November 2011 Photo Contest

[okiroo]

I believe I entered 2 one of which I used an app on my iphone and just used the feature called clarity. The one of my larger male uthmoelleri was not altered in any way. I never alter my pics in any way. I just thought that other one w the smaller male on my finger looked cool that way oh well.

wow. that male has some crazy color! im a little jelous lol

 

[showjet95]

ya he can get some ridiculous colors when he wants. The smaller one is prettier overall/on a regular basis but cant get anywhere near the colors the larger one displays sometimes. Theyre better then ambilobe panthers fired up if you can see them in person

 

[okiroo]

ya he can get some ridiculous colors when he wants. The smaller one is prettier overall/on a regular basis but cant get anywhere near the colors the larger one displays sometimes. Theyre better then ambilobe panthers fired up if you can see them in person

i've only seen my chams in person..besides baby veileds. i really want to see some of that color someday! mabey i'll buy a panther ina few years. lol.

 

[im faster]

Yep.. I think im done with the contests.. i enter a photo one month nothing.. the next month i original photo.. and still dont get picked.. but this month i see a photo almost exactly like i entered last moth get picked..

 

[heartben]

I believe I entered 2 one of which I used an app on my iphone and just used a feature called clarity. The one of my larger male uthmoelleri was not altered in any way. I never alter my pics in any way. I just thought that other one w the smaller male on my finger looked cool that way oh well.

General Rules
a. Members may submit no more than one photo per contest.

Image Content
g. Post processing should not be detectable. Natural looking photos that accurately represent the chameleon species is the goal. Strictly enforced without debate.

Also I think a LOT of people need to look at this one.
Image Format
b.Width: Large photos are preferred. Entries must be at least 800 pixels wide.

There were quite a few that were smaller, there were a few people that submitted more than one... there are usually a a couple that are too heavy in the post processing..there are also some that just lack quality.

I wish I could go back to see all the peoples photos who submitted and are upset they didn't make it so I could help them have a better chance next time... Anyways, next time - Enter ONE, make sure its at least 800 pixels wide (and if its not very good quality, maybe shrink it down to 800, see it it looks better) and make sure not to over process.

 

[Hoj]

my lil baby quad made it.....fingers x'd ( hes the one on the leaf )

 

[okiroo]

my lil baby quad made it.....fingers x'd ( hes the one on the leaf )

i saw that~! what a cutie lol.

 

[Olimpia]

Yep.. I think im done with the contests.. i enter a photo one month nothing.. the next month i original photo.. and still dont get picked.. but this month i see a photo almost exactly like i entered last moth get picked..

I think there's a rule that states that there shouldn't be anything unnatural in the photo - no fences, hands, power chords, etc. Perhaps the mirror falls under that. It was a really creative photo by the way, but I think unfortunately it doesn't fit under the rules.

 

[im faster]

ive looked at the rules over and over.. and i dont see anything like that. if you could show me that would be great

 

[Olimpia]

ive looked at the rules over and over.. and i dont see anything like that. if you could show me that would be great

Oh you're right, I guess it was changed? I swear I think that was a rule at one point... Well then never mind, don't listen to me. That was the only reason I could think of that your pic might have been rejected due to, but if it isn't even a rule then never mind.

Does anyone else remember this being a rule at some point? It makes sense, all the photos with hands or obvious human "things" are always removed, I figured it was a rule.

 

[im faster]

i do recall it a when i first came here as a rule.. but i recheck before i submitted this photo..

 

[Hoj]

i dont really remeber it as a rule but i know brad has always suggested that natural pics are perfered, ie no humans, or other urban things in the background, cords, tv's ect
just my 2 cents

 

[Bradypod]

@ im faster

It's always going to be a brilliant pic anyway

 

[Hyokenseisou]

I think there's a rule that states that there shouldn't be anything unnatural in the photo - no fences, hands, power chords, etc. Perhaps the mirror falls under that. It was a really creative photo by the way, but I think unfortunately it doesn't fit under the rules.

I see a pic with a big finger in it..... Why was that one picked?...

 

[Brad]

Competition and limited space are the biggest hurdles that participants face. Besides images that are too small, the most common issues preventing photos from advancing to the final round are pixelation and digital artifacts. Many photos look great in their small shrunken size, but when you view the original the issues become more noticeable. Natural looking photos are definitely preferred unless there is a special theme.

 

[Hyokenseisou]

Competition and limited space are the biggest hurdles that participants face. Besides images that are too small, the most common issues preventing photos from advancing to the final round are pixelation and digital artifacts. Many photos look great in their small shrunken size, but when you view the original the issues become more noticeable. Natural looking photos are definitely preferred unless there is a special theme.

Well if that's the case, then wouldn't you say pictures with flash ruins the natural look? I see two.
Wouldn't having shelves in the background ruin the natural look? I see one.
Wouldn't having your cham on a potted plant and the pot being visible ruin the natural look? I see one.
Wouldn't having human body parts in the picture ruin the natural look? I see one.
If being put on a stick/branch and 'made' to pose for a picture, is that really considered 'natural'?

I'm not saying I'm bitter about making the cut (I don't really care because I don't expect to win, I just enter for fun), but for argument sake, let's use my picture as an example: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...6436225403_814300402_21368798_611375012_n.jpg
While yes, not perfect (not saying it was), but it doesn't have: shelves, humans, obvious potted plants (the pot part of the plant), no flash. But it does have high resolution, in focus, good colours, not blurry, etc.
With the exception of being able to see a tiny bit of the enclosure frame in the pic, why wouldn't a picture like that make the cut? That also could be said for many of the other pictures I saw that had a 'natural look', in focus, great picture; ones that IMO should have made the cut long before mine, yet weren't....
Like that picture of the tails in a heart being taken while they were mating. I don't know what gets more natural then catching and animal while it's mating. That, was an AMAZING picture, and I'm shocked to not even see it in the finals.... That picture was just so 'natural', simple, beautiful, amazing composition; I would love to have that printed and framed on my wall, and it didn't even make it into the finals....

I understand that there's tons of entries and not everyone can make it, but maybe a different system could be looked at so to better everyone's chance and to more importantly, give them a chance...

Maybe have it so the first two weeks is for accepting entries.
The next week having a tournament bracket style for EVERY entry.
Then the top 10 or whatever of THOSE bracket winners, compete in the final week.

The prize is only like $50 for whichever place each month, but it kind of takes the fun out of it and I'm starting to see it's leaving quite a few people disheartened to even enter when they try so hard to get a great picture, enter every single month, and not even make it into the final cut.

 

[heartben]

your picture isn't big enough (at least the one you posted a link to) so theres why that wouldn't have made the cut..

 

[Hyokenseisou]

your picture isn't big enough (at least the one you posted a link to) so theres why that wouldn't have made the cut..

Well the link I posted wasn't big enough, I'm quite aware; that was just an img link from my fb. I submitted the original file which was 1936x2592.
I was also just using mine as an example. Since it didn't make it into the final cut, the picture I submitted was deleted, so I couldn't post the link to that, so I posted a link from my fb (and we all know how fb liks to size things down and ruin the resolution)

 

[sandrachameleon]

Very nice pictures in the contest this month - was hard to choose just one to vote for.
Well done all entries!

 

[Chester222]

i also don't know why mine wasn't picked--it was large and beautiful. the close-up shot of my nosy be, taken with a very expensive camera