Jeep 4x4 Photo Contest And Photochopping

[+we3dements]

I personally do not think altered images should be allowed (other than re-sizing or scanning a paper photo). I know the rules do not say otherwise but I feel it should not be a contest to see who can do the best PhotoChopping job.

It is called a photo contest not an image contest.

 

..end rant...

[dampeoples]

Don't worry, from what I can see there has not been any decent photoshopping

[+Robespierre]

I took several pix of the yjtb, and several of my Vista so I could try to meld the two into one image...then decided I just didn't care that much.

[+RJFerret]

Given that pretty much ALL promotion/advertising images are color enhanced, modified digitally, or otherwise altered, your suggestion doesn't go well with a Jeep promotion.

 

Were it a photography contest or a geocaching contest rather than a promotional contest I could see that issue--in which case there are usually categories to separate the digitally retouched images from unmodified.

 

Then again, modification starts when the light enters the lens and you or the camera selects an aperature setting (which modifies depth of field), shutter speed setting (which modifies motion effects), white balance (modifies colors), etc.

 

However, the ranking criteria of "related to geocaching, creativity and promo" will negate most of the entries I've seen and the obviously chopped images will rank higher in creativity at the expense of the others.

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

[ju66l3r]

Hmm, there's a different between "modified" and "putting a Jeep TB on the moon" (NOT to single any one out, only that it's the first I saw!).

 

I had some great ideas for a recent beer company's contest in promotion of their beer during summer activities. I wanted to get a shot of July 4th on the Charles River. The winner of the contest put UFOs (name of the beer) in a picture of them staring up at the sky. I was disappointed.

 

You can touch up your color ranges, gamma, etc in photoshop without actually altering the picture. I don't think fitting myself into the JeepTB or whatever is good for a "Photo" contest.

[+AmishHacker]

As you all know i am BIG into Photoshop. But I agree that this should not be a contest on who can used Photoshop the best. I thing adjusting colors, brightness, etc is ok but that should be all due to fairness. I would like to see how creative people can be taking photographs....not how well they can use an editing program.

[+cajitracks]

I messed up a perfectly good poster of the Indy 500 by sticking a thin-bladed knife into the back and extending the blade out to hold the Jeep. No photoshop trickery involved, but should have used a tripod. Mr. tracks forgives me for the damaged poster. (page 14 photo gallery)

[+RJFerret]

Now I think a Jeep in front of the moon is perfect. 100% score for creativity, high score for geocaching relevance (especially if it's the YJTB I left in Cache on the Moon), 0 score for advertising/promotion since Jeep doesn't make spacecraft yet.

 

Again, it's a Jeep sponsored contest, not Kodak. Prizes are jeep merchandise, not camera accessories...

 

You can think of it this way, since the prizes are valued at $45ish MSRP, that means the cost is about $20. If they spent more than 15 minutes digitally retouching a photo, they spent and lost more time/money than they stand to gain!

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

[ju66l3r]

Again, it's a Jeep sponsored contest, not Kodak. Prizes are jeep merchandise, not camera accessories...

So if I create a submission by taking pieces from everyone else's submissions...

 

The official rules outline that the submission must be "a photo that illustrates your Geocaching experience finding or planting the Jeep 4x4 Travel Bug". Did Pilgrim et al actually drive a Jeep on the moon to find the ammo box? I just don't think photoshopped entries should qualify because it's not in the spirit of the contest.

 

It is the same reason that I think sbell's essay should not win. While he went through a serious experience, there was nothing about the essay that had to do with geocaching and a YJTB, actually. The YJTB on the moon entry in the stickied forum thread above and other photoshopped entries do not depict actual geocaching. Simply overlaying a GPSr onto another image doesn't earn you a locationless find and the same should hold here. Simply overlaying a YJTB into artwork or another photo should not earn you a contest award.

[+RJFerret]

OK, I can see that point (however still believe they are valid submissions that won't win) and appreciate you'll reserve your nomination for real pictures.

 

Speaking of which, care to nominate mine? Taken when I placed a jeep on an island, my finger is clearly visible as I felt the human element was important.

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

 

PS: Was that plug too obvious? {Wink!}

[ju66l3r]

If you had photoshopped the finger out and sharpened the background, then I'd vote for it.

 

LOL...kidding. It's a nice shot, but I have already decided to nominate someone else's shot that I found to be the best of the bunch.

[Pilgrim, Rhubarb, & Sweet Pea]

Don't worry, from what I can see there has not been any decent photoshopping

Ouch!

 

Nothing like finding yourself and your photo submission the subject of scrutiny!

 

I don't think I really need to defend our entry, but here goes. We felt it fit within the rules - of course we didn't go to the moon, but we have made some long quests for caches, and the caption that we'll go anywhere for a cache is what we were getting at. We also went after the creativity and promotional aspect by saying the Jeep makes accessing tough caches easy - using the moon was a way to illustrate that you can take a Jeep just about anywhere, which makes it perfect for geocaching.

 

Simple thing though - if you don't like certain entries or feel that they don't meet the rules, don't nominate them.

 

~Rhubarb

Edited August 4, 2004 by Pilgrim, Rhubarb, & Sweet Pea