Garden Railway Forum

Tom recently asked if anyone would like to resurrect the photo competition that we used to have on the forum and I have volunteered to give it a go. However before getting things rolling, I would like to know if there is sufficient interest amongst the current membership.

The last competition was, I think, in March 2015 and I know we have had a fair few new members since then, so, the way it used to work was that the competition was held quarterly with a theme set by the winner of the previous quarter. The rules were fairly simple:

- One entry per user, but you can change your entry once entered if you so wish.
- The winning entry allows the user to choose next seasons theme, and is barred from entering the theme chosen, to make things fair
- The use of Photoshop and similar programs to enhance photos ( for example; additions such as creative layers to age the photo, or adding smoke effects, etc) are not allowed.
- Basic cropping/alignment are allowed
- The photo entered (whether it wins or not) cannot be used again.

The way it used to work was, for example, that the winner of the Winter competition would be announced in early January
The winner would then announce the theme for the Spring competition by the end of January.
Entries for the Spring competition would then be required by 1st March and the membership would have until 21st March to Vote for the best entry.
The Winner would then be announced by 31st March.

The 'prize' used to be simply the glory that comes from having "Winner of the XXXX Photo Competition 2018" added below your forum avatar. That was on the old forum and tbh I haven't checked with Tom that it can be done with this software, but if not we'll work something out I'm sure.

If you are interested please let us know by voting in the poll. I'm not saying that the outline above is necessarily the way it has to be done in future, so suggestions are welcome, but for now we just need to gauge interest. The poll will be open for 10 days.

Not sure how to vote. I'd probably submit photos if it was yearly (though I suppose I could miss out the other three quarters), but I doubt I'd have enough photos of any quality to submit four times a year.

On the other hand, given our international client base, maybe when things are dormant in the N hemisphere, things might be more active in the Southern?

How about 6 monthly rather than quarterly?

Rik

Thanks Rik, that's something to bear in mind. However there is no compulsion to enter every quarter, so even if you think you will only want to enter once a year, please vote "yes" to register an interest.

FWIW, we did have a problem previously when I once suggested the theme of "Spring Cleaning" and our Antipodean friends complained that it was Autumn for them but at the same time somebody in Canada was still under 3ft of snow! That just requires a degree of care in suggesting themes but we'll worry about that in due course.

Not my kinda thing a competition, but more than happy to look at other people's pictures. I know this post will be full of people who support this, as generally the people who don't want to do it, just won't reply, so I thought I would just air another point of view.

Love seeing other people's photo's though, just amazing some of them, I remember the original competitions and used to think, wow!

I'd love to join in but have the slight problem of not having broken ground yet. Would it be ok to vote yes just out of an appetite to see what others post up??
Tom

I support the idea even though I wouldn't be submitting photos myself.

Tom ( the Blacksmith ) I would suggest voting yes, that way you may have a chance to participate 'one day'.

Dwayne, up to you as to whether you participate, of course, but I've seen plenty of your pictures that would certainly be in with a chance.

I would vote 'yes', not because I have a good camera (which I don't!) or because I am competitive (which I'm not!), but I find it interesting to see how people interpret the theme and come up with something a little different. We all have individual ideas of what we like and dislike, so everyone has an opportunity to enter such a 'competition' with equal opportunity, even out of season!

Good idea. It should generate a load more considered, careful pix of what everyone’s been up to, one would hope. I’ve been nobbled with the Photoshop ruling though...

I don't have a railway so I won't be likely to contribute photos, but I wholeheartedly support a new competition.

Voted, good point Philipy, one day

philipy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 06, 2019 4:39 pm Thanks Rik, ........ please vote "yes" to register an interest.

Done!

Rik

I personally think it's a great idea to resurrect the photo competition, so long has members don't get put off with not winning anything. It's great to see photos of what members are doing, even if they think it's not good enough, other members would and surprise the poster....

Hope it's not going to get to serious too, it's a fun hobby we have and hope it doesn't get too click'y (Forgive the Pun)

BertieB wrote: ↑Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:21 pm Good idea. It should generate a load more considered, careful pix of what everyone’s been up to, one would hope. I’ve been nobbled with the Photoshop ruling though...

Bertie,
Why does the Photoshop ruling "nobble" you? Do we need to rethink this rule?

I hope there isn't any "Photoshop" photos in the competition. Lots of members, like some members have posted, don't have fancy cameras and can't afford to get "Photoshop" to alter the photos. The photos should be just has taken and not touched up.

I do have a "fancy" camera and I also have "Photoshop".....Not that I would use "Photoshop" and I haven't in any of my 16mm photos. But if you do go along those lines, that's fine by me. It just seems not to be fair on those that don't....

Well it's a tentative yes from me, thanks for taking it on Philip! "Tentative" just because I'm not much of a one for competitions, but I'd like to see what others come up with! I think I did contribute the odd entry in the old competition and will endeavour to do so again to support the venture...

Personally, since it's intended as a bit of fun, I think we could allow a little photoshopping if that will encourage more entries, as long as people say what they've done so as not to disadvantage others - eg "I've made the sky a little more blue and removed an overscale daffodil"...

Cheers,

Andrew

Agree there Andrew, it's hopefully going to be a fun competition.

philipy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:53 am
Why does the Photoshop ruling "nobble" you? Do we need to rethink this rule?

You don't need to rethink this rule. I wasn't being entirely serious: It was sort of, a joke...

I've got used to helping pictures along with a bit of Photoshop: spotting, colour balance, darkening the sky, extending backgrounds, all that kind of thing - but, as was suggested in the initial post, if you were really unscrupulous (and highly skilled) you could virtually construct your image from scratch, or at the very least, combine elements from several images to deliver a killer picture. Professionals do it all the time (though not usually with garden railways - or, we hope, in journalism).

But Photoshop 'cheating' has long been an issue in some high-profile photo competitions.

By the way, I don't think people need to worry about not having 'fancy' cameras, either. Current smart phones (and cheap, compact cameras) are way more capable than what most of us would have had to use in the past, anyway.

Thanks. I think the original rule was intended to ensure a reasonably level playing field (or should that be trackbed? ). The comp. is not about the technical quality of the photo, so using fancy lenses and artificial digital additions/subtractions are of no value.
We allow straightening, cropping, and resizing, but it's difficult to know where to stop after that. Adjusting brightness, contrast, colour balance, sharpness, removing artefacts etc, are all things I look at when putting a picture up on a post, but not everyone is able to do that, so is it fair to allow in a competition?

philipy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:33 pm We allow straightening, cropping, and resizing, but it's difficult to know where to stop after that. Adjusting brightness, contrast, colour balance, sharpness, removing artefacts etc, are all things I look at when putting a picture up on a post, but not everyone is able to do that, so is it fair to allow in a competition?

I'd certainly be happier submitting photos if these kinds of adjustments were permitted, some of which are even possible in-camera these days.