The Photo with the most appeal

[psyberyeti]

Congratulations NL. I liked this photo when I saw it on your photostream. It is a most worthy winner. Keep up the good work, psyber

[Happy Guy]

Well after much head scratching, the August Photo has been chosen, and the OP has been sent a PM, so just waiting to hear their response.

[sparky]

I couldn't believe that one of mines was picked this month, totally shocked! I have been asked to re post the photo picked for August! I would just like to say thank you to everyone on the photo forum, it’s great to get help and advice. I would also encourage others to post some of their images as I know many people who have taken great images but just seem a little shy in posting them (as I was at first), but please go for it as many people get pleasure at looking at local images.

Wick River

[Mystical Potato Head]

Congrats Sparky,whilst i'm sure you'll enjoy your canvas hanging on your wall,i find the choice rather mystifying.
Take a look at some of the sunsets posted by Dragonfly and Deemac this month,beautiful light and perfect exposure throughout.This photo is underexposed badly in the foreground,a fact which Dragonfly alluded to.If you can honstly say that this photo is more appealing than theirs then i'm stuck for words....Just though of one...Specsavers!!

[Tugmistress]

Well done Sparky
Personally i think it is a perfect silhouette and a very calming picture of Wick river, it is HG's choice that matters and i think it is a personal way of how we all view the photo's and the county. there are lots of nice images on here and some not so nice ones and only a few tend to stand out, we all have our personal tastes and this is obviously how HG views this........... remember it's not a competition

[dragonfly]

I think the confusion comes from the title of the thread "the photo with the most appeal" - whose appeal though, is it the photograph with the most views/comments from members of the Org or the one that appeals the most to Happy Guy?

I have been fortunate to recieve one of HG's canvasses and it is a very generous prize and it must cost him financially as he has someone else framing the canvasses and surely has to pay them for their work, but that being said I too find some of the choices mystifying, my own photo that was chosen being one of them (brown dog against black background = dog lost if light not hitting it the right way)

it might be better if HG was to say what it is about the photo chosen that made it stand out for him and why he chose that...?

forgot to say congrats to Sparky, hope you have a "pride of place" to hang it

[Tugmistress]

I think the confusion comes from the title of the thread "the photo with the most appeal" - whose appeal though, is it the photograph with the most views/comments from members of the Org or the one that appeals the most to Happy Guy?

I have been fortunate to recieve one of HG's canvasses and it is a very generous prize and it must cost him financially as he has someone else framing the canvasses and surely has to pay them for their work, but that being said I too find some of the choices mystifying, my own photo that was chosen being one of them (brown dog against black background = dog lost if light not hitting it the right way)

it might be better if HG was to say what it is about the photo chosen that made it stand out for him and why he chose that...?

forgot to say congrats to Sparky, hope you have a "pride of place" to hang it

to quote HG earlier in this thread ......

Scunner
It was my idea scunner, after consultation with the mods. Its not THE picture of the month, just the one that appealed personally most to me.

MPH
I am sorry you dont approve of the choices, its just the photo that appeals to us - a simple personal choice. I have no intention of trying to explain to you how the choice is made. Last months choice included a Lovely shot of a Nimrod over Wick, hardly an animal!. Maybe our choices are hard to understand sometime and maybe odd, but then maybe im just hard to understand, and a little odd. However I don't wish to cause controversy here.

Sorry, but i don't see a problem with the choices that are made each month, and i certainly don't see why he needs to explain himself either.

[Happy Guy]

Congrats Sparky,whilst I'm sure you'll enjoy your canvas hanging on your wall,i find the choice rather mystifying.
Take a look at some of the sunsets posted by Dragonfly and Deemac this month,beautiful light and perfect exposure throughout.This photo is underexposed badly in the foreground,a fact which Dragonfly alluded to.If you can honestly say that this photo is more appealing than theirs then I'm stuck for words....Just though of one...Specsavers!!

Well done Sparky
Personally i think it is a perfect silhouette and a very calming picture of Wick river, it is HG's choice that matters and i think it is a personal way of how we all view the photo's and the county. there are lots of nice images on here and some not so nice ones and only a few tend to stand out, we all have our personal tastes and this is obviously how HG views this........... remember it's not a competition

I think the confusion comes from the title of the thread "the photo with the most appeal" - whose appeal though, is it the photograph with the most views/comments from members of the Org or the one that appeals the most to Happy Guy?

