taking the photos won't win many competitions. 


P.S. sorry, i forgot to thank you for your awesome explanation of the RAW format. thank you.


----------



## Damien

L2R said:
			
		

> hey we could even use the sync them with the same themes
> 
> no bad


Yes, this is exactly What I was thinking. I don't think that it would be too difficult. There would just be two threads with the same theme, same time frames, the only difference that one would allow as much post processing as the photographer wanted. Both sides would be happy.


----------



## frizzantik

felix said:
			
		

> ^ is photography. THAT is what it is all about.
> 
> anything after that is not.



capturing the image is only half of photography imo  (ok, well, maybe 3/4s.. but still once it's on film there's often more that could be done such as cropping and adjusting levels [things which are allowed in the contest btw ])


----------



## L2R

Johnny1, it would take substantially more time than one minute for a clueless layman to doctor up an image. And frankly, yes it would take all the fun out of it. I don't have enough time, energy nor inclination to setup a shot nor playing with it afterwards. 

I simply carry my phone with me wherever i go and snap whatever catches my eye. I'm sure a majority of participants of the contests do this. *It's a fun, simple contest, not fucking serious shit.* Put some cash on the line and perhaps i will put more effort in, but while the contest remains completely void of any real prize, then let's keep it about fun and participation. 

You will still participate if you can't photoshop, well, many won't participate if you can. Can it get much simpler than that?! Or are you (and i'm talking to all the pro change people) are that self centred that it doesn't matter?

what's the point in having the prettiest picture if it's the only one there ?! 8)


----------



## SA

Damien8787 said:
			
		

> Would it be frivolous to have a mirror thread with the same theme as the original photography contest but with no limitations on post processing?


Please go ahead and start one, I have nothing against it. Seriously, I am not saying this to be a smart ass. If you (pl) have an idea, give it wings and see if it flies. Who knows, it could turn out to be the best thing since the inception of the photo contest.


----------



## Johnny1

So adjusting levels is allowed under the "no doctoring" rules?  Brightness and contrast and color?


----------



## tambourine-man

Ummmmm.... no.  At least, I've always assumed that the only thing that was allowed was cropping and converting to greyscale.


----------



## Johnny1

Well I for sure would participate in the "normal" contest and not the "manipulated" contest, following whatever rules are set forth.  I don't know how to "doctor" an image (except to remove a zit, aka a spot) or to do any kind of "serious" image manipulation.  I'm an amateur just like the rest of us.  All the photos I've submitted are with an old digicam.  Even my new DSLR is the cheapest one Canon makes, with consumer lenses.

I think some people might have an advantage in writing these arguments because they have an extra-large screen and are good typists.  On the one hand it's not fair, but if you think about it, it's the underlying thoughts that count more than anything.  A beautiful-looking post with all sorts of text treatments and fancy smilies that aren't even on the expanded smiley list won't count for shit if the thoughts aren't there.



			
				felix said:
			
		

> P.S. sorry, i forgot to thank you for your awesome explanation of the RAW format. thank you.



My pleasure, man.  :D


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> A beautiful-looking post with all sorts of text treatments and fancy smilies that aren't even on the expanded smiley list won't count for shit if the thoughts aren't there.


hehe, fun and good analogy 


edit :
what i dont care about is to win
if someone could post a more interesting version of his pic i would love to see it
im not sure what is the point about being all on the same level
cuz we are inherently not, we dont have the same talent, the same visual appreciation and understanding, the same amount of time to put into it, the same camera....
i think this is just for fun, to see what people can come up with, whatever they wanna use
the contest is just a excuse to get together and have fun


----------



## chrissie

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> No disrespect, chrissie, but should we then include in the poll absolutely every entry submitted, regardless of how far from the rules each has departed? That opens this up to (the argument for) ditching the rules altogether, doesn't it?



sure, why bother with rules to begin with?  just have a suggested theme and let people go ape shit.  

perhaps i'll make my own "go ape shit" contest with no rules or artistic medium restrictions.  :D


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

^^i   you right now
lets make photoshop babys


freestyle ftw


----------



## SA

Go for it. No, really...


----------



## MazDan

SillyAlien said:
			
		

> I think it's worked out best that way.




Totally agree.




Once more however I would like to point out that the USA is not the only part of the world that has people who like to take part in the fun and games here.

It is currently Spring here in Australia and we do not have halloween.

Can I suggest that instead of referring to the fact that its currently Autumn where  some people live, that its instead called Autumn and or Spring.....where everybody lives.

And regards to halloween............that instead of halloween its called scary or creepy or something similar.

Im sorry to have to keep harping on this point but it rather annoys me that it doesnt seem to be recognised that this is an international part of bluelight.

End rant.


----------



## SA

MazDan said:
			
		

> Once more however I would like to point out that the USA is not the only part of the world that has people who like to take part in the fun and games here.
> 
> It is currently Spring here in Australia and we do not have halloween.
> 
> Can I suggest that instead of referring to the fact that its currently Autumn where  some people live, that its instead called Autumn and or Spring.....where everybody lives.
> 
> And regards to halloween............that instead of halloween its called scary or creepy or something similar.
> 
> Im sorry to have to keep harping on this point but it rather annoys me that it doesnt seem to be recognised that this is an international part of bluelight.
> 
> End rant.



MazDan, with all due respect, I am not in the USA.

According to wiki


> Halloween is now celebrated in parts of the western world, most commonly in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and sometimes in Australia and New Zealand. In recent years, the holiday has also been celebrated in various other parts of Western Europe.



To me, that looks like a lot of people and includes some portion of Australians. To me, it was a theme worth a gamble, in that I possibly wouldn't offend as many people as you're making it out to be. The risk/reward ratio was acceptable, hence I went with it. Furthermore, Halloween is quite specific and I didn't really want to dilute it with pics from your general "scary theme" variety. That we will definitely have as a separate theme later.

With respect to the global seasons issue, I understand your point (as I did the first time). On the one hand, I want to say that rather than rant, you could have simply requested a theme you were interested in (as I'd previously requested before, to which you agreed, btw, at least I'm somewhat sure it was you). Pretty much all viable requests have been implemented. On the other hand, I have warts. No, seriously, on the other hand we have to look at this seasons issue more broadly. 

I see Seasons as a universal theme, just like the other contest themes. So you're a few months ahead of us. Hey, look at it that you have that much of an advantage.  Back to your argument though... what would some say to a "Whales" theme, if it were posted? Or how about "Igloos", "Miners", "Underwater", etc? As such, it is my opinion that rather than divide some themes into regions, or eliminate others on the same basis,  it is best to simply go with the flow and post themes applicable to most.  The solution is never perfect, but as before, I try to achieve the best risk/reward ratio (risk being  leaving some out and reward being attracting many).

End response to rant.


----------



## felix

MazDan said:
			
		

> And regards to halloween............that instead of halloween its called scary or creepy or something similar.
> 
> Im sorry to have to keep harping on this point but it rather annoys me that it doesnt seem to be recognised that this is an international part of bluelight.


dude. some you win, some you lose. are you suggesting that we never have any seasonal themes cos you guys are always doing it at the wrong time?  what happens if we have a 'seaside' theme? it stands to reason that many people don't live by the sea so they might not be able to contribute much. should that kind of theme be avoided too? 

and what's wrong with hallowe'en now? do you not have it there??? 

tell you what. let's have a 'kangaroo' theme. %) 

hehe.

EDIT: ^^ i'm not in the USA either


----------



## SA

Once again:

All theme requests are welcome. Please try to keep them specific rather than broad. If a not too viable theme is proposed, we may try to mould it into something better suited.


----------



## felix

"kangaroos eating Vegemite sandwiches and drinking Fosters at christmas time in the sunshine" LOL


----------



## SA

/gets out dusty trusty anagram generator; rearranges theme

"Sunsets and Sunrises"

already done. next


----------



## DG

I think a "wild animal" theme might be neat...theres a lot of different animals throughout the world. It could also be taken literally or in other imaginative ways.


----------



## SA

DG said:
			
		

> I think a "wild animal" theme might be neat...theres a lot of different animals throughout the world. It could also be taken literally or in other imaginative ways.


"Wildlife" was listed in the list of future themes posted in the Time Poll thread, but  "Wild Animals" could work out even better, DG. We'll have to toss that one around. Thanks.


----------



## L2R

halloween doesn't exist over here, so i'll simply have to abstain a round, just like many others had to durnig the lighthouse and other rounds. no matter.


edit: or maybe i could fudge one. hmmmmm


----------



## MazDan

Look, I couldnt be bothered arguing about it anymore, especially as I dont seem to have any written support from anyone else.

But I will finish by suggesting that were the positions reversed then I susepct very strongly that there would be some upset people and rightly so............but the fact is that if things were reversed me personally would not be allowing it because I dont think its right and suggests self centeredness.

And for the record I would not agree with a beach only theme. Apart from the fact that I live nowhere near a beach, its the same deal exactly. I would however encourage a sand theme in its place.

I have noticed that the rules are stuck to very explicitly and rightly so...........but it means its gunna be very difficult for Aussies to take part in halloween photo comp because contrary to what wikipedia may say, it is a very rare occurrence here and indeed the practice is frowned upon where I lived due to the dangers involved and rightly so.

Anyways, carry on regardless.


----------



## SA

Well what's a similar spooky fest over there, guys? I simply don't want to generalise it into a "Scary stuff" like title. If you have a similar spooky fest there, we should be able to incorporate it.


----------



## L2R

there is none

anyway, shouldn't this all be split into the photography contest discussion thread?


----------



## alasdairm

i think that if we had a 'kangaroo' or 'aborigine' theme (pardon my crude australia-themed examples but they're the first things which came to mind) it would challenge those not in australia  to interpret the theme in a novel or more abstract way.

even if australia doesn't celebrate halloween, you could still use it as inspiration for a photo.

alasdair


----------



## SA

L2R said:
			
		

> there is none
> 
> anyway, shouldn't this all be split into the photography contest discussion thread?



I actually had the move ready to go for the past hour or so and was just  playing the waiting game for whatever reason.


----------



## L2R

sorry, she still doesn't have any sisters


----------



## SA

That's it, I'm moving them back!


----------



## MazDan

alasdairm said:
			
		

> i think that if we had a 'kangaroo' or 'aborigine' theme (pardon my crude australia-themed examples but they're the first things which came to mind) it would challenge those not in australia  to interpret the theme in a novel or more abstract way.
> 
> even if australia doesn't celebrate halloween, you could still use it as inspiration for a photo.
> 
> alasdair




You make a good point. And a fair one, but I would like it to be understood that I would equally be against a kangaroo or Australian indigenous persons theme to. I just believe the themes should be global which is in line with my everyone is equal and a fair go for all policy.


Regards splitting this off......thanks.


----------



## ByronStar

MazDan said:
			
		

> You make a good point. And a fair one, but I would like it to be understood that I would equally be against a kangaroo or Australian indigenous persons theme to. I just believe the themes should be global which is in line with my everyone is equal and a fair go for all policy.
> 
> 
> Regards splitting this off......thanks.



If you think the themes should be global then why are you against an indigenous persons theme?  Australia isn't the only country to have indigenous people living there .. I actually think that would be a really interesting theme, and it would be great to see some pics from different countries. _Edit - apologies MazDan, I didn't read your post to say Australian indigenous, only indigenous_.

I don't have a problem with the theme issues being too narrow or whatever - for one thing, nobody is asking us to go out and take a photo at the time the theme is introduced, I take a lot of photos and often look back at photos I've taken previously for ideas.

It's also a sign of a good photographer if you're creative enough to interpret a theme in your own way.

Just my thoughts.


----------



## MazDan

ByronStar said:
			
		

> _Edit - apologies MazDan, I didn't read your post to say Australian indigenous, only indigenous_.




lol, prior to reading this bit i was about to jump down your throat cos I was very careful how i wrote it..........lol

Cheers and thanks for re reading.


----------



## alasdairm

MazDan said:
			
		

> I just believe the themes should be global which is in line with my everyone is equal and a fair go for all policy.


we all live on the same planet. any theme is global.

alasdair


----------



## felix

that's a heartwarming platitude, alasdair, but even if we all lived in the same country i would fully expect there to be themes that some people wouldn't be able to contribute much to. 

this isn't a kindergarten where we need to worry about all the poor wittle kiddies feelings, we're supposed to be grownups that can handle a bit of disappointment now and again.


----------



## alasdairm

felix said:
			
		

> that's a heartwarming platitude, alasdair, but even if we all lived in the same country i would fully expect there to be themes that some people wouldn't be able to contribute much to.


only if you limit your thinking...



seriously, i'm not saying this because i fear for people's feelings. quite the opposite.

alasdair


----------



## L2R

i'd like to formally request the addition of "graffiti" to the list of upcoming themes in the bluelight second opinion photography contest. where do i pick up the forms and relevant documents to request the forms in relation to obtaining the necessary means to consider such a request in the near future?


----------



## MazDan

^^^ You need to form a queue to join in order to get the forms for that.


----------



## SA

Express lane for L.

Next theme: Civilisation [November 11 - November 17]
followed by Fire [November 18 - November 24]
followed by Rust [November 25 - December 01]
followed by Graffiti [December 02 - December 08]


----------



## L2R

L is for love
Real blokey manlove


----------



## BA

How about "photographer's choice" for a theme?


----------



## SA

Done, BA. 

Next theme: Civilisation [November 11 - November 17]
followed by Fire [November 18 - November 24]
followed by Rust [November 25 - December 01]
followed by Graffiti [December 02 - December 08]
followed by Photographer's Choice [December 09 - December 15]

If this list keeps getting longer, soon enough you'll be able to trade your spots among each other for money or sexual favours. LOL


----------



## atri

how about an alcohol theme?
im pretty sure thats global :D


----------



## DG

Can we do a "holiday" theme? Christmas...Chanukah....etc. LOTS of ways for this to be interpreted!


----------



## AmorRoark

I mentioned a "flowers" theme when 2-D did it. I don't think we've done that one yet and flowers are so prettttyyyyyyyy.


----------



## SA

Sorry, AR, my bad. I think I remember mentioning something to the effect that we'd have to do that one twice a year... and then I completely forgot about it. *spanks self*

Flowers
Alcohol
Holidays (or Holiday Festivities?)

... to be added.

I'm comfortable with leaving "Alcohol" as it is. Hopefully we won't have a flood of drunken hurling photos. Suggestions are welcome though.

With respect to "Holidays", is everyone comfortable with that, or do we need to get more specific? I'll try to remember to add a clear hint that it's not the vacation type of holidays when the time comes.


----------



## DG

I think if it is more specific it might leave some holidays out. For instance Christmas is a major one...but what about Chanukah, on its own there probably wouldnt be many but someone might be able to submit during the "holidays". 

I also think Winter should be a theme! Snowboarding, skiing, snow, ice...sooo many options :D


----------



## SA

Winter should definitely be done, as part of the Seasons series, I agree!


----------



## felix

So this one is 'Winter', and then we have: 



			
				SA said:
			
		

> followed by: *Fog *[January 20 - January 26]
> followed by: *Ice *[January 27 - February 02]


hmmm... too similar, maybe?


----------



## pennywise

Yeah I was thinking the same thing...


----------



## Dave

Not necessarily. I know that it almost never fogs where I live. Lots of ice though. Maybe a more colourful round should be added after those though.


----------



## Dave

Maybe something a bit more broad. Like urban. Or silence.


----------



## pennywise

I remember that "cityscapes" was once suggested. I like that one.


----------



## SA

Wow. And here I thought Cityscapes was already done. I have to post an updated list of done themes (in the next couple of days).

Keep the good suggestions coming, please. Thanks.


----------



## pennywise

I couldn't find it with a search. I also reviewed all the past contests and didn't see it there either, unless I missed it.


----------



## SA

No no, not doubting you, pennywise. I just thought _to myself_ that we'd already done it. Obviously, I was wrong. i.e. it wasn't a cynical "wow"


----------



## atri

i was thinking maybe something along the lines of "ugly" or "broken"


----------



## SA

/me *really* likes broken


----------



## atri

i need to start suggesting themes that i already have ideas for. :D


----------



## SA

Okay, do you all mind if I change "Fog" to "Broken" then?

Molte grazie!


----------



## pennywise

Do et!


----------



## atri

NO
i have a fog pic damnit


----------



## SA

Fog/Mist?


----------



## felix

SA said:
			
		

> Wow. And here I thought Cityscapes was already done. I have to post an updated list of done themes (in the next couple of days).


that would be a great idea, please. 

i'm sure i could come up with some ideas.


----------



## tambourine-man

We should also make polls public.  It'd be fun to point at people who vote for themselves. :D


----------



## DG

haha yea!


----------



## felix

^^ hell yeah x 2!!! 

it certainly _was_ funny as fuck the last time it happened :D


----------



## Dave

Another vote for broken here. Maybe after fog but before/instead of ice?


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

you can always count on me for topic suggestions SA!!
It might be aeasy to see i am one who likes vauge topics though. i feel it will yield more particapation and spark creativity among more members to have a less specific topic. just my opinion though.
 heres some i thought of:

*attraction
inertia
discovery
connected
Change
gravity
magnificence
imagination
wind
law*

p.s. the color purple is REALY hard...


----------



## SA

Okay, Fog stays, Winter will be going. Is that okay with everyone?

Cityscapes to sub in.


----------



## pennywise

we already had winter. its going on right now. do you mean ice will be going?

cuz i already had a good one for ice 

but cityscapes is a good substitute


----------



## SA

yeah, yeah , yeah  that's what I meant. LOL

Seriously though, you all have me confused. If we should stay as planned, please speak up!


----------



## pennywise

I say get rid of fog, sub in cityscapes, and keep ice. Thats my vote, but just because I don't live in London or San Francisco. I rarely see fog, especially in winter.


----------



## SA

I had a fog entry. Not spectacular by any standards, but an entry nonetheless.


----------



## L2R

once we get low on ideas, we can do a long series of alphabet subjects

like

week 1 = the letter "A"
week 2 = the letter "B"
week 3 = the letter "C"
and so on till Z


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

or like the 50's
60's
70's
80's
90's


----------



## SA

Thanks, Lefty, very helpful. *clap-clap*


----------



## Johnny1

I'm in a mischievous mood, so here are some PJ/paparazzi ideas that are action-oriented as opposed to purely artistic:  

- Catching the police or other law enforcement in an embarrassing or stupid act (photog is not allowed to put himself/herself at risk of arrest or beating).

- Photo of puppy or kitten pooing and its surprised or annoyed reaction at being photographed.

- Bust into fancy restaurant and take ambush-style portrait of surprised patron and his or her food.


----------



## L2R

I'd suggest "SA's MUM" as a theme but i'm afraid the massive load of entries will crash whatever new system teh bluelight is on nowadaze


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

i also had a fog entry SA. so my biased vote is to keep it!

*what about a 2 part theme, like one or the other? two themes at one time and the photographer chooses what one they want to use....*

example: *"Fog or Ice"*


----------



## felix

as long as we keep *ice*. i held back from submitting it for the last one, cos of its cool iciness. 

it's a winner, i tell thee! :D

great ideas up above. i'm especially intrigued by johnny1's 'guerrilla photo challenge' idea


----------



## atri

i has a fog pic


----------



## felix

"fog or ice" ftw %)


----------



## tribal girl

IAMTHOUGHTS said:
			
		

> *what about a 2 part theme, like one or the other? two themes at one time and the photographer chooses what one they want to use....*
> 
> example: *"Fog or Ice"*



I like that idea.

"Life or Death" would also be another good one. 

I think there could be a lot of possibilities with the either or theme tbh.


----------



## tambourine-man

public voting ftw (and entertainment value)


----------



## SA

Okay, so... "Fog or Ice" and "The Colour Pink or Purple"?

I'm not entirely convinced that we should make every single round an "or" round, but to maximise participation in otherwise similar themes, combining them might not be a bad idea.


----------



## atri

can we get an updated list SA?

also i want to suggest "speed"


----------



## SA

What sort of list, atri. (just to be sure)

Speed is a good one.


----------



## atri

upcoming themes


----------



## SA

I'll try to compile one this evening, atri.


----------



## Dave

Or maybe he meant that as a suggestion. Like a restricted Photographer's Choice, where the themes are the listed Upcoming Themes?

Or maybe I should finish my coffee before I post?


----------



## DG

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> - Catching the police or other law enforcement in an embarrassing or stupid act (photog is not allowed to put himself/herself at risk of arrest or beating).



Where I live we are not allowed to take photographs on the public transit or of law enforcement. something to do with 9/11...

SA- what say you on the public voting :D


----------



## tribal girl

SA said:
			
		

> I'm not entirely convinced that we should make every single round an "or" round



I for one wasn't suggesting it should be the case for every round. I just think it would keep things interesting if we do an "or" round every now and then.


----------



## atri

Dave said:
			
		

> Or maybe he meant that as a suggestion. Like a restricted Photographer's Choice, where the themes are the listed Upcoming Themes?
> 
> Or maybe I should finish my coffee before I post?


huh?

i just need to know what i should be looking for in pictures. thanks SA!


----------



## SA

DG said:
			
		

> SA- what say you on the public voting :D


What public voting, DG? I saw tambo-man mention it earlier, but wasn't quite sure.


----------



## DG

Oh a few of us replied to him saying we want it too :D


----------



## SA

No, I meant public voting on what? On whether to do "or" themes or not? On what themes to bring out next? Sorry, that's the part I wasn't sure about. In any event, I think most can be accommodated without the need for a vote. Whatever makes people happy though.


----------



## felix

^ definitely referring to public voting in the photo contests.


----------



## SA

I must have killed the remainder of my brain cells during the holidays. So you mean we should make the voting rounds public, as in being able to see who voted for whom?


----------



## felix

tambourine-man said:
			
		

> We should also make polls public.  It'd be fun to point at people who vote for themselves. :D


yes. :D


----------



## L2R

not a bad suggestion, i declare


----------



## SA

Sure, I'll try anything once... for a dollar. 





		Code:
	

[b]Previous rounds[/b]                                               [B]Future themes:[/B]

Round 1: Macro                                                Cityscapes/Skylines                           
Round 2: Reflections                                          The Colour Pink or Purple
Round 3: Street                                               Fog
Round 4: Patterns                                             Games
Round 5: Landscapes                                           Silhouettes
Round 6: Solitude                                             Mountains and Plains
Round 7: Seasonal Colours                                     View From a Window  
Round 8: Old                                                  Looking Up
Round 9: Food                                                 Still Life
Round 10: Long Exposure                                       Shiny Stuff
Round 11: Curves                                              Love Story
Round 12: Holidays                                            Action
Round 13: Architectural                                       Macro Guessing Game
Round 14: Motion                                              Simplicity
Round 15: Emotion                                             Roads
Round 16: Sunsets and Sunrises                                Wheels
Round 17: Shadows                                             Pubs, Bars and Diners
Round 18: Windows                                             Sky Theme
Round 19: Night                                               Crowds
Round 20: Pets                                                     
Round 21: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Round 22: Sports
Round 23: Garbage (Rubbish)
Round 24: Adventure
Round 25: Steps, Stairs and Ladders 
Round 26: Street Performers
Round 27: Our Stuffed (Toy) Animal Friends
Round 28: The Colour RED
Round 29: Creeks, Streams and Rivers
Round 30: Birds
Round 31: The Colour GREEN
Round 32: Statues and Monuments
Round 33: Street Signs and Signposts
Round 34: People
Round 35: Fireworks
Round 36: Abandoned
Round 37: The Colour Blue
Round 38: Lighthouses
Round 39: Temples of Worship
Round 40: Black & White
Round 41: Electricity  
Round 42: Eyes
Round 43: Portrait
Round 44: The Colour YELLOW  
Round 45: Great/Funny Signs  
Round 46: Looking Down  
Round 47: Seasons - Autumn (Fall), 2007
Round 48: Rain  
Round 49: Wild Animal(s)
Round 50: Halloween
Round 51: Civilisation 
Round 52: Fire  
Round 53: Rust  
Round 54: Graffiti 
Round 55: Photographer's Choice 
Round 56: Flowers  
Round 57: Alcohol
Round 58: Holidays (festivities)
Round 59: Seasons - Winter


In retrospect, I should have combined Winter with Ice and Rain with Fog. This leaves kind of an unorthodox pairing up of Fog with Ice, as suggested by our participants. Might make it all the more interesting.

Always looking for more theme suggestions.


----------



## atri

cool man thanks


----------



## felix

nice one, cheers. 

(we've already had portrait though, unless you want to do another one. just saying )


----------



## SA

Indeed we have, thanks. How about Macro Guessing Game instead? I'm running out of ideas.


----------



## felix

YAY for anything macro! my favourite. that's a great idea... although i dunno how you would work the 'guessing' part into it. just get people to vote on the one they like best, and after voting people just reveal what it was? that would work.  


Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)
Wastefulness
Widescreen 
'Create a cool wallpaper'
Bluelight :D
Silly faces
Music
The Sea/Ocean
Beaches


----------



## DG

Yes, I meant public that we can see who is voting for who


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

tribal girl said:
			
		

> I for one wasn't suggesting it should be the case for every round. I just think it would keep things interesting if we do an "or" round every now and then.



yeh same here, i didnt mean to have two themes all the time. but like for the color purple it seems like a not so common color, so partisipation would lack. maybe give the option to choose the more uncommon color paired with a more common color. i dunno.

*what about topics such as

"verbs"
"nouns"
"adjectives" 

so intead of the topic being "running" you could choose a "verb" such as "walking", sitting smiling ect.. but one would be required to state the verb they chose to depict, AND you could not repeat someones previously posted photo/verb.*

is that gay?... or what do you think?


