I hate the photo contest in GD. It sucks!

[IdaBriggs]

They only let you vote on ONE picture - and this month, there are some AMAZING shots! How can I choose ONLY ONE?



Did I get you?

So, go vote on the photo contest threads -- and give them a kick, too!

You will be glad you did -- and because choosing your favorite is hard!

#1: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025526309

#2: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025526311

#3: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025526313

Oh, and if you haven't gotten your daily dose of squee! go visit SalmonChantedEvening's Sunday LolCat thread -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018665388

"Let the Flames begin!"

[monmouth3]

1. Ida, you're a hoot and you are so right. It's like trying to choose amongst your children.

Impossible!

[IdaBriggs]

2. One of my problems was "sticking to the theme" --

Originally I thought, "well, LINES - probably boring, and easy."

Uh, NO! How do you pick between the detailed lines of a feather, versus the shadows cast by a veranda?

How do they even GET these photos?

Such amazing, impressive work - !!!

And we can only pick ONE???

[zeemike]

3. Well the LOL cats is the first thing I look for on Sunday morning.

But that is easy because you don't have to chose just one.
But it never fails in the photo contest that I have conflicts on which one is best...just too much talent in one place I think.

[IdaBriggs]

7. My favorite LOL this week was...

"Dude! Let me in! It's me! Mittens!"

[zeemike]

12. Yep that was gold right there.

But Grumpy cat always cracks me up too.

[Stargazer09]

4. Thank you for the links!

I really enjoyed voting, although it was difficult to choose my favorites.

And of course, I always love the Sunday LOLCats.

[IdaBriggs]

9. Most welcome!

I wanted to make sure they got some DU love - and starting a flame fest about it seemed the way to go...?

Okay, there is something wrong with me, isn't there?

[Stargazer09]

11. Oh probably...

But where's the fun in being "normal?"

[CrispyQ]

5. Yes, it's always difficult.

"Lines" turned out to be an excellent theme!

[IdaBriggs]

8. I was really impressed.

The lines in nature versus the man made ones, then some of them "crossing the line" and having both - wow.

That photography group is inspiring!

[treestar]

6. had me going there about meta

The SCE thread is funny as usual.

[IdaBriggs]

10. I am bad.

Made you look!

[mnhtnbb]

13. Thanks for the flaming!

[IdaBriggs]

14. Hey, anytime I can start a DU flame war about the photo contest...

You know I am there!

Do we ever find out the artists associated with the photos?

Much appreciation to the folks in that group - one of my favorite DU things.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. You will find out who took the pictures!

There will be a winner's thread after it's all over.

Of course, if you REALLY want to know who took them......check out the Photo Group. There's a thread in there...

[Mira]

17. Thank you for the thread, IdaBriggs

you made me laugh, and as a constant participant in these contests I also sat up!

To answer the question:
We divulge the names of the artists for the winning 3 photos all the time, sometimes the host/hostess decides to divulge the names of the top ten who got into the finals.

If you want to see who entered what you can go to the photo forum and find the submission thread, the names are right there for all to see.

Except sometimes, when we run a blind contest, when nobody but the host or hostess knows the names til the very end.
We do not often run blind contests, they are a whole lot of work for the person in charge, who is also the one who decides whether to do it or not.

Maybe too much information, but I just felt like typing.

[IdaBriggs]

26. Never too much information -- fascinating stuff!

Honestly, I don't want to know until after the contest is over - that way I won't be letting my opinion of the "poster" affect my opinion of the artwork. (Yes, I have some favorite DUers - lol!)

I may go back and check out some of the older threads - there was one photo in particular a few months back that just *haunted me* to be point where I would have loved to have purchased a print of it for my own wall.

And much appreciation for the work you and the other folks in the Photography group do!!!



P.S. Glad I made you look - hopefully more people clicked on the voting links because of the "flame bait" subject line!

