Film Challenge (Not a comp :) )

Liam

Liam

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Is anyone up for a film challenge, say once a month similar to the bird challenge. We could have a topic and just 3 weeks to shoot an image before voting on the 4th week.

Would anyone be up for this? / Would we be allowed, mods?
 
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Not me really. I really am not competing with anybody on anything - least of all on photographing.

If my skills improve even by one little bit by looking at the photos posted on the film forum - and by talking to the film photographers on here, I'll be happy.

Sorry.
 
Ok, I understand but I don't mean a prize winning competition more of a personal challenge. The "winner" would just get to choose the next theme or there is no winner and we take it in turns to decide a theme.

I like the idea of setting a challenge to see if I can up with something good that I wouldn't normally try. There are some great film togs on here and I feel it would be good to see what everyone comes up with...
 
Since I have never understood the point of these challenges ( no criticism of you at all here), let me explore a few things with you

1. If its a personal challenge, why not set it for yourself and do it anyways? what does particiaption by others add? Its like, when I was in school, folks would go for 'joint study'. I never understood the concept. If I study, I study, if I dont, i dont. How can i be helped or harmed by other people studying.

2. If you want to try something you dont normally do - isn't the easiest thing to do is to go out and try it. Of course you could ask for ideas and feedback - but what does other people doing or not doing it add to the process.

To me, either its a competition where everyone competes and there is a winner ( however he is chosen); or its a personal journey, where no one else matters.

Not criticising your idea at all, just trying to understand a different point of view :D
 
if you set your own challenges Ujjwal, you tend to stay in your comfort zone... = no real challenge at all.
 
you do know that if you set a challenge up in F&C it WILL get moved to the comp's and challenges section of the forum? Then you'll get all sorts of dijikal submissions that someone will have to weed out. And still, one week, someone will sneak something past the person "judging" - then everyone dijikal will stand in a circle and poke us with sticks for being "wierd, out of date freaks" Or are my anti-paranoia med's beginning to wear off :lol:






(edit: yes i'm still P/O'ed at my last thread getting moved!)
 
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Ambermile said:
if you set your own challenges Ujjwal, you tend to stay in your comfort zone... = no real challenge at all.
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dont agree with that Arthur ( and this is not just about photography).

Its easy to get out of the comfort zone - think of what you are most afraid doing, or have never done before - and then go out and do it. I have done it all my life Arthur. One just have to be conscious of aiming to choose something new. And who knows better than me about my comfort and discomfort zone
 
Inspiration, I sometimes get more of a kick out of seeing other peoples photos than I do seeing my own.

Maybe I am just strange.
 
Liam said:
Inspiration, I sometimes get more of a kick out of seeing other peoples photos than I do seeing my own.

Maybe I am just strange.
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Not at all - I love that too. And learn a lot from it. :)

I watch the 'post your film shot' thread everyday.

( I am just a bit sensitive to these pseudo competition stuff - either it is or it isnt.
 
ujjwaldey8165 said:
Since I have never understood the point of these challenges ( no criticism of you at all here), let me explore a few things with you

1. If its a personal challenge, why not set it for yourself and do it anyways? what does particiaption by others add? Its like, when I was in school, folks would go for 'joint study'. I never understood the concept. If I study, I study, if I dont, i dont. How can i be helped or harmed by other people studying.

that's fine Ujjwal - it may well be that the format isn't right for you - not everyone is the same, and some peoples ability to self motivate is not as strong as others. For the school stuff - personally I needed a darkened room, a good reading light over the desk I was working at, and a large supply of high caffeine drinks to tide me over :lol:

2. If you want to try something you dont normally do - isn't the easiest thing to do is to go out and try it. Of course you could ask for ideas and feedback - but what does other people doing or not doing it add to the process.

The hardest thing i find is actually coming up with a subject to work to. Letting someone else set the topic allows me to "work to a brief" much as I would if working for a client. It also seems to be a relentless way of finding great gaping holes in my abilities - much as this years POTY competition has done - High Speed Photography - Cross Processing - and of course this months Street - have all been topics that I've had to step outside of my realms of experience and comfort. Some i've enjoyed, a couple i've actually hated - but none of which i'd have actually picked as something to do for myself. I have actually learned something from every months challenge though, which is the intention of this years POTY competition. I've also shot as much as I could on film - though it wasn't always well recieved.