----------



## felix

IAMTHOUGHTS said:
			
		

> what about topics such as
> 
> "verbs"
> "nouns"
> "adjectives"
> 
> so intead of the topic being "running" you could choose a "verb" such as "walking", sitting smiling ect.. but one would be required to state the verb they chose to depict, *AND you could not repeat someones previously posted photo/verb.*


i do like the abstract subjects, but i don't think the highlighted part is feasible. imagine going out, taking a cracker of a photograph, and coming back two hours later to see someone had already taken that theme? (especially if their one sucks? )


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

you know the saying: "you snooze, you lose"? i think that aplies here.
i think it would be cool to take a photo and than see that you were too late with your theme, then you would have to re-live the challenge. it would add even more dinamic to  creating an origional entry, but thats just my opinion.

we could deff leave that rule out if thats what people wanted.
 i love when my theme ideas get used :D


----------



## felix

i object to it purely on the grounds that it'll _possibly _give those damn kangaroo-shaggers an advantage, thanks to them being based in the future.  

and it will also favour people with a large stock of photos, rather than someone who goes out and takes one especially for the contest. 

oh, and i meant to say: it'll only be gay if you post a picture of yourself making love to another man. but if that's what you want to do, please remember the NSFW tags.


----------



## L2R

suggestions:

streetlife
history
computer
magic
luck
wish
pray
transcend
vertigo
innocent
belligerent


----------



## L2R

another suggestion:

abstract/unidentifiable.


----------



## spork

It kind of goes in with "People", but "Crowds" might be a good theme...

Also I don't see anything wrong with doing themes over again as long as people don't use the same photos.

Edit: BTW, did I somehow miss cityscapes?


----------



## SA

spork said:
			
		

> Edit: BTW, did I somehow miss cityscapes?


No, spork, yet to be done. 

I like "crowds". Added, thanks.


----------



## L2R

it would be nice if there was an index to all the photography poll threads.

and/or perhaps a tally of previous winners


----------



## L2R

i demand an *EYE* round! 

it's different from eyes!


----------



## pennywise

L2R said:
			
		

> it would be nice if there was an index to all the photography poll threads.
> 
> and/or perhaps a tally of previous winners



There used to be an index posted with each new contest, but as the number of rounds increased, they kinda stopped doing it, which I can see as the list would be quite long now. Although it might work as its own thread. Perhaps sometime today I will work on making a list.


----------



## pennywise

Photo Contest Thread Archive


----------



## atri

"broken"
and
"speed"


----------



## SA

will do, tanks


----------



## fizzle

opposites, and bridges


----------



## L2R

parallel lines please


----------



## fizzle

Are we going to be able to do "opposites" at any point?


----------



## SA

I just recently added "bridges" to the current line up. That's one of the two suggested only two posts above  (and there have been quite a few others before). Give us a chance, mein liebchen. Danke.


----------



## fizzle

Oh, sorry! I wasnt sure how the line up was going 

I'll be patient now


----------



## Karaboudjan

I think a few of the rules of the contest are a bit unnecessary.



> 4. All photographs must be free of watermarks, signatures and borders


Why? If someone wants to protect their images on the internet then why stop them? If it's such a shit watermark/signature etc then people won't like it and it won't get voted for so I don't see a problem. Also, what's wrong with a small border? It can positively add to the effect of an image if it's a B&W portrait for example.



> Be reminded that this is a photo contest and so images which have been heavily manipulated through an image editing software will not be accepted. To put everyone on a level playing field, editing should be restricted to cropping and resizing.


First it says heavily manipulated then it says restricted to cropping and resizing. What if you shoot in RAW and need to process it to make it look decent? Most cameras when saving to .jpg will do in camera processing such as noise reduction and sharpening etc so it can be important to fix things after taking the shot. I can understand not wanting amazingly manipulated images as then it'd be more of a CGI contest but post processing is a big part of digital photography these days and should be allowed imo.

Also, I think the competition would benefit from a rule that says the photo must be taken within a certain timeframe, say the week of the competition. Then it's more of a competition between who is the best photographer, not just who's been to the coolest or most eye catching place.


----------



## fizzle

Karaboudjan said:
			
		

> Also, I think the competition would benefit from a rule that says the photo must be taken within a certain timeframe, say the week of the competition. Then it's more of a competition between who is the best photographer, not just who's been to the coolest or most eye catching place.


I actually love the fact that I can show off my photos that have been taken from traveling, thats one of the best parts of the photo contest and I, as I'm sure many others, would be highly dissapointed if this rule was changed.


----------



## Karaboudjan

You could just make your own thread to show your travel photos or make a travel photo discussion thread? In my mind, a competition is contest between several people who start from a fairly even starting point. It's just each Bluelighter with whatever their local surroundings are and a camera. Nothing much else. Obviously it's hard to do so over the internet but by forcing everyone to go out and do the shot that week for instance, it creates a more even competition imo.


----------



## Johnny1

I understand the reasoning behind your proposal that would require each contest's photos to be taken that week, but personally that would mean that I would rarely enter a contest, because I am too busy.  

But I really enjoy looking through the photos I have taken over time and submitting one if I feel it would be a good entry.  Recently I have only been going on a photo taking outing once every two months.  There is no way I could time it to match that week's subject.


----------



## sushii

^ Same here. And given the variation in themes, I don't think it always comes down to who's been to the coolest place, either....all you need is to be creative.


----------



## felix

^ agreed.  some of us don't have the time or resources or weather to take a new photo every time, and it would be impossible to police. 

some weeks we win, some weeks all we can say 'i've got nothing'.


----------



## mcwally

got a query regarding the 700x700 rule which obviously makes square shots. I would propose 800x600 so normal composition can be maintained without cropping? 

May have been discussed b4 i havent read this thread but this is one thing that is a bit annoying as it is a photography and that is the original compostition of the shot


----------



## L2R

^the 700 is maximum for the longest side. it's doesn't have to be square. you don't need to crop, just resize and maintain the aspect. 



			
				Karaboudjan said:
			
		

> I think a few of the rules of the contest are a bit unnecessary.
> 
> Why? If someone wants to protect their images on the internet then why stop them? If it's such a shit watermark/signature etc then people won't like it and it won't get voted for so I don't see a problem. Also, what's wrong with a small border? It can positively add to the effect of an image if it's a B&W portrait for example.



Exactly why it should be against the rules. This isn't about effects, it's about photography



> First it says heavily manipulated then it says restricted to cropping and resizing. What if you shoot in RAW and need to process it to make it look decent? Most cameras when saving to .jpg will do in camera processing such as noise reduction and sharpening etc so it can be important to fix things after taking the shot. I can understand not wanting amazingly manipulated images as then it'd be more of a CGI contest but post processing is a big part of digital photography these days and should be allowed imo.



yeah but we aren't photographers. the idea is that anyone here can shoot, upload, host and post without too much hassle or time and have a chance at votes.

remember, these aren't serious comps. there are no prizes or money or anything on the line. it is purely for fun. in order to have fun, we need to maintain the ease with which it is to enter. this is precisely why the comp has lasted as long as it has already. 



> Also, I think the competition would benefit from a rule that says the photo must be taken within a certain timeframe, say the week of the competition. Then it's more of a competition between who is the best photographer, not just who's been to the coolest or most eye catching place.



Again disagree. Firstly, there's no way to police this, and secondly, not everyone has the time. On third thought, it would then be a competition for who lives in the coolest place (and i'd easily win every time )


----------



## mcwally

yeh I agree with most of that but why is it 700x700 at all? why not 800x600, I understand you can make it 700 max side and the other smaller to maintain composition but still why 700 square?


----------



## Klue

I am glad someone has brought the 700 X 700 rule up, I was just coming in here to comment on it.

The VB software Bluelight uses resizes images somewhere between 640 x 640 and 700 x 700. A 640 pixel length image will be shown full size wheras a 700 pixel length image will be reduced down to what is maybe the equivalent of 500 pixel lenght.

I have a feeling that first impressions are important in the (friendly) competiteon, so a photo that is maximized in thread has more of an impact. It saves you having to click on it to see the full sized image.

I am not complaining about the rule, in fact I think its great because I am a dial up user and I dont have to sit here all day waiting for things to load. But maybe people entering the comp could take note of this, it may help them with their entries.


----------



## L2R

it just means 700 either way maximum. it doesn't necessarily dictate "square". 

800 x 600 forces an even further reduced side.


----------



## fizzle

I think the competition is spectacular the way it is and should be left alone.

And obviously what I say goes, so


----------



## mcwally

just like to bring up a point regarding the way and mindset that photos should be judged and hence voted upon.

I mean there are various criterias - your favourite photo, the best technically proficient image, the one that best reflects the weeks theme, the most effort or skill that would have been required to take the shot etc

so what do we think? just interested in a bit of discussion on the criteria that the photos are judged, and what in fairness the criteria should be.

I mean one could just plonk in an awesome photo that will blow others out of the water but it may be too irrelevant to the weeks theme...stuff like that


----------



## alasdairm

i think that people choose the criteria themselves. for me, if a photo doesn't evoke in me the feeling of the theme, it doesn't even get consideration.

if somebody else wants to vote for a stunning photo which seems to have no connection to the theme whatsoever, that's their prerogative.

alasdair


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

mcwally said:
			
		

> your favourite photo, the best technically proficient image, the one that best reflects the weeks theme, the most effort or skill that would have been required to take the shot etc


i thought you were gonna propose that as new themes for future weeks


----------



## cletus

alasdairm said:
			
		

> for me, if a photo doesn't evoke in me the feeling of the theme, it doesn't even get consideration.



Totally agree.

In keeping with that, I tend to vote for the photo that makes me stop & stare, while scrolling down the final list. It's normally the one that makes me go "woah there, that's a great pic". I have never looked to see how the voting has gone before I pick my favourite. This is a photo comp, not a popularity contest IMO.


----------



## mcwally

hehe, yah im just looking at this weeks sky ones and some of them are just like, the sun which clearly isnt the sky at all - can be nice shots but no sky = irrelevant 

kinda tongue in cheek just throwing that out there


----------



## alasdairm

for me, a picture of the sun embraces the 'sky' theme perfectly well. from where i'm standing, the sun is in the sky 

alasdair


----------



## mcwally

well I was trying to stick to the sky theme as closely as possible and as such overlooked my totally awesome shots that were more of the sun than the sky hehe 8)  like if the theme was beautiful people and someone put up a shot of a kidney - thats in a person as the sun is in the sky  

anyway its all in the right spirit just a cheeky point


----------



## felix

i don't think a damn thing needs to be changed about these photo contests, they work just perfectly. as lefty says - that's why they've lasted so long, right? 

remember this thread is also for suggesting new themes for future contests. anyone can chip in with ideas.


----------



## mcwally

so whats up after bridges fellas we looking for ideas or is there a schedule already in moderator land


----------



## felix

post # 2 in the bridges thread: 



			
				SA said:
			
		

> Submissions: May May 18 - May 24
> Voting: May 25 - May 26
> 
> Next theme: Games [May25 - May 31]
> followed by : The Beach [June 01 - June 07]
> followed by: TBA


this is the traditional place to suggest ideas, so go for it!

have a look through the index here to see what's been done: 

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=365179

coincidentally i thought of a few myself over the weekend, which i will post here soon. 

bricks
castles
the sea/ocean
chimneys
gardens
insects
fruit/vegetables
graveyards
a room in your house!
favourite holiday photo (open round)


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

was there a skin theme yet ?


----------



## mcwally

fk many ones already been done, but Im sure heaps of people have other shots they would like to enter on themes we already done!

particularly ones like architecture, portrait/people, wild animals, landscapes, sunsets sunrises and other timeless themes, these types they never fail to excite keen photographers


----------



## fizzle

^I was actually thinking of another architecture round too, I have a picture I've wanted to enter that doesnt really work for anything else, except maybe 'carousels' or something, that could work too.


----------



## atri

passion


----------



## mcwally

oo that could get hardcore though quite literally


----------



## fizzle

Funny/humorous, something along those lines.


----------



## VerbalTruist

I think a Humour round would be fun as well!

Yes I have a good picture for it.


----------



## Damien

Have we done a psychedelic round yet?


----------



## felix

i don't think so? check the index page at the top of the forum list.


----------



## spork

fireworks!


----------



## L2R

Pizza


----------



## spork

eDDe9 said:
			
		

> Can I suggest 'sweets' for a contest please



http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showpost.php?p=6173015&postcount=34


----------



## Changed

I just read the first few posts in this thread (will read the rest later), but has anybody thought of changing the rules about image processing?

This may come as a shock to some of you, but every entry I've submitted (3, with 2 winners) has been post-processed *to re-create the colors of the image that were actually present when I took the photo*. The point-and-shoot that I had available at the time of my photos wasn't able to replicate the colors of the landscape, so I went into CS2 and tweaked them back to normal.

If you want to disqualify my past entries and award the win to the second place finisher, that is fine. But I think post-processing up to the point of "normalizing" the image should be allowed.


For the record, all my future entries will be film, so no processing will be required


----------



## felix

there is a pretty massive discussion about that in this thread, i'm sure...


----------



## Johnny1

The contest is on-your-honor, starting with that the photo has to be taken by you.  Depending on your gear, you might _have _to make changes in order for the photo to even turn out.  For example, those who shoot RAW and not JPG have no choice but to post-process.  From my perspective, if the photo you post is faithful to the scene, that's enough for me.  I don't make the rules, but I don't think you should second-guess posting a faithful photo.  Only you know what the scene looked like to your eyes.

I have seen many photos posted, one or two of mine included, that were NOT faithful to the scene but were UNprocessed.  They were not faithful in that I think they were a bit oversaturated.  Colors like that often times don't exist in real life.  But I left these the way they were because that's the way they came out of my camera.  I could even turn my camera to a "Vivid" JPG mode and have the colors approach acid trip visuals.  Yet that wouldn't violate the rules because that's the way they come out of the camera.  So it's hard to get one set of rules that work for everyone.  But a faithful photo seems to me like it should pass muster.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> I could even turn my camera to a "Vivid" JPG mode and have the colors approach acid trip visuals.  *Yet that wouldn't violate the rules because that's the way they come out of the camera. *


eh
thats how this thread started
i couldn't use a pic cuz you where not allowed to use some function on the cam while others functions where ok...

i think that the thread started in regard of the facts that what you could do in photoshop is becoming more and more available _inside _the camera

so it was a "where do we draw the line" thing at first imo
(i might be wrong)


----------



## Johnny1

^ Oh, sorry if I misunderstood the rules.  So, to save me reading the 10 pages again my Québécois friend with the difficult name and great taste in women, are there rules about in-camera settings?  If so, what is the rule with respect thereto?   

Is it just "no images that are heavily manipulated"?  What to do about contrast and saturation settings inside the camera?

Or if you don't know this particular rule, can anyone help me out?


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

^yeah i cant help you
i stopped participating in those
i wasnt into the contest, regulation, rules... part of it
i can already post whatever i want in the pic thread in the lounge, so i stay there


----------



## SA

Johnny, contrast and saturation settings in the camera do not go against the rules here, IMO. These settings are on pretty much all cameras, so the photographer should not be penalised for what core settings their camera chooses to take the photo with.

The earlier debate was about an eye-candy feature belonging to a specific model camera (perhaps a few others, but certainly not the majority)  which had this enhanced feature of applying or enhancing colours. Again, this is not a traditional core feature of a camera (yes, we can get into deeper semantics here), so the prior argument was that this was manipulation. 

Personally, I'd love to continue the discussion, in a civil manner, and see if there may be more, varied and different opinions out there. All it takes is one to stand out as something not thought of before. Please feel free to keep adding here.


For the present moment, we will be conducting the contests as usual. Rules, for now, remain simple - please stick to cropping and resizing. 

Weren't we working on an Arts forum?  Rather than bend the rails under a smooth-running train, why not set up another set of tracks for another train... and another... (I'm talking about starting other photo contest threads, this time each with a very different set of rules. Perhaps have Amateur/Advanced? I'll shut up now, sorry. That was branching off everywhere! LOL

The photo manipulation thing? Core feature on camera - OK. Eye candy feature on camera (add colour, clouds, frame, etc.) - Not OK.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

SA said:
			
		

> very different set of rules.


hehe
rules and art
 
tho im happy you are bringing the art forum meme
i was thinking about bumping that thread earlier...


----------



## chrissie

What about raw files?  You can modify the levels, saturation etc. and output it however you'd like.

I've said this before, but I don't have any problems with photo manipulation.  In traditional photography, you can use different lenses, fancy lighting and dodge/burn photos in a darkroom... so what's wrong with digital processing?  To me, it's all about artistic vision and the final product.  People can choose to vote however they wish.  I'm not arguing this, I just like to state my opinion every few pages


----------



## SA

chrissie said:
			
		

> ... so what's wrong with digital processing?  To me, it's all about artistic vision and the final product.  People can choose to vote however they wish.  I'm not arguing this, I just like to state my opinion every few pages


Hi Chrissie. Thank you for adding, again, valid points.

Personally, I have nothing against all modes of digital photo processing. The photo contest constantly attracts new participants, some of whom had lurked for weeks and maybe months. The reason this contest attracts a good number of participants, IMHO, is that it is a down to earth "anyone with a camera" can do it. 

If we were to introduce the editing talent which we have here to a new set of rules, which would allow post-capture editing, I believe we would see a pronounced polarity develop in the contest. Entries straight from the camera would garner the same popularity, but the show stoppers would most likely constantly be the edited, highlighted, touched up pieces.

This is why I mentioned in my reply to Johnny1 that, IMHO, the way to go forward would be to branch out the contest into either levels or edited/unedited, or whatever else makes the most sense.


----------



## Changed

Well I see nobody is going to directly refer to my photos... 

I'm done posting digital images, so from here on out it'll be scanned B&W film.


----------



## SA

Changed said:
			
		

> Well I see nobody is going to directly refer to my photos...
> 
> I'm done posting digital images, so from here on out it'll be scanned B&W film.



Changed, it _is_ a bit of a predicament. To get this thread back to the regular topic, I'm going to take the discussion of your already processed entries to PM. I'll try to have something in your inbox tomorrow. Thanks.


----------



## L2R

the news by changed has saddened me, but then i'm falling for taking this light hearted contest a little too seriously, but nonetheless i am hurt a little.


----------



## StoneHappyMonday

I've lurked for months and only just joined in. I don't understand the rules re manipulation, so I left my photos completely unedited.

It seemed obvious to me that Changed had turned up the volume knob on the colour. Regardless, I still voted for his winning entry on landscapes.

But the next week, I just couldn't bring myself to vote for his Swiss alpine roads, even though it was obviously the 'best' picture. I just felt the competition had become about the guy/girl with the best camera and/or best digital manipulation.

I think it needs clearing up but I don't know how. Yeah, maybe two separate competitions (enhanced/non-enhanced). Or people say what they have done to their picture and we as judges use our discretion to vote on whatever basis we feel is right.


----------



## Changed

I feel bad that you guys think I cheated you.


I really don't see what the harm is in correcting the picture to reflect what the actual landscape looked like, *and that's all I did*.

It may look over the top compared to the other photos, but those of you who have been to the Swiss Alps can attest to it's lushness and beauty. 

You can revoke my previous wins and I'll delete my photos, but I am going to enter my B/W film once my new camera arrives.


----------



## Changed

Just for comparison, which do you like better?








*NSFW*:


----------



## Shambles

Personally I prefer the ones without the NSFW tags - to me they look more "natural" although I really couldn't say which had been adjusted. I know what you mean about needing to alter the colours to return them to "reality". Some of mine come out in all sort of weird colours but I rather like it so leave them.

When I first took up photography I was using B&W film and, of course, you manipulate the image in the darkroom to achieve the desred effect. So really virtually all photography as been altered in some way or another. Tis a bit of a conundrum and I can see both sides.

I think it may be best to go with keeping the rules as they are and maybe having a seperate competition for more processed images. It would be a real shame if new participants were put off from entering because they can't use Photoshop. Perhaps a seperate comp as SA - and undoubtedly others - have suggested would be better. Alterations for dramatic effect but not so completely distorted as to be unrecognisable as photography.

Don't know. Rambled too much to know what I'm typing anymore, but hope some sense can be made .

PS - My entries have always been straight from the camera - possibly cos I'm just too lazy to manipulate them :D.


----------



## StoneHappyMonday

Changed said:
			
		

> Just for comparison, which do you like better?



An interesting question. Because...

I 'prefer' the ones, like Entheo, without the NSFW tags.

BUT.

Almost paradoxically, the ones that 'stand out' more are obviously the enhanced, NSFW ones.


----------



## Johnny1

Changed, I don't think you should feel bad if what you submitted was faithful to the scene.  

Subject matter and composition are so much more important than how good the camera is and what is done to the photo afterward.  The playing field is much more level than people realize.  A good photographer with a $200 digicam and free Irfanview software will blow away an average photographer with $5000 of gear and Adobe Photoshop CS3.  

I think the rule should be: post-processing is allowed if the result is that the photo is faithful to the scene.


----------



## Changed

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> I think the rule should be: post-processing is allowed if the result is that the photo is faithful to the scene.




I agree. 

Obviously, because of what I've already submitted, but also because a photo that is superior in composition *should* always receive more votes that one that is simply composed of shiny colors. This keeps the competition from simply becoming a photoshop contest between a few people. 

I can manipulate a photo to make it stunning, but without proper framing and basic photographic techniques, it isn't going to be worth looking at twice.

*I say: change the rules to allow the artists to recreate what was actually seen at the time of the picture making. And, if a photo is submitted that oversteps these boundaries, simply don't vote for it. That way, every person has a chance to win the competition; if somebody doesn't want to post-process their entry because they feel it is a powerful enough image without it, then so be it.*


----------



## felix

^ i have to say, i'm gradually coming round to this argument. i'm sure we've all been hugely disappointed with the results of our picture taking because of some auto feature taking over and deciding what's best. 

even with 'live view' and reviewing them on the screen at the time, there's still no guarantee that they will turn out OK. 

so i would tend to agree that some brightening or contrast fixing should be allowed. 

anything more than that - no.


----------



## alasdairm

the colour of the sky in the edited 'land' picture looks extremely unnatural. to me.

alasdair


----------



## Changed

no borders, no filters. 

contrast - yes, color correction - yes

saturation... iffy.


----------



## Changed

alasdairm said:
			
		

> the colour of the sky in the edited 'land' picture looks extremely unnatural. to me.
> 
> alasdair



yeah it does, I had done a few things with the picture previously and it turned out amazing; I tried to emulate it again and it did make the sky a bit comical. Maybe not the best example!


----------



## L2R

regardless of how "faithful" you reckon your touch ups are, they are still touch ups, and most contestants of these comps don't have either the time, skill and/or software to touch theirs up. 

as has been previously mentioned, the success of these comps rely on it's easy accessibility for anyone who just likes to point n click.

it is supposed to be _fun_, and when it comes to fun the K.I.S.S. method rules all.


----------



## Changed

alright fine, I'll discontinue my browsing of Second Opinion in order to avoid further competitions.


----------



## alasdairm

don't forget your ball...



alasdair


----------



## mcwally

how precious are some of you being about minor photo enhancing in PS, lol. Worth losing photographers in the comp because of outdated ideals about not slightly altering shots in pshop? As mentioned before there is a myriad of ways in 35mm film photography to alter images say in the darkroom now this is done in PS or in the digital camera settings at the time.

Never is an image a perfect representation of the actual scene. The camera lens' and camera settings all influence the outcome just like enhancing a shot digitally. 

Its never a level playing field, people have different cameras, varying amounts of time and been exposed to different scenes to capture. Enhancing an image on PS is done in all photography nowadays why should this comp be any different. If it is done excessively or if an object is cut and pasted into a different background then that is obviously across the line.

Changed saying his shots were to a small extent enhanced in PS is fine with me and the results should stand imo. Having a different comp for shots that are enhanced in PS is stupidity imo.


----------



## pennywise

Changed said:
			
		

> alright fine, I'll discontinue my browsing of Second Opinion in order to avoid further competitions.








don't let the door hit you in the....etc, etc.


----------



## pennywise

Furthermore, as to the whole argument over small corrections in colors and contrast and so forth..if you were to do something that is so minor, then how would anyone know it if you did? If it's something that is really obvious and noticeable, then people will notice, and it will be regulated. Otherwise, keep your business to yourself and we'll all get along. 

It's really not worth getting all upset about from either side of the fence, imo. I can see both sides. Obviously we want to keep things on a level playing field, but then again that is almost impossible. You may be able to say no digital enhancement, but can you make everyone use the same camera? A person shooting with a cheap 4 MP point-and-shoot is obviously at a disadvantage to someone who has a $500 Nikon SLR. Can you give everyone equal access to subject matter and the amount of time and effort they can put into their shots? Can you limit everyone's experience and education? The answer is obviously no. 

Similarly, you can't control who has access and skill with Photoshop et al, but the only difference with digital manipulation is that after a certain point, it becomes less a photography contest than a photoshop contest. Therefore, I believe, it pays to keep the guidelines loose and general. As long as whatever merit the entry has was achieved mostly in the original photo, I wouldn't begrudge some slight tweaking with digital post-processing. Where do you draw that line? It's like the old adage about pornography...it is hard to define when you cross the line from photo to a digitally generated non-photo, but I'm confident that we'll know it when we see it. As such, I would advise people that if it really bothers them that they can't do "color correction" or whatever, that they do what they feel they need to do, while keeping in mind that if it becomes too obvious, we will know.


