The Animal Kingdom discussion thread

pete4130

I'm not trying to derail anything here before I get accused, but I feel this is another theme/topic where is biased towards taking a photo of a particular thing/subject rather than a theme that can be interpreted.

People are limited to animals and nothing else. Maybe it is just me but I find this slightly ironic as so many pets/animals have been shot in previous themes that didn't really relate to the theme.

I personally find seeing peoples cats, dogs, budgies, rabbits a bit boring. Some people might go to the zoo or Fota and get some different shots that aren't really, well, different.

Maybe its just me. I find this particular assignment very subjective/limiting rather than themed and open. If it isn't an animal then it doesn't fit....maybe you guys just like to make it hard for me to think outside the box...but I've a few ideas already of course........

.......now where is NooSixty with her pet beaver?

CabanSail

There are a lot of Animals around & it not being constricted by rules which normally go along with Nature competitions. Like any set subject it will interest some but not all.

I am sure you could come up with some interesting lateral approaches to this subject like any other.

Pete, it is "Animal Kingdom" but may not include some species of Tits, Cocks, Beavers, Pussies, Slugs, Snakes, Clams or Mullet.

keps

Just to add 2 cents here.


Pete gave an assignment sometime ago
the theme was -

'A non-national - on public transport- not to be taken with a long lens'

His alter ego's(Mike H) recent assignment was

'minimalism/negative space'.



What I thought I would do is pick a theme which might actually encourage people to enter.



Generally the more people that enter - the better the overall quality.

And just taking part is important.

pete4130

That made me laugh quite alot. Thanks!

keps

pete4130 wrote: »

That made me laugh quite alot. Thanks!

Well we aim to keep you entertained:)

There are 2 'assignments' running side by side now - and I think the aim is to keep a bit of distance between themes.

Pete - you might prefer the One/One

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056037679

NooSixty

keps wrote: »

Just to add 2 cents here.


Pete gave an assignment sometime ago
the theme was -

'A non-national - on public transport- not to be taken with a long lens'

His alter ego's(Mike H) recent assignment was

'minimalism/negative space'.



What I thought I would do is pick a theme which might actually encourage people to enter.



Generally the more people that enter - the better the overall quality.

And just taking part is important.

I do agree that taking part is important and Im sure lots of people will enter but I do have to say that just because more people enter that that means better over all quality. I know there may not have been as many entries in the last few assignment thread/s but I personally feel the standard of the photos entered was way higher then in previous ones.

I also feel like this topic is very limiting and for me personally I feel no desire to enter as I don't really feel pushed at all because I am limited to a specific subject. With both of the previous assignments I learnt something new and was able to interpret the theme as I saw it. I found I really had to think about how I needed to take/what I wanted to take a photo of and was thus more inclined to enter.

But this is just my 2 cents

pullandbang

If someone bags a photo of Animal Rights, can they enter that?:)

Mountainsandh

NooSixty and Pete4130, I have to say I disagree with the fact that photos will be of a lesser standard. The bulk might be, but ... if more experienced photographers (like yourselves presumably ?) did take up the challenge, it would then lift up the standard and push less experienced people (like me definitely) to shift out of our comfort zones.
The challenge is for you, the quality guys, to come up with something different, high quality, with some impact, within a pretty ordinary theme. I think it's a great challenge to take something that can be ordinary and common, and come up with something striking, or deep, if that's what you like.

It's a tad snobbish to decide from the word go that there will be too much mediocrity for yees to join in. And if you have the creativity to shine in a "deeper" theme, well then I'm certain you can all come up with fantastic shots of an "animal kingdom" kind.

Is it not just as hard to be thinking in terms of : "ok, don't want to do this, don't want to do that, not this either... so what can I do" ... as thinking hard : "what can I do ?".

RustyNut

Hey
Can I post a picture that I posted already in the rendom thread? Just noticed this challenge now.
Thanks.

Mountainsandh

Hey RustyNut, I think you can, and vice-versa, you can post your challenge photo in the random photo thread too if you like, the RT doesn't make any difference.

