We will almost certainly regret this, but the next Critique the Community will be themed around artistic nudes.
Sometimes the line between fine art and porn can be blurred but we would like to see your best artistic nude photographs. Make sure your images have professional lighting, production, and modeling that isn't overtly sexual.
Don't forget to tag your submissions with the "NSFW" (not safe for work) check box when you upload. All submissions will be blocked for non-members and all images will be edited for our live critique on Youtube to keep them appropriate for the masses.
Each photographer is allowed to submit up to three different images and make sure you write a few sentences about the gear you used, or how you lit the photograph. We want to be able to have details to discuss during the show.
The featured image was taken by: Georgy Chernyadyev
I bet the average rating goes up now..
youre not wrong
Everything will go up.
LOL
hahahaha
Well, it'll be stiff competition anyway.
Will add a couple...
So far the submissions are _finally_ following the theme of the contest. Usually it's a mishmash of random, vaguely related images. These contests would go smoother and ratings would be less wonky if entries stuck to the theme
"All submissions will be blocked for non-members"? Is it possible to enter contests for non-members? I did not know that non-members can usually submit photos in contests.
I think they will remove the submissions from the public once the contest is over.
Ah ok did not understand it that way. Thanks David.
No, I'm simply saying that all NSFW images will be blocked from view for everyone who isn't an Fstoppers member. If you are commenting, you are a member.
Just an fyi...this contest is not being blocked from non-members. Also, when you upload an image, there's no NSFW check box.
https://i.imgur.com/GzX3jaJ.png
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https://i.imgur.com/TsMLlVn.png
Thanks. Looking into it.
If you want to stop these low marks for good shots that everyone hates, don't let votes be anonymous. Simple really.
Or choose the most hated in the end!
Your comment makes sense, I didn't know it was anonymous.
Agree, removed my content and hardly doubt that participate anytime again.
... or don't look for validation online.
Agreed, it's very discouraging
Instead of talking shit, submit a set of photos.
"Photography is moments in time, and it's worth sharing it with the world"
-MFoster
-- that´s a quote you cite on your portfolio.
You must be jealous.
Edit: since Michael Foster's comment was deleted, I retracted mine since it may look like I was replying to Stephen Scully.
this is the first time I've ever shown work on this site, and man the ratings are all over the place, very inconsistent and trending quite low. is this normal for F Stoppers?
I'm not sure. What I do know from the few times I've submitted is that there is a particular aesthetic that many on here go for. If this were being judged as a fine art competition, the judging would not be open to the community.
I think the ratings are definitely on the harsher side of things.
And I'm not even talking about my images, that I'm fully aware are not "world class" by any means; they are harsh across the board.
Even with the harshness, on some of mine I've gotten some good feedback that I'm applying to work in the future. Now, if this was a critique instead of a free for all voting, I think folks would be more refined with what they submit.
It's normal in the contests. Lots of capricious down votes because there is a prize for the highest. And lots of butthurt submitters downvoting thigns.
Hey Nicholas. I remember rating your images. One of them is maybe my favorite of the contest so far and I rated it a 4. Really good but not world class. I think the others I rated 2s, not because they are not well done but because I felt they were a little off topic. To me, art nude means something that someone would want to put on their wall, and the one with the partial silhouette is fantastic. I could see it going on my wall or looking great in a hip business location like a high end hair salon. If I recall, your other images looked more like the glamor photography to my eye. Like a more artistic version of what you would find in playboy rather than what you would see on someone's wall.
My interpretation of the contest brief is probably different from a lot of other people's so even people with completely good intentions can have big disagreements over the rating for a particular photo. That is completely leaving peoples interpretation or understanding of the very strict and somewhat unintuitive (but I think well thought out) grading system fstoppers uses for their 1-5 rating system. The only thing I think they could improve would be to have an "off topic" button for photos that are good but that a reviewer doesn't think match the contest brief so that people don't have to rate low to express that opinion.
And a final thought; I think that each of your photos are as good as or better than my own entries even if I think some of them are off topic. I hope you're not discouraged by the low rating. Just remember that the top rated entry here is probably going to get like a 3.4 or something so set your expectations appropriately. :-P
thank you for taking the time to write such a response. thank you.
Im not just talking about mine though, there are other images in here that are quite good and feel on topic that receive 2.5 or less. I just find it odd.
the cynic in me wants to think a lot of people are rating the nudity and not the photography. haha :P
Yeah, they are usually low but they are ALL low so it kinda evens out anyway.
One of my submissions had 3.47 with 123 votes. Two votes later it went down to 3.39, so some people just voted the image as a snapshot. Guys it's just ridiculous...
After posting and getting your first votes here, it can go only down...
This is nothing new. And there is likely no way to fix it. The contests to me are interesting, and I see some cool images that make me think about shots I could take. So I'm glad Fstoppers does this.
But something about photography attracts dicks. Every photo website or forum I've ever been on is the same. I don't know why.
I've seen a lot of work that has been posted that is clearly boudoir. Boudoir =/= fine art nude. Janos, I found the work you submitted to be stunning and I know I voted yours fairly high. I think that if the folks moderating the contest actually moderated the work submitted, there would be stronger images to judge.
George, on your sushi shot... I get there was a lot of planning that went into it, I do need to ask, how much planning went into framing and composition of the image? There are quite a few shots that just do not belong because of either poor composition, poor framing, no "flow", no feeling. The images themselves just feel like a snap shot.
Even with this being a nude contest, the image being a glorified tits and ass doesn't constitute warranting an automatic rating above a 3. The folks looking for spank material, I think, are the one's bitching most about this contest.
On your issue of folks not knowing how to vote, I have some agreement with you on that, but I also think many have forgotten how to give and take a critique on their work, let alone someone else's. If this were a formal grading, no one should see shit when it comes to the grading until the contest is over.
To give you more of a constructive critique on your sushi photo... I think if you were wider with the photograph and gave more of an emphasis that the woman was a living platter for the sushi vs the up close shot you decided to go with, your entry would have been more successful.
"even a 2 is not credible due to the nature of the shot and the settings used"
"images that look like they were easy to take get voted high"
I don't think you understand that its the final image that matters. No matter how much work you put into it. A polished turd is still a turd.
And just because you put work into it doesn't mean it should go into your portfolio. Thats why it gets a 2.
Let people have their opinion, not everyone should think the same.
For example, I think your submission with two people's back is a really beautiful photo. It's currently voted 2.6 by the community, but I think it's at least solid. Worth to be printed and put on the wall.
The second submission with dancers on the other hand is voted 3.37 as of now. Personally I think it has potential to be a 4, but right now it's a shadow of what it could be. I rated it 2, because there's just so much more you need to do to make it a good image. In my opinion. But community in general liked it.
Everyone has different taste and experience - so expect different views and ratings.
I don't get why submit photos for a critique, but than act surprised and defensive, when the work gets critiqued.
Thank you for the feedback. You are right, I didn't have the time to polish the photo to the level it could be. I have no problem with opinion and critique, but a composite image simply cannot be a snapshot by definition.
It might be kinda cool to have a tab "Have Comments" which would list submissions that have comments. Sort in Desc order by comment date. A lot of times, I'm curious what others have to say on the various submissions.
Could just add to here that way it behaves just like the other tabs. It's just a matter of filtering and sorting.
https://i.imgur.com/MRcLvYe.png
when a natural light only boudoir contest?