----------



## Johnny1

pennywise said:
			
		

> Furthermore, as to the whole argument over small corrections in colors and contrast and so forth..if you were to do something that is so minor, then how would anyone know it if you did? If it's something that is really obvious and noticeable, then people will notice, and it will be regulated. Otherwise, keep your business to yourself and we'll all get along.


----------



## mcwally

^nice shot, hang on has that been shopped  :D


----------



## L2R

its the fucking honour system. look it up.

if you want to be so petty as to *cheat* on a photography contest with no reward based on an anonymous drug message board which was made simply in the spirit of good fun, then you really need to be getting yourself a life. 

all those whinging about the simple and easy to understand and participating in rules can cry me a fucking river. you want a serious and professional photo contest? *this is NOT it*.

and it's been repeatedly discussed and agreed upon so why keep asking the same fucking questions? it's precisely this kind of shit that saps all the fun out of the game. and with people like changed submitting what they know to be against the rules completely voids any point in participating. 

i don't want to lose changed as a participant in these contests, as long as he (she?) can stick to the rules everyone else does. where's your sense of sport, honour and fun?


----------



## Changed

Impacto Profundo said:
			
		

> i don't want to lose changed as a participant in these contests, as long as he (she?) can stick to the rules everyone else does. where's your sense of sport, honour and fun?



You sound like a politician or judge trying to shame a criminal after hes committed a murder. please. After all, this is a drug forum subforum photography contest. My sense of sport, honor, and fun is far removed from this subforum. 

I have plenty of other avenues to display my photography for pleasure; you can continue to ostracize artists until eventually, every single person doubts whether they should enter their piece for voting. Enjoy your bland competition in the mean time.


----------



## Changed

pennywise said:
			
		

> If it's something that is really obvious and noticeable, then people will notice, and it will be regulated. Otherwise, keep your business to yourself and we'll all get along.



that's funny, considering nobody said anything about my entries until I outed myself...


> A person shooting with a cheap 4 MP point-and-shoot is obviously at a disadvantage to someone who has a $500 Nikon SLR.


 each photo I submitted was produced with a crappy point and shoot.


----------



## Johnny1

Impacto Profundo said:
			
		

> all those whinging about the simple and easy to understand and participating in rules can cry me a fucking river. you want a serious and professional photo contest? *this is NOT it*.



It's more like we AMATEURS who are TRYING to have fun are simply making a second, good-hearted attempt to convince people who DO NOT UNDERSTAND that the rule they THINK makes sense actually *HOBBLES* *EVERYONE* *NEEDLESSLY.*

So if that's crying a river, then boo hoo hoo.

But please don't confuse these attempts with trying to ruin the contest by making it serious and professional.  We are just trying to make it on the level that every grandpa with a $200 camera, a computer, and the free program Picasa does without even thinking to produce decent photos.


----------



## L2R

Changed said:
			
		

> After all, this is a drug forum subforum photography contest. My sense of sport, honor, and fun is far removed from this subforum.


Then i'd suggest avoiding thread and contests that rely on such traits.



> I have plenty of other avenues to display my photography for pleasure; you can continue to ostracize artists until eventually, every single person doubts whether they should enter their piece for voting.



There's nothing to doubt. The rules are quite clear and simple. 



> Enjoy your bland competition in the mean time.



Bland? I see more colour and life in untouched amateur works than your unnatural looking preferences. I prefer real tits to silicone. 



			
				Johnny1 said:
			
		

> We are just trying to make it on the level that every grandpa with a $200 camera, a computer, and the free program Picasa does without even thinking to produce decent photos.



bit presumptuous are we? i don't know anyone who touches up their photos, let alone does so without thinking. well except my brother, but he takes his snapping seriously and has spent a fortune on his equipment.

just because my range of associates do not practice touching up their pics does not mean i can presume no one does, just as you can't make your ridiculous and absurd declaration.


----------



## L2R

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> It's more like we AMATEURS who are TRYING to have fun are simply making a second, good-hearted attempt to convince people who DO NOT UNDERSTAND that the rule they THINK makes sense actually *HOBBLES* *EVERYONE* *NEEDLESSLY.*



what the hell does that even mean?


----------



## pennywise

Changed said:
			
		

> that's funny, considering nobody said anything about my entries until I outed myself...
> each photo I submitted was produced with a crappy point and shoot.



Get over yourself, man. This conversation, let alone the rest of the world, does not revolve around you or your photos. Your photos aren't _that_ good. A lot of people have won the contest, and I can't think of any of them that are as full of themselves as you are. As it is, I think you have a bug up your ass about this because you did do some post-processing in your winning entries, and now feel all butthurt because you think it taints your wins. I've got news for you: _no one cares.
_


----------



## felix

wow.

calm the fuck down please people. this really isn't serious business.


----------



## Changed

pennywise said:
			
		

> I've got news for you: _no one cares.
> _



Then why are you (and a whole slew of other moderators) pissing and moaning about a few minor touch-ups? 8)


----------



## fizzle

^Because technically that was cheating on your part, as impacto said, the rules are quite clear. However, it was you who sort of brought this onto yourself, as pennywise said, you didnt have to say anything about your photos being touched up and no one would have known. 

The rest of the discussion is not about you and your photos, its about the contest rules in general.


----------



## pennywise

Changed said:
			
		

> Then why are you (and a whole slew of other moderators) pissing and moaning about a few minor touch-ups? 8)



I'm not. If you had the slightest idea what was going on, you would have realized that.


----------



## pennywise

Mz_Thizzle said:
			
		

> ^Because technically that was cheating on your part, as impacto said, the rules are quite clear. However, it was you who sort of brought this onto yourself, as pennywise said, you didnt have to say anything about your photos being touched up and no one would have known.
> 
> The rest of the discussion is not about you and your photos, its about the contest rules in general.



see, she knows whats going on.


----------



## Johnny1

Impacto Profundo said:
			
		

> what the hell does that even mean?



Oh, sorry, I will try to be much more clear.  Here it is, explained by the numbers:

1. Some of us want the contest rules to be changed to allow the fixing of photos.

2.  The fixing of photos is not to make the photo something it's not, it's to make it resemble the scene that was shot.

3.  Those of us who have lobbied for the rule change are not professionals, but amateurs.

4.  Amateurs, just like you.

5.  But we are not like you because we don't fear fixing a photo to make it come out right, something even a grandpa can do (even if you and your friends can't).

6.  We are not trying to make the contest serious, we are trying to make it fun.

7.  By keeping the rules the way they are, they curtail the ability of everyone to post photos that look right.

Please let me know if you require further clarification.


----------



## BA

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> Oh, sorry, I will try to be much more clear.  Here it is, explained by the numbers:
> 
> 1. Some of us want the contest rules to be changed to allow the fixing of photos.
> 
> 2.  The fixing of photos is not to make the photo something it's not, it's to make it resemble the scene that was shot.
> 
> 3.  Those of us who have lobbied for the rule change are not professionals, but amateurs.
> 
> 4.  Amateurs, just like you.
> 
> 5.  But we are not like you because we don't fear fixing a photo to make it come out right, something even a grandpa can do (even if you and your friends can't).
> 
> 6.  We are not trying to make the contest serious, we are trying to make it fun.
> 
> 7.  By keeping the rules the way they are, they curtail the ability of everyone to post photos that look right.
> 
> Please let me know if you require further clarification.



1. When I started this whole photo contest, yes, I, it was never intended to be a "digital photography manipulation contest" but rather a basic photo contest where users could enter simple shots. This way people like chrissie (for example, because I know she's good with Adobe) wouldn't have an unfair advantgage over the occasional picture taker. This puts everyone on an even playing field, or as even as possible.

2. Resemble the scene that was shot? You don't need photoshop to do that, you need to know the basics of exposure. Again, even basic P&S cameras can handle this without having to master a software manipulation package.

7. Too bad. If you don't like the rules, you're free to start a "digitally photoshop altered photography contest" which DOES allow any kind of "touching up". Because let me tell you, mastering a software package like Lightroom or Adobe are a different skill set than photography skills. Let's be clear on that. I see plenty of average photographers who are above-average photoshoppers who pump out great images on flickr daily.

It's really too bad that a simple fun contest like this can turn so nasty and people feel they need to cheat just to compete. That means your photography skills (not your photo manipulation skills) are shit. These kinds of people probably don't know an f-stop from their grandmother's bush. They couldn't tell you what a flash sync speed is, or the correlation between an increase in ISO and shutter speed. They'd rather cheat, _just to be able_ to hang with those who DO know good photography skills.


----------



## alasdairm

i tend to agree with ba among others.

the competition is not about the photograph which best represents the scene which was actually shot. apart from anything else, that's entirely subjective. i also believe it's mostly irrelevant in this context.

it is - for most i believe - about the photo which best finds the voice of the theme.

alasdair


----------



## SA

*Shoot > resize/crop > post*. It really is a simple proposition, folks. 

As for changing the rules, it has been suggested several times already that parallel contests, which allow for image manipulation, are welcome. We welcome volunteers who wish to start, manage and upkeep these new contests, following the current template.  

Some of the lobbying energy seen expended here over the months would have been so much more productive, IMHO,  if spent on  creating new streams (read: threads/contests/themes) to further our dream of an Arts sub-forum. For now, it remains just that - a dream. 

"Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda


----------



## pennywise

SA said:
			
		

> Some of the lobbying energy seen expended here over the months would have been so much more productive, IMHO, if spent on creating new streams (read: threads/contests/themes) to further our dream of an Arts sub-forum. For now, it remains just that - a dream



Really...it seems like arguments and discussion of arts content are far more popular threads than the actual arts threads...


----------



## Changed

BA said:
			
		

> It's really too bad that a simple fun contest like this can turn so nasty and people feel they need to cheat just to compete. That means your photography skills (not your photo manipulation skills) are shit. These kinds of people probably don't know an f-stop from their grandmother's bush. They couldn't tell you what a flash sync speed is, or the correlation between an increase in ISO and shutter speed. They'd rather cheat, _just to be able_ to hang with those who DO know good photography skills.



What's funny about this is, it isn't true- anybody who knows anything about basic photographic techniques (f-stops, DOF, ISO, etc...) are 99% more likely to be well versed in post-processing.


----------



## Johnny1

I'm still willing to participate under the current rules.  But this being the Photography Contest Discussion thread, when the matter came up I brought up this suggestion a second time.  I won't bring it up again.  

If people are still living in 1995 and don't understand why it doesn't matter whether you post process a photo, or how difficult or easy it is to post-process a photo, or that a photo is a photo is a photo, far be it from me to teach them, because they're not willing to learn.

I will make sure to use my view camera with a cape and take a single plate of film at a time and not post-process, just like Ansel Adams--wait, he post-processed every photo, sorry.  I will just do as you say.  Perhaps I will buy a disposable camera just for these contests, then I can't even adjust the focus.  Just to be on the safe side.


----------



## Johnny1

BA said:
			
		

> 1. When I started this whole photo contest, yes, I, it was never intended to be a "digital photography manipulation contest"



I didn't know you owned the contest.  Perhaps you should charge an entry fee, or at least a fee to make suggestions about the contest rules.   



			
				BA said:
			
		

> It's really too bad that a simple fun contest like this can turn so nasty and people feel they need to cheat just to compete.



Give me a break, BA.  You of all people should understand that making minor adjustments to a photo does not give someone an unfair advantage.  (And I have not, I just suggested that it be allowed.)  Don't you have thousands of dollars worth of new gear?  Don't you have lenses that most of us don't have that allow you to get shots others can't?  Does _that_ give you an unfair advantage?  No?  It's the same thing!  Perhaps the rule should be that the camera and lens together can't cost more than $300 USD!  8) 

What makes a photo is subject, lighting, and composition.  If anyone thinks that post-processing makes a photo, they need to take more photos until they realize what makes a good one.  And for most of us amateurs, what makes a _great _photo is often luck!


----------



## SA

Johnny1 said:
			
		

> I'm still willing to participate under the current rules.  But this being the Photography Contest Discussion thread, when the matter came up I brought up this suggestion a second time.  I won't bring it up again.
> 
> If people are still living in 1995 and don't understand why it doesn't matter whether you post process a photo, or how difficult or easy it is to post-process a photo, or that a photo is a photo is a photo, far be it from me to teach them, because they're not willing to learn.
> 
> I will make sure to use my view camera with a cape and take a single plate of film at a time and not post-process, just like Ansel Adams--wait, he post-processed every photo, sorry.  I will just do as you say.  Perhaps I will buy a disposable camera just for these contests, then I can't even adjust the focus.  Just to be on the safe side.


Thank you for insulting every single photo I've entered in this contest, Johnny. 

This set of rules is simple. It makes a relatively level playing field for everyone, without having to get into a further debate of "how much is too much" (post processing). But a sarcastic response  is oh so much more productive than  saying, "Hey, everyone, I'm going to get a parallel contest going where we can touch up our shots to make them look more original".


----------



## Johnny1

SA, I can't imagine how I insulted you with my post but I apologize if I did so in any way.

It's true that I was sarcastic.  All my posts in this thread before these last two days have been absolutely polite.  This past day or two I was responding to  harsh, angry posts and to what I believe was unfair criticism of others.  I felt bad about making sarcastic posts in response, especially in response to BLers who I otherwise respect, but I got caught up in the moment.  If I offended anyone, I'm sorry.

I am completely against a parallel contest for two reasons: 

(1) as I've said, I don't believe that touching up a photo makes them better (or even more original), just that it's a basic and necessary part of the technical process that starts with focusing and ends with posting.  To me, it's no different than any other technical part of photography, and with the free and easy-to-use software available, can be done by anyone.  I would never think of taking a mediocre photo of mine and using Photoshop to improve it, because it can't be done.  It can never be anything other than a mediocre photo.  And a great photo typically doesn't need much work, just to make sure the color is right.  Or to make it B&W.  A bit of sharpening.  Eliminate red eye.  Etc.  But it was great to start with.

(2) I think it would ruin the contest.  I have no desire to participate in a high-level contest, or a lower-level contest, this is about fun for me just like it is for everyone.  The best photo I ever took, which won the People contest and is the photo I'm most proud of, was taken with a $30 point-and-shoot film camera and scanned and posted.  The fun of this for me is that everyone participates.  There are nearly always surprises and great pictures.


----------



## SA

No worries, Johnny, thanks. I see where you're coming from. That first was tongue in cheek. 

The biggest problem, which we've butted up against during the previous debates over the rules, is "how much is too much". Once you open the door to editing, all bets are off. I doubt we'd get past one round without multiple challenges of "got enough paint on that photo?". Some, like yourself, would wisely use the tools to perform those slight necessary edits. Others, as has been seen already, would get carried away in their artistic moment. Who is to judge?


----------



## Changed

SA said:
			
		

> Some, like yourself, would wisely use the tools to perform those slight necessary edits. *Others, as has been seen already, would get carried away in their artistic moment.* Who is to judge?



I'm really not sure what you are referring to here, but I'm sure it isn't my photos. Like I said before, the processing I performed was to recreate the landscape as it was when I saw it with my own two eyes.

If that is "getting carried away in an artistic moment," I'd hate to see the results from somebody going truly wild.


----------



## alasdairm

if the difference is really so subtle, at this level of comparison, why even bother?

as i said previously, the competition is not about the photograph which best represents the scene which was actually shot. apart from anything else, that's entirely subjective. i also believe it's mostly irrelevant in this context.

alasdair


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

awww, thats part of why i love *competition *so much


----------



## Rogue Robot

seems more like a debate, ninjadan.


----------



## SA

Changed said:
			
		

> I'm really not sure what you are referring to here, but I'm sure it isn't my photos.


We are in round 85 of the contest. There is a bit more of a history here, Changed. So no, it's not about you.


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

eras3r said:
			
		

> seems more like a debate, ninjadan.




im talking about the photo contest
and how people end up taking it too seriously for my taste
why is it important to some that retouch arent allowed ?
this is a druggie board at first, then we have the community part, for me its there for people to exchange and know each other
seeing pics that are retouch or not is a cool way to get into peoples life and mind
this aint a board about photography 
why not try a free round where any manipulation is allowed and see what comes out of it ?

then again i understand how this contest format has prove its merit and there really is no need to reconsider the rules cuz its already working great
tho debating is fun


----------



## Johnny1

SA said:
			
		

> No worries, Johnny, thanks. I see where you're coming from. That first was tongue in cheek.



I see where you're coming from as well.  Peace and love, man.


----------



## Rogue Robot

ninjadanslarbretabar said:
			
		

> im talking about the photo contest
> and how people end up taking it too seriously for my taste
> why is it important to some that retouch arent allowed ?
> this is a druggie board at first, then we have the community part, for me its there for people to exchange and know each other
> seeing pics that are retouch or not is a cool way to get into peoples life and mind
> this aint a board about photography
> why not try a free round where any manipulation is allowed and see what comes out of it ?
> 
> then again i understand how this contest format has prove its merit and there really is no need to reconsider the rules cuz its already working great
> tho debating is fun



agreed, but i do understand that many people, myself included, don't have the time or don't have the skills to manipulate an image in photo editing software.  however, i did buy cameras that help me to take better, more vibrant pictures (without weird settings that only come on specific cameras, though mine has some) for reasons like that, but more for myself and my "hobby".

i think a round would be cool, and see where it goes from there?  maybe it count spawn into its own contest?


----------



## SA

hearts right back at ya, Johnny 

On the open round, that would be fun. We'll have to word it accordingly, so that people don't mistake it for a "cut'n paste a face" round. lol


----------



## mcwally

Hm imo this is silly, 2 photography contests is there room for 2, are there enough photographers and entries to warrant 2? 

Sounds like both contests would be judged by exactly the same criteria ie as photography contests not photoshop/art contests, just that one allows post processing on PS. If this is the case then one should not be able to detect the PS adjustments or the user has failed in their use of PS because they are entering a photography comp. So then you end up with 2 comps essentially the same, bad idea.

The only way I believe 2 comps would be justified is if one is a photography contest and the other is a digital art contest using heavy PS use and is not trying to produce photos.


----------



## pennywise

While I have already shared my views on the whole debate, I just wanted to point out the difference between minor post-processing, which keeps the focus of the contest on the photographs, and post-processing that modifies the original photo too much. For instance:

Before:




After: 





Vs.

Before:





After:





In the first case, the essential character of the photo is not changed, and the post processing doesn't make or break it, whereas in the second the post-processing is what creates the majority of the photos character. The effects you see were both created with the same feature the "Auto-Levels" function in Photoshop. It just goes to show that it's hard to say what effect post processing will have, and whether it will even be noticeable or give any "unfair" advantage. 

Clearly the second example is less about the original photo than about the post-processing work that was done. The first example, however, could have been achieved with different camera settings, or better equipment that would allow the results gained by post-processing to have been captured in the initial photo. 

I can see how it would be unfair for someone to enter the "after" shot in the second example, but I think that the "after" shot in the first example just shows what a person would have captured in the initial photo if they had better equipment/more technical knowledge/etc.

Finally, I think that a lot of the time the most technically proficient or "pretty" photo isn't always the winner anyway. There have been lots of times where photos that look like they could have been taken with a camera phone, that no amount of post-processing could ever clean up, have won, sometimes just because they had kittens in them or made people laugh. It's supposed to be fun. 

Sure, sometimes competition heats up and sometimes people put out a good bit of effort with their entries. I know that sometimes I do. But in the end no one wins any money or has anything really serious invested in the outcome, so there isn't any reason to get so caught up in it anyway. If you don't like the rules as they are, then ignore them and do what you think is fair and don't tell anyone. If you have even half a brain you know that going overboard like in example 2 really is cheating, and you need to get over your self if you need to win that badly. But if you think that fooling around with the contrast or saturation a bit is going to help you get closer to what you intended in the original shot, while still preserving the integrity of the shot, then go for it and what we don't know won't hurt us.

I think that we all know that that's what's going to happen anyway, regardless of how this line of conversation turns out, so cool down and have fun with it. 

your pal,

penny


----------



## fizzle

Bravo! Well said, pennywise.


----------



## Shambles

Great example, pennywise . Pretty much says it all for me - the potential problems neatly come together and shown in the shell of a nut.

Love the re-touched snow, by the way .


----------



## StoneHappyMonday

pennywise said:
			
		

> If you don't like the rules as they are, then ignore them and do what you think is fair and don't tell anyone.
> 
> I think that we all know that that's what's going to happen anyway, regardless of how this line of conversation turns out, so cool down and have fun with it.



Brilliant.

Drug users competitions ftw.


----------



## mcwally

hehe yeh, 'and dont tell anyone' lol 

pretty much agree with the above sentiments, its a healthy debate really, better than noone entering or caring


----------



## felix

i think this is the point where we all have a group hug and start coming up with ideas for new themes.


----------



## StoneHappyMonday

felix said:
			
		

> i think this is the point where we all have a group hug and start coming up with ideas for new themes.



*Repitition*

I freely admit stealing this idea from another source, but it's a good one.


----------



## Johnny1

Awesome post and examples, pennywise.  I agree with everything you wrote 100%.

I like StoneHappyMonday's contest theme.


----------



## L2R

i already got a cool pic for repetition, nice one! :D



..... still searching for passion..... i have an idea but i don't know where she is...


----------



## n3ophy7e

Just throwing a few ideas out there...

*Birds

Machinery

Multi-coloured

City

Wild animals

Reflections

Wood

Cute*

??


----------



## Pillthrill

Suggestions:
Death 
Beauty
Flowers


----------



## Winding Vines

Shades of Sunlight
Is really general and open for interpretation.

would be a good one IMO


----------



## felix

^ those are all great!
*
Boats/Ships/Sailing Craft/Submarines!*

(might be easier to call it 'Nautical' )


----------



## tribal girl

I think 'self portrait' would be a good theme.


----------



## L2R

^agreed

i'd also like to suggest "bluelighter" or "a bluelighter's handle".


----------



## felix

you're only saying that because you photographed that felix signpost.


----------



## L2R

how many times do i gotsta tell ya, get outsta mah friggen brains!


and take marla wit ya


----------



## Pillthrill

I might try against you. See if I can re-create the girl in my photo... Now I wanna try!


----------



## Raving Loony

My only minor beef about the Photo contest (because I think the rules are really well adhered to) is that a lot of entries really are out of left field when representing the theme.  The recent theme "Passion" was one that comes to mind where even the winning entry really required an explaination on how it tied in.


----------



## L2R

no one can control the votes


----------



## Raving Loony

Impacto Profundo said:
			
		

> no one can control the votes



Well duh   But I guess what I am implying is that if each picture was accompanied by explanation on how it ties in with the theme.


----------



## L2R

okay, now if..... then?


----------



## Jamshyd

I will go ahead and re-suggest the same theme I tried to suggest back when we didn't take abstract themes.

Ephemerality.

Look it up, bitches! 

(I actually currently don't have a photo for that theme but would love to see others').


----------



## felix

ooh, i think i have a good one for that!


----------



## fizzle

Jamshyd said:
			
		

> I will go ahead and re-suggest the same theme I tried to suggest back when we didn't take abstract themes.
> 
> Ephemerality.
> 
> Look it up, bitches!
> 
> (I actually currently don't have a photo for that theme but would love to see others').


oooh I like that! I have lots of good ideas for that, hopefully I'll be able to capture them in photo.


----------



## pennywise

Americana


----------



## L2R

boat/s


----------



## pennywise

I have a big list going here. I just had a brainstorm one day while outside work smoking a cigarette. Smoking time is a great time for brainstorms. 

Mountains
Funny Faces
Rainbows
Size/Enormity/Vastness
Sculpture
Houses/Homes
Scary
Landmarks/Monuments
Flying Machines
Fantasy
Iconography
Parties/Bars (_everyone_ has these kinds of pictures)
Popular Culture
Blurry/Out of focus (most people have accidentally produced really cool shots like this at night or other low-light scenarios)
Self-portrait/Timer shots
Planet Earth

I'm not sure if any of these have already been suggested or not. I saw that Americana is going to be one and I thought, "damn I wonder who suggested that; I was going to suggest that." Then I clicked on this thread and realized it was me.  8(


----------



## felix

Impacto Profundo said:
			
		

> boat/s





			
				felix said:
			
		

> *Boats/Ships/Sailing Craft/Submarines!*
> 
> (might be easier to call it 'Nautical' )


somebody should like, totally collate all these ideas from time to time


----------



## n3ophy7e

I was driving on a long distance trip for work and thought of a few more abstract photo comp themes:

*Dilapidated
Time
Empty
Anachronism
Isolation
New beginnings*

??

And, inspired by Shambles' noose photo, we should totally do a *Ghost photos* theme.

And now that we've had an Americana theme, we should do an *Australiana* theme too!!!



			
				pennywise said:
			
		

> Mountains
> Funny Faces
> Rainbows
> Size/Enormity/Vastness
> Sculpture
> Houses/Homes
> Scary
> Landmarks/Monuments
> Flying Machines
> Fantasy
> Iconography
> Parties/Bars (_everyone_ has these kinds of pictures)
> Popular Culture
> Blurry/Out of focus (most people have accidentally produced really cool shots like this at night or other low-light scenarios)
> Self-portrait/Timer shots
> Planet Earth


Awesome suggestions pennywise


----------



## felix

how about 'scottishness'?

hey, why not??


----------



## caff

How about a theme where anyone can portray something unique to their culture/locality?


----------



## felix

good plan. let's do that right after the scottish one. 

are you really in Tokelau?


