Thematic Photography: How it works

[Cheryl]

Starting on Monday June 1, 2009, a weekly theme will be posted in a new topic, and all interested photographers can post one or two photos to that topic that they think best exemplifies that theme. The photo(s) must have been taken by you; it does not have to be something you photographed just to fit the theme (e.g. it can be an older photo in your portfolio). Please do not go over the two photo per theme limit!

The following Monday, discussion on the submitted photos may begin, and posts to the new theme of the week.

Now if you miss posting a photo one week, or join our forum well after it has started, don't despair! You can still add a fitting photo or two to an old topic. Just understand that it may not generate as much discussion as most members will have moved on to the current topic.

All members who are interested can take turns picking the theme for the week (whether you plan to post a photo or not). We will have a stickied signup thread much like we do for the Where in the World Game. You do not have to pick your theme out at the time you sign up, but it can be helpful if you select it somewhat in advance; this will give members more time to take an appropriate photo, and will let us start the topic on time in the event you can't make it in to the forum.

We will also have a stickied topic where anyone who wishes can suggest themes. Our topics don't have to be selected from this list of suggestions, but I think it might be a help to have a list of ideas to help inspire the theme picker of the week.

1 Feb 2010 Update: We are switching to doing this every other Monday instead of weekly. Commentary on photos need only be held for one week, instead of until the two week period is up.

Questions? Please post them here!

[P'ter]

That all seems pretty clear to me!


Except are we going to limit the amount of photoshopping?

Okay: correct exposure, colour balance, etc; but cut and paste jobs?

[Hans]

I don't think we will limit the amount of photoshopping (it's a "grey" area anyway) but... this is a photography contest, not a photoshopping contest. So (fine) tuning and using a program to correct your picture (and that might include "shopping" it) are not excluded.
Cut and paste? If you think the picture needs it. But remember you can only use photograph material you shot yourself). We will put trust in common sense and will not make a whole set of rules before hand, let's see what develops. This is about photography and creativity, so you will have to decide for yourself.

[Lady Maelin]

Contest...Hans...it didn't say anything above about this being a contest? I thought this was supposed to be more like the *Where in the World* only where we were shareing our photos on a certain theme???

[Hans]

Yes Maelin, you are absolutely right. I just couldn't find the right word for it. It is not a contest as in truly competing but we do make entries to be commented upon I guess or not, because commenting is also not compulsory.

Drat, how would you call something like that? But you are right, it's sharing our photographs on a chosen theme

Sorry if I gave the wrong Impression!

[Lady Maelin]

No problem Hans...its just that I wouldn't put up any if it was to join in a contest...I just don't take those kinds of photos, like so many here do....but if its just sharing different interesting photos...then I would most certainly join in with that.

[spacedog]

So what themes have people decided on?

[Hans]

Cheryl will be the first to nominate a theme/subject, Spacedog.

As for other's choices/suggestions for themes, do you think we need to know further in advance than a week?

[jube]

Originally Posted by Hans

Yes Maelin, you are absolutely right. I just couldn't find the right word for it. It is not a contest as in truly competing but we do make entries to be commented upon I guess or not, because commenting is also not compulsory.

Drat, how would you call something like that? But you are right, it's sharing our photographs on a chosen theme

Sorry if I gave the wrong Impression!

Hans -
I think the word, you're looking for is exhibition, after all that's what we'd be doing is exhibiting our photos for all to see. It's the only one I can come up with at the moment. I'm happy to comment, just don't know if I want to add any photos/themes just yet.

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by P'ter

That all seems pretty clear to me!


Except are we going to limit the amount of photoshopping?

Okay: correct exposure, colour balance, etc; but cut and paste jobs?

The idea is to take a photo that fits the theme, not to create a photo-like composition in photoshop. So basic photo corrections like you mentioned (exposure, color balance, cropping) are fine, but what is generally meant by "photoshopping" would be frowned upon.

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by Hans

Cheryl will be the first to nominate a theme/subject, Spacedog.

As for other's choices/suggestions for themes, do you think we need to know further in advance than a week?

I don't think we need to know more than a week in advance.

