[dod]

Noticed this when I was going to try to get some shots of a local dinghy racing thing. I'm just wondering if anyone would say this says transportation to them??

[Joe T]

Why dont you ask in the discussion thread? Thats right, you cant

I think its a very nice shot, but it doesnt really say transportation to me. Maybe the judges will think differnetly however.

It says transportation to me.
A 'theme' is simply a word on which to base one persons interpretation.

I suppose a pool of blood doesn't say transportation to most people either?
Why not? It's a means of transport for oxygen cells to navigate around the body.

It's all subjective to the viewer, and that's what I hate about pretentiousness within photography.

If it says transportation to you mate, then you submit it. Bear in mind that the resulting scores from a competition isn't whether your shot is relevant to the theme or not, it's whether the judges think it fits in with THEIR interpretation of the theme, that's all.
And therein lies the problem with having set judges. Unless they represent a fair proportion of the public by their thoughts and methods, then it will never be fair.
What if all judges are the ones who think that photoshop is a bad thing? What if all judges are the sticklers for interpretation, and it has to be a MEANS of transportation? Surely that's unfair to those who don't interpret the same way?

Just my 2pnorth

[dod]

You're right Marcel, it says transportation to me too, just in a more subtle way than a car/boat/cycle whatever.

I don't know if I'll use it or not, the important thing is I actually like it Yeah, it could be slightly sharper, composition could be improved but it just struck me as slightly quirky

[Matty]

very true marcel, very true indeed.

[petemc]

Transportation is simply a means of getting from A to B. A bridge, a road, a car, a pair of shoes, etc. What I have learnt though is that if you try to be different it is very risky. You should know that as you are beating me

[dod]

Originally Posted by petemc

Transportation is simply a means of getting from A to B. A bridge, a road, a car, a pair of shoes, etc. What I have learnt though is that if you try to be different it is very risky. You should know that as you are beating me

I learnt not to be different in the first round, got absolutely hammered

Originally Posted by dod

I learnt not to be different in the first round, got absolutely hammered

I can't understand this?

So basically you're shooting around the whims of the judges, and what they like and dislike?

If these judges can't think beyond their own styles and interpretations, then they shouldn't be judging a photography competition IMO.

[petemc]

I never do. I've always believed in being myself and submitting something out of the box. Competitions are there to help me grow.

[Dave]

I always feel it's better to have split opinion on my shots, than none at all

[dod]

Originally Posted by Marcel

So basically you're shooting around the whims of the judges, and what they like and dislike?

Now where did I say that?

I try to shoot what I think is going to be the best interpretation of a theme. If I'm not sure about it in my own mind then it's unlikely others will be either. The judges are just normal people and as such the opinion of people here on a theme is as good as anyone elses. If something is too vague or abstract for people to get then it's not good interpretation.

This particular shot I think conveys transportation, but it's loose. That's why I asked the question.

Sorry mate, I wasn't being arsey...bad choice of words on my part I think.
It just sounded like the whole feel of this competition, was to just get shots that pleased the judges.

I understand the aim of a competition is to win, and to win, the judges need to like your images, but at what point does creativity become second place?
It was with you saying "I learnt not to be different". I can understand your point that being *too* different can be detrimental, espcially if it's being different for being different's sake.
But if you submit a shot that is totally different to what everyone else thinks of, then surely the judges should be mindful to think "Ooh now I like this take on the theme...I personally wouldn't agree with the relevance myself, but it's clever"

If you see what I mean.

Now I agree with the vague and abstract bit, I've been a member of places before where they ran competitions and the themes were getting more and more silly, ending up like "The struggle between post-modernist britain and the tory party in the 21st century", and what not.

It got to the point of pretentiousness where someone would say "I took this shot, as I feel that it represents the struggle between man, and mother nature, encompassed in a hard texture to represent the stony face of the barren planet".

To which I would simply reply

"Have a word, mate...It's a picture of a rock.

And a s**t one at that. Youre trying to talk a bad shot into a good one "

hehe

[dod]

no probs If I had explained myself rather than posting a cryptic clue it would have helped.

[CT]

I like that and I don't see any problem with it fulfilling the theme of 'Transport'. It would be pretty easy to change the sky on that although it works quite well as it is.

Regarding photo comps generally, I think you have to satisfy the theme in a manner which is understood by most reasonable people. Blood on the ground as transport? C'mon it's a bit of a stretch and most people would dismiss it out of hand surely? Pro judges would judge a shot on interpretion of the theme, then technical and artistic merit. The most fantastic shot which doesn't reasonably obviously fit the theme should be instantly rejected - otherwise why bother having any theme at all?

[KenCo1964]

I think (which doesn't always count for much) that the fact there are shoes AND also arrows giving a direction, could quite easily fit a theme of travel. Very clever really, well done Dod.

I suppose you have a point CT, in essentially there has to be a line where an interpretation is just a bit silly. I suppose my example was quite far fetched.

I think my annoyance and opinion is borne from a frustration of seeing people submitting shots they've already taken, that wouldn't at a glance be thought of as based on the theme, so they then "talk it" into the theme, rather than taking the shot with the theme in mind.