Screenshot Comp discussion

[AlisterC]

But I have been around a long time Charl lol
7 years I've been hanging around now, so averaging one win a year.
I vote for you all the time Charl! your screenies spin my wheel chocks. Here's hoping your luck improves soon

EDIT: Actually, forget the anonymous idea from me. It wouldn't reall work anyway. I could probably spot a SP and Ian Warren masterpiece even if they were posted anonymously. Many of us have a certain look or flavour to our entries, kind of a trademark look. Would be hard to hide, and nor should you have to

[Adrian Brausch]

The NZFF Screenshot comp has nothing to do with photoshop, it has nothing to do with favouritism , the winner is voted in because his shot is the most popular being probably more imaginative and having that "little bit extra " to it , and people coming to Dougs defence ?,..that is because he was unjustly being harangued for this months theme which is ' T ' tails featuring a bit of land and sea within the shot,..we live in New Zealand !!!,...we are a land-locked ISLAND nation,...its not that bloody difficult !...FFS. I'm not a genius but I managed to comprehend what that means ,..I mis-read the theme missing some key elements initially like having land in the shot,..so I redid it ,...why...because I MISS-READ the instructions. If you want to win a competition,..any competition you step up and do your best,...these rewards in the shape of Flightsim addons kindly gifted by our very very generous sponsors are earned . I shoot competitively for a sport up and down the country and in order to win I have to shoot well on the day,..I do not have expensive rifles like alot of the other shooters but I can and do still win from time to time,..why ?...because I want to win so I try that little bit harder. The NZFF is a fun Competition but at the end of the day it is for a most excellent prize so step up and enter something worthy of a win. Should we split the competitions into two categories ? ,.." those doing it just for fun" or those having some fun but who really want to earn a prize from our sponsors ,...being an addition to their Flightsim Hangars or whatever it may be. Do not start handicapping any members because they win,..stop complaining and step up yourselves. It doesnt require editing ,..it requires taking a screenshot that more people like than anyone elses on the day...simple. Most months I find the choice of screenshots and my vote hard to decide on,..we have a most excellent bunch of people here and most months have around an average of 20+ excellent entries that are hard to choose from. Screenshot entries are much like regular forum posters ,..there are the regulars and the occasional contribution from lesser seen members,...it is these people mostly that enter the screenshot comps,..why ?...because this forum despite having many hundreds of members is driven primarily by our regulars,..this is and always will be how it will be. The other 95% of the joined members just frequent here or browse here seldom,..and thats fine ,..but dont play this numbers game like ,.."oh well we are not having enough members entering the comps because they are too scared to enter because they aren't able to do nice editing or take perfect screenshots,..what a load of bollucks. The monthly themes make you think out of your comfy little box,..this is a good thing and to be fair I have found some little jem's at places like Avsim,Flightsim etc... in my search for something to enter so take off your blinkers,..open your other eye instead of using just the one and try that little bit harder to win yourself one of these amazing prizes. You either want to win the prize or you don't the choice is yours how you go about achieving that,..don't blame anyone else because you aren't successful.

Oh and Alister this post was not a response to you ,..it is just my opinions in general on this whole matter...

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (Charl @ Aug 20 2013,10:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like the anonymous shot thing...

Ian Warren 6

Ah ha ... I knew i was Sexy .. must be this skinny thing all the girls are after !

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (AlisterC @ Aug 20 2013,10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

SP I hope this is not due to what I said. It was not my intention to offend you. I thought I would choose you as an example as you were so perfect for it. I just meant that I would most likely vote for the young Padowan when the choice was between him and the Jedi Master like your yourself. You can more than handle yourself.
And my point at the end of my post stands. Only by having the bar set high in front of us can we possibly aim higher! You are one of those who set that bar for the rest of us to reach. And especially since you prove it can be done on lower end systems. It's all about developing an eye for a great shot.

So I hope you have a think and see you again in the competition sometime. I don't post everytime as the theme doesn't always suit, but would be glad to run against you sometime soon.


No problem if my suggestions are not well liked or feasible, just thought I would put them out there while the opportunity existed.
Thanks to Doug for all the hard work required every month. I used to run this every month elsewhere, without organising prizes or sponsors, so my hat off to you..

No problem here Al ..... just a bit confused about the whole thing now .

[Splitpin]

No , Im not confused anymore . Its odd how the theme of this slowly changed from a misread rule , to who wins and how often ...odd .
Anyway , i retract my statement of last night , Im not going anywhere team..... and as for waiting until 2025 ... imagine if Michael Schumacher took that view .."oh , ive won again ...better stand down for a while" Nah ....

It all comes down to the votes ....Im not dulling down my work , its a competition after all.
I would hope that what i do would push those that feel they cant make it ....you can .... study other peoples work , ask them how they do it ...think.

And just to kill this "super computer/ photoshop BS ....as i said , my system is average , and 90% of any editing i do now is done with a freeware addon (picasa)

So fight amongst yourselves ladies . Game on

[AlisterC]

Sorry to have stirred up an eddy in a building storm - I must have missed the background drama. I read the topic title (A place to air your pros and cons or suggestions) and added to the stress. Not my intention sorry!