My theme is posted already on the signup list -- it seems fitting to kick things off with a theme of "a meeting of minds".

[Kath]

Suggestion: Can we have links between the comment thread and the photo thread, for quick and easy navigation?

[Hans]

Let's discuss whether the discussion really needs a seperate thread. Can't we post comments after the posting week is over in the same thread? In that case we keep the subforum cleaner and we don't need links.

[Kath]

I'm happy with that.

[Cheryl]

I was thinking that we probably don't need a separate discussion yet, especially as we get chatter during the week while pictures are still being posted.

As a personal preference, I'd really like to have the chatter kept down until the week is up, as I think it takes away from just appreciating photos for themselves and then lessens the discussions as the first visceral reactions have already been mentioned. But if others don't find it distracting then I'll try to keep my grumbles to myself.

[Shalyn]

Is it one photo per person per theme, or can you post more than one? Like two?

[Cheryl]

Just one. I know it gets hard sometimes to narrow it down to just one, but that's it!

[Cheryl]

Alright, as we often have people posting two pics and they always look good, I'm hereby officially changing the rules to allow two pics per theme.

[Pam]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

Alright, as we often have people posting two pics and they always look good, I'm hereby officially changing the rules to allow two pics per theme.

Yay! It's so hard to narrow things down to one choice. Narrowing it down to two is slightly easier

[Hans]

what Pam said

[GinnyStar]

I'm not too sure if this is the right spot to ask, but I an idea and question or perhaps all in one.

Do you folks keep a master list like for WithW? Theme-Who Won?

Can it be one that some else took who is the image take? I've got one which I'm in and I get :rofl2: at it. Or one we've found that fits the requirements? I've come across this area and do like looking at the images.

Please let me know.

[Hans]

Ginny: no, we don't keep score because the Thematic Photography is not a contest.

As to your other question: no, you should only post pictures you took yourself took and that fit the theme.
If you post any other photos, please feel free to do so in Exhibit Hall; just create a topic there and post away.

[jube]

Ginny ~ think of it as all of us exhibiting a set of photos in an art gallery. We're all showing off what we've found on that theme and other Mom'ers will say what they like/dislike about it. I've found that out with one of my photos when the light wasn't all that crash-hot and someone kindly fixed it for me (thanks StevenB ) so there will be someone to help out in that regard. I've enjoyed putting them up and I don't always know what others will put up ~ sometimes great minds think alike and will put similiar photos up but at different angles. Hope that helps you out.

[GinnyStar]

Thanks jube and Hans, I might have some more to share with you folks belated. For I'm packing to move, end of January 2011, same e-mail eddy, just a different location.

[Monirh]

I was little Confused.
Now That all seems pretty clear to me!

thanks

[Monirh]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

Starting on Monday June 1, 2009, a weekly theme will be posted in a new topic, and all interested photographers can post one or two Popular photos to that topic that they think best exemplifies that theme. The photo(s) must have been taken by you; it does not have to be something you photographed just to fit the theme (e.g. it can be an older photo in your portfolio). Please do not go over the two photo per theme limit!

The following Monday, discussion on the submitted photos may begin, and posts to the new theme of the week.

Now if you miss posting a photo one week, or join our forum well after it has started, don't despair! You can still add a fitting photo or two to an old topic. Just understand that it may not generate as much discussion as most members will have moved on to the current topic.

All members who are interested can take turns picking the theme for the week (whether you plan to post a photo or not). We will have a stickied signup thread much like we do for the Where in the World Game. You do not have to pick your theme out at the time you sign up, but it can be helpful if you select it somewhat in advance; this will give members more time to take an appropriate photo, and will let us start the topic on time in the event you can't make it in to the forum.

We will also have a stickied topic where anyone who wishes can suggest themes. Our topics don't have to be selected from this list of suggestions, but I think it might be a help to have a list of ideas to help inspire the theme picker of the week.

1 Feb 2010 Update: We are switching to doing this every other Monday instead of weekly. Commentary on photos need only be held for one week, instead of until the two week period is up.

Questions? Please post them here!

this really great.