To me, either its a competition where everyone competes and there is a winner ( however he is chosen); or its a personal journey, where no one else matters.

Not criticising your idea at all, just trying to understand a different point of view :D
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I guess that it's all down to a way of finding weaknesses in your work, and practicing them - most people, given a choice, will practice their strengths rather than their weaknesses. It takes a very self posessed person to know what they're terrible at, and still spend their supposedly enjoyable free time deliberately working on something that they won't get good results at.
 
Interesting point Mark.

Though , to be fair to me, anything I do in photography is stepping outside of my comfort zone and experience, so I am not constrained by my competence :D
 
ujjwaldey8165 said:
Interesting point Mark.

Though , to be fair to me, anything I do in photography is stepping outside of my comfort zone and experience, so I am not constrained by my competence :D
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If it's not half way up a mountainside, with a tripod and a couple of hours to compose an Image, then i'm pretty much out on a limb myself. That's why walking around a town centre photographing the "revolting peasants" held so little appeal to me this month!:naughty:
 
I'm in the same position as you Liam. I'd be up for it :)
 
Ok looks like its just me and you Sam :)

Should I just start a thread up and see what happens?
 
It will be frowned upon, you are excluding 90% of the membership because they don't have film cameras, alienating a large chunk of the photographing public with a clearly premeditated and highly provocative plan to divide and conquer.
Its obviously discriminatory and designed to upset the whole karma of TPF.....



...I'm in...:D
 
I would say don't go down the same road as the other challenge threads.
Be specific, don't leave it to interpretation, don't just chuck a word out there and let everybody do what they want, its too easy.
I mean the technical challenge of say a portrait, is in fact a challenge with no tenuous get out clause.
I dunno, waddya think..?
 
joxby said:
It will be frowned upon, you are excluding 90% of the membership because they don't have film cameras, alienating a large chunk of the photographing public with a clearly premeditated and highly provocative plan to divide and conquer.
Its obviously discriminatory and designed to upset the whole karma of TPF.....



...I'm in...:D
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Hahaha :D

Count me in also. Why not eh! Gives me an excuse to get out and use my soon to arrive Nikon F5 :D
 
Having failed my 52 this year, I think a "12" would be a good idea, and something I'd be up for (once I lay my hands on a 35mm scanner). I was planning to start a "Back into film... 25 years later.." personal thread anyway. So, the tl;dr version: I'm in. :)


Some comments around personal challenges in general-

I found the 52 excellent for:
- In-depth critique where a fair few people would actually be far more constructive with crit than just "great shot", or "I ** B&W".
- The personal challenge in getting out with a camera to shoot things I wouldn't normally.

It wasn't so good for...
- Some really awful topics that just depressed me.
- The pace involved in shooting a photo every week. Wife+Kids+Animals+Work = hectic life.

Everyone involved could start a thread with "Myname's Film 12: Month 1: Topic X" which they could update monthly as well as receive feedback. Then have one consolidated thread with a list of the people taking part (+ link) as well as the monthly topics.

I think the feedback from film users would be really useful not just from the photographic side, but from the technical side (home development, home printing, etc)

I'm not bothered about voting a winner. Happy to have one person come up with 12 topics beforehand, or the hat-thing that the 52's do. I (as a lot of people on the forums are) am here to learn, so "winner" or no, I'll give it a go.

Oh, and BTW, I think this is my second post in the film forums, I hope I haven't offended anyone! Please ignore me if I did.

Ian.
 
Not sure I like the above to be honest. I mean yeah, do a themed thread now and then but there's no way I can be tied down to developing (or even finishing) a film in time to keep up with that sort of thing.

Feedback? We don't do crit in here, do we? If you want that you post in the crit sections... and leave the crit in there too.

Monthly thread with a title and only pics being posted in it yes, much more structure than that and it's too much. For me at least.
 