I have been fortunate to receive one of HG's canvasses and it is a very generous prize and it must cost him financially as he has someone else framing the canvasses and surely has to pay them for their work, but that being said I too find some of the choices mystifying, my own photo that was chosen being one of them (brown dog against black background = dog lost)

it might be better if HG was to say what it is about the photo chosen that made it stand out for him and why he chose that...?

forgot to say congrats to Sparky, hope you have a "pride of place" to hang it

Thank you all for your comments
Firstly, yes it IS the photo that most appealed to me, my personal choice.
Secondly, It is NOT a competition to find the photo with the most comments
Thirdly, It is NOT a competition to select the most technically excellent photograph (who am I to judge that anyway?)
And lastly - If I am to receive criticism for each choice, (for example when I chose dragonfly's dog - I was criticized for choosing animals too often) and be required to justify each choice with a full explanation, then I will have to rethink the whole idea. Perhaps Sparky, yours will be the last.
Again thanks for your comments, and thanks Tugs for your support

[The Oracle]

Congrats Sparky,whilst i'm sure you'll enjoy your canvas hanging on your wall,i find the choice rather mystifying.
Take a look at some of the sunsets posted by Dragonfly and Deemac this month,beautiful light and perfect exposure throughout.This photo is underexposed badly in the foreground,a fact which Dragonfly alluded to.If you can honstly say that this photo is more appealing than theirs then i'm stuck for words....Just though of one...Specsavers!!

Blimey MPH surely you more than anyone can appreciate that it’s up to the photographer to present his images how he sees fit.

Artistically why should the foreground not be underexposed to create a silhouette effect?

Only a few of the images presented on here are a true reflection of what the eye sees anyway.

Quite rightly Happy Guy who generously donates the prize should choose what he sees fit. If you don't like the choices made simply don't comment.

BTW I'm not having a go at your style of images. I have supported you in the past when your HDR images were criticised by others.

[kara]

Well done Sparky

[thejudd]

Well done Sparky I thought it was a beautiful shot. Totally agree with your coment the oracle. The beauty in any shot is wot the viewer sees and not how technicly perfect it is. I often deliberately under expose the foreground to get the effect I want. Dosen't mean it's a bad photo. There is way to much negativity on here lately and people picking holes in other people's work for no reason, I for one think twice about about posting any of my pics.
A great big thank you must go out to HappyGuy for doing such a nice thing.

[Mystical Potato Head]

Well done Sparky I thought it was a beautiful shot. Totally agree with your coment the oracle. The beauty in any shot is wot the viewer sees and not how technicly perfect it is. I often deliberately under expose the foreground to get the effect I want. Dosen't mean it's a bad photo. There is way to much negativity on here lately and people picking holes in other people's work for no reason, I for one think twice about about posting any of my pics.
A great big thank you must go out to HappyGuy for doing such a nice thing.

Well i've had negativity thrown my way on here constantly because my photos are too vivid,not real looking,HDR although i hardly ever do any hdr's.I've been critisised for taking long exposures and the effects that gives.
I hardly ever criticise anyones photos,check previous posts to see for yourself.

As for underexposing,thats all i ever do but there is a big difference between underexposing and totally black,especially when it covers a large area of the photograph,a sihouette is one thing but having almost the bottom third of a shot in darkness is maybe a bit too much.

I stand by what i said regarding the choice of shot but i will apologise to Happy Guy for the specsavers remark,it was totally uncalled for and very childish,for that i am very sorry.

[The Oracle]

I stand by what i said regarding the choice of shot ...

Fair enough each to his/her own.

Personally I just thought your comment was more brutal than constructive...but perhaps I'm just too sensitive

There are photographers of all abilities posting on this forum and I'm sure that everyone who posts an image is proud of that image.

We should all respect that.

[Mystical Potato Head]

Fair enough each to his/her own.

Personally I just thought your comment was more brutal than constructive...but perhaps I'm just too sensitive

There are photographers of all abilities posting on this forum and I'm sure that everyone who posts an image is proud of that image.

We should all respect that.

I've apologised,what more do you want?

I'm aware there are photographers of all abilities on the forum and again i ask,how many times have i criticised someones photo,very rarely.In the past i have given good constructive advice and had it thrown back at me,i've also taken the time to explain how i've done certain things on several occassions when asked.How many newbies have i ever had a go at?And as for respecting ppls images,tell that to ppl who continually have a go at me because they dont like the style of what i do.

[The Oracle]

I've apologised,what more do you want?

I'm aware there are photographers of all abilities on the forum and again i ask,how many times have i criticised someones photo,very rarely.In the past i have given good constructive advice and had it thrown back at me,i've also taken the time to explain how i've done certain things on several occassions when asked.How many newbies have i ever had a go at?And as for respecting ppls images,tell that to ppl who continually have a go at me because they dont like the style of what i do.

