Alan Brown September 8, 2025 - 11:57 am

September contest - Outside the Box

Per Dean's suggestion of making members aware of the fstoppers competitions.

The September contest is 'Outside the Box', encouraging entries for a "fresh take on a common subject or genre"

Let's create a discussion around this (your thoughts/ideas?), and also support members who have taken the time to contribute.

Member entries (add to this list if you enter)

Dean Wilson
https://fstoppers.com/entry/710670

Alan Brown
https://fstoppers.com/entry/710943
https://fstoppers.com/entry/710951

I'd be interested to understand whether others participate in these contests, whether that may be submitting work or simply voting on the work of others.

Discussion is encouraged.

16 Comments

Alan Brown September 8, 2025 - 1:44 pm

I've just added my 3rd image. In all of these I have tried to demonstrate a variety of ICM-related techniques.

Another you may have seen before, feedback s always appreciated.

https://fstoppers.com/entry/711073

Dean Wilson September 8, 2025 - 5:54 pm

Here is another entry of mine:

https://fstoppers.com/entry/711093

Kyle Foreman September 9, 2025 - 10:13 am

Great work gentlemen! Alan, how do you get a 3 second exposure on the iphone? Do you use the regular camera app or a different app?

To try to answer your question Alan, I enter almost all of the contests. The only ones I don't enter are the ones I don't have photos that fit. I have had my photo chosen a total of 3 times in the probably close to 10 years I've been on this site. And of the 3 the wave photo was chosen twice. The other was the black and white Cape Hatteras Lighthouse photo.

I have not entered this one yet. I'm still trying to decide which ones I want to use. I will post them here once I do.

Alan Brown September 9, 2025 - 2:49 pm

Kyle Foreman

Thanks Kyle. There are a number of apps that can be used to take long exposures on the iPhone. I use an app called Spectre for my 'followICM' work (free for up to 3 seconds exposures), and ProCam (general camera app) on occasion.
Spectre integrates with the native iPhone LivePhoto feature which allows an exposure rollback option.

I feel some may be hesitant to enter these competitions due to what tends to be lower ratings, but for me the benefit is to get work seen by a wider audience.

Kyle Foreman September 9, 2025 - 3:01 pm

Alan Brown

Thanks, I'll have to check those apps out. I used to get frustrated with the contest because of the ratings but I got over it. As long as I have something that fits I enter it. I have tried to be more intentional with my entries though, making sure they really fit the narrative. I do believe that some of the low ratings come from photos that just don't make sense for the theme. I just ignore those photos. But it seems others do not. And yes, I agree. You never know who may see your photos in these things.

Dean Wilson September 9, 2025 - 11:30 am

I just added my 3rd entry:

https://fstoppers.com/entry/711163

Alan Brown September 10, 2025 - 3:13 pm

Dean Wilson

Voted!

Kyle Foreman September 16, 2025 - 2:46 pm

I entered my 2nd photo recently.

https://fstoppers.com/entry/711627

Dean Wilson September 16, 2025 - 6:01 pm

Kyle Foreman

Vote early; vote often.

Alan Brown September 16, 2025 - 6:53 pm

Kyle Foreman

Voted!

Kyle Foreman September 17, 2025 - 9:54 am

Thanks guys!

Dean Wilson September 17, 2025 - 10:06 am

[Edited]

It's the bottom half of September. This mean the current rating for photos are going to drop drastically!

At 40 votes and a 3.4 Star rating I suspect "The Sentinel" to drop to 2.8 Stars in the next week or two.

I wonder how the rating would be if the voting was limited to 14 days from the date posted (or end of the contest period) if final scores would be different?