The Single Awareness vs Valentine day challenge had some interest so I'm going to try to see if I can continue this "Showdown" challenge series.
Here is how it is played.
Two teams.... Each is given a theme / story to create an image with. Depending on your theme, you tag it with the given tag. At the end of the submission period, each team will vote for the best image of what the other team has. The final two will be voted on by the whole 365 day community.
Please register your name here to be placed on a team. I'll randomly assign them based on some system (i.e. order of registration or alphebetical order). Submission ends on March 6 (2 full weeks).
The two themes are Low Key and High Key.
A low-key image is one that contains predominantly dark tones and colours. Low-key lighting creates striking contrasts through reduced lighting, shadows, deep blacks and darker tones, with very few whites and middle tones. Low-key lighting can often create somber, mysterious and moody, dramatic or even ominous moods depending on the subject.
A high-key image refers to images that are mostly bright, with a range of light tones and whites and not very many blacks or mid-tones. In high-key photography, tones that generally would have been mid-range become much brighter, near-white tones become white and white becomes, well, white. It is all about controlling the dark tones which are not really wanted in the first place. It can be done both in-camera and/or in post. High-key lighting can create a upbeat, optimistic or youthful feel in your images.
Please tag your low key images with "SHOWDOWN01LK" and your high key images with "SHOWDOWN01HK. Multiple submissions are allow but I encourage you to create different stories or use different subject matters instead of having slighly different variations of the same subject or image.
Remember to register your name here if you want to play and I will assign you to a team.
One thought.... in the semi round selection process, do you think each team should vote for the other team's best to make it to the final or should the team vote for its own team's best....
And anyone that like to join in at anytime is welcome. The first new joiner starts on HIGH KEY and the following joiner would be LOW KEY and then HIGH KEY next and etc...
Okay, HIGH KEY team. Great images that you have there. So I decided that your team will select the best image from your group to square off with the best of LOW KEY's image.
Please pick your FIRST choice and SECOND choice image from the HIGH KEY submissions. You can report your selection by simply entering your two submissions in this format (1st pick, 2nd pick)... ie. (8, 3). You can not pick your own submission. Hopefully, this will selection process will generate a clear winner.
The HIGH KEY Submissions....
---------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, LOW KEY team. Great images that you have there. So I decided that your team will select the best image from your group to square off with the best of HIGH KEY's image.
Please pick your FIRST choice and SECOND choice image from the LOW KEY submissions. You can report your selection by simply entering your two submissions in this format (1st pick, 2nd pick)... ie. (8, 3). You can not pick your own submission. Hopefully, this will selection process will generate a clear winner.
The LOW KEY Submissions....
---------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the votes, there is technically a tie between image #2 & 9
If we did a re-vote of just these two images and assuming that everyone votes the same way (except for my vote which I would abstain as it seems both images are submissions from me), the outcome would likely be image #9.
I don't want to put this in the voting area, but I have a question:
Were the high-key or low-key effects created as a result camera settings for those styles and then processed or was it ok to take a shot and MAKE it high key/low key from processing solely? Sorry to ask, but these effects are hard to make without an intentional part on the front end (well, not exactly). Just a question, no judgement. Want to go in "informed" for voting. They are both great choices for the final, but I was surprised at the choices to be honest.
I think it would be good going forward to explain how the image was taken and processed as it really helps everyone know what really is a high-key image vs. a low-key image. Lighting and the settings on the camera would be best and then optimized certainly in processing. I'm not against processing at all, but I was wondering if participants were going for as much lighting/settings while taking the shot to achieve the effects before processing. :)
@ukandie1 oh dear! I loved the high key choice!!!! I was just interested in process and how each team was going about it. I was torn on the choice for vote, so please know i really thought your work was so good! I was equally trying to figure out if you were attempting high key methods as you took the shot. But that bean shot is awesome -- the reflections, the various narratives, the skyline. Very imaginative!
@davidtom@darylo I left a lengthy reply, but in the end deleted it. A quick reply would be that as the parameters said in camera or post processing, for this shot I chose the latter.
@darylo Daryl I think I deleted my post as you were replying. I realized that I was probably being over sensative, and thus deleted what I wrote. With the bean shot I was not thinking about high key when I took it, but realized it might work when I fiddled with it in LR. Sorry about the first reply I can only blame it on being tired.