Ah... I think I missed the idea behind the OP.

Apologies!

Ian.
 
No - your ideas are fine in the context you talked about, but as you realised, not as posed previous. I can see the merits of a themed system (my 52 died when I got constant crap from the same members ... ) with those restraints but not for me and I'm not sure it fits in here in this section. I could be way wrong though - it has been known :naughty:
 
Don't be so apologetic Ian, you can say what you think it won't upset anybody...:)
 
joxby said:
It will be frowned upon, you are excluding 90% of the membership because they don't have film cameras, alienating a large chunk of the photographing public with a clearly premeditated and highly provocative plan to divide and conquer.
Its obviously discriminatory and designed to upset the whole karma of TPF.....



...I'm in...:D
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Sounds good to me as well, BTW - I may have appeared negative towards the idea ^^^ up there - and I still think that there will be problems ensuring the "filmness" of everyones posting, but I'm willing to give it a go - at least some of the time - I'd like to give advance warning however that Portraits, Street, and Sport will not have entries produced chez Yin :naughty:
 
Sounds good to me, although I hate scanning film. Might make a print and scan that, see if it comes out any better.

There's no reason why we can't extend to critique in here if we think it warranted, as well as the photo taking aspects members might find it useful to pick up tips on developing methods, chemicals and films etc.

I can see where Arthur is coming from though, some might not want to shoot a roll of 36 each month just so they've got something to enter. I'd recommend everyone picking up a cheap 120 camera, then you've onyl got 12 frames to rattle off instead of 36:thumbs:;)
 
So... are we going to have a go at this then? I could do with another challenge where I'm hopelessly outclassed by pretty much everyone who's confirmed shooting so far :lol:
 
I know I was negative on the idea. But could I suggest a topic, please

A Portrait taken in sunset.
 
RaglanSurf said:
Only if you take part :eek:
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I have, Nick, by suggesting a topic :D

OK; I will submit one shot ( with the following 3 caveats : 1. It'll not be taken specifically for this 2. You will scan n post it and 3. you will crit it :D. Agreed? )
 
ujjwaldey8165 said:
I have, Nick, by suggesting a topic :D

OK; I will submit one shot ( with the following 3 caveats : 1. It'll not be taken specifically for this 2. You will scan n post it and 3. you will crit it :D. Agreed? )
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1)It will have to be taken within the time frame, digging one out of your archives is not allowed.

2)I will of course scan it for you if you wish :D

3)I will criticise it to the best of my ability, but remember if you shoot in colour I am colourblind :cool:
 
Sorry guys I am really busy at the moment, if someone wants to start a new thread feel free...
 
Who is the mod for our little neck of the woods? Perhaps we need to get them on board to make sure it isn't moved to another part of the forum where we'll end up with none locals wandering in and taking over;)
 
Kev M said:
Who is the mod for our little neck of the woods? Perhaps we need to get them on board to make sure it isn't moved to another part of the forum where we'll end up with none locals wandering in and taking over;)
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According to the forums page Yv is mod-in-charge.
 
Best someone broaches the subject with her then but given her thoughts on the "show us yer film shots" thread I can hazard a guess at the response.
 
I'd be interested. You could find a company that does film stuff and get them to sponsor it if you do want a proper competition. Prize of a few rolls of film or something like that.
 
cowasaki said:
I'd be interested. You could find a company that does film stuff and get them to sponsor it if you do want a proper competition. Prize of a few rolls of film or something like that.
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Yeah - if one of the s/h camera companies would like to put a Hassy xPan up as the prize, I'd even take a ":gag: people photograph"...:lol:
 
TheBigYin said:
Yeah - if one of the s/h camera companies would like to put a Hassy xPan up as the prize, I'd even take a ":gag: people photograph"...:lol:
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I thought its not going to be a competition - just a challenge. And the winner is by self nomination only :lol:
 
they can call it A competition, a challenge or the queen of sheba for all I care Ujjwal if I get a xPan :lol:

(and seeing as i'd have more chance of winning one than I'd EVER have of affording one, it might be my only hope!)
 
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