----------



## caff

Haha I guess you figured that from my MSN address? Nah, Tokelau gives away their .tk domain names for free at www.dot.tk. I don't even use it anymore, just kept it for messaging. I'm in New Zealand.


----------



## felix

hey SA etc. 

can we schedule more themes for the future, please? we have some awesome suggestions from n3ophy7e and pennywise. 

i like to write them out on a post-it and keep it in my wallet. :D


----------



## Jamshyd

Well, since Ephemerality was such a hit, how about we try Permanence/Salience?


----------



## felix

uhh i take it that's two seperate themes?

i'm not sure how 'salience' could be used as a theme... permanence is a good one though.


----------



## Jamshyd

Lol yes separate. 

I guess Salience is just a much more vague and conceptual version of "permanence", just to give people a hard time .

Btw another good variation on this team might be "Ever-presence". I think I was trying to say that when I said "salience" - which is definitely a bad choice of words!


----------



## felix

Jamshyd said:
			
		

> Lol yes separate.
> 
> I guess Salience is just a much more vague and conceptual version of "permanence", just to give people a hard time .


so vague that it means something completely different? 



> 6 dictionary results for: salient
> 
> –adjective
> 1.	prominent or conspicuous: salient traits.
> 2.	projecting or pointing outward: a salient angle.
> 3.	leaping or jumping: a salient animal.
> 4.	Heraldry. (of a beast) represented as leaping: a lion salient.
> 
> –noun
> 5.	a salient angle or part, as the central outward-projecting angle of a bastion or an outward projection in a battle line.
> 6.	Physical Geography. a landform that extends out beyond its surroundings, as a spur projecting from the side of a mountain.
> 
> —Synonyms 1. important; striking, remarkable.


number 1 is what i've always thought the word to mean, so i looked it up to check. 

i can do 'sealions', is that close enough? :D


----------



## n3ophy7e

felix said:
			
		

> i can do 'sealions', is that close enough? :D


Hahaha I lol'd :D

Salience would indeed be a very interesting round *ponders* hmmm


----------



## L2R

why have we not had a "self protrait" round?


----------



## felix

because many of us non-picwhores would have to sit that one out.


----------



## fizzle

I think "self portrait" sounds like it'd be cool, you could do a lot with that, maybe the self portrait isnt necessarily of your face


----------



## L2R

^now we're talking!


----------



## Jamshyd

Felix: I guess my understanding of the word was slightly off. I also thought of it as the first meaning however "prominent" for me was mostly through time, ie. something that is "always there". ]


Sealions aside though, I still push for "everpressence" as a theme .


----------



## n3ophy7e

AWESOME rounds coming up guys!! *excitey*


----------



## Black

Mz_Thizzle said:
			
		

> I think "self portrait" sounds like it'd be cool, you could do a lot with that, maybe the self portrait isnt necessarily of your face



that makes me think of 'the human body' as a theme. might be interesting.


----------



## Rogue Robot

felix said:
			
		

> how about 'scottishness'?



just call it the felix round then.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Black said:
			
		

> that makes me think of 'the human body' as a theme. might be interesting.


Hey, I like that idea!


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

i suggested *"FREEDOM or the OPPOSITE"* to SA but i was told to put my suggestion in this thread , so there it is....

i think people should have to specify  what part of the theme they are trying to portray.


----------



## felix

a recap of all the suggested themes still to be done - please note that some of the others are now listed in the latest contest for bars/pubs. 

Mountains
Funny Faces
Rainbows
Sculpture
Houses/Homes
Landmarks/Monuments
Flying Machines
Fantasy
Iconography
Popular Culture
Self-portrait/Timer shots
Dilapidated
Time
Empty
Anachronism
Isolation
New beginnings
Ghost photos
Australiana 
Permanence/Ever-presence
The human body
Freedom (or the opposite!)

any other suggestions? please add them here!


----------



## Jamshyd

^ Yes, for the fourth time: Everpressece .


----------



## felix

oh shit, sorry! i could have sworn i put permanence in there. i have now. same thing?


----------



## spork

Foreign (this could have so many interpretations!)
The past


----------



## mindtools

trees
overexposed
motion blur
fruits & vagetables
old age
panorama
macro
over-edited
things that look like other things (eg. faces in things)
flowers
water

I can make more ;P


----------



## fizzle

Ooooh I like the idea of "things that look like other things" there could be some potentially very interesting entries there


----------



## L2R

we definitely need a self portrait round


----------



## spork

^That's coming up the week after next!


----------



## QuestionEverything

^Glad to see that, I was coming in here to suggest it (and check if it had already been done - I remember 'portrait' or something similar).

I am also seconding (thirding) the 'things that look like other things' round.  I wish my browsing time wasn't so limited.


----------



## L2R

who-ray!


----------



## eDDe9

Sweets/candy round.

Suggested it ages ago, but didn't realise you need to do it in this thread


----------



## harley89

Black said:


> that makes me think of 'the human body' as a theme. might be interesting.



Im doing a course in photography and the theme for the course is human condition, could be quite a good one?
Obviously that could encapsulate ALOT of things under one title, but it could be fun.


----------



## n3ophy7e

harley have we only seen a few entries from you in the weekly photo contest?? You should enter more often!
Did you know The Human Body is coming up as a theme?


----------



## mariacallas

^The human body theme sounds verrrry interesting indeed! :D


----------



## harley89

n3ophy7e said:


> harley have we only seen a few entries from you in the weekly photo contest?? You should enter more often!
> Did you know The Human Body is coming up as a theme?



Yeah i know , i will post more in the future. I didn't really see these threads before i posted that picture lol.

I will enter the next contest.


----------



## n3ophy7e

*bump*  

Feel free to post some more suggestions for upcoming photo conteset themes in here!!


----------



## mindtools

wild animals (at least not from your house)
electronics
shadows
colorfulness
tits
cigarettes and coffee
water

for example.

pzdr


----------



## Jamshyd

I must admit, I have not been too impressed by the recent themes, and I assume many others weren't, seeing how low the number of submissions have dropped 

This is probably my bias, but I'm not too big a fan of very, very specific themes like "candy" (or "tits" above, thank you very much 8)). Not many have pictures of these things, and those who do tend to be quite similar.

Go abstract or go home!


----------



## Jamshyd

A few suggestions to be constructive:

- My Favourite Colour
- Ecstasy (and not just the drug)
- Feast/festival
- Politics
- Glory
- Desolation

...etc


----------



## ocean

I like Jamshyd's suggestions of 'My Favorite Color' and Desolation ........


----------



## panic in paradise

-indecisiveness
-a turning point
-life styles
-'real' magic
-stained glass
-twisted metal

i like shadows, and my favorite colors too.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Nowwww we're talkin'


----------



## BA

I think we're at the point now where we can use duplicate themes and nobody would mind.


----------



## ocean

I saw rain is going to be a repeat........That should be cool....I can't believe I don't have any rain pictures though! 

I really like alot of the suggestions made.....
indecisiveness,'real' magic and a turning point would be really cool because it could be so many different things.....


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

have you guys ever did a _3 different perspective_ round ?

using different angle, light...but of the same subject


----------



## mindtools

^ why not


----------



## Damien

Jamshyd said:


> ...(or "tits" above, thank you very much 8)).



You wouldn't be.


----------



## n3ophy7e

ninjadanslarbretabar said:


> have you guys ever did a _3 different perspective_ round ?
> 
> using different angle, light...but of the same subject



That is a very intriguing idea!! I'd be up for that


----------



## n3ophy7e

Some more photo contest theme ideas:

Sleep/dreams
Curves
Relaxation
Texture
Clashing colours
Strangers
Minimalism


----------



## Banquo

BA said:


> I think we're at the point now where we can use duplicate themes and nobody would mind.


i agree, especially for some of the "classic" photography themes, like macro, sports, cityscapes, etc.

but i still like the use of the narrowly-themed contests too, since they usually bring out a handful of really interesting entries.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Sure, I'd like to do more macro, bluelight and city themes soon. Decisions decisions!! :D


----------



## cletus

*Updated list on page 17*



> Hi folks, I've been a bit bored tonight so I thought I'd have a look through the suggested subjects from everyone versus the actual competition subjects we've had. Hopefully it will help you *n3ophy7e* to choose the future ones.
> 
> There may be a few similar to previous comps, but not exact. We're not completely out of ideas just yet :D
> 
> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *3 different perspectives* - NinjaDan
> *50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth* - Mz_Thizzle
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - Mz_Thizzle
> *A room in your house!* - felix
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abstract/unidentifiable* - Impacto Profundo
> *Action* - SA
> *Adjectives* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Beauty* - Pillthrill
> *Belligerent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Bluelighter / bluelighter's handle* - Impacto Profundo
> *Bricks* - felix
> *Carousels* - Mz Thizzle
> *Castles* - felix
> *Change* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Cigarettes and coffee* - mindtools
> *Circles / Squares / Triangles (Shapes?)* - CletusVanDow
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Computer* - Impacto Profundo
> *Connected* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Cute* - n3ophy7e
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Desolation* - Jamshyd
> *Dilapidated* - n3ophy7e
> *Discovery* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Ecstasy* - Jamshyd
> *Electronics* - mindtools
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - Felix
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Favourite holiday photo (open round)* - felix
> *Feast/festival *- Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - CletusVanDow
> *Flying Machines* - pennywise
> *Funny Faces *- pennywise
> *Gardens* - felix
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Graveyards *- felix
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *History* - Impacto Profundo
> *Houses/Homes* - pennywise
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Inertia *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Innocent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Landmarks/Monuments* - pennywise
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letters A to Z (26 different rounds here!!)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Life or Death* - Tribal Girl
> *Life styles* - panic in paradise
> *Looking Up* - SA
> *Luck* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magic* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Minimalism* - n3ophy7e
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mountains* - pennywise
> *Multi-coloured* - n3ophy7e
> *Music *- Felix
> *My Favourite Song* - Impacto Profundo
> *New beginnings* - n3ophy7e
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Odd* - CletusVanDow
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Old & New together (juxtaposed?)* - CletusVanDow
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Overexposed* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi Style* - Johnny1
> *Parties/Bars* - pennywise
> *Pizza (?)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Politics *- Jamshyd
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - Impacto Profundo
> *Psychedelic* - Damien
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sanctuary* - harley89
> *Sea/Ocean* - Felix
> *Silence* - Dave
> *Silly faces* - Felix
> *Simplicity* - SA
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Sleep/dreams* - n3ophy7e
> *Stained glass *- panic in paradise
> *Still Life* - SA
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Texture* - n3ophy7e
> *Tits* - mindtools
> *Transcend* - Impacto Profundo
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Ugly* - atri
> *Urban* - Dave
> *Verbs* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Vertigo *- Impacto Profundo
> *Wastefulness* - Felix
> *Water* - mindtools
> *Waterways* - Rogue Robot
> *Wheels* - SA
> *Widescreen* - Felix
> *Wind* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Wish* - Impacto Profundo


----------



## fizzle

Wow, thats an awesome list. Thanks for taking the time to do that Cletus! There are a lot in there that would have really interesting entries. 

P.S. I think we have actually done the Abstract/unidentifiable one fairly recently. I seem to remember a couple of entries in it.


----------



## felix

excellent stuff, well done!


(Size/Enormity/Vastness - pennywise - done! i'm pretty sure.)


----------



## cletus

No problem, it will at least give us an idea of what may come up in the future.

*Size/Enormity/Vastness* removed from list, thanks Felix.

Mz Thizzle, dunno about "*Abstract/unidentifiable*", but we've had "*Absurd/Ridiculous*" lately?

There's some real good suggestions in there, especially Johnny1's "Paparazzi" guerilla tactic, surprise photo. That should be fun bursting into a resturaunt - click! - run away!!


----------



## n3ophy7e

Great work Cletus!! Thanks for doing that, much appreciated!
We are sure to have some interesting themes coming up. The next 5 round's themes 
have been chosen but after those ones we'll get some of these new ones kickin'


----------



## cletus

More than happy to help n3o :D

There's a whole load of....err...."discussion" shall we say, through this thread about to edit & not to edit, etc.. & I thought the suggestions got kind of lost in it all.


----------



## Jamshyd

I can't believe "Tits" is being taken seriously!!


----------



## eDDe9

Jamshyd said:


> I can't believe "Tits" is being taken seriously!!



Oi check your PMs..

But wait, what's this?? Back in Canada


----------



## mindtools

I was joking with tits 
But let's see what happens :D


----------



## fizzle

CletusVanDow said:


> No problem, it will at least give us an idea of what may come up in the future.
> 
> *Size/Enormity/Vastness* removed from list, thanks Felix.
> 
> Mz Thizzle, dunno about "*Abstract/unidentifiable*", but we've had "*Absurd/Ridiculous*" lately?
> 
> There's some real good suggestions in there, especially Johnny1's "Paparazzi" guerilla tactic, surprise photo. That should be fun bursting into a resturaunt - click! - run away!!



You're right, I just looked it up, I was thinking of a couple of photos from the "things that look like other things" contest (which would also fit into the abstract theme)


----------



## cletus

mindtools said:


> I was joking with tits
> But let's see what happens :D



Haha! If I left it out, I would be sitting here now having to justify why I thought I was judge jury, & executioner for all the suggestions.

It could be the type of bird that's common around the British Isles. 

Like the Blue Tit:





The Marsh Tit:





Or even the Great Tit:






You know - *Tits*! :D


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ lol!!!

Jam, don't worry, as much as I love tits, we won't be having it as a theme :D


----------



## cletus

^Shame, because my missus has a decent set of chesticles as well.


----------



## Rogue Robot

have we had a waterways one yet?


----------



## Jamshyd

^ Leave it to the Hydrologist to suggest that .


----------



## Rogue Robot

^ i am avoiding physics thus avoiding hydrology.


----------



## cletus

Rogue Robot said:


> have we had a waterways one yet?



I've added it to the list of suggestions


----------



## Rogue Robot

CletusVanDow said:


> I've added it to the list of suggestions



my new hero! :D


----------



## harley89

How about sanctuary?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Oooh nice one harley


----------



## mr_p

can anyone reccomend a way for me to process my images ~ I no longer have Photoshop due to computer crashing.... ???

here is some photography of Macleays Fig Parrot.

a sub-species of this beautiful little creature, which lives around the sub-tropical rainforest of northern nsw and south east queensland (Australia) is so rare it has never been photographed and the population is estimated to be less than 100 pairs





















they are tiny 13cm long little creatures of the upper canopy


----------



## n3ophy7e

Wow mr p  GORGEOUS photos!!! How did you get them?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Oh, and there's also this thread for misfit photo contest entries: http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=297288&highlight=misfit


----------



## Jamshyd

mr_p said:


>


OMG cuteness!!!!!!


----------



## fizzle

mr_p said:


>



This one is my favorite. Adorable! It kind of reminds me of my bird.


----------



## L2R

suggested theme: my favourite song


----------



## fizzle

I am going to use this post to kill two birds with one stone. (And take advantage of the great minds here and use them to _my_ advantage )

I have a project for a class where we have to design 2 costumes, one for one of the seven deadly sins, and one for one of the seven heavenly virtues. Each was randomly assigned. I got 'envy' and 'temperance'. I think its a really awesome assignment, and I'm really excited, but I want to come up with something amazing, so I'd like to turn to you, the brilliant artists of bluelight, for ideas. I tend to be more literal in my thinking, but I've seen some brilliant abstract photos in past entries.

Now, for the second part, I think '7 deadly sins' and '7 heavenly virtues' would be interesting, either as a single theme or as two seperate themes for photo contests.

Just incase anyone doesnt know them:

7 deadly sins: Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth
7 heavenly virtues: prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude, charity, hope, and faith


----------



## cletus

I love that idea for a theme Mz_T. 

I've been updating the list I made, so I'll add these as well. The "deadly sins" subject has the makings of an epic round & I'd love to see what everyone comes up with. :D


----------



## spork

Thanks much for the list, Cletus.


----------



## Jackal

I have a nagging feeling that I missed an "_Erotica_" round. But if I didn't - can we add it please?


----------



## cletus

*Updated list on page 19*



> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *3 different perspectives* - NinjaDan - *Coming Soon! (May 10 - May 16)*
> *50's* - NinjaDan - *Coming Soon! (May 17 - May 23)*
> *60's, 70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth* - Mz_Thizzle
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - Mz_Thizzle
> *A room in your house!* - felix
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abstract/unidentifiable* - Impacto Profundo
> *Action* - SA
> *Adjectives* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Beauty* - Pillthrill
> *Belligerent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Bluelighter / bluelighter's handle* - Impacto Profundo
> *Bricks* - felix
> *Carousels* - Mz Thizzle
> *Castles* - felix
> *Change* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Cigarettes and coffee* - mindtools
> *Circles / Squares / Triangles (Shapes?)* - CletusVanDow
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Computer* - Impacto Profundo
> *Connected* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
> *Cute* - n3ophy7e
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Dilapidated* - n3ophy7e see "Weathered/Dilapidated"
> *Discovery* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Electronics* - mindtools
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - Felix
> *Erotic/Erotica* - Jude101
> *Faces Of The Earth* - felix
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Favourite holiday photo (open round)* - felix
> *Feast/festival *- Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - CletusVanDow
> *Flying Machines* - pennywise
> *Funny Faces *- pennywise
> *Gardens* - felix
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Graveyards *- felix
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
> *History* - Impacto Profundo
> *Houses/Homes* - pennywise
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Inertia *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Innocent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Intellect* - spork
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Landmarks/Monuments* - pennywise
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letter A* - Impacto Profundo - *Coming Soon! (May 24 - May 30)*
> *Letters B to Z (25 more rounds here!!)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Life or Death* - Tribal Girl
> *Life styles* - panic in paradise
> *Looking Up* - SA
> *Luck* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magic* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Minimalism* - n3ophy7e
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mountains* - pennywise
> *Multi-coloured* - n3ophy7e
> *Music *- Felix
> *My City* - spork
> *My Favorite Food* - spork
> *My Favourite Song* - Impacto Profundo
> *New beginnings* - n3ophy7e
> *Noise* - Jamshyd
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Odd* - CletusVanDow
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Old & New together (juxtaposed?)* - CletusVanDow
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Overexposed* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi Style* - Johnny1
> *Parties/Bars* - pennywise
> *Pizza (?)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Politics *- Jamshyd * - Coming Soon! (May 31 - June 06)*
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - Impacto Profundo
> *Psychedelic* - Damien
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sanctuary* - harley89
> *Sea/Ocean* - Felix
> *Silence* - Dave
> *Silly faces* - Felix
> *Simplicity* - SA - *Coming Soon! (June 07 -June 13)*
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Sleep/dreams* - n3ophy7e
> *Stained glass *- panic in paradise
> *Sterile* - Jamshyd
> *Still Life* - SA
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Team Spirit* - spork
> *Texture* - n3ophy7e
> *Tits* - mindtools
> *Transcend* - Impacto Profundo
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Ugly* - atri
> *Urban* - Dave
> *Verbs* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Vertigo *- Impacto Profundo
> *Vivid* - * Current theme!!!
> Wastefulness - Felix
> Water - mindtools
> Waterways - Rogue Robot
> Weathered/Dilapidated - Coming Soon! (May 03 - May 09)
> Wheels - SA
> Widescreen - Felix
> Wind - IAMTHOUGHTS
> Wish - Impacto Profundo
> Yearning - Jamshyd
> (The) Zodiac - Jamshyd*


----------



## Jamshyd

- Sterile
- The Zodiac
- Elemental (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)
- Outrageous
- Noise
- Yearning


----------



## n3ophy7e

Wow we have enough themes to keep us going for YEARS!!
So many great ideas, thanks everyone. 

And thanks again to Cletus for taking the time to update his list


----------



## cletus

Not a problem at all :D

Every so often, I'll copy it over to the newest page to save everyone looking for it.

I should produce a wallet-sized cut out & keep list so you can take it everywhere!


----------



## Jamshyd

^ LMAO @ brown text.

You're awesome :D


----------



## cletus

^it's because you're worth it  :D


----------



## eDDe9

Where's 'sweets' that I suggested ages ago?


----------



## fizzle

eDDe9 said:


> Where's 'sweets' that I suggested ages ago?



http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=423516&highlight=sweets


----------



## ocean

Jamshyd said:


> - The Zodiac
> - Elemental (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)



*YES!!!!!!!!!!!* 
This would be AWESOME!

Jam- The zodiac as a whole or separating into 12 contests??
I like both of those ideas. ALOT.


----------



## eDDe9

Ahh it happened while I was travelling


----------



## felix

ocean said:


> Jam- The zodiac as a whole or separating into 12 contests??


uh, i reckon the zodiac as one contest would be sufficient, lol.


----------



## cletus

^Libra will be popular. 20 assorted photos of druggie scales - haha! :D

I'll be disappointed if someone posts a pic of their dog because, "he's a Sagittarius". Then again, you can't really complain if someone claims their cat is a Leo can you


----------



## felix

i just want to pretend to be a Cancer and post a photo of my crabs. 

nice work cletus, especially bumping the full updated list every page or so.


----------



## Rogue Robot

felix said:


> uh, i reckon the zodiac as one contest would be sufficient, lol.



rawr


----------



## ocean

felix said:


> uh, i reckon the zodiac as one contest would be sufficient, lol.



 aaaaaww

We'd be going for months........


----------



## felix

hey, it's up to the mods. but i think we've got more than enough for now without one concept taking up a year's worth, right?


----------



## spork

^Indeed, It's nice to sometimes have a wider range too. 

Cletus, I started crossing out themes that are coming up or that we're not going to use (sorry mindtools ) and I also have a few more for you to add to the list!:

Team Spirit
My City
My Favorite Food
Intellect
Green (ecologically friendly)


----------



## cletus

^Cool thanks, but would it not be best to note next to the subjects that they are coming soon in *red bold* or something similar, because striking through makes it look as if it's been covered already. Some of us might look at the list & not bother with the scored out ones 

I'm all for a strike-through on the ones that are a definite no-no or have already been done previously.

A real pity about the "tits" theme as well :D


----------



## felix

^ i think you missed the self portrait round, bro. 

officially requesting a 'Faces of the Earth' theme, similar to the concept of this website: http://flabbergastedly.com/?p=96

example:






that could be a lot of fun, as long as people don't just copy ideas from that site.


----------



## tribal girl

I like this idea. :D


----------



## tribal girl

I've been thinking of an idea for a while now. Ever since I first saw the film Ginger Snaps, I was in love with their idea of creating fake crime scenes, suicides etc.


*NSFW*: 

























And here's the *clip* from the film in question with the entire series of fake death shots. I wouldn't be expecting anything quite as elaborate as those, but I think it could be a fun idea all the same.


----------



## felix

WOAH! :D

"These things are fun, and fun is good."

me likes.


----------



## tribal girl

Would you submit a contribution to such a theme, felix?


----------



## felix

haha, probably not. i'm more into doing them for real.


----------



## n3ophy7e

tribal girl said:


> I've been thinking of an idea for a while now. Ever since I first saw the film Ginger Snaps, I was in love with their idea of creating fake crime scenes, suicides etc.
> 
> 
> *NSFW*:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here's the *clip* from the film in question with the entire series of fake death shots. I wouldn't be expecting anything quite as elaborate as those, but I think it could be a fun idea all the same.



Whoa that would be intense!! *buys a few litres of ketchup*


----------



## cletus

Meh, who needs it to be fake. I must have a least 15 crime scenes I......er.........I.......

*whistles*

\exit stage left.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Shhh, ixnay on the imescene-cray


----------



## dtta

My whole house looks like a crime scene.


----------



## Jamshyd

For *Zodiac*, I was thinking all 12 in one round - just pick your favourite and post a pic 

More ideas... straight out of Indian mystical thought  (perhaps too much out there?):

- *That which I am* (_Tat Tvam Assi_)

Others:

- *Multicultural*
- *7 *(in general )
- *Clockwork*
- *Rail*
- *First leaflets/petals* (what do you call these? UGH I forgot!)
- *Revival*
- *History*

I have a feeling some of those have been done before...

Also, I think the crime scene idea is brilliant, however I don't think it is very feasible for a photo contest... but that's just me...


----------



## mr_p

*Earth-Connection*


----------



## spork

Jamshyd said:


> - *First leaflets/petals* (what do you call these? UGH I forgot!)



Buds?


----------



## BA

Can we please have an "anything goes" round where any level of photoshopping is allowed?


----------



## Damien

Ditto


----------



## spork

We had one for the 100th round, perhaps will do that every 50 rounds. 

Thanks a ton for the updates Cletus! 

I also had an idea for a theme but I forgot it.