Adrian, no offence taken at all my friend!. I completely agree with all your points. 9 out of 10 times the best equipment might win, but even if 1 time of out 10 the best IDEA wins, then that's what lower spec operators need to aim for.
Also thanks by the way for posting your entry in that nice ATR this month. I've since been out and found it and installed. Might even be my entry for the month. Just love that plane (with a bit of config file editing) Thanks

I would like the guys like Marty to keep entering and pushing the rest of us along.

I completely retract my 'anonymous' suggestion from earlier. Would love to see multiple voting, but if the forum software can't do it, no problem. I'm a happy NZFFer and look forward to many more years of membership and screenshot comps.
Thanks guys

[toprob]

At one stage we did have a thread where you could submit a screenshot for critique. It is a good option for someone starting out in the comp, as a few constructive comments can really inspire. Of course it takes a bit of bravery to stand up to criticism, so it may not appeal to everyone.

I know a guy who makes a living from his photographs. When he started out he hadn't a clue about photography, but he insisted on everyone giving honest criticism, and his work continually improved until it was great. p****y-footing about wasn't allowed, and he'd always know when anyone was blowing smoke.

[Adrian Brausch]

QUOTE (toprob @ Aug 21 2013,10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At one stage we did have a thread where you could submit a screenshot for critique. It is a good option for someone starting out in the comp, as a few constructive comments can really inspire. Of course it takes a bit of bravery to stand up to criticism, so it may not appeal to everyone.

I know a guy who makes a living from his photographs. When he started out he hadn't a clue about photography, but he insisted on everyone giving honest criticism, and his work continually improved until it was great. p****y-footing about wasn't allowed, and he'd always know when anyone was blowing smoke.

Rob,..sounds like a great idea,..re-open / re-start that thread !

[toprob]

QUOTE (Adrian Brausch @ Aug 21 2013,5:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rob,..sounds like a great idea,..re-open / re-start that thread !

It might really be a bit raw for the forum at the moment, but we could adapt it a bit based on the feedback here.

Maybe we could give this a go -- members could upload an image to a hosting site which allows anonymity -- such as postimage (you don't even need to log in) -- and send me the URL. Once I have a few images, I'll post them for critique.

[Adrian Brausch]

QUOTE (toprob @ Aug 21 2013,6:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It might really be a bit raw for the forum at the moment, but we could adapt it a bit based on the feedback here.

Maybe we could give this a go -- members could upload an image to a hosting site which allows anonymity -- such as postimage (you don't even need to log in) -- and send me the URL. Once I have a few images, I'll post them for critique.

Nah its not to raw,..everyone has said their piece,..I reckon thats a great idea Rob .. make it a sticky !

[Ian Warren]

Bloody Tea Towels always rap a good wash !

[deeknow]

QUOTE (toprob @ Aug 21 2013,10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At one stage we did have a thread where you could submit a screenshot for critique. It is a good option for someone starting out in the comp, as a few constructive comments can really inspire.

Yeah, nice idea, especially for those that are new to the whole thing.
For the old guns I'm not so sure, seems a little cheeky to me to ask for feedback on a selection of pics before people vote on them, seems like an unfair advantage?

[Ian Warren]

The good thing is its created debate and try and put forward idea's .... for the newbie's they maybe uncertain .... but all they simply have to do is read the rule and enter .... for some reason peoples had perfectly , hell Great entries and decided to change it on my typical silliness , the idea was to open the newbie's mind or think about it ....

What it did was create a "Storm in a Tea Cup" i mean Tea Towel , ... thinking about it , I really would hate to be on a landing craft in any war with a company and STORMING a beach ! .. Right chaps .. hit the beach ... and find your the only out there , like many .. just hide away in the landing craft ... you don't get medals but ya sure as hell score some great prizes! ..

LOOK AT THIS MONTH .. Dean at PCaviator has posted this whooping great area "California" come on .. pick it up and move forward ! CHARGE!

[dbcunnz]

QUOTE (toprob @ Aug 21 2013,10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At one stage we did have a thread where you could submit a screenshot for critique. It is a good option for someone starting out in the comp, as a few constructive comments can really inspire. Of course it takes a bit of bravery to stand up to criticism, so it may not appeal to everyone.

I know a guy who makes a living from his photographs. When he started out he hadn't a clue about photography, but he insisted on everyone giving honest criticism, and his work continually improved until it was great. p****y-footing about wasn't allowed, and he'd always know when anyone was blowing smoke.

There is nothing wrong with starting a thread where members can post images and ask for members opinions on how they can improve their screenshot images it will give them some tips on what to do to make their image look better.
I think it is a very good idea to help those who don't think their images are good enough to enter this certainly might encourage more members to enter the comp.
I'm sure that some of our members will give them links to where they can get good free editing programs and tips on how to use them to get the best out of their images.

