Photo Competitions

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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby Hallu » Fri 26 Jul, 2013 4:26 pm

Hmmm maybe we could start by creating the "bushwalk" group on panoramio indeed.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby biggbird » Sat 27 Jul, 2013 6:49 pm

No idea how much they cost, but would something like this be a good option SBS + Clusterpod? It's another thing to have in the pack, but don't think they weigh much, and runs on separate batteries!

Also, several hundred photos in a trip is very normal SBS, it's abnormal if you don't ;)
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby north-north-west » Sun 10 Nov, 2013 8:46 am

stepbystep wrote:
Hallu wrote:It doesn't mean you guys can't take a photo and then note the GPS coordinates from your iphone/hand GPS, or simply enter a rough location in the software manually.

Yeah rough location would have to do. I've been known to take several hundred pics on a trip :oops:

10 weeks on the road. Total still shots taken: 11,100. If I'd tried to note the location of every shot (or every bunch) I'd still be out there. And I wouldn't use GPS tagging even if the camera had it (and I don't think it does).

Frenchy's suggestion makes more sense, although it would take some time.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wayno » Sun 10 Nov, 2013 8:58 am

why is this only limited to shots of aus? people here walk all over the world and must have some amazing shots to contribute...
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby GPSGuided » Sun 10 Nov, 2013 11:26 am

A new category required. But suspect the volume may not be enough for a monthly comp.
Just move it!
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wayno » Sun 10 Nov, 2013 12:41 pm

make it quarterly then or whatever frequency will generate enough volume..
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby beardless » Sun 01 Dec, 2013 8:44 am

I think Hallu's idea for a feature where photographs could be loaded onto a maps ( as modified by SBS in that the rough location would be sufficient) is a great one. Ideal if it could allow specification of which direction the view is looking if possible.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Sun 01 Dec, 2013 8:04 pm

International is an interesting idea. Are you thinking you want to include NZ images mostly or are you thinking other areas as well??
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby doogs » Mon 02 Dec, 2013 8:17 am

I thought NZ was included as part of the Australia section? Why not just turn it into an 'open' section for the rest of the world too?
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Mon 02 Dec, 2013 4:16 pm

doogs wrote:I thought NZ was included as part of the Australia section? Why not just turn it into an 'open' section for the rest of the world too?


Hey Doogs
Yep it is open to NZ -- can open it to the world. Seems strange to have a Tassy specific comp, then a rest of the world comp.
Guess I am curious what people are thinking the demand and need is. Happy to try something new.

Someone suggested running a photos of the 'day' comp as a separate thing. This is where people would chuck images into an online 'bucket' -- we would then vote on images in the bucket. The image with the most votes would be displayed for the next 24hrs. After that it moves to the 'displayed bucket' and is no longer eligible. This image could form the backdrop of the home page, or something like that (maybe go out on our FB page). I would imagine this would be a bushwalking/nature theme only.

The geo-located images is a great idea to. Am looking into using a mapping system I am already using for wildwalks to manage a large geocoded photogallery. It works well but was never designed with the security that would be needed for this system.
The other idea I would like to look at with this is a snow/water level 'app'. The idea been that we encourage members to take and upload images at key points (creek crossings) etc and upload to the website. So users can see the creek or slow level in the last few days (or what ever). Be cool to then try to correlate images with weather data.

Fun stuff

Matt :)
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby Nuts » Mon 02 Dec, 2013 5:23 pm

One small vote for no geocoding, perhaps a voice in the wilderness.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby doogs » Mon 02 Dec, 2013 9:02 pm

wildwalks wrote:
doogs wrote:I thought NZ was included as part of the Australia section? Why not just turn it into an 'open' section for the rest of the world too?


Hey Doogs
Yep it is open to NZ -- can open it to the world. Seems strange to have a Tassy specific comp, then a rest of the world comp.
Guess I am curious what people are thinking the demand and need is. Happy to try something new.

Matt :)

I may be a little biased but based on the sites origins and the heritage of photography which has played a big part in Tasmanias history, I personally would like to keep a separate Tasmania section, even though last months entry numbers were very poor. It was just an idea to lump the ROW in with Australia as NZ is already in there, if a quarterly ROW photo comp is a viable and preferable option then go for it :D
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Tue 03 Dec, 2013 9:42 am

Thanks Doogs
I want to honour that history with Tassy as well. we will work out something I am sure.

Hey Nuts -- thanks for the no geocoding vote. You worried about specific locations becoming trashed??? Maybe we give the up-loader the ability to 'scramble' the location if it is not a well know spot -- so the image appears randomnly with 1km of the actual spot - and letting the view know the actual spot has been scrambled??

thanks
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby stepbystep » Tue 03 Dec, 2013 10:06 am

wildwalks wrote:Thanks Doogs
I want to honour that history with Tassy as well. we will work out something I am sure.