----------



## cletus

*Update below*

*update below*

^my pleasure 

Time for an update methinks. :D



> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *3 different perspectives* - NinjaDan - *Done*
> *50's* - NinjaDan *Done*
> *60's, 70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 (in general)* - Jamshyd
> *7 Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth* - Mz_Thizzle
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - Mz_Thizzle
> *A room in your house!* - felix *Coming Soon! (June 14 - June 20)*
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abstract/unidentifiable* - Impacto Profundo
> *Action* - SA
> *Adjectives* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Anything Goes (aka "photographers choice" - use of photoshop etc)* - BA
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Beauty* - Pillthrill
> *Belligerent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Bluelighter name/ bluelighter's handle* - Impacto Profundo *Coming Soon! (June 21 - June 27)*
> *Bricks* - felix
> *Carousels* - Mz Thizzle
> *Castles* - felix
> *Change* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Cigarettes and coffee* - mindtools
> *Circles / Squares / Triangles (Shapes?)* - CletusVanDow
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Clockwork* - Jamshyd
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Computer* - Impacto Profundo
> *Connected* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
> *Cute* - n3ophy7e
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Dilapidated* - n3ophy7e see "Weathered/Dilapidated"
> *Discovery* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Earth Connection* - mr_p
> *Electronics* - mindtools
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - Felix
> *Erotic/Erotica* - Jude101
> *Faces Of The Earth* - felix
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Favourite holiday photo (open round)* - felix
> *Feast/festival *- Jamshyd
> *First leafs/buds/petals* - Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - CletusVanDow
> *Flying Machines* - pennywise
> *Funny Faces *- pennywise
> *Gardens* - felix
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Graveyards *- felix
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
> *History* - Impacto Profundo
> *Houses/Homes* - pennywise
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Inertia *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Innocent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Intellect* - spork
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Juxtaposition - (possibly old versus new?)* - CletusVanDow
> *Landmarks/Monuments* - pennywise
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letter A* - Impacto Profundo - *Current Theme*
> *Letters B to Z (25 more rounds here!!)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Life or Death* - Tribal Girl
> *Life styles* - panic in paradise
> *Looking Up* - SA *Coming Soon! (June 28 - July 04)*
> *Luck* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magic* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Minimalism* - n3ophy7e
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mountains* - pennywise
> *Multi-coloured* - n3ophy7e
> *Multicultural* - Jamshyd
> *Music *- Felix
> *My City* - spork
> *My Favorite Food* - spork
> *My Favourite Song* - Impacto Profundo
> *New beginnings* - n3ophy7e
> *Noise* - Jamshyd
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Odd* - CletusVanDow
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Overexposed* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi Style* - Johnny1
> *Parties/Bars* - pennywise
> *Pizza (?)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Politics *- Jamshyd * - Coming Soon! (May 31 - June 06)*
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - Impacto Profundo
> *Psychedelic* - Damien
> *Rail* - Jamshyd
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Revival* - Jamshyd
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sanctuary* - harley89
> *Sea/Ocean* - Felix
> *Silence* - Dave
> *Silly faces* - Felix
> *Simplicity* - SA - *Coming Soon! (June 07 -June 13)*
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Sleep/dreams* - n3ophy7e
> *Stained glass *- panic in paradise
> *Sterile* - Jamshyd
> *Still Life* - SA
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Team Spirit* - spork
> *Texture* - n3ophy7e
> *That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi)* - Jamshyd
> *Transcend* - Impacto Profundo
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Ugly* - atri
> *Urban* - Dave
> *Verbs* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Vertigo *- Impacto Profundo
> *Vivid* - ?? *Done!!*
> *Wastefulness* - Felix
> *Water* - mindtools
> *Waterways* - Rogue Robot *Coming Soon! (July 05 - July 11)*
> *Weathered/Dilapidated* - *Current Theme!*
> *Wheels* - SA
> *Widescreen* - Felix
> *Wind* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Wish* - Impacto Profundo
> *Yearning* - Jamshyd
> *(The) Zodiac* - Jamshyd


----------



## harley89

Thank fuck for you Cletus, you're the man.


----------



## lystra

^yeah- nice, Cletus 

I just wanted to voice something I've noticed about the competition.  I rarely participate, so I feel it's kind-of unfair for me to be negative, but I'd like to put it out there nonetheless..

It seriously irks me to scroll through the photo thread and see a sentence (less/more) coupled with each photo asserting its appropriateness for a given theme.  I think it totally takes away from the experience of the contest, as well as the integrity of the photos themselves.

Perhaps I'm being nit-picky, or perhaps it's a necessary trend that is developing along with more and more complicated topics....

Just as well, I'd so much rather see the photos sans justification


----------



## n3ophy7e

You make a good point lystra.

But remember, at the end of each week when the entries are collated in to the polling thread it's just the photos without any text, so that's kinda what you're requesting done already  

And yes, you _should_ post entries and vote more often! :D


----------



## felix

meh, i think some of the entries NEED a bit of text to explain things, because sometimes they can be a bit of a stretch, to put it mildly.


----------



## spork

^Elaborate please, kind sir.


----------



## felix

Some entries sometimes bear little or no resemblance to the theme in question. 

This is not a big deal to me, just an observation.


----------



## lystra

^sort-of my point....

It's like the little blurbs of explanation seem to allow people to stretch the themes to ridiculous lengths....

Do you know what I mean?


----------



## BA

lystra said:


> ^sort-of my point....
> 
> It's like the little blurbs of explanation seem to allow people to stretch the themes to ridiculous lengths....
> 
> Do you know what I mean?



I know what you mean, to an extent. I see a lot of imagination stretching in some rounds.


----------



## romaniaK

idk if this goes here ... but I was disqualified because I post-processed my photo ... Post processing is part of a good photo, and anybody should be allowed to do it. Everybody does editing, even film photographers ... Why this is not allowed ... I don't understand. It's limiting the photographer, its creativity ...

I understand not allowing highly altered photos, that don't even look real or natural anymore, but well done  editing should be allowed and encouraged. Contrast, white balance, color correction etc should be allowed ... like I said, these are things that even a film photographer edits while developing the photos in a dark room.

This rule is really stupid. Some random person on bluelight decided editing is not allowed ... gay.

*edit* 
The rules say "to put everybody on the same level" ... u meant for people who don't have photoshop right? Well any digi cam comes with a simple editing software, you can download free software from the internet etc. Seriously, why have good pictures when we can have very good pictures? Just keep the editing to a minimum.


----------



## eDDe9

Not everyone can edit, everyone can take a photo even if its with a crappy camera phone.


----------



## romaniaK

^^ yeah everybody can take a picture, but if somebody puts more effort into it, why should they be punished? Why dumb down the people who actually know what they're doing to make the people who don't care or don't know feel better about themselves?


----------



## eDDe9

Anyone with a bit of practice and nice kit can take a really good quality photo, but these competitions are more about finding something quirky that fits the topic, and not just a professional pic of the obvious choices.


----------



## cletus

I think the resizing issue needs to be looked at again, because I thought the bluelight software resized it automatically these days & I'd love to see the full big pictures in these comps. As camera's become more powerful, the pixel size increases & I feel mine always look quite shit after a resize down to 700. I know I'm not the best photographer, but there have been times I've decided to not post because it didn't do them any justice whatsoever.

It would be interesting to try one round with full size photos just to see the difference in quality.


----------



## spork

As for the editing, it's always been limited to just resizing and cropping because one person's heavy manipulation of a photograph could be another person's light manipulation. Drawing a line with editing is hard.

I do agree that some of the themes are a bit broad, but I like to see how different people interpret different themes. I think that's part of the fun in the contests. I usually try to judge 50/50 by theme and the quality of the photo and I'd encourage others to do the same. The photo could be absolutely incredible but if it doesn't go with the theme it probably shouldn't get as many votes as an entry that is perfect for the theme but might be a lower quality photo. 

Cletus, you're encouraged to post a link to a full-sized image with your entry if you don't think the 700 by 700 would do it justice.


----------



## romaniaK

So this is not a photography contest, it's more like "post whatever crap fits the theme best"  ...mirite?


----------



## cletus

Come on now there's really no need for that. This is a harmless photo competition to give a lot of us an interest & encourage us to take more photographs, especially of interesting things & places we've been. I thought you would at least recognise that. Spitting your dummy out & making a sweeping statement that insults the whole board for their submissions is just childish.

Your photographs are fantastic, there is no denying that, but I'm sure there are plenty of other websites that would be honoured to have you. 


@ spork - you are correct, I can do that, but the final voting will only be the smaller version on show, but hey, rules is rules & I can live with that easily. Unlike some  :D


----------



## BA

romaniaK said:


> idk if this goes here ... but I was disqualified because I post-processed my photo ... Post processing is part of a good photo, and anybody should be allowed to do it. Everybody does editing, even film photographers ... Why this is not allowed ... I don't understand. It's limiting the photographer, its creativity ...
> 
> I understand not allowing highly altered photos, that don't even look real or natural anymore, but well done  editing should be allowed and encouraged. Contrast, white balance, color correction etc should be allowed ... like I said, these are things that even a film photographer edits while developing the photos in a dark room.
> 
> This rule is really stupid. Some random person on bluelight decided editing is not allowed ... gay.
> 
> *edit*
> The rules say "to put everybody on the same level" ... u meant for people who don't have photoshop right? Well any digi cam comes with a simple editing software, you can download free software from the internet etc. Seriously, why have good pictures when we can have very good pictures? Just keep the editing to a minimum.



Woah woah easy there, killer. Let me try and break this down proper-like.

Not everyone has photoshop (or image manipulating software), and even if they do, not everyone is proficient at it. So in order to try and create an even playing field post-processing was eliminated. 

Does it suck? Yes and no. There are people here who do photoshopping and graffic artist type stuff for a _living_, they could take a mediocre picture and process it all to hell and sweep the competitions. That's certainly not fair. There are times when I would like to adjust my own shots; dodge and burn shadowy areas, add reflections to eyes, fix stray hairs, bump up the sharpening a little bit, change the tint - but then it would almost look _*too*_ good and processed. 

"Post processing is a part of a good photo" - I agree to an extent. PP is just as much a skill as photography is, let's be clear on this. But I think you are confusing "image creation" with "photography." When I shoot weddings and senior pictures I am in the business of creating the best image I can - this often times requires Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. Image creation and picture taking are two entirely different types of animals.

You are right, you can do a lot "in camera". I can saturate, desaturate, crop, change color channels, boost contrast, convert, rotate, etc on my D300 in camera, so I have been accused of cheating in the past too. I cant help my camera is better, but it's not cheating because no PP is used. You can also use filters, different white balance settings, different scene "modes" to create special effects too.

In the end, I feel your pain, but there's no point complaining. Not when you are easily free to start your own photo contests where post-processing IS allowed. Call it the "anything goes photoshoppers haven contest" for all I care.


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Thanks BA  

And we need to keep in mind that it is a fun, light-hearted "contest" which is actually more likened to a SHARING of our work. Nothing more, nothing less. It's nice to put effort in but when people start taking it too seriously, it dampens the fun aspect of it.


----------



## romaniaK

alright ... I'll do it for teh funs. with no photoshop ... I don't wanna argue and maybe I seemed a little harsh yesterday, but I was recovering from a night of craziness


----------



## cletus

Time for an update. 

Completed themes are listed at the bottom of this post, but I'll double check to see if I missed anything out tomorrow.



> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *60's, 70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 (in general)* - Jamshyd *Coming Soon! (July 19 - July 25)*
> *7 Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth* - Mz_Thizzle
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - Mz_Thizzle
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abstract/unidentifiable* - Impacto Profundo
> *Action* - SA
> *Adjectives* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Anything Goes (aka "photographers choice" - use of photoshop etc)* - BA
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Beauty* - Pillthrill *Coming Soon! (July 12 - July 18 )*
> *Belligerent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Bricks* - felix
> *Carousels* - Mz Thizzle
> *Castles* - felix
> *Change* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Cigarettes and coffee* - mindtools
> *Circles / Squares / Triangles (Shapes?)* - CletusVanDow
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Clockwork* - Jamshyd
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Computer* - Impacto Profundo
> *Connected* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
> *Cute* - n3ophy7e
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Discovery* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Earth Connection* - mr_p
> *Electronics* - mindtools
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - Felix
> *Erotic/Erotica* - Jude101
> *Faces Of The Earth* - felix
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Favourite holiday photo (open round)* - felix
> *Feast/festival *- Jamshyd
> *First leafs/buds/petals* - Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - CletusVanDow
> *Flying Machines* - pennywise
> *Funny Faces* - pennywise *Coming Soon! (July 26 - August 01 )*
> *Gardens* - felix *Coming Soon! (August 16 - August 22 )*
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Graveyards *- felix
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
> *History* - Impacto Profundo
> *Houses/Homes* - pennywise
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Inertia *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Innocent* - Impacto Profundo
> *Intellect* - spork
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Juxtaposition - (possibly old versus new?)* - CletusVanDow
> *Landmarks/Monuments* - pennywise
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letters B to Z (25 more rounds here!!)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Life or Death* - Tribal Girl
> *Life styles* - panic in paradise
> *Lock(s) / Lock(s) and Key(s)* - Mz_Thizzle
> *Luck* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magic* - Impacto Profundo
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Minimalism* - n3ophy7e
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mountains* - pennywise
> *Multi-coloured* - n3ophy7e
> *Multicultural* - Jamshyd
> *Music *- Felix
> *My City* - spork *Coming Soon! (August 09 - August 15)*
> *My Favorite Food* - spork
> *My Favourite Song* - Impacto Profundo
> *New beginnings* - n3ophy7e
> *Noise* - Jamshyd
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Odd* - CletusVanDow
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Overexposed* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi Style* - Johnny1
> *Parties/Bars* - pennywise
> *Pizza (?)* - Impacto Profundo
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - Impacto Profundo
> *Pressure* - spork
> *Psychedelic* - Damien *Coming Soon! (August 02 - August 08 )*
> *Rail* - Jamshyd
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Revival* - Jamshyd
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sanctuary* - harley89
> *Sea/Ocean* - Felix
> *Silence* - Dave
> *Silly faces* - Felix
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Sleep/dreams* - n3ophy7e
> *Stained glass *- panic in paradise
> *Sterile* - Jamshyd
> *Still Life* - SA
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Team Spirit* - spork
> *Texture* - n3ophy7e
> *That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi)* - Jamshyd
> *Transcend* - Impacto Profundo
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Ugly* - atri
> *Urban* - Dave
> *Verbs* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Vertigo *- Impacto Profundo
> *Wastefulness* - Felix
> *Water* - mindtools
> *Waterways* - Rogue Robot *Current Theme!! Do eet now!! *
> *Wheels* - SA
> *Widescreen* - Felix
> *Wind* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Wish* - Impacto Profundo
> *Yearning* - Jamshyd
> *(The) Zodiac* - Jamshyd







Spoiler:  Completed Photo Comps



*3 different perspectives* - NinjaDan
*50's* - NinjaDan
*A room in your house!* - felix
*Bluelighter name/ bluelighter's handle* - Impacto Profundo
*Weathered/Dilapidated* - n3ophy7e
*Letter A* - Impacto Profundo
*Looking Up* - SA 
*Politics *- Jamshyd
*Simplicity* - SA
*Vivid* ???


----------



## n3ophy7e

Thanks a bunch Cletus!! You are amazing to the power of awesome!


----------



## cletus

Why thank you kindly, ya makin' me blush


----------



## fizzle

Cletus, time for you to get back to work!  I have another theme suggestion. :D

'Lock(s)', or maybe 'lock(s) and key(s)'

Also, I have a picture I really want to enter but I cant think of a theme or category for it


----------



## n3ophy7e

Mz_Thizzle said:


> Cletus, time for you to get back to work!  I have another theme suggestion. :D
> 
> 'Lock(s)', or maybe 'lock(s) and key(s)'
> 
> Also, I have a picture I really want to enter but I cant think of a theme or category for it



Nice idea re: Lock and Key, I like it.

Also, just put that photo aside and wait until a theme comes around that it fits. That's what I did with the one I just entered last week (and won whooo! :D). I took the photo like 9 months ago and just waited for the right theme to come round 

Or better yet, think up a theme that fits the photo and suggest it


----------



## fizzle

I suppose I'll just have to be patient and either wait or think up a theme


----------



## cletus

Mz_Thizzle said:


> Cletus, time for you to get back to work!  I have another theme suggestion. :D
> 
> 'Lock(s)', or maybe 'lock(s) and key(s)'
> 
> Also, I have a picture I really want to enter but I cant think of a theme or category for it



No problem at all - all done :D

C'mon folks, even though there's a rather long list, still feel free to add your suggestions here & I'll put them on the list.


----------



## spork

Pressure


----------



## Jamshyd

It would have made a LOT more sense for my "7" suggestion to be held on the week of July 7th, but oh well.


----------



## eDDe9

Oh well.


----------



## Zzyzx

Is it just me or people don't respect the themes anymore?

I mean so often there are some very nice pics with little to no connection to the week's theme. Or if there is a connection its real far fetched.

Then there is the voting.  Do people really vote for the best pic regarding the specific contest of the week or they vote because the pic is cute ?

Maybe its just me but in my opinion its getting worse every week and there's no fun or challenge anymore, its just luck


----------



## scubagirl200

bitter, are we? 

ha ha =P

nah i kinda see what you're saying....kinda...i still always feel like the best pic fitting the theme always wins, no?

anyways


----------



## n3ophy7e

Hmmm, I have to disagree with you there Zz. I think the entries that win (i.e. the ones that most people vote for) are still the ones that are both a good photo AND tie in with the theme well. I don't think it ever relies solely on luck. 

The other issue is that some of the more recent themes have been pretty subjective e.g. Beauty. So what it means to one person it could mean something else for the next person. These rounds make for a wide range of entries and we sometimes have to allow for a bit of creative license. In these situations usually the best quality photo will win, plain and simple. 

I will agree with you, however, that some of the entries can be a little far-fetched. Perhaps this in increasing because the contests are receiving more interest and therefore more entries? But those photos still don't usually get many votes, so I don't think it's much of a problem...


----------



## Zzyzx

Well an example, the letter A

I would expect to see some 'A' somewhere on the pic! Not only 'A' as a letter from a word describing something you see on the picture. There are gazillion words that contain the letter 'A' at least once but was the theme really about that?

I did read a good part of that thread and some pointed out that setting a time frame for the pictures would be a good idea, others argued that it wouldnt.  I tend to agree with this idea because right now its mostly about who has the largest photo collection and not who took the best photography related to the weeks theme

Anyway, maybe its just me and im crazy, dunno


----------



## n3ophy7e

Nah man, it's not just you (and you're definitely not crazy ), because it's a point that's been brought up a few times. But ultimately, what can we do? We can't really start disqualifying people's photos because _we_ don't think it ties in with the theme, know what I mean? We'll just have to continue to confide in the polling system and hope that everyone votes sensibly.


----------



## felix

i must say, that particular contest has bugged me the most as well... some of the descriptions would have been better under N for Nebulous... 





> neb·u·lous   (něb'yə-ləs)
> adj.
> 
> 1. Cloudy, misty, or hazy.
> 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague: nebulous assurances of future cooperation.
> 3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a nebula.


----------



## Zzyzx

^ lol  exactly

but the point here is not to bitch or draw sympathy, i'm really trying to work out possible solutions and if I find any i'll make sure to post em so they can be discussed


----------



## n3ophy7e

If we make the themes something that is quite clear-cut and doesn't really give room for _nebulosity_ (), the photos that don't fit well to the theme will be much more easily distinguishable. 

But then again, the reason we started doing the more subjective themes was because some people stated they wanted it that way! To spice things up a little. 

Basically what it comes down to is that we can't please everyone :D 

Perhaps if enough people object to the airy-fairy entries, we can go back to the more objective themes e.g. "Metal" (coming up on the 30th August).


----------



## felix

haha, cool word! :D



n3ophy7e said:


> Perhaps if enough people object to the airy-fairy entries, we can go back to the more objective themes e.g. "Metal" (coming up on the 30th August).


*screams* woooooooot, METAAAAAAAAAAL! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




here's another suggestion: CONCRETE.

if there isn't any concrete in the picture, GTFO of your mother's basement and take another one.


----------



## cletus

Zzyzx said:


> Well an example, the letter A
> 
> I would expect to see some 'A' somewhere on the pic! Not only 'A' as a letter from a word describing something you see on the picture. There are gazillion words that contain the letter 'A' at least once but was the theme really about that?



Well, i don't mean to brag, but I actually won that round & if memory serves me correctly, I think it *was* the only photo that had the letter A in it. In fact, my wife counted (what can be construed as) at least 7 different A's throughout it.

I think that had a lot to do with it winning, because it was sure as hell not the best photo entered. It was probably the best photo that fitted the actual theme  If it don't fit the theme, you don't vote for it.

I always like to hear why people voted for a particular photograph. What made them choose it? I think we should all do it more often.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Is everyone happy with the themes I've been selecting?? I'm taking them all from the big list we have compiled in this thread, but if anyone has any more suggestions for themes or any objections to what's been chosen, please let me know!


----------



## cletus

When everyone stops posting their entries it might be worth asking, but until then, keep doing what you are doing. I think they've all been really good choices :D


----------



## n3ophy7e

Okay cool


----------



## n3ophy7e

*Subjects still to be covered:*

*70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
*7 Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth* - Mz_Thizzle
*7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - Mz_Thizzle
*A turning point *- panic in paradise
*Abstract/unidentifiable* - Impacto Profundo
*Action* - SA
*Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
*Anything Goes (aka "photographers choice" - use of photoshop etc)* - BA
*Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Belligerent* - Impacto Profundo
*Birds* - Thizzerfershizzer
*Bricks* - felix
*Carousels* - Mz Thizzle
*Castles* - felix
*Change* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Cigarettes and coffee* - mindtools
*Circles / Squares / Triangles (Shapes?)* - CletusVanDow
*City* - n3ophy7e
*Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
*Clockwork* - Jamshyd
*Colorfulness* - mindtools
*Computer* - Impacto Profundo
*Connected* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
*Cute* - n3ophy7e
*Death* - Pillthrill
*Earth Connection* - mr_p
*Electronics* - mindtools
*Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - Felix
*Erotic/Erotica* - Jude101
*Faces Of The Earth* - felix
*Fantasy* - pennywise
*Favourite holiday photo/holidaysB] - felix upcoming!
Feast/festival - Jamshyd
First leafs/buds/petals - Jamshyd
Flash photography - CletusVanDow
Flying Machines - pennywise
Fruit - Thizzerfershizzer
Glory - Jamshyd
Graveyards - felix
Gravity - IAMTHOUGHTS
Green (ecologically friendly) - spork
History - Impacto Profundo
Houses/Homes - pennywise
Iconography - pennywise
Imagination - IAMTHOUGHTS
Indecisiveness - panic in paradise
Inertia - IAMTHOUGHTS
Innocent - Impacto Profundo
Intellect - spork
Isolation - n3ophy7e
Juxtaposition - CletusVanDow upcoming!
Landmarks/Monuments - pennywise
Law - IAMTHOUGHTS
Letters C to Z (22 more rounds here!!) - Impacto Profundo
Life or Death - Tribal Girl
Life styles - panic in paradise
Lock(s) / Lock(s) and Key(s) - Mz_Thizzle
Luck - Impacto Profundo
Magic - Impacto Profundo
Magnificence - IAMTHOUGHTS
Minimalism - n3ophy7e
Motion blur - mindtools
Mountains - pennywise upcoming!
Multi-coloured - n3ophy7e
Multicultural - Jamshyd
My Favorite Food - spork
My Favourite Song - Impacto Profundo
Noise - Jamshyd
Nouns - IAMTHOUGHTS
Odd - CletusVanDow
Old age - mindtools
Outrageous - Jamshyd
Over-edited - mindtools
Panorama - mindtools
Paparazzi Style - Johnny1
Parties/Bars - pennywise
Pizza (?) - Impacto Profundo
Popular Culture - pennywise
Pray - Impacto Profundo
Pressure - spork
Rail - Jamshyd
Real magic - panic in paradise
Relaxation - n3ophy7e
Revival - Jamshyd
Salience - Jamshyd
Sanctuary - harley89
Sea/Ocean - Felix
Silence - Dave
Skin - NinjaDan
Stained glass - panic in paradise
Sterile - Jamshyd
Strangers - n3ophy7e
Team Spirit - spork
Texture - n3ophy7e current theme!
That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi) - Jamshyd
Transcend - Impacto Profundo
Twisted metal - panic in paradise
Ugly - atri
Urban - Dave
Verbs - IAMTHOUGHTS
Vertigo - Impacto Profundo
Wastefulness - Felix
Water - mindtools
Wheels - SA
Widescreen - Felix
Wind - IAMTHOUGHTS
Wish - Impacto Profundo
Yearning - Jamshyd*


----------



## cletus

^thx n3o, updating the above was on my "to do" list. :D


----------



## ocean

Wasn't silly faces done a couple weeks ago??? 

felix has good choices- I can't wait for Sea/Ocean - Graveyards- Stained Glass- Mountains - Faces of the Earth  Yay! Those sound great!


Edit- I looked..... Funny Faces was round 138.


----------



## Bomboclat

Have we had a round for fruit yet?

If not, can this be taken into consideration?


----------



## cletus

^Yes it can be taken into consideration - it's now on the list.



ocean said:


> Wasn't silly faces done a couple weeks ago???
> 
> felix has good choices- I can't wait for Sea/Ocean - Graveyards- Stained Glass- Mountains - Faces of the Earth  Yay! Those sound great!
> 
> 
> Edit- I looked..... Funny Faces was round 138.



Removed - thanks :D


----------



## Bomboclat

I dont see birds on the list, and i dont remember there ever being a round for birds.

Can this be added to the list of rounds to come?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Thizzerfershizzer said:


> I dont see birds on the list, and i dont remember there ever being a round for birds.
> 
> Can this be added to the list of rounds to come?



Added  
Thanks Thiz!

Keep the suggesions coming folks!