RustyNut

Mountainsandh wrote: »

Hey RustyNut, I think you can, and vice-versa, you can post your challenge photo in the random photo thread too if you like, the RT doesn't make any difference.

Thanks.

Sir Gallagher

A recent shot taken of Pete and Keps.

Martron

ideally thouhg the photo should have been taken with the assignment in mind.

Mountainsandh

Watch out Keps, NooSixty's hiding in the fridge

pete4130

Mountainsandh wrote: »

NooSixty and Pete4130, I have to say I disagree with the fact that photos will be of a lesser standard. The bulk might be, but ... if more experienced photographers (like yourselves presumably ?) did take up the challenge, it would then lift up the standard and push less experienced people (like me definitely) to shift out of our comfort zones.
The challenge is for you, the quality guys, to come up with something different, high quality, with some impact, within a pretty ordinary theme. I think it's a great challenge to take something that can be ordinary and common, and come.....blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah .

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Apologies for having an opinion. I'll remember to keep it to myself so as not to upset you in future.

If you took the time to read and maybe TRY to understand my op you'd realie that I merely said that this theme is based around taking photosd of s certain subject matter. Animal photos are pretty much commonplace on almost every 2nd page in the random photo thread......

RustyNut wrote: »

Hey
Can I post a picture that I posted already in the rendom thread? Just noticed this challenge now.
Thanks.

......so in my mind, and in my own humble opinion, if I might say that the topic isn't very challenging if it is something that is being posted day in, day out. That was my point. Apologies if that wasn't clear to you, I honestly don't know how to make it more clear/dumb it down anymore for want of better words to articulate myself.

Humans are a species of animal too after all....top of the food chain, ruler of the kingdom. I guess portraits are fair game too then? It's all open to interpretation my friend. I think I'll shoot some portraits for this one, maybe some urban shots seeing as its the homosapian kingdom...otherwise I might as well look here all day

Mountainsandh

pete4130 wrote: »

Apologies for having an opinion. I'll remember to keep it to myself so as not to upset you in future.

Well blimey, apologies for having an opinion too.

:rolleyes:

NooSixty

Mountainsandh wrote: »

NooSixty and Pete4130, I have to say I disagree with the fact that photos will be of a lesser standard. The bulk might be, but ... if more experienced photographers (like yourselves presumably ?) did take up the challenge, it would then lift up the standard and push less experienced people (like me definitely) to shift out of our comfort zones.
The challenge is for you, the quality guys, to come up with something different, high quality, with some impact, within a pretty ordinary theme. I think it's a great challenge to take something that can be ordinary and common, and come up with something striking, or deep, if that's what you like.

It's a tad snobbish to decide from the word go that there will be too much mediocrity for yees to join in. And if you have the creativity to shine in a "deeper" theme, well then I'm certain you can all come up with fantastic shots of an "animal kingdom" kind.

Is it not just as hard to be thinking in terms of : "ok, don't want to do this, don't want to do that, not this either... so what can I do" ... as thinking hard : "what can I do ?".

I seem to not have come across clearly here. Apologies to Keps if you/he thought I was dissin' him

I was merely expressing my opinion that in my PERSONAL opinion more entries didnt necessarily mean better quality of photos i.e. the last 2 challenges had produced some bangin' photos but had very few entries compared to previous challenges and that in MY opinion that was because people had more leeway in the way they interpreted the theme.

I am obviously a relative "noobie' ( I was LOANED a D1 last Christmas and still do not OWN my own camera..... I am borrowing a D70s) to this photo thing and I was only pointing out that even as someone relatively new to everything that I PERSONALLY found this topic uninspiring, as Pete4130 points out, because there are already so many photos on this topic day in and day out on the Random Photo Thread. Most of these are amazing and for me PERSONALLY I feel i have learn/t so much from that already, that I find a challenge on the same topic uninspiring. I PERSONALLY look to the challenge threads as a place I can learn something new.

keps

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056037679

Mountainsandh

It's a great thing that they don't last for too long then (the challenges) NooSixty, maybe the next one will suit you better.