Hey Nuts -- thanks for the no geocoding vote. You worried about specific locations becoming trashed??? Maybe we give the up-loader the ability to 'scramble' the location if it is not a well know spot -- so the image appears randomnly with 1km of the actual spot - and letting the view know the actual spot has been scrambled??

thanks


It wouldn't be fair on the big island. If you look at the history and quality of images 80% of the best are Tassie's. It is after all the bushwalking Mecca. This past month is an anomaly.

Agree with nuts re geolocating images. An opt out might be an idea.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby cams » Fri 16 May, 2014 10:03 am

Bumping this thread a bit rather than starting a new one. I'm just wondering if rationalising the categories a bit might help. Not sure what the point of the "Other states" one is. All the photos in there seem to be either landscape or non-landscape ;) Might increase the entries in the other categories a bit.

One way I've seen in other places of increasing the votes is that for a person to qualify for winning they must have placed a certain number of votes. Maybe everyone that enters a photo has to vote in all categories. Also, I know I wouldn't mind a notification that a particular month's comp is closing within a few days. I always forget to enter.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby Tortoise » Fri 16 May, 2014 6:44 pm

What about a donated voucher from an outdoor shop for one lucky voter each month?
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Mon 19 May, 2014 6:47 pm

Thanks for bumping this up.
Good ideas.
I did create a "news header" that I ran a few times last year to promote that the comp is open for voting -- it attracted more voters but caused some problems with the server. I will look into the code and see if I can fix it for the next one. I think many people don't know the comp is even there - or forget to vote without the reminder.

The categories do need revisiting - I still want to honor the Tassy history of this forum but the "other states" thing does not work any more.
Suggestions on new categories?? (do we run with states, themes, colour,....)

Matt :)
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby eggs » Mon 19 May, 2014 11:07 pm

Matt
I would be happy to drop Other States, even though its where I live.
I actually think Landscapes and non-landscapes is about right, but happy to retain a Tas only section as well.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby stepbystep » Tue 20 May, 2014 8:30 am

eggs wrote:Matt
I would be happy to drop Other States, even though its where I live.
I actually think Landscapes and non-landscapes is about right, but happy to retain a Tas only section as well.

Agree.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby icefest » Tue 20 May, 2014 9:20 am

stepbystep wrote:
eggs wrote:Matt
I would be happy to drop Other States, even though its where I live.
I actually think Landscapes and non-landscapes is about right, but happy to retain a Tas only section as well.

Agree.

I like those three topics.

I would consider adding a person focused category, something where the person is the focus.
It'd have to be out on a trip and not in a studio, but I think this category has always been somewhat neglected.

For example: http://puu.sh/8TajC.jpg
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby cams » Tue 20 May, 2014 9:23 am

Yep, I'm happy with the Tassy section staying. I think the other categories should simply be theme based rather than location (like what they are currently).

Publishing some of the winners in the magazine is a good idea. Not sure if this is a clash of interests but maybe doing a deal with Wild or another magazine to get at least the photo of the year winners published could be an incentive?

Also, if prizes are hard to come by, then maybe there can be quarterly "premium" comps with a changing theme each time that attracts prizes. Maybe themes that reflect the current season or something. To help for prizes and also attract quality entrants, maybe these comps have a small entry fee? Similar format to the i-shot-it.com competitions. The more entrants there are, the bigger the prize. Not sure who decides the winner here. Maybe they should be judged rather than just voted. Or votes get the top 3 then judges pick a winner...
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Wed 21 May, 2014 8:25 pm

Hi guys

thanks -- Great ideas.
Maybe we do "mainland" rather then "other states" -- this leaves out NZ -- so need to play with this a bit more (I just don't like the word "other")
But the concept of these groups sounds good.
I really like the people in the wild comp idea -- that could be a fun one.

I am not a big fan of prizes for stuff like this - I think we do it because we like to share images and like the buzz of winning. I actually feel a prize kind of cheapens it??
Also if there is a significant prize then there is a greater risk of cheating with the voting and all the crap that goes with people making accusations even of there was no cheating.

But having said that I really like the idea of chating with some of the other outdoor mags to publish some of the winning photos -- this is a great win for everyone. Good publicity for the bushwalk.com & the photographer and the magazine gets good content. I am in fairly regular chats with 2 of the three mags -- I will raise it - I suspect they will like the idea.

Thanks

Matt :)
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Wed 21 May, 2014 8:48 pm

Ohh -- and I got the vote now header up.
Lets see if that works.