I don't want anything MPH !

My posts on this thread are simply in response to your original post.

I thought, in my opinion as I cannot give anything but that, that you were a bit brutal.

I have made no reference to any of your other posts nor have I suggested that you have criticised anyone else.

I am disappointed to hear that your past attempts to help people have been thrown back at you, but that has never been done by me.

I also am aware of how you have explained things in the past and I applaud you for that.

Whilst I cannot be responsible for how some others may have a go at your style, I did post that we should ALL respect other people images.

Tactful constructive criticism tho' I would assume is always welcome.

You may remember in an earlier post when you suggested that you were not going to make comments again that I encouraged you to continue to make your views known.

[sparky]

Hi all, I have been watching all of the comments coming in over the “photo with the most appeal” , whilst I am new to posting photos on the org I feel that a lot of the comments being made and the response’s to them are a little over the top. When I originally posted the first few photos on here it was merely to share them with others, now I realise that it can be a great tool to gain experience and improve the hobby. When MPH mentioned to me about exposure etc in the foreground I was quite happy to go off and have a go at playing around in photoshop, but to be honest I was happy with them the way they were (personal preference), but it was good to get the advice and have a go.
The only thing I find slightly off-putting is when you get comments/criticism that you definitely did now want. Could I possibly suggest something that might help everyone involved?.
When posting photos perhaps we could add a few initials at the top or bottom of the post i.e. CW Comments welcome or HR Help required, that way when the regular posters with more experience can jump right in to assist and not upset or put off newcomers.
Please don’t take this the wrong way I am merely trying to ease a lot of posters who all have different opinions of what is or is not right.
I remember a lot of years ago I took my kids to a museum in Glasgow to an art gallery as they had a few Van Gogh paintings on display and I had never see any famous paintings and was sure it would be a long time before the kids were ever likely to see them again, so off we went. After staring at the paintings for quite a long time I had the same impression as the kids, they were rubbish, and there were far greater paintings in the other rooms. This was a strange lesson as they could not understand what the fuss was all about.
It seems our opinion of art was totally at odds with the rest of the world as these paintings were worth millions. It now seems that this is a continuing theme, when I see a photo or sculpture or painting, my opinion is different to everyone else’s. Thank goodness I would hate to be in a world where we were all the same.
For the Happy Man please keep up the good work, I’m sure it is encouraging others.
Cheers

[Happy Guy]

Well the final photo in this series had been printed and is awaiting collection by Sparky.

From the first one - Kara's stunning study of a Majestic Stag, to the very last, Sparkey's expressive view of Wick River, and all the ones between, some cute, some breathtaking, some quirky and some that come in between, thank you all who posted!

It was initially just meant to be a pleasant celebration of some of the images of life in our wonderful County of Caithness.

Unfortunately the spate of adverse comments, and demands for explanations (vide 'justification') for the choice has removed any sense of pleasure, both here on the Photography Forum, and I suspect, from anyone who's photo was and would have been selected.
Such is life, nothing is for ever.
Thanks anyway
Happy Guy

[unicorn]

Very sad that someone's lovely gesture and kindness has been spoiled because people have to nit pick.
Thanks very much for the months that I have enjoyed seeing the pic of the month happy guy.

[Thumper]

What a shame it has come to an end,there were a lot of people who enjoyed being the photo with the most appeal and I am sure it encouraged people to have a go at taking photos,well done happy Guy for giving so many a boost in confidence x

[dafi]

Its a sad state of affairs that Happy guys generosity has to come to an end, and come to an end for such lame reasons. Its about par for the course in a forum format that small pleeps and moans are taken to heart and blown out of proportion by personal interpretation. If any of the remarks that were made latterly in this thread were brought up in a conversation down the pub then they would have blown over or been chatted out for the minor observations that they were. Indeed it seems to only be within this thread its self that there is any controversy, I have just looked back through the last two pages of posts on the photography thread and the levels of any artistic criticism seem almost nonexistent let alone any negative criticism or bitching come to that.!!

I am sorry to see the photo with the most appeal go down the drain. Its a crying shame!!. I thought it was a really good idea for encouraging folks to get out there to take and post photos and experience the enjoyment sense of achievement you can glean from such a creative hobby. Its rare to find someone who is willing to put their money where their mouth is in encouraging folks to get out and just have a bash. Well done to Happy guy for making the effort….Sorry to see you are pulling the plug and sorry to see it go!!