Posted by Jack Garrett on February 5, 2012 at 2:25 AM
Seems like we are getting some real good feedback on the selections for this months Home Page and people seem to like the collage idea. I'm sure we will have to do something like that again this month as well. Do you think this is something we should do going forward...having 2 or 3 winners each month in a multi image home page format? Do you think we would get more participation by switching to that type of format? Feedback welcome!
Posted by John Mumaw on February 5, 2012 at 8:13 AM
Allowing folks to enter an unlimited number of images toward the monthly cover themes was a poor idea, IMO.
However, now that it is allowed, the idea of multiple winners being chosen and arranging the winning images in a collage is a good idea and it looks great.
There's probably little choice for the overwhelmed judges anyway.
Posted by Bill Bean on February 5, 2012 at 9:22 AM
I tend to agree with John. I think allowing unlimited images might need to be scaled back simply because the threads are unmanageable. Maybe limit it to 3 or 4 images. I think the collage looks good and it was arranged nicely.
Posted by Todd Caudle on February 5, 2012 at 11:13 AM
I'll disagree with my friends John and Bill, only in the sense that I don't think the monthly theme should ultimately be for picking a winning cover shot for the next month. I think the theme itself is the overriding priority here, and to that I say, the more photos, the merrier viewer! Let that thread grow into a gigantic beast of amazing photos every month, and let us viewers revel in seeing all that great work. Besides, if you "win" the monthly theme, do you actually "win" anything? I thought it was just the chance to have one of your images selected for the forum's front page, which is cool, but I wonder how many people bookmark this forum page (I do) and never even see the front page unless it's brought up to announce the monthly winner(s).
Posted by Jack Garrett on February 5, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Can anyone tell me how long the unlimited images has been allowed? We just inherited our roles 3 months ago so I'm not sure but I can see both sides of this discussion...for example, until last month, I had never considered going to NM but I was blown away by all the images and scheduled a trip there for April. Then, as a result of what I've seen so far this month from Az., I just scheduled a 6 day trip to go there on the 16th, also a place I would not have considered until I saw all the great shots! If we limited entries to 3-4 per person we might miss an opportunity to see a favorite or "secret" location not seen before.
On the other hand, some folks have a lot of photos from certain areas or subject while others may only have 1 or 2 so it gives an unfair advantage to the home state/subject group. We certainly don't want folks to not submit because they don't feel they have a chance at being selected. I do like what Todd said about "winning" vs being selected. IMO, every image is a winner! I also have the forum bookmarked and don't see the home page often but I do check the theme page all the time. That being said, folks coming to RMNP for the first time get a real treat!!
As long as I threw this out here for discussion, what do you think about having volunteers to judge each month? Not that I want to take the pressure off us but sometimes it's good to have different eyes looking at the images. Plus, it's hard for me to pick one of Josh or Adams images since they are on the panel..make sense?
Please keep the feedback coming. I know there is no single way to please everyone but the honest feedback helps to get us closer to a consensus.
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 5, 2012 at 1:09 PM
As far as I can remember the monthly theme has allowed multiple image submissions. Most people have chosen to submit only one.
I agree with Todd, the more the merrier. The objective is to share. The primary downside is the time it takes to load such a long thread. So, 3 to 5 might be a reasonable limit to consider.
Regarding the collage. I think multiple "winners" are a good choice when the participation is at last month's level. However, I would do it only for such special situations, and at the discretion of the moderators.
I can see where a volunteer judge(s) each month would add some nice variety, but I'm perfectly happy keeping it simple and letting the moderators decide.
The primary goal of the moderator is to please everyone.
Posted by Jack Garrett on February 5, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Todd and Bill pretty much summed up my thoughts. The participation is the fun part, and I'm loving these big threads. I doubt they'll all continue to be this massive going forward, but even if they do that wouldn't be a bad thing. And the "winner" aspect is a nice honor, another piece of the fun, but not worth stressing out over. IMO, the mods are welcome to handle it as they see fit, case by case.
Posted by Phillip Noll on February 5, 2012 at 3:59 PM
I like the unlimited posts even if it takes a while to load the page! Couple ideas:
1.) You can post as many as you want but ONLY your first post will be considered for the monthly cover pick. That would encourage people to post their very best shots first. The rest is icing on the cake!
2.) I wonder if we could get some kind of "gallery" set up for the monthly themes? Might be easier to view and quicker to load.
Food for thought. Eat up!
Posted by Todd Caudle on February 6, 2012 at 9:09 AM
I wouldn't complicate it by limiting to 4 or 5, or designating only the first image posted as being eligible for being on the front page. Just let people post, and the moderators can pick one for the front page that they deem worthy. No #winning, just post pics and have fun!
Posted by Bob Falcone on February 8, 2012 at 1:24 PM
I'm lousy at picking one "good" photo for anything...so I like the idea of being able to post a few good ones. I don't want to make life more difficult for the mods, so I also like the idea of a collage, which allows the mods to pick several very good photos for the forum cover. If nothing else, unlimited submissions and the collage cover feels more "inclusive".
I am with Todd on this. I think the thread with all of the submissions is the end game. Choosing and posting a winner is fine but I have always really enjoyed those threads and seeing how so many great photographers see a similar subject. And it has also made me open my eyes to some new areas and subjects.
Discussion
11 repliesHowever, now that it is allowed, the idea of multiple winners being chosen and arranging the winning images in a collage is a good idea and it looks great.
There's probably little choice for the overwhelmed judges anyway.
On the other hand, some folks have a lot of photos from certain areas or subject while others may only have 1 or 2 so it gives an unfair advantage to the home state/subject group. We certainly don't want folks to not submit because they don't feel they have a chance at being selected. I do like what Todd said about "winning" vs being selected. IMO, every image is a winner! I also have the forum bookmarked and don't see the home page often but I do check the theme page all the time. That being said, folks coming to RMNP for the first time get a real treat!!
As long as I threw this out here for discussion, what do you think about having volunteers to judge each month? Not that I want to take the pressure off us but sometimes it's good to have different eyes looking at the images. Plus, it's hard for me to pick one of Josh or Adams images since they are on the panel..make sense?
Please keep the feedback coming. I know there is no single way to please everyone but the honest feedback helps to get us closer to a consensus.
I agree with Todd, the more the merrier. The objective is to share. The primary downside is the time it takes to load such a long thread. So, 3 to 5 might be a reasonable limit to consider.
Regarding the collage. I think multiple "winners" are a good choice when the participation is at last month's level. However, I would do it only for such special situations, and at the discretion of the moderators.
I can see where a volunteer judge(s) each month would add some nice variety, but I'm perfectly happy keeping it simple and letting the moderators decide.
The primary goal of the moderator is to please everyone.
1.) You can post as many as you want but ONLY your first post will be considered for the monthly cover pick. That would encourage people to post their very best shots first. The rest is icing on the cake!
2.) I wonder if we could get some kind of "gallery" set up for the monthly themes? Might be easier to view and quicker to load.
Food for thought. Eat up!