Critique the Community
Submit Your Best "Moody" Image
Critique the Community: Moody
Congratulations to the winners!
Lee and Patrick have given feedback to 20 of the community's "moody" images. Do agree with their and the rest of the community's ratings?
Congratulations to our two winners. Martijn Hermans submitted the highest rated image and Daniel Cordero was chosen as the random winner. I will be in touch with both of you via your Fstoppers profiles to claim your prize.
If you'd like to participate in the next episode, we invite you to submit your long exposure photographs to be critiqued.
Rules & Prizes
It's time for another Critique the Community and this time we are going with the theme "Moody." Submissions can be anything from moody landscapes to dramatic portraits to upset children from a recently family portrait session. Whatever qualifies as your best moody image, we want to see it.
Submit up to two of your best photographs that capture the essence of moody for a chance to win a free tutorial from the Fstoppers Store.
The deadline to submit your images is October 31st by noon eastern time. Good luck and we hope to see some amazing image from everyone in our photography community!
Thu, 10/31/2019 - 11:00
This contest has ended.
753 people have cast a total of 59,198 votes on 1,059 entries from 662 participants
Contest Submissions
Click on the thumbnails below to comment and rate each image.
Click here to learn about the Fstoppers rating system and what each star value means.
145 Comments
I'll rate ya if you rate me :) lol
Hei, everyone!
I would like to know, what determines which images make "the finals"?
I think they are chosen at random.
thank you! :)
They're not chosen at random, they just select a wide selection of images, both good and bad, so it will be useful to review them for the viewers who want to improve. However during that selection process they'll tend to pick the ones that jump at them. I was selected once, in the pano contest, and I think it was because I was one of, if not the only black and white pano.
I see, thank you!
Generally, either Lee or David select them. The criteria varies - usually not pre-established.
got it, thank you!
If I might make a suggestion for the rating system (I'm sure this has been made before, but):
There should be the normal 1-5 for how good the image is, and then another 1-5, or maybe just 1-3 for how relevant it is to the theme.
Personally I think the moodiness conveyed should by far be the weighting criteria.This is an artistic theme, not a technical theme (e.g. portraiture, product photography, wedding, etc. may be more technical themes Those of course they also have artistic qualities, but technical qualities are critical).
Yeah I get you, and I agree. But the problem with their only being the one rating system is that, for example, say someone enters a happy playful image, and say it's an incredible image. Do I give it a 5 cause it's so good of a photo, or do I give it a 1 because it is the polar opposite of moody? And if I go with theme, then 1 makes sense, but 1 is defined as "snapshot", and it would be incorrect to call this image a snapshot.
Agree. The 1-5 should not be tied to the normal criteria. 1 should be "not very moody', while 5 should be "extreme moodiness", for instance.
Intent, could also be considered (was it just a lucky shot, or was it planned to be moody- goes towards skill level), but even then moody is moody whether it was planned or not.
I think the current system makes sense but is confusing to a lot of people. The way I see it is the system revolves entirely around your portfolio. The theme is the theme of the hypothetical portfolio. So, with 3 and above meaning it belongs in your portfolio... If the image doesn't meet the theme then it doesn't belong in a portfolio of that theme. In this case it would be a portfolio of moody images. As such with this rating system if the image doesn't match the theme then they should never get a rating above a 2.
I think that is better voting the images for what they are. If an image isn't in the moody theme then we should vote the image for what it is or not vote it at all. And the part to decide if it belongs to the theme should be on who picks the images for the review. That person should consider if that image belongs to the theme. Just my humble opinion :)
It could be even simpler:
Have the normal rating system and another option called "Not on topic"
If a post gets **% (after x amount of votes) or more of those votes, it will either be disqualified or put into revision for moderators to decide.
This would make the voting still fast and the numbers better because on- or off-topic doesn't affect the star-value anymore.
If I may add a sugestion to the pile it would be that if you give an image a rating of 2 or below, a box pops up asking you to post a comment otherwise your rating would not be accepted. Simple and effective I think. So someone who gives only one's and two's should explain why. Like I saw in a comment above, if you can't think of a reason for giving an image a 2 then that image is worth 3 stars for you. Sorry if is not a new idea.
It is really simple, if you submit you should not be allowed to vote.
Don’t know that the community is large enough to support this idea. Each photo may have like 10 votes which is nowhere near enough to form a meaningful consensus. That said, one could argue what we now is not a meaningful consensus either. Oh well at least it’s entertaining.
exactly, but would you rather have 10 honest opinions or 50 skewed opinions because they want to win a tutorial. I also like the thought of if you give it less than a 3 you have to give your reasons.
There's some really nice images submitted, not sure how they will pick the 20 ones for the critique!
I just posted my 2nd image to this contest. I'm new to contests on fstoppers. I just like engaging with the community.
I just joined the community today, and this is my first contest; been watching the videos for a little bit now and decided to jump in.
I see I'm late for the bitching about the contest voting. ;)
I know it will never happen, but the voting system for contests should be a bit different because apart from the QUALITY of the photo (which is fine for portfolios) there's also the ADEQUACY aspect which is important for the subject. I see some great and well executed pictures which I just don't find "moody". And labeling them with "Needs work" seems unfair.
Damn, I'm not even sure mine is "moody" enough... XD
Give them 1 star. It doesn't seem unfair :)
Rating is not, the description is. ;)
I don't see why everyone is fussing about if the image fits the category. If it doesn't, then we will not pick it for the critique and it will ultimately be disqualified. You can give 1 star ratings for images that don't fit but in the end, we aren't going to pick an image to include that doesn't fit the theme.
I trust you will not. So the voting is virtually... unnecessary?
I posted my first submission. I'm grown enough to accept criticism. I would however like to point out what is in my picture. One handheld speedlite above, tungsten and diffused window camera right, light illuminates front and back of crystal and copper pot tones the table. At least it's not a snapshot.
Be prepared for hell... :)
This scores makes me realize that photographers are so harsh to each other. We should practice less Ego and more motivation. Every one is here for this same beautiful passion 😌
It seems to me that people don't realize that a 3 rating also still needs work.
1
thanks for the contest amazing user
. . talking about all the moodyness I just gotta say that "it don´t mean a thing if it ain´t got that swing"
1119 submissions. Is that the highest in any contest so far?
They should only review photos fitting the theme.
"moody" is a very wide and subjective term. Except for some obvious outliers that do not fit, it will be a very hard selection for them.
You're right. This time it's very broad. But sometimes it's a much narrower subject and the pictures themes are all over the place
Aww I missed it