----------



## n3ophy7e

*Subjects still to be covered:*

*70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
*7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - fizzle
*A turning point *- panic in paradise
*Abstract/unidentifiable* - Impacto Profundo
*Action* - SA
*Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
*Anything Goes (aka "photographers choice" - use of photoshop etc)* - BA
*Architechture* - n3ophy7e
*Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Belligerent* - Impacto Profundo
*Birds* - Thizzerfershizzer
*Bricks* - felix
*Butterflies* - numbtar
*Carousels* - Mz Thizzle
*Cash/Coins* - numbtar
*Castles* - felix
*Change* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Cigarettes and coffee* - mindtools
*City* - n3ophy7e
*Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
*Clockwork* - Jamshyd
*Clouds* - scubagirl200
*Colorfulness* - mindtools
*Computer* - Impacto Profundo
*Connected* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Contentment* - ocean
*Contrast* - scubagirl200
*Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
*Cute* - n3ophy7e
*Death* - Pillthrill
*Depth* - numbtar
*Earth Connection* - mr_p
*Electronics* - mindtools
*Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - felix
*Emotions* - numbtar
*Erotic/Erotica* - jude101
*Ethereal* - Samadhi
*Faces Of The Earth* - felix
*Fantasy* - pennywise
*Feast/festival *- Jamshyd
*First leafs/buds/petals* - Jamshyd
*Flash photography* - Cletus
*Flying Machines* - pennywise
*Glory *- Jamshyd
*Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
*Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
*History* - Impacto Profundo
*Houses/Homes* - pennywise
*Iconography *- pennywise
*Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
*Inertia *- IAMTHOUGHTS
*Innocent* - Impacto Profundo
*Intellect* - spork
*Isolation* - n3ophy7e
*Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Letters C to Z (22 more rounds here!!)* - Impacto Profundo
*Lifecycle* - ocean
*Life or Death* - Tribal Girl
*Lifestyles* - panic in paradise
*Lock(s) / Lock(s) and Key(s)* - Mz_Thizzle
*Luck* - Impacto Profundo
*Magic* - Impacto Profundo
*Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Morning* - n3ophy7e
*Motion blur* - mindtools
*Multi-coloured* - n3ophy7e
*My Favorite Food* - spork
*My Favourite Song* - Impacto Profundo
*Natural* - ocean upcoming!
*Noise* - Jamshyd
*Night* - n3ophy7e
*Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Odd* - Cletus
*Old age* - mindtools
*Outrageous* - Jamshyd
*Over-edited* - mindtools
*Panorama *- mindtools
*Paparazzi Style* - Johnny1
*Parties/Bars* - pennywise
*Pets* - n3ophy7e
*Pizza (?)* - Impacto Profundo
*Popular Culture* - pennywise
*Pray* - Impacto Profundo
*Pressure* - spork
*Rail* - Jamshyd
*Real magic* - panic in paradise
*Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
*Revival* - Jamshyd
*Roots* - ocean
*Salience* - Jamshyd
*Sanctuary* - harley89
*Sea/Ocean* - Felix
*Shapes* - cletus upcoming!
*Silence* - Dave
*Skin* - NinjaDan
*Smiles* - numbtar upcoming!
*Stained glass *- panic in paradise
*Sterile* - Jamshyd
*Strangers* - n3ophy7e
*Team Spirit* - spork
*Technology* - n3ophy7e upcoming!
*That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi)* - Jamshyd
*Things That Don't Belong* - Thizzerfershizzer
*Transcend* - Impacto Profundo
*Trees* - scubagirl200
*Turntables* - PinkStrawberries
*Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
*Ugly* - atri
*Verbs* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Vertigo *- Impacto Profundo
*Wastefulness* - Felix
*Water* - mindtools
*Weather* - ocean
*Wheels* - SA
*Widescreen* - Felix
*Wind* - IAMTHOUGHTS current theme!
*Windows* - n3ophy7e
*Wisdom* - n3ophy7e
*Wish* - Impacto Profundo
*Yearning* - Jamshyd


----------



## Bomboclat

woohoo one of mine is coming up! Very excited for that one 

Ive got another to add:
_Things that dont belong_


----------



## n3ophy7e

Added  
Thanks for the suggestion Thiz!


----------



## scubagirl200

trees
clouds


----------



## n3ophy7e

Added


----------



## felix

we've done both of those before? 

i only remember cos i won the clouds one.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Yep we did both of those themes about 18 months ago I think? But that doesn't mean we can't add them to the list and do them again sometime!


----------



## felix

ok, i'll just resubmit my clouds one again and wipe the floor with you losers. :D

oops, did i type that out loud?


----------



## PinkStrawberries

Turntables

I can't find enough pics of these that are taken with meaning to be artful


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Added


----------



## n3ophy7e

I think I've discovered something rather amusing: I'm subscribed to a weekly email newsletter from the Digital Photography School and they have a weekly themed photography "project" similar to this (but without a poll at the end, as is to my understanding) and I _seriously_ reckon they've gotten heaps of their theme ideas from our humble photography contests!!! How funny is that :D There are just too many to make it a coincidence, e.g. 7 Deadly Sins, Vivid, Machinery, Landscapes, Humorous, etc.

If that is the case, I reckon that's pretty cool. 

....and I've used some of _their_ themes over the years as well so it balances out   


Oh and I added some more themes to the list. Keep your theme ideas coming everyone


----------



## numbtar

emotions ??


----------



## numbtar

depth ??


----------



## ocean

contentment

life cycle

roots

natural

weather

??????


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Added  
Thanks for your suggestions numbtar and ocean!


----------



## numbtar

smiles ??/


----------



## numbtar

butterflies?


----------



## numbtar

cash/money/notes coins ???


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Added  
Hey, if you could please try and group all your suggestions just in to *one post* that would be awesome, thanks hun!


----------



## Samadhi

Ethereal


----------



## cletus

^updated


----------



## StoneHappyMonday

Anyone else noticed this comp. is suffering? 'Multicultural' round attracted 4 entries. 'Landmarks' got 14 entries - and just 14 voters.

Maybe it needs widening somehow, or 'marketing' (uurgh!). Sometimes the appearance can be of a narrow or closed shop, a little clique with a few random outsiders thrown in from time to time.

The same few people slapping each others backs again and again isn't condusive to inclusion. Bluelight has thousands of members. I'm sure more than 14 have cameras. I know SO is not a massively active forum but I think efforts could be made to attract more people.

Unless y'all happy with a small private club of course.


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Yeah it's definitely been noted, thank you for bringing it up again though SHM. I've attempted to do a bit of "marketing" if you will, by adding each week's new theme as a link in my signature, which is viewable across the board. And every now and then I'll do some shameless promotion of the photo contest in other forums.
Not sure what else we can do. If anyone has any suggestions we're very open to them! 

All in all, I personally don't mind if it's just the same people posting entries week in week out, after all, no-one's in it to WIN it as such. It's just a casual social avenue for us to share our work and have it be appreciated by our peers


----------



## scubagirl200

has contrast been done before?

suggested by the bf =]


----------



## cletus

Added, but should I say it was nominated by scubaboy200 or yourself? :D


----------



## n3ophy7e

*bumped for viewing on the next page *

{Suggestion list removed - new one further down the thread} - cletus


----------



## Bomboclat

I would like to request _Doubles_ as a round entry!


----------



## n3ophy7e

Added 
Thanks for the suggestion Thiz!


----------



## ocean

What about farms, growth, emptiness, longing, hope and religious symbolism?
Have  they been done ?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Nope not yet. Added to the list  
Thanks hun!


----------



## Sweet P

^ Have Wealth or Poverty been done yet? Could be interesting topics.


----------



## cletus

^Added thx


----------



## undead

can i suggest the categories *ambiguity *and *vintage*?


----------



## cletus

Why yes, yes you can


----------



## undead

why thank you!


----------



## cletus

Just added:

Modernity
Balance
Impressions
2 Legs
4 Legs
Craft
Metal
Glass


----------



## felix

whose leg do i have to hump to get 'Concrete' added to the list?


----------



## cletus

That'll be me, but we can leave out the humping thx 

It wouldn't be right somehow.


----------



## skillz~4~thrillz

~Desire
~unrequited love
~statues
~shacks/old abandoned buildings

just some thoughts...........skillz


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Added


----------



## dtta

Some suggestions from me, Your Holiness:

-  Confusion

-  Mathematics

-  Cycles [as in recurring]

-  Neophyte

-  Road kill

-  Absurdity

-  Failure

-  Communications


----------



## cletus

aaaannnnnnnnnnnnd......it's done! thanking you kindly :D


----------



## undead

I'm quite the fan of those nominations dtta!


----------



## dtta

I was in a weird/creative mood :D


----------



## cletus

Upcoming subjects are as follows:

Tomorrow: Things That Don't Belong [May 30 - June 05] (suggested by Thizzerfershizzer) 
Followed By: 4 Legs [June 06 - June 12] (suggested by cletus) 
Then: Connected [June 13 - June 19] (suggested by IAMTHOUGHTS) 
Then: Ugly [June 20 - June 26] (suggested by atri) 

From the list of suggestions further up this page, is there a subject anyone desperately wants to see used?


----------



## silentangst

I'd like the abandoned buildings theme to come up soon, I'm really keen to see what people come up with and I have a really bad quality photo to use


----------



## cletus

Consider it done


----------



## silentangst

Thanks


----------



## fizzle

Reflection
Color
Abstract

Pretty sure at least one of those has been done before, but I dont see it on the list, so I added them anyway


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Added


----------



## undead

How about Grandeur? I can imagine that being a really good round.


----------



## n3ophy7e

*Subjects still to be covered:*

{Suggestion list removed - new one further down the thread} - cletus]


----------



## ysrh

Have *Rainbows* been done?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Yes sir they have  
But I'll add Rainbows and we can do it again sometime. We do tend to double-up the better/more popular themes.


----------



## Bomboclat

I have two requests!

One is to add a theme: Marketplace
and the other is to request that a theme come up within the near future: Paparazzi Style

Cheers


----------



## n3ophy7e

Done and done.

And I mean done


----------



## skyHiGuy

This is a cool thread (still exploring the forum since i'm newly active)

How about 'bicycle' if not been done and also suggest that bicycle is the theme oaround  19th April to celebrate Bicycle day


----------



## Bomboclat

n3ophy7e said:


> Done and done.
> 
> And I mean done



I love this thread, I always get my way! 

Thanks, love.


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ It's because you're awesome, der  



skyHiGuy said:


> How about 'bicycle' if not been done and also suggest that bicycle is the theme oaround  19th April to celebrate Bicycle day



Now _that_ is a great idea! We do try to synchronise themes with holidays etc  
Added. 
And welcome skyHiGuy


----------



## silentangst

What about a medication theme?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Like, Pharmaceutical??


----------



## silentangst

The way you say that makes me think it's been done, but yes.


----------



## silentangst

Also, omg, pizza. I will excel at that round.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Haha you will indeed! :D 
Pizza is already a potential theme, and I've added Pharmaceutical (we haven't done a round like that before )


----------



## cletus

Added 2 more *Inspired By A Painting or Painter* & *Inspired By A Song Title*


----------



## silentangst

Yeah! MNedication!


----------



## cletus

silentangst said:


> Yeah! MNedication!



Oops! I was trying to MNutlitask but ended up looking like a MNuppet :D


----------



## cletus

From the Ethereal round:



Klue said:


> ^ Aw crap, I won once and I can't remember which photo took the cake.



I'm not too sure if you did, because I can't find it.



felix said:


> aye, this thread would be more useful if it had the names of the winners, hint hint cletus.
> 
> http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=468699



Been needing to do this for a while. All done & dusted :D

*Photo Comp Rounds complete with the winner listed!*

Any mistakes, please send me a pm & I'll have a look.


----------



## felix

good work son!


----------



## cletus

{Suggestions removed & put on last page}


----------



## Keaton

How about skylines? If it hadn't been done.
Long shutter speeds.
Playground.
Those are what I can think of right now.


----------



## cletus

I like! 

Added to the list - thanks


----------



## Keaton

sweet. Lookin forward to next week!


----------



## Keaton

Nvm


----------



## felix

NationOfThizzlam said:


> Playground.


sweet, i've got thousands of those... OH WAIT


----------



## n3ophy7e

{Suggestions removed & put on last page}


----------



## Keaton

How come Jamshyd's are all a different color?....

And when was the last time that a rule of thirds theme was done?




felix said:


> sweet, i've got thousands of those... OH WAIT



Wait... What? I'm lost..


----------



## silentangst

Cos he types in a cool colour.

And felix, you and I should exchange collections


----------



## cletus

NationOfThizzlam said:


> How come Jamshyd's are all a different color?....



Because he's worthy of the honour


----------



## Keaton

ohhhh ok. well then that makes sense.


----------



## L2R

could there be a crazy animated gif round? perhaps limiting to smaller dimensions and number of frames????


----------



## cletus

I thinks that maybe a whole new thread idea right there. The whole point of the photography rounds is to have a completely level playing field where anyone can enter without the need for 3rd party software. I haven't researched it, but are you aware of any online automated animation sites where people can upload their photos?


----------



## silentangst

Check the animated gif thread in the Lounge, a lot of them there are made on a certain site, I just can't remember what it is


----------



## L2R

i was thinking maybe as a one off, kinda like the alterations allowed round. adobe imageready does gifs quite easily too. 

i can't stand the gif thread. those images need to be obscured, so browsers don't instantly crash when they all load at the same time.


----------



## n3ophy7e

I can't see why we couldn't have a one-off, or perhaps a monthly .gif contest, like we did with the wallpaper contests. But maybe have it as a separate thing and not incorporated in to the photo contests? Cos it's a pretty different thing to photos


----------



## silentangst

This is the first site that came up when I googled making gifs online, haven't done a very comprehensive search but it could probably be used.

Edit: Can only have 5 images in the picture so maybe it's not suitable, I dunno. I'll keep looking later 

This might be better, but I can't be bothered looking anymore


----------



## cletus

^I was away working when I posted the above & the last thing I wanted to do was go into the gif thread because it would shutdown the worldwide servers because it needs _so_ much bandwidth!


----------



## silentangst

I love that thread


----------



## Keaton

Can we get a round for clouds?
Yes?
Maybe?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Clouds has been done twice before but no reason why we can't do it again sometime!  
I'll add it to the list.


----------



## L2R

actually silentangst, since this is a photo competition, i thought the gif round could be limited to like 3 frames or something. i'll make an example of what i mean when i can.


----------



## silentangst

Well it's up to you guys really, just a suggestion.


----------



## Keaton

Has a Self-Portrait round been done?


----------



## cletus

Yes. Bluelight weekly photography contest Round 111 (Self-Portrait).

I'll add it again though, because it's been a while.


----------



## Keaton

Arghh.
No haha don't worry about it.
I know there's a list of everything that's been done I just can't find it >_>


----------



## silentangst

Right here champ :D


----------



## cletus

^thnx

I've added a link to the bottom of the suggestion list just now.


----------



## Keaton

Book marked


----------



## felix

why don't we let thizzlam have a read through the competitions that are upcoming and have already been done (at least twice ) and _then_ he can come back with some new suggestions?


----------



## Keaton

can we get a round of...

Just kidding.
Like I said, its bookmarked now haha. No more repeats. I swear.


----------



## Keaton

A Pinup style round would be _fantastic_


----------



## cletus

{List removed - see further down the thread!}


----------



## cletus

NationOfThizzlam said:


> A Pinup style round would be _fantastic_



Done.


----------



## Jabberwocky

I got a better camera for Christmas and I may be participating. I've read through 8 pages of discussion and I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for.

A long time ago I saw complaints that certain scene modes from certain cameras likely break the rules for contests by boosting saturation or creating other enhancements. (this was likely 2007 and the posts I  read might not even be around anymore. Does anybody know if there was ever resolution on that issue? I'd love it if what my camera does doesn't disqualify anything. Mostly though I just want to submit only pictures that aren't contrary to what the community has decided.

A second issue that is not important to me at this time but would the community accept smudge tools or clone tools being used only for the purpose of correcting a stuck pixel, hot pixel, dead pixel in the ccd? Thanks for considering my neurotic questions.


----------



## kaywholed

Enki said:


> I got a better camera for Christmas and I may be participating. I've read through 8 pages of discussion and I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for.
> 
> A long time ago I saw complaints that certain scene modes from certain cameras likely break the rules for contests by boosting saturation or creating other enhancements. (this was likely 2007 and the posts I  read might not even be around anymore. Does anybody know if there was ever resolution on that issue? I'd love it if what my camera does doesn't disqualify anything. Mostly though I just want to submit only pictures that aren't contrary to what the community has decided.
> 
> A second issue that is not important to me at this time but would the community accept smudge tools or clone tools being used only for the purpose of correcting a stuck pixel, hot pixel, dead pixel in the ccd? Thanks for considering my neurotic questions.



What kind of camera did you get?

Most cameras you need to engage a setting for boosting colour, so unless you turn something on, you should be good.

Correcting an equipment flaw with PShop shouldn't be an issue.


----------



## Jabberwocky

^fujifilm ax25, kayholed0. The scene modes for fireworks and sunset are both described as vivid colors, so I assume the raise saturation a bit- but they likely have to do with iso/shutter speed etc as well. My thinking is that most of the stuff the camera does is not that big of a deal. The rules are mostly about keeping the contest a photography contest rather than a photoshop contest. But whatever the consensus on the rules is that's cool with me. I just don't want to be unintentionally cheating.


----------



## kaywholed

Enki said:


> ^fujifilm ax25, kayholed0. The scene modes for fireworks and sunset are both described as vivid colors, so I assume the raise saturation a bit- but they likely have to do with iso/shutter speed etc as well. My thinking is that most of the stuff the camera does is not that big of a deal. The rules are mostly about keeping the contest a photography contest rather than a photoshop contest. But whatever the consensus on the rules is that's cool with me. I just don't want to be unintentionally cheating.


 Sweeet.  New toys are always fun.

My understanding was that things like Automatic In Camera HDR were considered undue post processing, whereas simply adjusting camera settings like iso/shutter/light profile were simply using the camera properly.

I used a tungsten light profile for my submission, because that is what is resulted in the best photo with my given lighting.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Enki I'm looking forward to your participation!!


----------



## undead

Soooo... I suggested this once before, BUT... because I'm an asshole I didn't even have anything to submit by the time it came around. Therefore, I'd like to suggest for a 2nd go round... vintage (if there are no objections).

Also... perhaps sport, repitition, and paparazzi (another repeat cause I had a FUCKING AWESOME picture, but forgot to play that week )

I'm looking for wins.


----------



## cletus

ryanlaughlin said:


> I'm looking for wins.



That's fighting talk & I like it 

Added!

There's no harm in having some repeated themes now & again.


----------



## fizzle

This may have been asked before and I may have missed it, if so I am sorry, but how do you guys choose which themes are up and coming? Is it just random?


----------



## ocean

Do we do repeats?? (ryan's post made me want to suggest this)
If so, I really liked BLers handle.

I had a bunch of ideas for it.........


----------



## Keaton

fizzle said:


> This may have been asked before and I may have missed it, if so I am sorry, but how do you guys choose which themes are up and coming? Is it just random?



Ive been wondering the exact same thing...


----------



## felix

it all depends on how much crack they've been smoking.


----------



## Keaton

oh, thanks for clearin that up amigo


----------



## silentangst

Or how much you pay them off. People like Sancho and ysrh pay thousands to have rounds they know they'll win moved up :D


----------



## cletus

fizzle said:


> This may have been asked before and I may have missed it, if so I am sorry, but how do you guys choose which themes are up and coming? Is it just random?



Yeah, I would say it's random. When compiling the polling thread on a Sunday, we also create the next round at the same time. Post 2 of the new round has around 3 or 4 upcoming themes & you simply add another to the list. It all depends on what you think would be a good round I suppose, but there have been requests in the past.

If anyone wants to see a theme from the list - just ask here. 



silentangst said:


> Or how much you pay them off. People like Sancho and ysrh pay thousands to have rounds they know they'll win moved up :D



haha, if only this were true.


----------



## silentangst

I'm on to you guys >.>


----------



## addictivepersona

How long do the polling threads stay open?  I thought they were open all week and missed my chance to vote last week.


----------



## felix

that's always pretty clearly stated at the top of each polling thread. your homework for the day is to go and look at one to see for yourself.


----------



## addictivepersona

I normally just scroll down and look at all the pretty pictures.  I don't _read_ a picture thread, silly.  I mean, who does that?


----------



## felix

everyone else, silly.


----------



## Keaton

lol


Can we get a round for Lights?
I looked and didnt see one.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Added


----------



## Mysterier

i love bridges. all types really. neighborhood, city, air, highway, forest, Jeff. 

please amend! thanks!


----------



## fizzle

Oooh I like that idea :D


----------



## Keaton

srsly.
thats a goodun


----------



## cletus

Mysterier said:


> i love bridges. all types really. neighborhood, city, air, highway, forest, Jeff.
> 
> please amend! thanks!



I like as well - added!


----------



## Keaton

Public transportation?
I didn't see it anywhere on the list.


----------



## silentangst

Oh no, I used my one good public transportation picture for the Night round!


----------



## fizzle

^Better get out there and start taking more photos then! :D


----------



## cletus

{Suggestions removed & put on last page}


----------



## cletus

NationOfThizzlam said:


> Public transportation?
> I didn't see it anywhere on the list.



Added!


----------



## StarOceanHouse

how about Chemistry? I think people could be creative with that one as it has different meanings.


----------



## cletus

I like! Added.


----------



## Keaton

we've got some good suggestions flying around in here right now


----------



## n3ophy7e

We do indeed! Looking forward to some of these rounds


----------



## ocean

^I know! So may good ones on the list!! I'm super excited for some of these.


----------



## silentangst

Too many rounds and not enough weeks! There's only like 44 or something left until the world ends  need to make it an hourly photo contest.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Hahahaha :D


----------



## katmeow

Topic suggestion: Laughter


----------



## n3ophy7e

Oooh love it, added  

Looking forward to seeing some more entries from you my dear katmeow


----------



## mollieollieoi

*Totally dig!*

Hey everyone, i just wanted to introduce myself, even though i've already done so on the newbie forum... but i wanted to say what's up here because i'm totally diggin everyone's photography! i myself am a photographer and i'll be gracing this forum with plenty of photos in the future!

Just wanted to send my love and let you know you're all insanely talented photographers!! 

mad


----------



## n3ophy7e

Hi mollie! Welcome to Bluelight, and to Second Opinion. I hope you enjoy your time here  

We have a photography discussion thread so I think I'm going to merge this thread in there so people who check that thread regularly can see your lovely comments


----------



## Keaton

How about things that are out of place??


----------



## felix

ahah! that sounds like fun. 

added.

("Out of Place")


----------



## junglejuice

Jamshyd's themes are deeeeeeeeeeep, mannn


----------



## cletus

I know it's the taking part that's most important, but what the hell, just out curiosity & being a downright dweeb, I've collated a list of winners from our photo contents. 

Please doff your cap to *BA* who has a trophy cabinet of 13 wins :D

Due to having joint winners on some occasions, there has been a total of 238 winning entries from 222 competition rounds. The most joint wins award goes to *Samadhi* who has shared the top podium 3 times! 



		Code:
	

BA			13




		Code:
	

ysrh			11




		Code:
	

IAMTHOUGHTS		9
Raving Loony		9




		Code:
	

cletus			8
n3ophy7e		8
Sancho			8




		Code:
	

chrissie		7
felix			7
Samadhi			7




		Code:
	

caff			6
katmeow			6





		Code:
	

BushMonster		5
Johnny1			5
mr p			5
pennywise		5
pr0ficient		5
slushy muddy water	5
tribal girl		5




		Code:
	

Banquo			4
Changed			4
DG			4
L2R / Impacto		4
ninjadanslabretabar	4




		Code:
	

Mazey			3
negrogesic		3
ryanlaughlin		3
spork			3




		Code:
	

~*geNeRaTiOn E*~	2
8ft-Sativa		2
amor fati		2
Bearlove		2
Damien			2
Dtergent		2
dtta			2
eon blue		2
Impacto Profundo	2
jude101			2
mcwally			2
ocean			2
pillsnappa		2
StoneHappyMonday	2
Sun			2
Sweet P			2
tambourine-man		2
Thizzerfershizzer	2





		Code:
	

alasdairm		1
AmorRoark		1
atlas			1
atri			1
Beatlebot		1
Busty St Clare		1
D's			1
eDDe9			1
entheogenius		1
fenix_starr		1
FunkyMunkeyAlien	1
gusgus			1
InMyLyricalMind		1
Jamshyd			1
jaymie			1
kate			1
MazDan			1
MrMoss			1
Mysterier		1




		Code:
	

Mz_Thizzle		1
notauniquesnowflake	1
numbtar			1
Pillthrill		1
purplefirefly		1
RavenousBlonde		1
Rhombus			1
SA			1
SeRo			1
sheepish486		1
Silly Alien		1
skillz~4~thrillz	1
StarOceanHouse		1
StarTripper		1
Survival0200		1
sushii			1
Volundr			1
WeedMyLips		1
Yakuza			1
Zzyzx			1


----------



## Keaton

some day 8)


That's a pretty impressive list of winners.
All contributers that are, imo, fantastic photographers.


----------



## felix

seventh - equal - winner 

i have all my entries in a special folder on my computer and i still look at them now and again. i smile at the winners and rage about the ones where i was totally robbed!!! anyone who denies doing this as well is a liar. 



> Please doff your cap to BA who has a trophy cabinet of 13 wins


*cough*photoshop*cough*

p.s. i am kidding.

really must get back into doing this again, i can't have cletus beating me.


----------



## cletus

^ahahaha! I knew that would bother you & cause a sleepless night :D


----------



## felix

Oooooh... It's on now, bro. Lol.


----------



## Samadhi

Nice work, BA!

I'm a sharing kinda gal  

I'm consistently impressed with the standard of entries in this competition; there is so much talent here :D


----------



## ocean

I would like to suggest Shells, Symbols and Silence. 

I will check to see if any of these have been done........