But I would not like to see them posting the image that they intend to enter in the competition but yes by all means post an image of a similar type to what they intend to place in the comp.

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (deeknow @ Aug 21 2013,8:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, nice idea, especially for those that are new to the whole thing.
For the old guns I'm not so sure, seems a little cheeky to me to ask for feedback on a selection of pics before people vote on them, seems like an unfair advantage?

Yes i agree deeknow ... seems a bit odd to me , and yet another complication to the most (i thought ) benign part of the forum.
I would think a "how to" thread would be of more use , somewhere where we can swap ideas about what we do and how ..... like the motion blur (for those that asked about) post.
But as far as posting your potential shot to a remote site for "critique" ... no.
This whole thing is just getting crazy , and i must admit a little tiresome , there are other forums where the screen comps are much more straight forward (as this one is at the moment)

If it aint broke , dont mess with it. Really , if a bloody chimp put an entry in and people liked it ...it would win.

[toprob]

I never intended for my suggestion to be aimed at the competition -- although it would be the ultimate goal to help someone along to a win at some stage. It was always in the back of my mind that it could include ideas and tutorials, but that would be up to individual members. It would have been nice to have the occasional winner give some insight into how they arrived at their shot.

Any change is difficult, I know, and I'm not a big fan of it for its own sake. As I said, it might not be the best time at the moment to try out new ideas.

[Adrian Brausch]

Thinking about it further we already have the screenshot forum where you put up your screenshots for critique , but yes a thread under the Screenshot forum in the stickies section where members can share their knowledge on editing , tricks of their talents etc wouldnt be a bad thing. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have the occasional winner give some insight into how they arrived at their shot tho either..

[emfrat]

Well, I haven't won one (yet) but when I first got interested, I read through the whole comp thread, mainly to see what characteristics, if any, the winning shots had in common. In the course of that, I also read just about every monthly intro as well as comments made at the time. It didn't really help
There have been themes required from time to time, but none of them seems to have produced a surge in entries, or in voters, i.e. where there has been a large entry for a theme, repeating the theme at a later date has not had the same effect. So what I work to:

The purpose of the comp is to help provide a banner for the forum.
The screenie must be in NZ territory, but is not limited to the NZ Mainland islands.
The sim aircraft does not have to be NZ registered, but it won't hurt if it is.
The sim aircraft and the scenery used should showcase the quality of those add-on models, sceneries and repaints produced in / for NZ.
Text cannot be included in the pic, but a brief note listing the sim used, location, scenery and aircraft model should accompany the entry, so that others can replicate it if they want to. This will also help folk who are unaware that they are not seeing as much as they should be, in their installation.
Where a theme is declared, it should be followed.

So, within those parameters, I try to put up a clean sharp pic, with attention to the view position, to get the most suitable lighting.

That's what I try to do. It is not compulsory for others. Only one of my entries has ever scored a vote.

ATB, never ever give up.

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (emfrat @ Aug 22 2013,12:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I haven't won one (yet) but when I first got interested, I read through the whole comp thread, mainly to see what characteristics, if any, the winning shots had in common. In the course of that, I also read just about every monthly intro as well as comments made at the time. It didn't really help
There have been themes required from time to time, but none of them seems to have produced a surge in entries, or in voters, i.e. where there has been a large entry for a theme, repeating the theme at a later date has not had the same effect. So what I work to:

The purpose of the comp is to help provide a banner for the forum.
The screenie must be in NZ territory, but is not limited to the NZ Mainland islands.
The sim aircraft does not have to be NZ registered, but it won't hurt if it is.
The sim aircraft and the scenery used should showcase the quality of those add-on models, sceneries and repaints produced in / for NZ.
Text cannot be included in the pic, but a brief note listing the sim used, location, scenery and aircraft model should accompany the entry, so that others can replicate it if they want to. This will also help folk who are unaware that they are not seeing as much as they should be, in their installation.
Where a theme is declared, it should be followed.

So, within those parameters, I try to put up a clean sharp pic, with attention to the view position, to get the most suitable lighting.

That's what I try to do. It is not compulsory for others. Only one of my entries has ever scored a vote.

ATB, never ever give up.

Perfect .

[Splitpin]

This (issue) seems to have died a natural death (as it should) ... but i would like too say , 8000 or so posts ago i arrived at this forum post stroke ...and broke .
Today , thanks too a lot of you , Im working (on and off ... but working) and screening , and posting .
I may have gone a little overboard at times , but i felt the need at the time. and , on several occasions i was pulled in by Rob and Doug .( and rightfully so )

The point Im trying to make is .... that this (forum) is democracy at its very best .... agree to disagree , thats fine, and its been good medicine for me .
Rob .... Ive known you ( in an internet sort of way) longer than anyone else here .... remember , you delivered my first NZ scenery discs to my flat in Sydenham and through you
I got to know Ian .... and through him, Doug , Greg, Deane B , and so it go's ..... and then of course there's AB ... I knew him before he was born i think..... sorry big guy.

Anyway, lets push it aside .... move on , and enjoy a great hobby.... and a great forum.

SP