Be Excellent To Each Other

I've put the first photog contest results up too. Annoyingly, too-wide images are blowing the layout; I will have to fix that but I may wait until we've themed the site as the max width may change then.

Yeah, that's a good plan. How is the theme being chosen?

Ahem. Someone is going to say "here is a theme good chap" and I am going to install it. That's about as advanced as my planning got! You volunteering?

Hello, what's the URL? I'm not too bad with CSS and stuff if bits need tweaking. As you may have noticed from my own site though, can't do logos to save my life!

This, this, a thousand times this. The sport sub-forum is utterly pointless as even most sports fans ignore it (including me, as I hadn't even noticed the cricket topic until Curiosity pointed it out in another thread).

Just my twopennorth, but I think having both photography threads stickied makes the forum look really ugly and untidy.

Well I wouldn't go that far, but I do think it's a shame that General Discussion starts so far down the page, hence why I didn't want too many stickies. Perhaps removing the sport thread would help a little, but I think the reviews bit needs to stay there so it probably wouldn't really make much difference.

Gah, stupid web pages!

I do think that the Bargains thread should be the top sticky because getting things cheaper than mere mortals is clearly the main aim in life for most of us

I'd hoped it would stay that way, but it seems there is no way to keep the order, it's just whichever is posted in last goes to the top.

Oh, I did not know this

Monkey on.

The site is here -- but don't discuss in this thread, I will post in the Excellent Content thread in a min

I think we need a second grey line, like the one that says "Topics", between the sticky and the normal topics. Dunno if that can be done easily, seems like the sort of thing phpBB might be able to cope with out of the box. Grim...?

Niether did I until it happened, I thought they would stay in the order they were stickied. Oh well, it's all a learning curve.

Thanks a lot, I just went to my iGoogle page, but I was still logged in as beteo.pics from yesterday (disclaimer - none of the current photos are mine, I was just looking), and now I'm blind.

Haha, ooops!

That was me playing about with the themes (I just wanted to see what iGoogle did)

2, 5 and 8 were mine.

Hello there!

Ahh, I remember those. I really liked the notion behind 2.

Thank you. My final year exams are just over so hopefully I'll have more time to take new photos for the challenges now

Thoughts on the use of Photoshop in the competition?

No problem from me. I've always viewed afterimage editing as being as creative as the actual photography.

Are we allowed to use previously taken photos, or must they be brand new?

We did say that we should use new images, though previous images taken that fit the theme can be posted in this thread.

I'm fine with use of photoshop to an extent, though if it radically alters the image then I think it's an entirely different skill to what we're looking at here. It's a small bugbear of mine, but I remember reading a photography magazine which took a dull country scene, and then photoshopped in some sheep from another photo, removed bin bags that were lying around, changed the colour of the sky and fixed damage on buildings to make a better photo... now that is undoubtedly a skill, but to me it isn't photography, just as being an editor is not the same as being an author.

That said, for changes to contrast, exposure etc - knock yourself out.

I think editing as far as things like a little bit of colour balancing, brightening, cropping etc shoud be OK, but maybe don't photoshop pictures of alligators with Charles Darwin's heads into your shots of the Eiffel tower, and things like that Just my own opinion.

Here's an old picture along this theme...

I think the idea is to take new photos, since this is partly to encourage photography. Also, the ability to use older photographs skews the competition's favour towards those with a longer history of camera use, as they have more to choose from. And I like the idea of you all out there, getting creative.

I have no objection to photoshop fun along the colour-balance, brightness, sharpening etc line.

I think the idea is to take new pictures, because it's just nice to set a little time aside for creativity each fortnight, but saying that people have posted past pictures in the thread before and nobody has objected, so if you really can't mange to take a picture before the deadline but have something that is particularly suitable then nobody has bought up an objection before, so you should post it. If people wan to make it a had and fast rule then just say so and if there s common suppor then it can be a rule for the next contest, but as the aim is just to explore photography and take part in some kind of group contest then the more, the merrier.

Good luck Pete of an Anxious Nature.

I'm merely waiting for the theme to be 'videogame characters in disguise using exercise equipment'

I SO nearly chose that theme...

There's one week to go boys and girls

Hop there'll be some more colourful snaps soon, there's a few great ones up now, so get 'em in!

You do know that pic is made of up red, yellow and blue and couldve been used for the current theme dont you?