[tblue37]

15. Yeah, I think this month's subject has produced some of the best shots ever--

and past months' shots have been amazing, so saying that suggess how astonishing some of this month's compositions are!

[IdaBriggs]

22. I couldn't agree with you more!

The creativity on the interpretation alone - wow!

[Skittles]

18. I agree; they present consistently difficult choices

yes they do

[IdaBriggs]

23. Yeah! We agree!!!

How are you doing these days? I was worried you might lose your trademark humor after that egregious hide a few weeks ago; you are one of the many bright spots at DU, so I am hoping the alerter's foolishness didn't sting the pride too badly....

[Blue_In_AK]

19. I chose the topic this month from a book, "Learning to See Creatively"

In it, the author, Bryan Peterson, discusses the creative and artistic use of design, composition and light in photography. Specifically, the six elements of design are line, shape, form, texture, pattern, and color. The line is the most elemental of the elements, and once you focus on it, you can see examples just about everywhere.

A line doesn't have to be straight - it can be curved or jagged, it can be thick or thin, and depending on how it is used can convey all kinds of emotions. There are many examples of curvy lines in nature - dunes, rivers, rolling hills - and they usually make you feel restful and relaxed, whereas jagged lines are experienced as sharp, dangerous, threatening - as in mountain peaks, arrows, spears, swords. Diagonal lines can make you feel movement. A line can pull you into a photograph.

"The line" presented all kinds of possibilities, and I think everyone's interpretation has been wonderful.

(And again props to Bryan Peterson for helping me explain this.)

[IdaBriggs]

20. There are some amazing photos.

When I first read the "this month = line" I really thought it was going to be easy, but honestly, this month was one of the HARDEST to vote in.

I literally kept changing my mind on a couple of them -- in the first set alone, I was having the *most* problem choosing between "Golden Hour" and "Genesis" -- HOW did they get those shots? Then "How NOT to Step Out of Line" popped up, and don't even get me started on "Morels" --

I think the fascinating bit was that in both "Golden Hour" and "How NOT to Step Out" it was all about man-made objects interacting with sunlight and shadow, all creating some amazing "lines", while "Genesis" and "Morels" were all about the lines in nature that were being visually displayed by the artwork of the photo -- you don't *see* the lines, until the photographer draws your attention to them.

NOTE: I have opinions about all of them -- "Finish Line" and "Mooring Lines" were totally different takes, and made me smile, while the "Library" made me remember "waiting in line" in addition to seeing the lines; and I couldn't figure out if the "Porch Lines" were upside down or not -- ARGH!!! You can see how this one really made me think, hence my frustrated post! Lol!

[onyourleft]

21. I agree, Ida.

We have only Blue to blame.

[IdaBriggs]

24. Well, Blue_in_AK also posts other interesting things, too.

She and DU'er XemaSab both posted the "Rape Culture in the Alaskan Wilderness" article --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025519661 (Thursday 9/11) and http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025530499 (Saturday 9/13)

which generated some depressing discussion around our home. Not sure if they planned it, but the topic did not "drop" totally because of them (which so many good ones do when we find another fun issue to discuss, and go traipsing off on the outrage-du-jour).

But fortunately, Blue_in_AK also posted about the Palin Family Brawl http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025525694 which, let's face it, HILARIOUS stuff!!! Necessary after the depressing stuff, am-I-right?

Plus all of the "what's happening in Alaska politics" is good reading, and, if I recall correctly, hasn't she raised a couple of "True Blue" kids who also post good stuff on DU?

While there is much "BLAME" for our good Blue_in_AK for making life so blasted challenging when it comes to choosing from awesome photography, she is one of the many Great Posters who make this a Great Site.

Even if she will only let us vote ONCE per thread!!! (pout)

[onyourleft]

25. I certainly...

...agree that Blue has posted many other interesting topics.

[Blue_In_AK]

27. Thank you, Ida.

I'm humbled.

I raised three true blue kids, but only one posts here, Blue_in_CA, who sometimes (although not often) posts in the Photo Group