Andrea: I did see your earlier posting (it comes to me in email form) and I would have to respectful disagree that you are an enthusiastic beginner as your body of work demonstrates a level of skill beyond what a beginner could produce. The image you submitted is quite good (as demonstrated by the comments and favs) and your portfolio demonstrates the knowledge of a photographer. There were no parameters set for this challenge and I find that high-key is often done in post. I find little difference in over-exposing in-camera vs over-exposing in post. I would have likely done the same as you were shooting in the public with little control over the environment. Better to have useful data on your memory card than useless blown out data.
Daryl: My image too required post-processing work to get to the final image I presented. I was able to achieve 80% of my work in-camera (or maybe out of camera as the exposure was only made possible by the off-camera speedlight). Then after LR raw processing, I processed the image through Silver Efex to produce two separate layers and mask the look I wanted from each layer and adjust the curves to bring out more details.
Hi all... thanks for playing this challenge. Wanted to get some feedback from all the participants on this challenge to figure out where I can improve this challenge and if this particular game is worthwhile to keep offering to the community (as we have many types of challenges / themes already offered).
I know it was my mistake, but it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. there was no team talk, or team work at all. Just submit and vote. When I tried to get some chat going I was told to hush up and vote. There's plenty of those opportunities on 365. JMHO.
Interesting... you were hoping for some sort of collaborative effort. Can you give me some thoughts on how that could have played out. I'm kinda curious if such a game could be done whether using this challenge or another type of game (i.e. like a broken telephone game where each person submits an image that tells a story based on the last image submitted)
@davidtom I didn't mind the way the challenge worked at all. I played along as if I were playing a game of mafia, so I just tried to push myself to take the best shot I could to give my team the best chance to win. The broken telephone idea sounds interesting though.
Thanks for the input so far. Interactively without a real messaging service can be challenging for teams to co-ordinate.
For the "showdown" challenge, we could get each team to submit one image and then a short round (couple of days) of voting occurs. The winning image stays in but the team that didn't win the vote has to submit another image from their team to win the vote. A vote would happen again and this would continue until the team has allowed all their teammates to submit an image but unable to dethrone the current winning image.
This would combine some interactively as the team has to decide which teammate's image would try to dethrone the current winning image and some strategy in planning (i.e. what image could dethrone the winning image).
As I mention, without a messaging system, the behind the scene discussions in planning may be challenging.
The "broken telephone" is based on a similar concept of the "broken telephone game". The first player would get a phrase that isn't shared. The person than must create a image based on the individual's interpretation of that phrase. The next person would create an image based on that image that was created by the first player. The next person would create an image based on that previous image and this goes on until everyone has created an image. Then we can either release the phrase and everyone can see how the series of images evolved or we let everyone try to guess what the phrase is before we release the phrase (of course, the first player and the organizer couldn't participate).
This could be a team based competition by having two groups do it and the team's final image could be voted on by the community. The vote would be based on which image is the best interpretation of the phrase.
@davidtom well - like i said, i really like the telephone concept, but it could be logistically challenging... either that, or it would need to elapse over a long-ish period of time... optimally each player would post one day after the other, but this means arranging the players by who has time and when...
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Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
The HIGH KEY team (use the tag SHOWDOWN01HK)
@jlindros
@laetitiapetrussa
@northy
@whimsicalgrateful
@ukandie1
The LOW KEY team (use the tag: SHOWDOWN01LK)
@dtigani
@houser934
@annied
@melston
@davidtom
The list was produced by: https://www.random.org/lists/ (for those interested)
You can also post here if you like... Multiple unique entries are allowed. Deadline is March 6.
Thoughts?
A reminder that the contest closes in two days (end of March 6).
The submissions have been quite good.
Contest closes tonight. Get your submissions up :-)
Okay, HIGH KEY team. Great images that you have there. So I decided that your team will select the best image from your group to square off with the best of LOW KEY's image.
Please pick your FIRST choice and SECOND choice image from the HIGH KEY submissions. You can report your selection by simply entering your two submissions in this format (1st pick, 2nd pick)... ie. (8, 3). You can not pick your own submission. Hopefully, this will selection process will generate a clear winner.
The HIGH KEY Submissions....
---------------------------------------------------------------
HIGH-KEY #1
HIGH-KEY #2
HIGH-KEY #3
HIGH-KEY #4
HIGH-KEY #5
HIGH-KEY #6
HIGH-KEY #7
HIGH-KEY #8
HIGH-KEY #9
HIGH-KEY #10
HIGH-KEY #11
HIGH-KEY #12
HIGH-KEY #13
Okay, LOW KEY team. Great images that you have there. So I decided that your team will select the best image from your group to square off with the best of HIGH KEY's image.
