I’m a huge fan of minimalism and quite like these challenges, but I end up feeling like I’m entering the same image over and over again - not sure if this means that I’m being lazy or that the challenge isn’t pushing me enough... I’ll see if I can wrap my head around a minimalist street shot this coming week 🙂
I don't think we should retire it - it's a bit different and almost a half way point between abstracts and straight images. It is sometimes a bit tricky to find suitable subjects for the various themes. Maybe change the format a little - maybe allow each host to nominate a theme - would give it a bit more variety. Maybe have some open theme weeks - they can be easier to come up with. It will be sad if it closes - I'll get a shot in town today and enter it!! Cheers Rob
@robz ooh i was wondering what to say here and find that i agree with rob! i would like it to keep going, but be a little freer, a bit like the etsooi challenge i guess, where the theme is up to the host, as rob suggests ...
I also vote for keeping the minimalist challenge. Getting a theme is a good way to be more challenged, but it means you need to make dedicated shots, and sometimes the opportunity is not easy to find for some topics. I just checked by tag and it looks to me that the participation to the previous minimalist challenges has been quite good for the ones on texture/form and the ones on light/shadow, it has been rather low for the ones on urban details and for the ones on landscape, and it has always been poor for street minimalism. So maybe some particular themes should return less often, and therefore, Rob’s proposal might be worth to try. In any case, I will also submit an entry to the current challenge by the end of the week.
I love minimalism but fitting a theme into it is not always easy or even possible. I would be happy to continue this minimalist challenge without themes. Just minimal shots of your own choice.
Or, maybe the host can chose a theme or subject but let people free in chosing to follow that theme/subject. Maybe a theme/subject can be inspiring when your photomojo is low?
I do like this challenge, and participated in 5 of the previous 6 iterations. Missing only mini-street2. I've been struggling a bit for photo-time the past few days, and "Street" is not really my forte. I will try to get something done though.
As far as dropping the sub-categories, and making it just "minimalist"? I kind of like the specific focus, but I'm ok either way.
I live in a rural area but we do have a small city nearby- I'm just not that into "street" photography although I often admire and appreciate the shots I see posted here in that category. I tend to agree with the option to let the winner choose a theme but I'd really prefer an open/no particular theme at all emphasis on the genre of minimalism rather than a specific theme with a specific subject each time.
I feel that I really should not participate in discussions too much since I have been mostly AWOL for the last month or two (which seems to happen every spring here on the farm - lol!)
I find that hosts tend to panic, and rightly so, in the last week of a challenge because there are not a lot of entries. However, I also find that most people tend to procrastinate and the entries flow in at the last minute.
And yes, it would be nice if every challenge had 30 or more entries but there are so many challenges that those days are gone. A successful challenge now has 15 or less.
On the specific topic of minimalism - I think the challenge should keep going.- and do not worry about how many entries are submitted. Competitions have their slow periods and times when there are a lot. It depends on how busy members are.
This discussion raises an interesting question to me. Is it acceptable for the host of a challenge to notify previous challenge participants when I new edition comes out? I've seen it done by adding a comment to the thread with people's site address (@photographer)... Our would that be considered "Spam" if folk haven't "opted in"??
I was looking at another challenge that just declared finalists (Albumcoverchallenge104): there were only 7 entries, from 5 photographers. Looking at the past 6 editions (2019), there have been a total of 27 photographers who have entered at least once, but never more than 15 in a given round.
I really enjoy the challenges, but I seem to overlook a lot of them (even with the wonderful Sh#t List), and I wouldn't mind getting a specific notification that some challenege was running. But I know some people are pretty sensitive about unsolicited emails, and I understand why.....
@lsquared
There are a couple challenges that do this I think. Seems I'm on a list for the Dogwood Challenge postings here and I think there's another one although the name is not coming to mind at the moment. I start compiling a list of folks who want to be notified about the "flash of red" black and white month just before Feb. But I don't keep them year to year. I don't know if there's a simple solution but it's worth trying to find one.
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As far as dropping the sub-categories, and making it just "minimalist"? I kind of like the specific focus, but I'm ok either way.
I find that hosts tend to panic, and rightly so, in the last week of a challenge because there are not a lot of entries. However, I also find that most people tend to procrastinate and the entries flow in at the last minute.
And yes, it would be nice if every challenge had 30 or more entries but there are so many challenges that those days are gone. A successful challenge now has 15 or less.
On the specific topic of minimalism - I think the challenge should keep going.- and do not worry about how many entries are submitted. Competitions have their slow periods and times when there are a lot. It depends on how busy members are.
I.think.I.will.suggest.to.the.next.host.that.they.choose a theme.which.is.optional,so.that.any.minimalist.photo.can.be.submitted,but.there.is.a.focus.for.
those.that.want.it.
I was looking at another challenge that just declared finalists (Albumcoverchallenge104): there were only 7 entries, from 5 photographers. Looking at the past 6 editions (2019), there have been a total of 27 photographers who have entered at least once, but never more than 15 in a given round.
I really enjoy the challenges, but I seem to overlook a lot of them (even with the wonderful Sh#t List), and I wouldn't mind getting a specific notification that some challenege was running. But I know some people are pretty sensitive about unsolicited emails, and I understand why.....
Anyway, does anybody have thoughts on this topic?
like.background.noise.and.i.dont.think.it.has.increased.participation...we.give.everyone.
an.opt-out..i.usually.try.to.spot.things.in.the.feed.and.suggest.people.tag.for.various.challenges
,,as.you.are.right,people.forget.or.dont.know....
There are a couple challenges that do this I think. Seems I'm on a list for the Dogwood Challenge postings here and I think there's another one although the name is not coming to mind at the moment. I start compiling a list of folks who want to be notified about the "flash of red" black and white month just before Feb. But I don't keep them year to year. I don't know if there's a simple solution but it's worth trying to find one.