Photo Theme of the Week - Wild

[OFRD_GRL]

Here's the rules:
~Picture must be taken after the theme has been posted.
~New Themes to be posted every Monday.
~Polls to be posted Tuesday after all entries have been received.
~No photo editing allowed, other than cropping or resizing. (slight re-touching is OK, but must not alter the integrity of the original photograph - AKA = turn into artwork as opposed to a picture)
~One entry per person.
~Take a photo of what the theme represents to you.
~If you want your submission voted on, it must be posted by the following Monday (24:00 Midnight Pacific Time) of the week the theme was posted.
~Post your EXIF data if you would like to, it will help us all learn about the photo settings used for different types of pictures.
~Do not post original sized images, due to viewing on the forum will be difficult.
~The poll winner can give a theme to be placed for the next week's theme.

This week's theme, since started on an odd day, will continue for more than one week.
Due date for picture submission Monday March 3rd, 2008
The poll will be posted Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Post your pictures for this theme in this thread.

Theme: Wild

 

[Brett M]

Now to go take more pictures!

 

[Lost Canadian]

Do you mean no digital alterations? The editing process is half the fun, and skill, not to mention it's required by those who shoot RAW.

 

[OFRD_GRL]

No photoshopping to enhance the image.

This is to be based on photography alone, not graphic effects or enhancements

 

[Lost Canadian]

I get what your saying about alterations. I'm just trying to establish what is the boundary on "editing." What of minor adjustments, ie, a tonal shift, color balance, a dodge here or a burn there. A good portion of the photography process, at least for many people here who shoot film or digital RAW, involves and includes time in the dark room, or digital dark room. You know what I mean? The actual process of creating the image will require a certain degree of "editing," beyond cropping.

 

[OFRD_GRL]

*post edited to change my mind*

No photo editing allowed, other than cropping or resizing. (that means you post the picture as you took it, it will force us all to learn to become better at photography, and not rely so much on our after photography editing)

 

[DaktariEd]

I don't think you should allow editing of any kind...
Just post the untouched image. It takes more skill to capture an image "as is" than to tweak it in the darkroom.
I prefer to print my images with no alterations except perhaps an unsharp mask, and a minor crop if needed to fit the paper. I shoot all my images full frame, with no thought to later digital manipulation.
Any other way and I feel I'm cheating, or being sloppy in my technique.
Just my 2 cents...

 

[OFRD_GRL]

That is how I have posted ALL of my images in any sort of competition I was in.

Getting the settings of the camera right for that PERFECT image is an art in and of itself (not to mention being good at photoshop being one).

Plus this way, if people tell you how they got their image to be perfect as is with no editing, it forces us all to learn something from each week's *contest*, which is really the ultimate goal in my opinion. I will never be perfect, but I can always strive to get better!

 

[Streakerfreak]

I don't think you should allow editing of any kind...
Just post the untouched image. It takes more skill to capture an image "as is" than to tweak it in the darkroom.
I prefer to print my images with no alterations except perhaps an unsharp mask, and a minor crop if needed to fit the paper. I shoot all my images full frame, with no thought to later digital manipulation.
Any other way and I feel I'm cheating, or being sloppy in my technique.
Just my 2 cents...

Even Ansel Adams had to spend hours in the darkroom dodging and burning:sombrero: In fact that is actually where he really showed his skill.

Great rules though even if I think we should not be able to crop. I never crop my work. If the image is terrible full frame then it is terrible no matter what. I should have taken it right the first time.

Okay enough of that, let's start shooting.

 

[BigAl]

:costumed-smiley-007

 

[Lost Canadian]

Ed I disagree, Ansel Adams spent far more time in the dark room trying to get his images right then he ever did shooting in the field, I doubt he felt like he was cheating. In the field technique and decisions are important, but the post process stage is also important, if you want to achieve the best results possible.

As is with digital, sometimes the in camera firmware makes mistakes when shooting, things like incorrect white balance, poor metering, color shifting etc happen, even when you set up the camera properly, it is a computer after all. That's why many serious photogs shoot RAW as opposed to JPG. That's also why I brought it up, because if you shoot RAW, as many do, you can and may have to make certain decisions as to correct white balance, image sharpening, tone, etc, in the post processing stage.

For instance, I don't use Photoshop, but I do use Lightroom. Just opening my RAW images in Lightroom strips all the in camera info and forces me to apply specific settings myself, it's like dealing with a digital negative, actually that is what it is. I have to develop it, the cameras interpretation of what it thinks the sensor captured is removed. If I were to convert a RAW file to JPG to post here with no post process, it may look, well a little bleak, even if I did everything right in the field and in camera.

For digital RAW shooters, can we make corrections to improper white balance, hue shifts and things like that? I'm not talking about recreating the image, only making it look proper, as we saw it standing there.

Oh and what of black and white etc? I know I'm getting carried away, see what happens when you suggest a photo contest on a site where there are a few really good professional shooters and a great many photo enthusiasts, it brings about certain questions,...at least for me it did. LOL

I really like the idea though.

 

[Lost Canadian]

Damn you Streaker, you beat me to it. I was too busy writing my novel. LOL

 

[alvarorb]

I don't think you should allow editing of any kind...

What about the decisions the camera makes?
If you take a picture in Fully Auto Mode or in Program Mode, does that count?
How is that different from retouching in Aperture or Adobe Light Room?
What about ICC profiles?

Digital images are whole different beast from analog pictures. Like Lost Canadian says, if we take RAW images, some manipulation takes effect. If we take JPG images, the manipulation is done for us.

Speaking of Analog pictures. When they are scanned, they get manipulated too. How was the scanner calibrated? What ICC was used?

Regards

Alvaro

 

[Streakerfreak]

Damn you Streaker, you beat me to it. I was too busy writing my novel. LOL

LOL:shakin: , yeah I am usually to lazy to write novels on forums. I tend to go back and edit a lot because of that.

 

[mcgovski]

It must be true that Ansel's magic happened in the dark room...my dad was on a photo team with Ansel in the '70s. Basically a bunch of college kids hiked for 10 days with all the equipment, set up all the equipment, set up the shot to have Ansel fly in on a chopper, click the frame and fly out. No disrespect to my dad, but I doubt my dad and his college mates made the magic! I bet it was a killer trip though!

BTW. I love the idea of this thread, and I am trying figure out what to shoot!