Talk about a wasted opportunity

Hi girls and guys.

This challenge ends this SUNDAY, so if you have a moment to take part please do as there are some lovely entries already in but a few more would be great.

Malc, get yours in on time this week if you haven't already!

Remember, you can submit up to two pictures, if you wish.

Good luck and, more importantly, happy snapping

Ah, I didn't know this. I might submit two then! Hoorah.

Sunday, surely?

Oh, yes, it was put forward at the last challenge. On the second challenge most submitted one picture but I think there was one user with three, but two seems fair. i meant to update the first post but seemed to forget to do so, but have amended that now.

The only thing I will say is that if you submit two great pictures then voting might split between the two! But, well, submit what you fancy, it's fun to actually take five minutes with your camera, anyway, this just gives you an extra little incentive to do so

And poo, yes, Sunday.

I'll edit that to stop too much confusion. Thanks, Curiosity

I don't have any new pictures, and I don't have access to a camera.

I don't think I even have any old photos that fit the bill.

Malc

I concur, especially as I left my semi-working camera's recharger at a friend's house. More cameraphone shots for me it is!

Whilst in one sense this is true, in theory due to probability, if you submit 2 photos and there are 6 to choose from, then there is a 2 in 6 chance of one of yours being picked (ignoring photo quality) and since people only have 1 vote, then 2 photos will give you an obvious advantage of being declared super happy snapper of the fortnight.

True, true.

I think it would be fairer for everyone to only submit one. Yes, I'm entering this time.

I think that most people do usually only submit one, but someone wanted to submit a couple, and I asked if anyone objected and nobody said anything at the time.

Is there a general consensus on this? if people think that it should be one then we'll change it for the next contest (in case anyone has uploaded more than one this time around).

I don't mind if people DO submit 2 photos, but it's be nice if only one was picked because yeah, it makes for an even voting. Or something.

Sorry, I'm all suspicious because of Mafia Scum!

OK - I aded a poll regarding this to the first page of this thread, HERE

Please note that the decision will come into effect during the NEXT competition, so anyone who has uploaded more than one picture (if 'one' is settled on as the final outcome) do not fret and don't feel the need to remove your snaps

Okie doke. I have no objections to people uploading more than 1, but I also have no objections to 1 being the rule. I'll stick to 1 upload this time (don't think I'll have time to go find another shot anyway) and for all the future challenges.

Hello.

I had an email on the secondary account that I listed with google, saying that 'a member of the public' emailed them complaining about the photographs on the account.

They have not specified what the complaint was or who made it, but they have removed the entire account, so all the pictures are gone with no warning.

Um. Don't know what to do but it's a bit upsetting.

Any ideas/thoughts, please post 'em here.

Yes, I think that may be a good idea. Ace.

We're leaving for a little shopping trip right now, I'll see to it once I have returned and I am broke...

OK.

The account kindly set up by Richard Gaywood in his gallery is working wonderfully

I have also changed the password to the current Picasa album and downloaded the pictures from there onto my laptop which I am uploading to Mr. Gaywood's site.

I have, on top of this created a DeviantArt Album.

The reason I have done this for the ease of the user. I will think of Richard Gaywood's album as the 'main' one, but if people would rather anonymously upload to either the Picasa or DeviantArt that is fine. Also because there are image size limits in Richard Gaywood's gallery and if anyone is unable to crop and re-size images when uploading directly from cameras, resizing options are easy on both these sites and I can copy and upload a smaller one directly to Richard gaywood's site for you. You only need to upload to one of these three options and I will collate the pictures in the same vote thread and move any that aren't in Richard's album there in a smaller format.

Please state in this thread or the current challenge thread if you would like to participate at any time and I will send out PMs with the relevant info once the folder structure is complete on each.

OK - I posted most of that for open-ness and transparency on what I am am organising, but in summary it is far more simple:





HOW IT WILL WORK

1) If you want to take part in the photo competition, say so in this thread.

2) I will PM you with the log-in details to Richard Gaywoods album, Picasa and DeviantArt

3) Upload you picture(s) anonymously to any one of these sites using those log-in details

4) Sit back and wait for the voting.

5) Smile.

PS: It will probably be later tonight or tomorrow that I send actual log-in details out to people. Thankyou all again for being excellent, and sorry about the set-back last night.