Please pick your FIRST choice and SECOND choice image from the LOW KEY submissions. You can report your selection by simply entering your two submissions in this format (1st pick, 2nd pick)... ie. (8, 3). You can not pick your own submission. Hopefully, this will selection process will generate a clear winner.
The LOW KEY Submissions....
---------------------------------------------------------------
LOW-KEY #1
LOW-KEY #2
LOW-KEY #3
LOW KEY #4
LOW-KEY #5
LOW-KEY #6
LOW-KEY #7
LOW-KEY #8
LOW-KEY #9
LOW-KEY #10
LOW-KEY #11
for my low key selection.
Still a close race. Your vote can make a difference on the outcome.
Need you to select the top two low-key image for us to help determine which low-key image will showdown with the selected high key image.
Last call to cast votes...
Thanks...
Based on the votes, there is technically a tie between image #2 & 9
If we did a re-vote of just these two images and assuming that everyone votes the same way (except for my vote which I would abstain as it seems both images are submissions from me), the outcome would likely be image #9.
Anyone opposed to this selection?
Were the high-key or low-key effects created as a result camera settings for those styles and then processed or was it ok to take a shot and MAKE it high key/low key from processing solely? Sorry to ask, but these effects are hard to make without an intentional part on the front end (well, not exactly). Just a question, no judgement. Want to go in "informed" for voting. They are both great choices for the final, but I was surprised at the choices to be honest.
Very good question Daryl. In regards to this competition, no rules were applied in the method of producing a high key or low key image.
But it makes a very good conversation topic which can be applicable to many of the competitions here. In-camera vs post processing.
Although I'm not sure if I answered your question.
Andrea: If you want to share how you went about making it, I'm happy to share.
I think it would be good going forward to explain how the image was taken and processed as it really helps everyone know what really is a high-key image vs. a low-key image. Lighting and the settings on the camera would be best and then optimized certainly in processing. I'm not against processing at all, but I was wondering if participants were going for as much lighting/settings while taking the shot to achieve the effects before processing. :)
Andrea: I did see your earlier posting (it comes to me in email form) and I would have to respectful disagree that you are an enthusiastic beginner as your body of work demonstrates a level of skill beyond what a beginner could produce. The image you submitted is quite good (as demonstrated by the comments and favs) and your portfolio demonstrates the knowledge of a photographer. There were no parameters set for this challenge and I find that high-key is often done in post. I find little difference in over-exposing in-camera vs over-exposing in post. I would have likely done the same as you were shooting in the public with little control over the environment. Better to have useful data on your memory card than useless blown out data.
Daryl: My image too required post-processing work to get to the final image I presented. I was able to achieve 80% of my work in-camera (or maybe out of camera as the exposure was only made possible by the off-camera speedlight). Then after LR raw processing, I processed the image through Silver Efex to produce two separate layers and mask the look I wanted from each layer and adjust the curves to bring out more details.
Hi all... thanks for playing this challenge. Wanted to get some feedback from all the participants on this challenge to figure out where I can improve this challenge and if this particular game is worthwhile to keep offering to the community (as we have many types of challenges / themes already offered).
Interesting... you were hoping for some sort of collaborative effort. Can you give me some thoughts on how that could have played out. I'm kinda curious if such a game could be done whether using this challenge or another type of game (i.e. like a broken telephone game where each person submits an image that tells a story based on the last image submitted)
the broken telephone game sounds interesting, but likely logistically challenging...
Thanks for the input so far. Interactively without a real messaging service can be challenging for teams to co-ordinate.
For the "showdown" challenge, we could get each team to submit one image and then a short round (couple of days) of voting occurs. The winning image stays in but the team that didn't win the vote has to submit another image from their team to win the vote. A vote would happen again and this would continue until the team has allowed all their teammates to submit an image but unable to dethrone the current winning image.
This would combine some interactively as the team has to decide which teammate's image would try to dethrone the current winning image and some strategy in planning (i.e. what image could dethrone the winning image).
As I mention, without a messaging system, the behind the scene discussions in planning may be challenging.
The "broken telephone" is based on a similar concept of the "broken telephone game". The first player would get a phrase that isn't shared. The person than must create a image based on the individual's interpretation of that phrase. The next person would create an image based on that image that was created by the first player. The next person would create an image based on that previous image and this goes on until everyone has created an image. Then we can either release the phrase and everyone can see how the series of images evolved or we let everyone try to guess what the phrase is before we release the phrase (of course, the first player and the organizer couldn't participate).
This could be a team based competition by having two groups do it and the team's final image could be voted on by the community. The vote would be based on which image is the best interpretation of the phrase.
Thoughts?