Thanks

Matt :)
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Wed 21 May, 2014 9:02 pm

me again -- or the vote now header with photos crashed the site almost straight away (very weird) -- so just got a text version for now.
finger crossed the site stays up now.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby eggs » Thu 29 May, 2014 10:25 am

Congratulations Matt
Having the photo comp in the header has shown a clear improvement in voting numbers.
Now to try and get it up around 100.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby stepbystep » Thu 29 May, 2014 1:06 pm

wildwalks wrote:I am not a big fan of prizes for stuff like this - I think we do it because we like to share images and like the buzz of winning. I actually feel a prize kind of cheapens it??


Incorrect. The prize doesn't have to be significant, and as Cams suggests not for every comp. It's always been a major bone of contention that people who have gone to the trouble of entering don't even get a complimentary calendar at the end of the year. The bear likes the taste of honey and all that...

Of late I've been very tempted not to enter, and am not putting much effort in selection. This site benefits greatly from the images taken by members, the magazine went part way to recognising this, but not good enough imho.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby wildwalks » Fri 30 May, 2014 10:03 am

Thanks Eggs -- yep it is a great start with building people seeing the comp and joining in. Hope to improve on it over time -- but very excited by the result.

Thanks SBS
I can see why people want something -- makes sense. Glad you appreciate the emag recognition -- it is a great way to share this amazing work.

In the past comp calendars have been very expensive. Just to send a cal to each person who entered in the comp in over the past 12 months (at the $50 a cal price) would be $2,500. I am keen to encourage people - but finding sponsors for that would be very difficult.
Last year I tried doing calendars differently. My main attempt failed but we managed to make a cheaper cal - I was happy with the results - although the cal to tend to curl a little at the edges - I think it is a fairly small issue compared the the price gap.
To make the calenders cheaper I need to print in bulk and print them earlier in the year - both I am happy todo.
Do you think people would be happy if the cal's where sponsored?? (an outdoor gear ad) -- if I can find a sponsor then perhaps I could afford to give a cal to each photographer -- and sell them much more cheaply to members.
Keen to see if we can find a way to encourage people -- but I need to be realistic - this site already costs me money. (don't get me wrong I am very happy to support the site - and keen to encourage the photographers).
Thanks
Matt :)
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby north-north-west » Tue 03 Jun, 2014 11:38 am

stepbystep wrote:Of late I've been very tempted not to enter, and am not putting much effort in selection.

Good. Gives the rest of us a bit more of a chance.
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby Nuts » Wed 04 Jun, 2014 2:13 pm

'not good enough' Lol

Nobody wants a calender full of crappy pics but as far as the comp goes, (I) reckon it's great to see all sorts of angles, as seen from all sorts of people and not necessarily with more than a P&S.. not necessarily technical excellence.

How about a photo critique thread, so the pro's can help amateurs produce more acceptable images?
(without needing a specific invite) (ie... a suggestion, no sarcasm intended :) )
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Re: Photo Competitions

Postby cams » Mon 23 Jun, 2014 3:19 pm

wildwalks wrote:Thanks Eggs -- yep it is a great start with building people seeing the comp and joining in. Hope to improve on it over time -- but very excited by the result.

Thanks SBS
I can see why people want something -- makes sense. Glad you appreciate the emag recognition -- it is a great way to share this amazing work.

In the past comp calendars have been very expensive. Just to send a cal to each person who entered in the comp in over the past 12 months (at the $50 a cal price) would be $2,500. I am keen to encourage people - but finding sponsors for that would be very difficult.
Last year I tried doing calendars differently. My main attempt failed but we managed to make a cheaper cal - I was happy with the results - although the cal to tend to curl a little at the edges - I think it is a fairly small issue compared the the price gap.
To make the calenders cheaper I need to print in bulk and print them earlier in the year - both I am happy todo.
Do you think people would be happy if the cal's where sponsored?? (an outdoor gear ad) -- if I can find a sponsor then perhaps I could afford to give a cal to each photographer -- and sell them much more cheaply to members.
Keen to see if we can find a way to encourage people -- but I need to be realistic - this site already costs me money. (don't get me wrong I am very happy to support the site - and keen to encourage the photographers).
Thanks
Matt :)


Did you read my whole previous post about the prizes? Entry fee plus judged winners would be a good way to pay for the prize and ensure a fair system. Doing this for every comp, every month would be a lot of work. So you could make it maybe a single premium comp each month or even only quarterly on top of the usual voted monthly comps.

Judges could be made up of a core 2 or 3 people with maybe a rotating roster to try and make sure that it doesn't come down to a single person's opinion every time. If sponsors were able to be obtained to help the prizes maybe they could provide a guest judge too.
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