Wahawk Loc: NE IA

There are too few that I respect. Also the big egos are splitting the Gallery into to many specialty sections making it too time consuming to track it all.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Put 30,000 people in a room in it will be the same. It is who we listen to that affects our lives.

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

If you think it's time to move on, then perhaps it's time to move on... However, beware...there are big egos everywhere. Perhaps you just need a break?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A positive post with a can-do spirit! Thank you!!

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

While I can understand the drive to encourage participation, the way long standing rules have been relaxed is why the craft is in the state that it is. I'm not just speaking of here on UHH, but the craft in general. The quality of photographs has has declined simply because we are in an age of political correctness. Today, any idiot with a camera is now a photographer!

How many times have we read a post on the web informing us that they've had a camera for three weeks and now they will do a wedding, please advise? Here's my advise, this isn't a drive through for instant gratification.

Get off your lazy backside and do some research. Tag along with another photographer to learn the ropes. Then after you've actually started to understand all that's involved can you begin to toy with the idea of going on your own. Then be afraid, be very afraid!

There is a whole lexicon of photographic terminology, that most will never learn, as is there a whole encyclopedia of techniques.

Personally I learn something new every day. All of what I've learned has come from observing others and solving problems. Those lessons that have had the greatest impact on me were learned from failed attempts. But, I can honestly say that I learned nothing without getting off my backside and going out, researching, and doing.

There are very few who write about the craft today, most try to dazzle with image editing trickery. I would recommend they be ignored and you should focus on the books written years ago by photographers who really knew what they were doing before the film was exposed.

If you're going to have rules, then you should be willing to live with them, not relax them to get more people to play. If the new camera owners are actually interested in improving they will learn from rejection, if not that's ok; don't play.

I once wrote an evaluation on one of my subordinates during my military service which included the following: "He sets low standards and fails to achieve them." Relaxing standards really does no one any favors, look at the state of the world today. But actually enforcing standards, or rules, is not PC, and everyone knows that being PC is most important.

This was not intended to be a rant directed at any one person. Really I applaud anyone that attempts to manage something like this. But I honestly believe that we'd all be better of if we could honestly respond to something, and the other person could accept things as they were intended.

tk Loc: Iowa

You are right Ziggy but St3v3M's contest is not just for the pros. It is an encouragement, I believe. Yes, I see the same thing everyday of people that feel they are great at this but need a lot of work. Some want to improve and some can't see the difference. We can only encourage that ones that want help. If someone wants to start a contest with stricter rules and be the badass to enforce them then I encourage that and would love to watch it and hope someday that I could participate. But, this contest is for everyone or no one whichever the wind blows.

DebartzCreations Loc: Onalaska, Texas

I am an artist, primarily because that is an easy thing to say. I am learning a lot about the technical aspects of photography, but am still very much a newbie. I qualify myself as an artist because I endeavor to bring a new perspective to an image. Again, easy to say, and mostly, not hard to achieve. However, I recognize that quality is generally a product of experience. Heck, pictures that were blowing me away a few months ago now catch my critical eye for what could be done better. When I utilize post-processing and improve contrast or sharpness, ...well, I wasted the better part of yesterday lens shopping. I'm trying to step up from the kit lenses (already bought the EF50mm f/1.8 II) and of course, I want to reach out to those pesky birds and other wildlife.
So, as a progressively improving shooter and processor, I am disheartened when my effort is lumped together with flat images of puppy dogs or recolored kittehs. I see those all day on FB. I am on-again/off-again with submitting (other sites too) because I want the opportunity to stand with peers but can't handle a poor interpretation getting more popular votes because it struck some emotional chord. Full Disclosure, I spent part of 1988 doing color corrections, exposure compensations, sorting, etc. in a One-Hour Moto Photo, so I have flash-burned baby pics in my brain for the rest of my life. I expect to lose this bragging-rights competition, but not to 'pink' roses with water drops.
Solution? Yeah, if I had that figured out, I could sell process improvement to any corporation I wanted. Good luck with that, but I'll play by your rules. Otherwise, what's the point?

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

I bet you have seen some 'interesting' photos...

DebartzCreations Loc: Onalaska, Texas

We made a couple of 'friends' because we looked out for them, but being in a mall store front, we had to work on discretion. Sometimes you are just mindlessly working through the neg strip when your brain 'reverses' the image and you have to scramble for the scrap paper to cover the output chute that proudly displays to the mall. No more than a few sets were more interesting than precautionary measures. I didn't work there all that long because my 'other job promoted me to Assistant Manager in another mall. Sad part, it was selling Men's party clothes.
Both of those retail chains are now defunct of course.

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

Good idea

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

Right on and theres no reason why an amateur photographer cant take a better photo than a pro

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

I think there are far more folks that echo your above sentiments than you may realize.

However. regardless of our Sisyphean lamentations, I don't believe there are any indications things will change - to the contrary, they will continue to evolve away from the values and behaviors that served society quite well for over a century.

But life goes on and we must adapt to what we cannot change and live the life that our Lord gave us to the best of our individual abilities.

That was not intended to be a rant either... .

Shutter Bugger

Seems I'm resurrecting an old thread, I'm surfing around
looking for more of your photos Kiwi, I enjoyed viewing
your "birds on my fence" sequence.

Anyway, I too occasionally think "this photo should not
have won".

It occurs to me though, that everyone here has the right to "judge" the submissions. Of course some who cast their vote do so on an emotional basis motivated perhaps by
patriotism or a maternal/paternal instinct for example, depending on whatever subject takes ones fancy.

So often the subject of the image is voted for, and not the
image itself.

I love flight, and have been guilty of voting for the aircraft
in the image at least as much as the image itself. :P

When we enter photos in the UHH competition Kiwi, we are
at least playing on a level playing field being judged equally whether it be objectively or subjectively.

Let the dice roll and enjoy the images win or not.

Steve, imho you do an outstanding job and consider it
a privilege to be subscribed to vital site like UHH.

Thanks,

Alan.

oldmalky Loc: West Midlands,England.

An old thread like you explained but a short while ago another one along the same lines as this, Is it possible to just ask the pros on this site to be the judges Or just 3 or 4, is this a possibility or are we leaving the realms of fun.

Shutter Bugger

I hope it stays as is.