Suggested themes for next month's contest...

Since I'm sure everyone's ready, now that Spring seems to have arrived, to get out with their cameras, I think we should move ahead with choosing next month's theme A.S.A.P.

Now, a year or so ago, this would be simple. I would announce the upcoming theme, and that would be it. But, since we have developed the strange idea that, on a site named "Democratic Underground," the theme should be chosen in a democratic manner ;-) , it takes a bit more time.


"If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier -- just so long as ah'm the dictator, heh-heh, heh-heh."

Be that as it may, here's my proposal: I will suggest my choice for a theme. All those with other ideas are invited to post them to this thread. On 3/29, or as soon as we have a total of ten suggestions (including my own), I will post a poll. That poll will be up for two days, after which the winning theme will be announced.

My proposed theme is:



So, anyone else with alternate ideas, post them below. I only reserve the right to rule out themes (and I'm sure you could think of a few!) that would result in the polls being locked by DU administrators.


"You're doin' that on yer own authority? Is that kinda like that 'unitarian executor' stuff I keep hearin' about from Justice Alitalia?"

No, George, but I do admit it means that I would be "filtering themes over here so the admins wouldn't have to ban them over there."

Meanwhile, here are the tentative dates for next month's contest:

SUBMISSIONS - 4/15-4/19
PRELIMINARY ROUND - 4/20-4/22
FINAL ROUND - 4/23-4/25

Now, get those suggestions in! I want to have a theme in place so we can have everybody out shooting by April Fool's.


"You still talkin' about me?"

Go away, George...

Good grief, that involves THINKING. :crazy:

;-)

and I seem to recall that you did quite well in that contest. My theme idea was "Unity" and it sank like a stone.

...but you were the one with the winning photo! (Which goes to show, obviously, that thinking suits you. ;-) )

What could be stronger than a massive river of ice grinding mountains down into dust? But juxtaposition really has me stumped. Is that something like BP running ads about people's "carbon footprint" while they're cleaning up a massive oil spill on the North Slope? Or is that just irony?

Ummmm a rise of a degree or two in average temperatures. After seeing Greenland glacier photos of them melting away, and some from AK too I think Global Warming will prove to be stronger, unfortunately.

...and title it "Generating Hot Air (and Global Warming)," but I don't know if it could be used as an example of juxtaposition.

On second thought, there may be a problem with my suggested theme...namely, I'm having an impossible time typing "juxtaposition." It always comes out the first time as "justaposition." I think it must be my Seattle background, having to insist "it's not expresso, it's espresso" to people from other cities for the past two decades. ;-)

I could imagine, say, a disabled vet panhandling outside Halliburton headquarters as involving both.

make you think. I was the evil strength person.:evilgrin: Course I am beyond tired and thinking is the last thing I want to do right now and I thought hmmm have to think this through for ideas tomorrow. It is a challenge which I like. Though I am still waiting for someone to do something old one month. I have the perfect item to go take a pic of for that.lol Churches too. But Juxtaposition is intriguing and might get a lot of is this it photos before the contest.

This is the best thread here evah! :rofl:

I like the juxtaposition theme. I'd like to suggest three others: trees, paths, and/or "abstract". You can use them all or rule only one suggestion per Photo Groupie. As beneficent ruler (as opposed to a compassionate conservative), I trust your judgment call on this matter. :hi:

If it's never been done.

But I think "Juxtaposition" is a much better idea.

Of everyday life. The commonplace, the ordinary. Lots of room for interpretation and creativity.

juxta position???
:wtf:

Nice try regnaD kciN.
:7

I won't suggest anything. If you want to do a sexual position theme I'll give it a try. In lieu of that.... I think it's time for an abstract-make ya' think-twist your brain theme. Or.... whatever.

:hi:

:thumbsup:

Am asking because, per your Bush and hat pic in your OP, it would seem that this could be using pics that aren't mine, photohshopping to create a composite pic. If that's the case, then how is the "photo" my original without using what camera talents/skills, (albeit only a small few for me), I possess?

Or by using the theme "Juxtaposition", will actual original photos not political be allowed as contest submissions?

...forgive me if this sounds disjointed...am just on first cuppa joe...

on edit:
Caffeine kicking in...

Would either of these be eligible for juxtaposition?

...were grabbed from all over the Internet. I didn't do any work on any of them, and wasn't including them as examples of juxtaposition/"making connections."

Although there might be a case to be made for eventually having a "manipulate 'found' photos" challenge, I would think it might be on shaky legal ground (you'd have to make sure that you had permission to use the photos you manipulated, or that they were in the public domain). For this contest, I would assume that the basic requirement be that all images are your own, as usual.

As to the two images you included, the first does seem to be joining two disparate elements (although I don't much like the caption being on the image itself). I'm not quite sure what the juxtaposition on the second one is -- I would assume that was taken in Las Vegas, and the contrast is between the Eiffel Tower of the Paris hotel, and whatever classical architecture from another hotel is at the bottom? Vegas would seem to offer a lot of that -- I remember the last time I visited, and looked out my window at the Monte Carlo to see the New York skyline in front of a medieval castle in front of a pyramid.

:shrug:

It's simple and is something that the people in the lounge could understand. I don't think I would participate in one for juxtaposition. That would just be too hard for me, personally, and I don't think the people in the lounge would 'get it'.

have it be Making Connections.

Kind of leaves it more open-ended in photo possibilities as to how the photographer could create connections between same, similar, or dissimilar subjects.

The more abstract the theme, the more variety there is in the entries. And, the lounge audience is not real sophisticated nor are they very photography-savvy. They go for whatever is the prettiest photo, basically -- cute subject, lots of color. For example, this last contest. While Regna's photo was great, I wouldn't really call it an architecture shot. It was more reflection and pretty colors, and that is why it won, IMO. That's why I think the themes should be very specific.

At least I can type it!

a three-pic per person contest that tells a story. Stories, as you know, must have a beginning, a middle and an end. Could be separate pics or a collage.

...although I think I'd have to specify that the three photos be somewhat smaller than normal, so that the threads don't turn into dial-up nightmares.

I should have noted that in my original post.

1) Making Connections
2) Trees
3) Paths
4) Abstract
5) Perspective
6) Mundane Details of Everyday Life
7) Rear-View Mirror Images
8) Story Triptych

We need two more to open the poll.

Something old.

I hear he's got old things all over his house. :)


(And, no, F.Gordon, I'm not making a derogatory comment about you or your Mrs.! :spank:)

better to have old things in your house than old house. :rofl: But then the smallest room is 12x12 and when we look at new houses they try to pass off closets as bedrooms.

1) "Making Connections"
2) Trees
3) Paths
4) Abstract
5) Perspective
6) Mundane Details of Everyday Life
7) Rear-View Mirrors
8) Story Triptych
9) "Something Old"

of Everyday Life is just a discriptive phrase.:)

I would only add that under no circumstances should any unsafe maneuvers be made by the vehicle's driver while taking such a photograph. Unlike real drive-by shootings, the goal here is to have fun, not to get somebody killed!

(I realize that this is a super-set of the "rear-view mirror" shots proposed by another member, but I thought it deserved its own category.)