Edit: 
Those are good to go if anyone else likes those ideas- and while looking through old contests I saw signs (street signs/billboard/sign posts) and I like the idea of doing that one again since it was one of the earlier contests......what say you SO folk?


----------



## Samadhi

I say yes!  All are wonderful ideas and are wide open to interpretation


----------



## addictivepersona

^ I second Samadhi.


----------



## ocean

K- I will add them to the list


----------



## ocean

{Suggestions removed & put on last page}


----------



## cletus

I am so neglecting my duties! :D Thanks Osh.

I'm liking the Shells, Symbols and Silence themes as well.


----------



## ocean

^No you're not! You're always on it! 
I just didn't want you thinking "Why did she wait for me to do it, she is a slacker!" hahahha


----------



## Bearlove

May I suggest a few threads

Funfairs, Bizzare, Mundane, Out of place (random), Tidelines, Death and/or Decay, Fauna, Flora, Fungi, Starts with E, Branding (not as in body modification), cooking, shadows and silhouettes, Cute, Gross and finally Green.


----------



## cletus

Bear, it's not just your photo's that are on fire, it's you as well  (see what I did there?)

I'll add them right now. Thanks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

edit: "Out of Place" has already been suggested by Mr NationOfThizzlam

I've omitted "Starts with an E", but we have a suggestion of the "Letters C to Z" still to do, so E will appear there at some stage.

Pillthrill has suggested "Death", but I have added your "Death and/or Decay" as well. I'll leave it to the mod who's turn it is to post the photo thread to choose which one.


----------



## ocean

So many good suggestions up on that list! 

I like the tidelines suggestion- I have one I took the other day that will fit that one :D


----------



## cletus

ocean said:


> I like the tidelines suggestion- I have one I took the other day that will fit that one :D



I'll be quite disappointed if nobody posts a pic of their filthy bath. In fact that reminds me, I know of a real fucking stinker lying in a field somewhere :D


----------



## Bearlove

Wow your quick - I just tried to find my earlier post to update it and it had moved :D 

If I could add a new subject to the list - 'Comfort food' !


----------



## Bearlove

cletus said:


> Bear, it's not just your photo's that are on fire, it's you as well  (see what I did there?)
> 
> I'll add them right now. Thanks.
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> edit: "Out of Place" has already been suggested by Mr NationOfThizzlam
> 
> I've omitted "Starts with an E", but we have a suggestion of the "Letters C to Z" still to do, so E will appear there at some stage.
> 
> Pillthrill has suggested "Death", but I have added your "Death and/or Decay" as well. I'll leave it to the mod who's turn it is to post the photo thread to choose which one.



Haha I can see why your now a S(super) mod 



ocean said:


> So many good suggestions up on that list!
> 
> I like the tidelines suggestion- I have one I took the other day that will fit that one :D





cletus said:


> I'll be quite disappointed if nobody posts a pic of their filthy bath. In fact that reminds me, I know of a real fucking stinker lying in a field somewhere :D



Its funny as when I first thought of that topic I was thinking about the stuff that gets washed up on the beaches - I then started to think about it in more details and came up with the marks around taps, baths etc :D


----------



## Bearlove

What about' beauty and the beast', 'insects' , 'Paranoid' or 'hair' :D 

I've never seen this list before and I love some of the subjects !


----------



## cletus

All done. Thanks for the input.

As always, if anyone wants any particular theme to come up in the next couple of weeks from the list, please let us know. Whenever a mod posts the photo rounds, we pick from the list what we think will be suitable, so by all means speak up!


----------



## Keaton

BUBBLES!!!!!!! That'd be a good one.


----------



## modern buddha

If I may suggest Religion / Spirituality...


----------



## fizzle

Added  I added them together since they sort of go hand in hand, but if you'd like them as two separate themes let me know and I'll separate them.


----------



## modern buddha

Nah. I think they are, in a way, one and the same feeling of closeness and peace.


----------



## Mysterier

Can't wait for Shadows.


----------



## Keaton

Shadows is gonna be a good one for sure.


So, are we ever going to find out how exactly the themes are picked?


----------



## cletus

^whatyaonabout?   I have at least 2 posts over the last few pages saying SO mods randomly choose the themes from the list. All dependant on who compiles the photo threads that week & what they deem to be a good subject from the current list of suggestions. 

I've even asked on a couple of occasions if there are any requests for an upcoming theme. As yourself & Mysterier have only just spoken about shadows being a good round, I'm assuming you would like it to come up in the near future, so I will add it this week.


----------



## Mysterier

Good man.


----------



## fizzle

{Suggestions removed & put on last page}


----------



## felix

NationOfThizzlam said:


> So, are we ever going to find out how exactly the themes are picked?


omg conspiracy


----------



## Keaton

Haha well last time I heard, it was all dependent on the amount of crack the mods had been smoking.


----------



## fizzle

^What makes you think thats changed?


----------



## Keaton

Slightly tweaked mod crew.


----------



## cletus

Lol. Busted


----------



## Keaton

lol

Red&Bluelighter up in this beezy


----------



## felix

NationOfThizzlam said:


> Haha well last time I heard, it was all dependent on the amount of crack the mods had been smoking.


well, based on some of the subjects they've chosen, it must be quite a lot of crack. 






I'M KIDDING


----------



## Keaton




----------



## ocean

What do you guys think about Trails?
nd maybe a separate one for walkways?


----------



## Keaton

Add


----------



## addictivepersona

I second that notion.


----------



## ocean

Added  yay!


----------



## modern buddha

Walkways and trails sounds awesome.


----------



## StarOceanHouse

how about phallic symbols?


----------



## fizzle

Added


----------



## Keaton

When are we doing clouds? :D
I have a feeling that round is gonna be fan-damn-tastic.


----------



## cletus

cletus said:


> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *2 Legs* - cletus
> *70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - fizzle
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abandoned Buildings* - _Keaton (last done July 2010)
> *Abstract* - fizzle
> *Absurdity* - dtta
> *Action* - SA
> *Ambiguity* - ryanlaughlin
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Architechture* - n3ophy7e
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Balance* - cletus
> *Beauty and the Beast* - Bearlove
> *Belligerent* - L2R
> *Bicycles* (for Bicycle Day ) - skyHiGuy
> *Bizzare* - Bearlove
> *Branding (not as in body modification)* - Bearlove
> *Bubbles* - _Keaton upcoming theme!
> *Butterflies* - numbtar
> *Carousels* - fizzle
> *Cash/Coins* - numbtar
> *Castles* - felix
> *Chaos*- Simply Live
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Clouds* - _Keaton upcoming theme!
> *Color* - fizzle
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Communications* - dtta
> *Computer* - L2R
> *Concrete* - felix
> *Confusion* - dtta
> *Contentment* - ocean
> *Cooking* - Bearlove
> *Craft* - cletus
> *Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
> *Cute* - Bearlove
> *Cycles [as in recurring]* - dtta
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Death and/or Decay* - Bearlove
> *Desire* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Doubles* - Thizzerfershizzer
> *Earth Connection* - mr p
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - felix
> *Emptiness* - ocean
> *Failure* - dtta
> *Family* - n3ophy7e
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Fauna* - Bearlove
> *Feast/festival*- Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - cletus
> *Flora* - Bearlove
> *Funfairs* - Bearlove
> *Fungi* - Bearlove
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Grandeur* - ryanlaughlin
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
> *Green (colour/color)* - Bearlove
> *Gross* - Bearlove
> *Growth* - ocean
> *Hair* - Bearlove
> *History* - L2R
> *Hope* - ocean
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Innocent* - L2R
> *Inspired By A Painting or Painter* - cletus
> *Inspired By A Song Title* - cletus
> *Intellect* - spork
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Kitchen* - n3ophy7e
> *Laughter* - katmeow
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letters C to Z (22 more rounds here!!)* - L2R
> *Lifecycle* - ocean
> *Life or Death* - tribal girl upcoming theme!
> *Lifestyles* - panic in paradise
> *Lights* - _Keaton
> *Longing* - ocean
> *Luck* - L2R
> *Macro* - Inspired by 8ft-Sativa 's thread!
> *Magic* - L2R
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Marketplace* - Thizzerfershizzer
> *Medication* - silentangst
> *Metal* - cletus
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mundane* - Bearlove
> *My Favorite Food* - spork
> *Noise* - Jamshyd
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Neophyte* - dtta
> *Nurture* - n3ophy7e
> *Odd* - cletus
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Out of Place* - _Keaton
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi* - ryanlaughlin
> *Paranoid* - Bearlove
> *Pets* - n3ophy7e
> *Phallic symbols* - StarOceanHouse upcoming theme!
> *Pinup* - _Keaton
> *Pizza (?)* - L2R
> *Playground* - _Keaton
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - L2R
> *Pressure* - spork
> *Public transportation* - _Keaton
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Religion/Spirituality* - Simply_Live
> *Repetition* - ryanlaughlin
> *Revival* - Jamshyd
> *Road kill* - dtta
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sea/Ocean* - felix
> *Self-Portrait* - _Keaton
> *Shells*- ocean
> *Silence*- ocean
> *Signs (street signs/billboards/sign posts etc.)* - old theme brought back
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Spots* - cletus current theme!
> *Sports* - ryanlaughlin
> *Sterile* - Jamshyd
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Symbols* - ocean
> *That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi)* - Jamshyd
> *Tidelines* - Bearlove
> *Transcend* - L2R
> *Trails*- ocean
> *Trees* - scubagirl200
> *Turntables* - PinkStrawberries
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Unrequited Love* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Vertigo *- L2R
> *Wastefulness* - Felix
> *Walkways* - ocean upcoming theme!
> *Wealth* - Sweet P
> *Weather* - ocean
> *Wheels* - SA
> *Widescreen* - Felix
> *Wisdom* - n3ophy7e
> *Wish* - L2R
> *Yearning* - Jamshyd
> 
> 
> For reference or interest, there is a thread with previous rounds & winners right here!


BUMP to the next page


----------



## Keaton

Can we do a "Drug of Choice" round?:D


----------



## modern buddha

Or maybe a "chaos" round? Chaos within physics, chaos within the mind, etc?


----------



## ocean

^I like it. 
I'll add it to the list above now


----------



## cletus

NationOfThizzlam said:


> Can we do a "Drug of Choice" round?:D



No is the simple answer. As we have a no drug talk rule within SO, the last thing we need is photographs of the stuff.


----------



## Keaton

Fair enough.


----------



## addictivepersona

Should the weekly entry threads be closed when voting starts to prevent late entries?

Or are they kept open for the general comments of the ooohs and aaahs of the photography?


----------



## felix

addictivepersona said:


> Should the weekly entry threads be closed when voting starts to prevent late entries?
> 
> Or are they kept open for the general comments of the ooohs and aaahs of the photography?


without checking, i'm pretty sure the mod makes a post in thread to say something like 'no more entries'. anyone posting an entry after that needs to take their computer back to the store, saying "i'm too stupid to own a computer". 

second question: yes.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Hah, good point.  I just felt bad 'cause there was a pretty picture submitted this evening for the round that ended last week.  You should know by now that people don't read!


----------



## ektamine

_Keaton said:


> Can we do a "Drug of Choice" round?:D





cletus said:


> No is the simple answer. As we have a no drug talk rule within SO, the last thing we need is photographs of the stuff.



Fair enough, though _Keaton, whaddya think about doing it in a forum that does allow drug discussion? 

I think this would be AWESOME for those of us who aren't avoiding the droogz. I could see some really cool photo's coming from this. Maybe put it in drug culture? I'm not sure where a thread like that would fit best, but I think we should start one!
(I'll look into it)


----------



## Keaton

That'd be awesome.
If I was a moderator over there I'd get it going for damn sure.


----------



## Keaton

Can we do another pets round?


----------



## cletus

Yes, I'm sur.........ohhh. 

Hmmm... that's right, I don't live here no more..... 

*gets coat & leaves*


----------



## Keaton

.


----------



## fizzle

cletus said:


> Yes, I'm sur.........ohhh.
> 
> Hmmm... that's right, I don't live here no more.....
> 
> *gets coat & leaves*



Hey! You stay right where you are! You arent allowed to leave!  I'll add it in and we'll just pretend it was Cletus who did it.


----------



## fizzle

cletus said:


> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *2 Legs* - cletus
> *70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - fizzle
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abandoned Buildings* - _Keaton (last done July 2010)
> *Abstract* - fizzle
> *Absurdity* - dtta
> *Action* - SA
> *Ambiguity* - ryanlaughlin
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Architechture* - n3ophy7e
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Balance* - cletus
> *Beauty and the Beast* - Bearlove
> *Belligerent* - L2R
> *Bicycles* (for Bicycle Day ) - skyHiGuy
> *Bizzare* - Bearlove
> *Branding (not as in body modification)* - Bearlove
> *Butterflies* - numbtar
> *Carousels* - fizzle
> *Cash/Coins* - numbtar
> *Castles* - felix
> *Chaos*- Simply Live
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Color* - fizzle
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Communications* - dtta
> *Computer* - L2R
> *Concrete* - felix
> *Confusion* - dtta
> *Contentment* - ocean
> *Cooking* - Bearlove
> *Craft* - cletus
> *Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
> *Cute* - Bearlove
> *Cycles [as in recurring]* - dtta
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Death and/or Decay* - Bearlove
> *Desire* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Doubles* - Thizzerfershizzer
> *Earth Connection* - mr p
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - felix
> *Emptiness* - ocean
> *Failure* - dtta
> *Family* - n3ophy7e
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Fauna* - Bearlove
> *Feast/festival*- Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - cletus
> *Flora* - Bearlove
> *Fragility* - Samadhi
> *Funfairs* - Bearlove
> *Fungi* - Bearlove
> *Futility* = Samadhi
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Grandeur* - ryanlaughlin
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
> *Green (colour/color)* - Bearlove
> *Gross* - Bearlove
> *Growth* - ocean
> *Hair* - Bearlove
> *History* - L2R
> *Hope* - ocean
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Innocent* - L2R
> *Inspired By A Painting or Painter* - cletus
> *Inspired By A Song Title* - cletus
> *Intellect* - spork
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Kitchen* - n3ophy7e
> *Laughter* - katmeow
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letters C to Z (22 more rounds here!!)* - L2R
> *Lifecycle* - ocean
> *Lifestyles* - panic in paradise
> *Lights* - _Keaton
> *Longing* - ocean
> *Luck* - L2R
> *Macro* - Inspired by 8ft-Sativa 's thread!
> *Magic* - L2R
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Marketplace* - Thizzerfershizzer
> *Medication* - silentangst
> *Metal* - cletus
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mundane* - Bearlove
> *My Favorite Food* - spork
> *Noise* - Jamshyd
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Neophyte* - dtta
> *Nurture* - n3ophy7e
> *Odd* - cletus
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Out of Place* - _Keaton
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi* - ryanlaughlin
> *Paranoid* - Bearlove
> *Pets* - n3ophy7e
> *Pinup* - _Keaton
> *Pizza (?)* - L2R
> *Playground* - _Keaton
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - L2R
> *Pressure* - spork
> *Public transportation* - _Keaton
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Religion/Spirituality* - Simply_Live
> *Repetition* - ryanlaughlin Current Theme!
> *Revival* - Jamshyd
> *Road kill* - dtta
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sea/Ocean* - felix
> *Self-Portrait* - _Keaton upcoming theme!
> *Shells*- ocean
> *Silence*- ocean
> *Signs (street signs/billboards/sign posts etc.)* - old theme brought back
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Sports* - ryanlaughlin
> *Sterile* - Jamshyd
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Symbols* - ocean
> *That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi)* - Jamshyd
> *Transcend* - L2R
> *Trails*- ocean
> *Treasure* - n3ophy7e
> *Trees* - scubagirl200
> *Turntables* - PinkStrawberries
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Unrequited Love* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Vertigo *- L2R
> *Wastefulness* - Felix
> *Wealth* - Sweet P
> *Weather* - ocean
> *Wheels* - SA
> *Widescreen* - Felix
> *Wisdom* - n3ophy7e
> *Wish* - L2R
> *Yearning* - Jamshyd
> 
> 
> For reference or interest, there is a thread with previous rounds & winners right here!


BUMP to the next page

Look at that! Turns out we already have a pets round listed.


----------



## Keaton

I should have checked that post as well as the archive I suppose.


----------



## Samadhi

I'd like to add Fragility and Futility to the list if i could?


----------



## fizzle

^You're the mod now, you can add whatever you'd like to the list. :D (Its part of the perks package we give you, since the pay isnt very good...)


----------



## Samadhi

haha true  I'll add them now!


----------



## n3ophy7e

What about *Treasure*?


----------



## Samadhi

Yes! I'll add it n3o


----------



## Kenickie

can i just up and pick one of these for a future one? since i'm making the photo thread right now?.....since n3o said it, i'm gonna say *treasure.*


----------



## xmaramena

I'm new here but I've been scrolling through this thread and I've gotta lay a vote down for allowing processing - including HDR. Although if it's an issue, then why not have two separate sections - unedited (ie. straight from the camera, no built-in filter effects etc.) and edited, which can go all the way up to full HDR? It would also be an idea to label each photo with what camera was used - some automatically enhance photos anyway.


----------



## ocean

What is HDR?

We've had rounds where we allowed edits.....
We can always discuss having more with edits allowed


----------



## Keaton

HighDef Resoultion?


----------



## Samadhi

ocean said:


> What is HDR?
> 
> We've had rounds where we allowed edits.....
> We can always discuss having more with edits allowed



I'm inclined to agree with this, rather than allowing them every round... reason being that it gives those people who have mad processing skills an unfair advantage of those who love taking photos, and take good photos, however don't have the same knowledge (or software).


----------



## ocean

cletus said:


> *Subjects still to be covered:*
> 
> *2 Legs* - cletus
> *70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *7 Heavenly Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith* - fizzle
> *A turning point *- panic in paradise
> *Abandoned Buildings* - _Keaton (last done July 2010)
> *Abstract* - fizzle
> *Absurdity* - dtta
> *Action* - SA
> *Ambiguity* - ryanlaughlin
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Architechture* - n3ophy7e
> *Attraction* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Balance* - cletus
> *Beauty and the Beast* - Bearlove
> *Belligerent* - L2R
> *Bicycles* (for Bicycle Day ) - skyHiGuy
> *Bizzare* - Bearlove
> *Branding (not as in body modification)* - Bearlove
> *Butterflies* - numbtar
> *Carousels* - fizzle
> *Cash/Coins* - numbtar
> *Castles* - felix
> *Chaos*- Simply Live
> *City* - n3ophy7e
> *Clashing colours* - n3ophy7e
> *Color* - fizzle
> *Colorfulness* - mindtools
> *Communications* - dtta
> *Computer* - L2R
> *Concrete* - felix
> *Confusion* - dtta
> *Contentment* - ocean
> *Cooking* - Bearlove
> *Craft* - cletus
> *Crime Scene Creation (fake obviously!!)* - tribal girl
> *Cute* - Bearlove
> *Cycles [as in recurring]* - dtta
> *Death* - Pillthrill
> *Death and/or Decay* - Bearlove
> *Desire* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Doubles* - Thizzerfershizzer
> *Earth Connection* - mr p
> *Emergency! (vehicles, fires, lifeboats, people etc.)* - felix
> *Emptiness* - ocean
> *Failure* - dtta
> *Family* - n3ophy7e
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Fauna* - Bearlove
> *Feast/festival*- Jamshyd
> *Flash photography* - cletus
> *Flora* - Bearlove
> *Fragility* - Samadhi
> *Funfairs* - Bearlove
> *Fungi* - Bearlove
> *Futility* = Samadhi
> *Glory *- Jamshyd
> *Grandeur* - ryanlaughlin
> *Gravity *- IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Green (ecologically friendly)* - spork
> *Green (colour/color)* - Bearlove
> *Gross* - Bearlove
> *Growth* - ocean
> *Hair* - Bearlove
> *History* - L2R
> *Hope* - ocean
> *Iconography *- pennywise
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Innocent* - L2R
> *Inspired By A Painting or Painter* - cletus
> *Inspired By A Song Title* - cletus
> *Intellect* - spork
> *Isolation* - n3ophy7e
> *Kitchen* - n3ophy7e
> *Laughter* - katmeow
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Letters C to Z (22 more rounds here!!)* - L2R
> *Lifecycle* - ocean
> *Lifestyles* - panic in paradise
> *Lights* - _Keaton
> *Longing* - ocean
> *Luck* - L2R
> *Macro* - Inspired by 8ft-Sativa 's thread!
> *Magic* - L2R
> *Magnificence* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Marketplace* - Thizzerfershizzer
> *Medication* - silentangst
> *Metal* - cletus
> *Motion blur* - mindtools
> *Mundane* - Bearlove
> *Noise* - Jamshyd
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Neophyte* - dtta
> *Nurture* - n3ophy7e
> *Odd* - cletus
> *Old age* - mindtools
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Out of Place* - _Keaton
> *Over-edited* - mindtools
> *Panorama *- mindtools
> *Paparazzi* - ryanlaughlin
> *Paranoid* - Bearlove
> *Pets* - n3ophy7e
> *Pinup* - _Keaton
> *Pizza (?)* - L2R
> *Playground* - _Keaton
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise
> *Pray* - L2R
> *Pressure* - spork
> *Public transportation* - _Keaton
> *Real magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Religion/Spirituality* - Simply_Live
> *Revival* - Jamshyd
> *Road kill* - dtta
> *Salience* - Jamshyd
> *Sea/Ocean* - felix
> *Self-Portrait* - _Keaton Current Theme!
> *Shells*- ocean
> *Silence*- ocean
> *Signs (street signs/billboards/sign posts etc.)* - old theme brought back
> *Skin* - NinjaDan
> *Sports* - ryanlaughlin
> *Sterile* - Jamshyd
> *Strangers* - n3ophy7e
> *Symbols* - ocean
> *That which I am (Tat Tvam Assi)* - Jamshyd
> *Transcend* - L2R
> *Trails*- ocean
> *Treasure* - n3ophy7e
> *Trees* - scubagirl200
> *Turntables* - PinkStrawberries
> *Twisted metal* - panic in paradise
> *Unrequited Love* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Vertigo *- L2R
> *Wastefulness* - Felix
> *Wealth* - Sweet P
> *Weather* - ocean
> *Wheels* - SA
> *Widescreen* - Felix
> *Wisdom* - n3ophy7e
> *Wish* - L2R
> *Yearning* - Jamshyd
> 
> 
> For reference or interest, there is a thread with previous rounds & winners right here!



Let us know if you see any that we have done and need to be removed!
I just went through and deleted a few we've done but I'm gonna have to take a look b/c I feel like we've done a few more!

Keep the suggestions coming!


----------



## Keaton

Could we reconsider doing a round for "Drug of Choice" round?
I know there's NDTISO but there have been pictures of drugs submitted to certain rounds before and that was fine.
Maybe don't limit it to _just_ a picture of the drugs and actually include shots that have to do with the drug using lifestyle.

Has the potential to be a great round imo.


----------



## ocean

^No......I'm sorry but I'm gonna shoot that one down.
If there are photos of drugs submitted, please report them.
I let a beer slide a round or two ago and regretted it b/c I feared it would bring up discussion like this.
We will follow the Guidelines, and there are no drugs in SO.

Come up with another one! You come up with great ideas! There has to be another you are excited about!


----------



## JoshE

What about "Peace"? I had a look above and in the archive and couldn't find anything.


----------



## Samadhi

Fo sho, JoshE


----------



## ocean

I'm still for a re-do on the BL handle round.
I thought that was fun


----------



## addictivepersona

Man, totally came here to request we do a round of *indecision*, but I see pip was way ahead of me.


----------



## Keaton

Can we do a revisit of *Fire*

Also:


Sculptures

Body parts (A possible *NSFW* round)

The elements

Double take (Things that made you do a double take)

Vice (what are yours?)

Hospitals

Movie titles

Frugality

Doors/Doorways

Bad habits

A day in the life of an addict (too much NDTISO?)

Can we do the *Pinup round* soon?:D


----------



## ocean

^We did a pin up round once I think.......
We should do it again soon but you gotta gimme time to figure out how to take my own picture :D


----------



## Keaton

We did Erotica, but not a pinup round.


----------



## ocean

^ohhhhh yeah.


----------



## nekointheclouds

So, I went ahead and Picked Pin-ups as the third in line for the photo-contest. We had been talking about it, or you guys were, and I thought it would be fitting for my first pick. haha.


----------



## Keaton

Woo! Respek


----------



## addictivepersona

What has happened?  There used to be at least a half dozen entries per contest.  Now the weekly contests are lucky to have two.  Is it because people have gone off to school, or that they're not outside much because of the colder weather in the northern hemisphere?  I'm really curious why people haven't been submitting.  :-/

Any theories?


----------



## Keaton

I can't speak for everyone else, but I just haven't been able to go out and get shots for any of the contests.


----------



## felix

addictivepersona said:


> What has happened?  There used to be at least a half dozen entries per contest.  Now the weekly contests are lucky to have two.  Is it because people have gone off to school, or that they're not outside much because of the colder weather in the northern hemisphere?  I'm really curious why people haven't been submitting.  :-/
> 
> Any theories?


NEEDS. MOAR. PROMOTION?

i dunno. but you just prompted me to enter one for this week, now i know i have a 33% chance of winning - thanks for the tip off! :D

done.

ALSO - maybe the fucked [insert img] button isn't helping...


----------



## Samadhi

Activity in the photo comp threads has definitely decreased in the last few months, which is disappointing. I've been thinking about over the last little while. I know my life has been frenetic for the last few months, and to be honest, posting pics regularly (in any forum) hasn't been high on my list of priorities. I have also noted that a number of the thread's regulars haven't really been around either.  Things have settled down now for the most part, and i think with more proactive promotion, the thread will definitely pick up. I do wish the


----------



## Damien

That's a bummer. I'll try and see if I can get around to posting once in a while.


----------



## katmeow

Perhaps the competition thread could be bounced through a few forums to try to inspire some new posters?


----------



## Samadhi

That's a really good idea, Katmeow. I'll have a chat to some of the other smods/mods and see what they think.


----------



## ocean

I still really like the idea of revisiting the BL handles  
It's fun to try to come up with different photos for people!

There are a bunch of good ones on this list up here! 
We haven't been adding to it too much.....
Anyone have more ideas for entries?


----------



## felix

felix said:


> ALSO - maybe the fucked [insert img] button isn't helping...



you could amend the contest guidelines to say:



> 8. Post your images in the appropriate thread in the form of an image, not a link to click on.
> 
> To insert an image, use this code (for example): [IMG]http://www.imagesite.com/photo69.jpg[/IMG]


----------



## Samadhi

Thanks for that, felix, i'll amend the guidelines now.


----------



## cletus

3 entries last week? What the hell has happened to my precious photo contests? 

/joke :D

Right then, gimmee my old job back & I'll ruffle some feathers. We need to print flyers, take to the streets, word of mouth, write to our MP's/Governors/congressmen/congresswomen or whoever the shitebag is that represents us in our own governments. Get this back to it's former glory!!

Must.Resist.Saying......back when I modded this fine place (Arggghhhhh! What a dick, I f'ing hate myself!!!!) I did have the link to the newest photo comp in my signature & would like to think that we got some traffic through to second opinion because of it. Can be a pain to change it all the time, but if you are going to the bother of creating a competition & polling thread anyway, what's a couple of extra clicks? 1 x tuppence spent


----------



## nekointheclouds

ocean said:


> I still really like the idea of revisiting the BL handles
> It's fun to try to come up with different photos for people!
> 
> There are a bunch of good ones on this list up here!
> We haven't been adding to it too much.....
> Anyone have more ideas for entries?



I am offically taking you up on this idea!

Im picking BL handles for my next round.

And Cletus I am not offended at all, I think taking the time to go ahead and link to the photo comp in my sig. would def be a great way to help promote the contest.

I def seen a decline in the traffic here, and in the last month been so busy with this holiday jazz i havent been as dedicated to promoting SO, just doing what is needed as a job. But I love this place and the photo comp and want to see it as busy as when I first discovered this area!


----------



## Samadhi

No offence taken, Cletus! I think adding the current photo comp as a sig is a a brilliant idea! :D


----------



## Miss_vanilla

I don't know if this has been said or not (couldn't see them in the list above) but a couple of good ideas for the contest could be bokeh and out-of-focus.  Photography is a hobby of mine (I have a lot to learn but love it) and those two concepts make even the most ordinary things look interesting.


----------



## Samadhi

Excellent suggestions, Miss_vanilla  I'll add them now!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Thank you kindly


----------



## Keaton

We need to do a round for *eyes* :D


----------



## Samadhi

Yes! :D


----------



## addictivepersona

I think this was mentioned awhile back, but figured I'd bring it to the table again:  Has there been any consideration of making the photography contest time-frame two weeks for the entry period?  You could still do one new contest each week, but it would run for two weeks.  Like:

Feb. 12th - 18th = Round A begins
Feb. 19th - 25th = Round B begins with A still going
Feb. 26th = Polling for A beings and Round C begins.

Just an idea.  :)  It could be a floating change too and go back to being one-week entry periods during the (northern hemisphere's) summer when the entries seem to pick up a bit.


----------



## Samadhi

I think it's a good idea, ap  I'll take it to the mod thread.


----------



## undead

Keaton said:


> We need to do a round for *eyes* :D



I disagree... cause I think JSPete already has that one in the bag. 

:D


----------



## Keaton

It'd still be a cool round you sour puss


----------



## undead

I AM a sour puss!!! 

But naw... I'm all for it, really.


----------



## nekointheclouds

addictivepersona said:


> I think this was mentioned awhile back, but figured I'd bring it to the table again:  Has there been any consideration of making the photography contest time-frame two weeks for the entry period?  You could still do one new contest each week, but it would run for two weeks.  Like:
> 
> Feb. 12th - 18th = Round A begins
> Feb. 19th - 25th = Round B begins with A still going
> Feb. 26th = Polling for A beings and Round C begins.
> 
> Just an idea.  :)  It could be a floating change too and go back to being one-week entry periods during the (northern hemisphere's) summer when the entries seem to pick up a bit.



Quick update everyone, The mods here in SO have decided to adopt addi_p's idea and change the photo contest up for a bit, in an effort to attract more entries. ATM our submission threads will be open for 2 weeks, allowing more time for entries. We will still open a new round each week, allow it to stay open for 2 weeks, and then close the thread and open the voting thread. So there will be _two_ submission threads open at any given time, and we will be closing all submission threads after the submission deadline come up. 

So round 270:trees will be open for another week. The voting for round 269:Salience just went up! Thanks for everyone's participation!


----------



## katmeow

Perhaps with two submission threads running concurrently, mods could put something like 'currently open' in the title of the open threads and then edit to say 'entries closed' once the submission period is finished?


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Or just have the open one read "open" and the closed read nothing at all?

Or maybe put dates in the opening thread.  Instead of saying:

"6. Deadline for entries is 12am Eastern (5am GMT) on the posted deadline date.
7. Voting ends at 12am Eastern (5am GMT) on the posted end date."

Maybe put in actual dates?  I don't think I've ever _seen _a posted end date--Just have known that when it's posted Sunday it ends Saturday or that if it's a poll, it's posted Sunday and ends ...Tuesday(?).

/brainstorming ;)


----------



## chrissie

^^^
i like these ideas

i also wish that this thread could be posted in when a new contest is started... mostly because i usually only check subscribed threads and i forget to check this forum regularly.  but that's my own damn lazy problem :D


----------



## hydroazuanacaine

how do the subject suggestions work? anyone can make them, and then they happen if and when a SO mod chooses them? 

"dresses"


----------



## modern buddha

Yeah, we don't have a timeline of when everyone posted their ideas so what we've been doing is exactly what you say: they're chosen at random.


----------



## addictivepersona

Rather than clutter an individual thread, I'll put this here:



ocean said:


> Looks like you may be winner by default when the time comes, if no one else posts.
> *Whats up folks? Why aren't people participating?*
> 
> I hope the next three items on the list bring out some good pics.


There is confusion on my end as far as _which _is the latest contest.  This is from last week, yet I don't see one for this week.  Are they still posted on Sundays?  The last few Sundays/Mondays I have checked for a new contest, I haven't seen one...

ETA:  Perhaps weekly a link to the new contest and to the previous contests' results could be posted in this thread?  This way those who have subscribed to this thread (and therefore have an interest in the contests) could be alerted to a new contest?  Granted that is another step to remember when creating the weekly threads, but it's just an idea.


----------



## Max Power

addictivepersona said:


> The last few Sundays/Mondays I have checked for a new contest, I haven't seen one..



I just noticed this so I felt like I had to respond. I can only speak for myself, but it's tough to keep up with the contests at times due to lack of entries/activity. Perhaps the mods share some blame in what topics we select, then again we are picking from user-generated lists.  There's also been a lot going on IRL for me lately. I believe the other 2 mods are in a bit of a transitional phase themselves. 

However, this is no excuse and we _are_ looking for moderator positions to help out (hint hint everyone). We've also been looking for ways to increase contest traffic -- as always any and all suggestions are welcome. As for this week's thread, it's halfway through the week so perhaps it's best to wait until the weekend for a new one. I promise one will be up by Sunday night.



> There is confusion on my end as far as which is the latest contest



The contests are numbered, so whichever is the highest you see is the latest. You can also perform an SO-only forum search for the keyword 'contest' to bring up the photo threads exclusively. But yes, we need to do a better job of locking old threads lest they be bumped by people asking 'LOL am i 2 late guise.jpg'.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Thanks for the reply, Max.  :)  Nice to know that my inquiry didn't fall upon deaf ears blind eyes.  ;)


----------



## modern buddha

Max Power said:


> I just noticed this so I felt like I had to respond. I can only speak for myself, but it's tough to keep up with the contests at times due to lack of entries/activity. Perhaps the mods share some blame in what topics we select, then again we are picking from user-generated lists.  There's also been a lot going on IRL for me lately. I believe the other 2 mods are in a bit of a transitional phase themselves.
> 
> However, this is no excuse and we _are_ looking for moderator positions to help out (hint hint everyone). We've also been looking for ways to increase contest traffic -- as always any and all suggestions are welcome. As for this week's thread, it's halfway through the week so perhaps it's best to wait until the weekend for a new one. I promise one will be up by Sunday night.
> 
> 
> 
> The contests are numbered, so whichever is the highest you see is the latest. You can also perform an SO-only forum search for the keyword 'contest' to bring up the photo threads exclusively. But yes, we need to do a better job of locking old threads lest they be bumped by people asking 'LOL am i 2 late guise.jpg'.



I can speak for myself and agree with you that all three of us are in a transitional stage in life. I just now realized we've missed two contests in a row. I suppose it says a lot for my attentiveness, but hey, when you're busy, some things end up at the wayside.


----------



## ocean

To add to my list of suggestions above- what about _words_?


----------



## StarOceanHouse

oh that's a good one!


----------



## ocean

^Yay! 


ocean said:


> We've done zodiac signs before, but I'd like to see that one as well as BL handle come back for a 2nd time around!!
> We've also done rainbows which deserves another go as well imo :D
> 
> Let's see, what else.....
> Fave color
> Sand
> Trees
> Broken
> Forgotten
> Despair
> Ancient
> Law
> Seasons- broken into the four?
> 
> Wait, I see BL handle was added- Here is a repost of the above though some of them have been done, or are set to be done soon.



What about..... doors? :D I have a fb album for Doors and Windows but when I just posted a bunch there I thought...hey!! We need Doors! IT would be almost impossible for me to choose one for the contest but I'd LOVE to see door photos.


----------



## nekointheclouds

I also for sure admit my part in fault for slacking the photo contest in the past month leading up to the new mods especially. I think a couple of fresh perspectives on the photo contest will whip it back into shape.

I think what ill miss most of all about modding SO is picking the themes each round. Le sigh. More of a reason to contribute here i suppose!

I'd like to see Door Ways. They can be magical things.


----------



## addictivepersona

*"No Best Entry"?*

Was thinking that maybe there should be a "No Best Entry" option in the weekly photography contests?--Sometimes none of the photos capture what the voter may feel the theme represents, and rather than not vote, I feel they should have a say.

Yes?  No?  Maybe?  ;)  I honestly don't care either way--Just figured I'd pass the idea along.  *Shrug*


----------



## hydroazuanacaine

harsh.


----------



## Max Power

Eh, the photo contests are for fun. A 'null vote' is just making a statement while contributing nothing to the contest. While I see your point, there in no way to properly adjust for it. 

or maybe there is. But I don't believe adding that option to the polls is necessarily it.


----------



## StarOceanHouse

how about _HOUSE_ ?
I'm gonna add House anyways. So if you have a problem, deal with it.


----------



## addictivepersona

Max Power said:


> Eh, the photo contests are for fun. A 'null vote' is just making a statement while contributing nothing to the contest. While I see your point, there in no way to properly adjust for it.
> 
> or maybe there is. But I don't believe adding that option to the polls is necessarily it.


Thanks for getting back to me about it--Perhaps it is a bit harsh, but some weeks I just don't feel there _is_ a best entry, and I'm sure I'm not alone here...


----------



## bronson

POLL: Subjects you would most like to partake in!


----------



## Bearlove

All of the above


----------



## hydroazuanacaine

dresses


----------



## His Name Is Frank

Hunger


----------



## ad lib

Fear


----------



## gr33n3y3z

*Eyes *

I really believe we can get some great pictures of eyes, they are like windows to are souls.


----------



## gr33n3y3z

Makeup
Innocence 
Pride
Pin Up
Sports 
Emotions 

Just to throw some new ideas out there.


----------



## kytnism

^ added to the list.

sadly, innocence, sports and emotions have all been covered in the recent past so have left them out for now.

thankyou gr33n3y3z 

...kytnism...


----------



## bronson

*We are always looking for new topic suggestions!  Post them HERE.*

_Updated Aug 22, 2015_

*Subjects not yet covered:*
*7 Heavenly Virtues* - Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith - fizzle
*70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
*Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
*Ancient*- ocean
*Balance*- cletus
*Beauty and the Beast* - Bearlove
*Bicycles* - skyHiGuy (for Bicycle Day)
*Bokeh* - Miss_vanilla
*Branding* - Bearlove (not as in body modification)
*Carousels* - fizzle
*Castles* - felix
*Communications* - dtta
*Computer* - L2R
*Contentment* - ocean
*Cycles* - dtta (as in recurring)
*Double Take* - Keaton (Things that made you do a double take)
*Earth Connection* - mr p
*Expression* - Chatative
*Fantasy* - pennywise
*Fauna* - Bearlove
*Flash Photography* - cletus
*Flicker* - Just A Guy 
*Forgotten* - ocean
*Funfairs* - Bearlove
*Fungi* - Bearlove
*Futility* - Samadhi
*Guitars* - plmar
*History* - L2R
*Hunger* - His Name Is Frank
*Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
*Inspired by a Painting or Painter* - cletus
*Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS & ocean
*Letters C to Z* - L2R (22 more rounds here!!)
*Lifecycle* - ocean
*Lifestyles* - panic in paradise
*Longing* - ocean
*Makeup* - gr33n3y3z
*Mundane* - Bearlove
*Neophyte* - dtta
*Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
*Nurture* - n3ophy7e
*Outrageous* - Jamshyd
*Pin Up* - gr33n3y3z
*Pressure* - spork
*Real Magic* - panic in paradise
*Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
*Revival* - Jamshyd
*Road Kill* - dtta
*Seasons* - ocean (broken into the four?)
*Symbols* - ocean
*The Elements* - Keaton
*Unrequited Love* - skillz~4~thrillz
*Wisdom* - n3ophy7e
*Yearning* - Jamshyd

*Already covered, but to be considered again:*
*Abstract* - fizzle {last 11-04-2010}
*Absurdity* - dtta {last 21-03-2009}
*Bluelight username* - ocean {last 29-01-2012}
*Body Parts* - Keaton (A possible *NSFW* round) {last 01-03-2009}
*Broken* - ocean {last 06-04-2008}
*Doubles* - Thizzerfershizzer {last 15-01-2012}
*Favorite Color* - ocean {last 12-04-2009}
*Fire* - Keaton {last 06-05-2012}
*Flora* - Bearlove {last 22-01-2012}
*Gravity* - IAMTHOUGHTS {last 16-10-2011}
*Green* - Bearlove (colour/color) {last 04-12-2011}
*House* - StarOceanHouse {last 05-12-2010}
*Macro* - 8ft-Sativa {last 09-09-2006}
*Marketplace* - Thizzerfershizzer {last 02-01-2012}
*Metal* - cletus {last 06-09-2009}
*Movie Titles* - Keaton {last 25-02-2012}
*out-of-focus* - Miss_vanilla {last 14-12-2008}
*Paparazzi* - ryanlaughlin {last 19-09-2010}
*Pets* - Chatative {last 26-10-2015}
*Popular Culture* - pennywise {last 15-04-2012}
*Pray* - L2R {last 25-09-2011}
*Rainbows* - ocean {last 17-04-2011}
*Salience* - Jamshyd {last 04-03-2012}
*Sculptures* - Keaton {last 22-02-2009}
*Shells* - ocean {last 20-03-2012}
*Signs* - old theme brought back (street signs/billboards/sign posts etc.) {last 01-04-2012}
*Silence*- ocean {last 18-07-2010}
*Skin* - NinjaDan {last 18-12-2011}
*Wastefulness* - Felix {last 02-10-2011}
*Zodiac Signs* - ocean {2nd time}

*We are always looking for new topic suggestions!  Post them HERE.*


----------



## gr33n3y3z

kytnism said:


> ^ added to the list.
> 
> sadly, innocence, sports and emotions have all been covered in the recent past so have left them out for now.
> 
> thankyou gr33n3y3z
> 
> ...kytnism...



Oh thank you I just saw this!


----------



## plmar

Guitars


----------



## kytnism

*2014  Photography Contest Winners.* 

*Peace:* Survival0200
*Kitchen:* Survival 0200
*Dresses:* No entries
*Weather:* Bronson and gr33n3y3z
*Playground:* No entries
*Twisted Metal:* Hisnameisfrank
*Ambiguity:* plmar
*No Theme:* Thujone and jordanalice
*Despair: *Bronson
*Intellect: *Bronson
*Easter: *modelskinny
*Pride: *Bronson
*Lust: *modelskinny
*Sterile: *Captain.Heroin
*House: *Chatative
*Grit: *Chatative


----------



## Chatative

Expression


----------



## kytnism

added :D

...kytnism...


----------



## gr33n3y3z

-Nails (finger nails, polished/ nail art).

-Hair

-Gardens 

-Swimwear 

-incognito 

-Selfish

-dying


----------



## Chatative

Ponds

Autumn


----------



## kingme

Autumn (+1)

Trees

Forrests/ Folliage


----------



## Smoky

Yes, let's have another photo thread perhaps? Would be fun. Various styles:
Abstract, realism, figurative… non specific, nature or whatever.
Photos based on feelings, moods? How does one feel, post a pic etc… Along those lines. 

Trying to get my dropbox working… 8(

edit:
macro pics,  graphics genres include to!


----------



## RooBear

Just kind of skimmed thru this thread and I think I get the idea.. Here u post ideas of possible photography 'challenge' topic then somewhere else is where u post the actual pic when the contest starts?? 

If I am understanding that right, I would def love to get in on this! I was a photographer for 4 yrs till I quit recently. It wasn't fun anymore, but this is the exact thing I would love to participate in!
*i saw in the beginning of thread about prettying raw images and I LOVE that idea! I personally don't use photoshop. I am self taught on my camera, not some software that ppl rely on too much. Doesn't give u the true sense of a photo, IMHO. 

My 2 cents I would like to share as a topic..

Lights 
Any kind. But I think it would be fun since it's that time of year! Between holiday lights and near things u can see with fall/winter weather, would love to see what ppl come up with


----------



## felix

Bloody hell. 7 years since I started this thread. 

And yes, you're doing it right - suggestions go here, the mods add them to the master list, and a new thread is started with each one. 

Welcome to the contests, and thanks for reminding me to buck up my ideas and contribute to them again.


----------



## StarOceanHouse

wild wild west


----------



## flyhighk

Check out the new round : http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/757100-Bluelight-Weekly-Photography-Contest-Round-363-Movement


----------



## Just A Guy

How about the theme be "Flicker." How to capture something animate in an inanimate moment?


----------



## Chatative

Cats! We all love cats so why not... :D

Or perhaps it could be a bit broader & simply be _"pets"._


----------



## hydroazuanacaine

thanks, Chatative and Just A Guy. both have been added to the list.

edit:
looks like there are others to be added as well. will get to it. along with reorganizing this thread a bit.





bronson said:


> *We are always looking for new topic suggestions!  Post them HERE.*
> 
> _Updated Aug 22, 2015_
> 
> *Subjects not yet covered:*
> *7 Heavenly Virtues* - Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Charity, Hope, and Faith - fizzle
> *70's, 80's, 90's* - NinjaDan
> *Anachronism* - n3ophy7e
> *Ancient*- ocean
> *Balance*- cletus
> *Beauty and the Beast* - Bearlove
> *Bicycles* - skyHiGuy (for Bicycle Day)
> *Bokeh* - Miss_vanilla
> *Branding* - Bearlove (not as in body modification)
> *Carousels* - fizzle
> *Castles* - felix
> *Communications* - dtta
> *Computer* - L2R
> *Contentment* - ocean
> *Cycles* - dtta (as in recurring)
> *Double Take* - Keaton (Things that made you do a double take)
> *Earth Connection* - mr p
> *Expression* - Chatative
> *Fantasy* - pennywise
> *Fauna* - Bearlove
> *Flash Photography* - cletus
> *Flicker* - Just A Guy
> *Forgotten* - ocean
> *Funfairs* - Bearlove
> *Fungi* - Bearlove
> *Futility* - Samadhi
> *Guitars* - plmar
> *History* - L2R
> *Hunger* - His Name Is Frank
> *Imagination* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Indecisiveness* - panic in paradise
> *Inspired by a Painting or Painter* - cletus
> *Law* - IAMTHOUGHTS & ocean
> *Letters C to Z* - L2R (22 more rounds here!!)
> *Lifecycle* - ocean
> *Lifestyles* - panic in paradise
> *Longing* - ocean
> *Makeup* - gr33n3y3z
> *Mundane* - Bearlove
> *Neophyte* - dtta
> *Nouns* - IAMTHOUGHTS
> *Nurture* - n3ophy7e
> *Outrageous* - Jamshyd
> *Pin Up* - gr33n3y3z
> *Pressure* - spork
> *Real Magic* - panic in paradise
> *Relaxation* - n3ophy7e
> *Revival* - Jamshyd
> *Road Kill* - dtta
> *Seasons* - ocean (broken into the four?)
> *Symbols* - ocean
> *The Elements* - Keaton
> *Transit *- thujone
> *Unrequited Love* - skillz~4~thrillz
> *Wisdom* - n3ophy7e
> *Yearning* - Jamshyd
> 
> *Already covered, but to be considered again:*
> *Abstract* - fizzle {last 11-04-2010}
> *Absurdity* - dtta {last 21-03-2009}
> *Bluelight username* - ocean {last 29-01-2012}
> *Body Parts* - Keaton (A possible *NSFW* round) {last 01-03-2009}
> *Broken* - ocean {last 06-04-2008}
> *Doubles* - Thizzerfershizzer {last 15-01-2012}
> *Favorite Color* - ocean {last 12-04-2009}
> *Fire* - Keaton {last 06-05-2012}
> *Flora* - Bearlove {last 22-01-2012}
> *Gravity* - IAMTHOUGHTS {last 16-10-2011}
> *Green* - Bearlove (colour/color) {last 04-12-2011}
> *House* - StarOceanHouse {last 05-12-2010}
> *Macro* - 8ft-Sativa {last 09-09-2006}
> *Marketplace* - Thizzerfershizzer {last 02-01-2012}
> *Metal* - cletus {last 06-09-2009}
> *Movie Titles* - Keaton {last 25-02-2012}
> *out-of-focus* - Miss_vanilla {last 14-12-2008}
> *Paparazzi* - ryanlaughlin {last 19-09-2010}
> *Pets* - Chatative {last 26-10-2015}
> *Popular Culture* - pennywise {last 15-04-2012}
> *Pray* - L2R {last 25-09-2011}
> *Rainbows* - ocean {last 17-04-2011}
> *Salience* - Jamshyd {last 04-03-2012}
> *Sculptures* - Keaton {last 22-02-2009}
> *Shells* - ocean {last 20-03-2012}
> *Signs* - old theme brought back (street signs/billboards/sign posts etc.) {last 01-04-2012}
> *Silence*- ocean {last 18-07-2010}
> *Skin* - NinjaDan {last 18-12-2011}
> *Wastefulness* - Felix {last 02-10-2011}
> *Zodiac Signs* - ocean {2nd time}
> 
> *We are always looking for new topic suggestions!  Post them HERE.*


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## SKL

Round 373, Subterranean/Subaquatic closed, open for voting here.


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## SKL

Bump for last minute submissions for our latest contest. #375: Communications, closing tomorrow at midnight.


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## Just A Guy

Dang; can't find the photo of me and my ex-wife kissing in a old-school phone booth -- would have been a neat one for the subject.


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## SKL

SKL said:


> Bump for last minute submissions for our latest contest. #375: Communications, closing tomorrow at midnight.



Voting open


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## nekointheclouds

damnit I didnt even know the new round had started!

When are new rounds going up after voting is done on the previous round? I keep finding the new rounds right as they get over.


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## SKL

Will have to do a better job announcing. Generally dates for the next contest and dated for voting are listed on the submissions and voting page. Will make a point to be sure to announce it here, also, and open to further suggestions to publicize. Best thing to do is probably stay subscribed to this thread, or we could make a special one just for announcements. Thoughts welcomed.


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## nekointheclouds

Yeah I am subscribed to this thread for sure, which upon looking up in the thread explain why I keep only catching the voting, haha.

Thanks SKL!


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## mal3volent

Rebirth


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## sigmond

alienation


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## SKL

Voting is open for Round 377, _*Mundane*_.

Also, please take the opportunity to subscribe to the *Photography Contest Announcement Thread*, where we will post information about new contests, voting times, winners, etc.


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## thujone

has *transit* been a theme yet?


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## sigmond

I didn't see *Birds* on the list.



BUMP


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## Jabberwocky

Pictures of *drugs* and/or *drug use* would be fun, as this is BL after all.


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## herbavore

sigmond said:


> I didn't see *Birds* on the list.
> 
> 
> 
> BUMP



Yes to birds!


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## Jabberwocky

Actually, birds would be pretty cool. 

Birds using drugs anyone? I believe there is an issue of birds getting drunk on fermented fruit in NZ or somewhere up north, so they're out there, somewhere


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## The Hypnotist

Sunrises/Sunsets and clouds.


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## Jabberwocky

Oooh! That is a good idea


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