http://www.pxleyes.com/photography-pict ... -Blue.html

I know it wasnt the best entry but 19 out of 20?

Well first thing I have to mention is the Forum Rules: 4.2: Don't complain about an entry that you think does not deserve that high or low spot. Although, this may be your opinion, the general public obviously thought differently about it.
4.3: Don't blame voters for the low score of your entry. You were probably expecting better results for your entry, but complaining about it won't change anything. Results are final.

In any contest whether Photoshop or Photography the voters are a diverse group with varying likes and dislikes, if your work appeals to a greater majority then you'll do well, if not you won't, it's as simple as that. In general for the majority of voters appeal will out weigh any technical merits. The hardest thing is for the author or artist to be objective about his/her work, something taught in Art School and learned from experience. Your question is really rhetorical, the votes are in and final, the members opinions are known. There was no collusion or conspiracy in the voting just the judgement of the voters...accept that and hopefully learn from it.

Members rarely vote the way we expect them to, and I probably don't vote the way I expect them to either.
In one of last weeks contest out of 15 entries, I got 4th, 12th and 13th place. If I had been voting, that would not have been the order I had placed my votes, probably in the opposite order, but that all adds to the fun. sometimes you can do well with a photo that isn't all that wonderful because it has a lot of appeal.
You can't double guess the voters, I have had many photos placed, that I almost didn't enter. So either the voting is strange, or I have no idea what I'm talking about, which is quite likely.
Good luck with future contests, you have many outstanding entries and it's always disappointing when something we have worked hard on and think is wonderful isn't appreciated.

"Blue on blue, heartache on heartache"...I guess you have to be almost as old as me to appreciate that song lyric.
I've given up trying to figure out the voting on photography contests. I rarely enter, but I haven't done too badly. Might even enter again soon.

you thought it could also be a mistake? I have given two times twenty, but by mistake, I wanted to click on the box below, much higher. But I felt the moderator who allowed me to vote again.
maybe those who voted not noticed it.

@spaceranger, i'm not complaining.i'm too long on this ssite to understand that that has no use.
I do not care about this 19th place.
I just would like to know why, i would appreciate to hear the reasons, that way i would learn from it.

Thnx

Personal Opinion ONLY:
It seemed too contrived and "meh." The rug at the bottom was visual "clutter" compared to the more abstract, clean lines of the lamp. I really liked the image, but the bottom kept dragging my eye away from the focal point, without providing an easy way back.

Sometimes, less is more. I just think the rug was a bit too much.

I did not vote on this but my initial thought was something like a lack of real subject, the only thing focussed is a partial area of the carpet, which is not really the focal point. The focal point is (I suppose) the lamp, but that lacks any kind of structure / interesting areas to look at. Blunt: the lamp is just a big blue blob which takes 70% of the entry, because of it's material it also looks unsharp and makes it look flat.

You'd probably scored higher if the lamp had some structure which gave a play of light and shadow on it.

wysiwyg wrote:http://www.pxleyes.com/photography-picture/503fb52b9f4b9/high-resolution/In-the-Mood-for-Blue.html

I know it wasnt the best entry but 19 out of 20?

I didn't vote on this one because I was out of State on assignment, but, just getting back, I can give you several reasons...many of which Rob already hit upon.

Also...might I add 19 out of 20? Heck...I have finished myself dead-arse-last more than once!!! It (meaning, shit) happens...I have been on the bottom as well as the top, many times over, deal with it and move on, stuff happens. There have been quite a few entries I have done that I 'thought' were decent that finished terribly. There have been a few that I entered to "just" enter that I believed had no chance what-so-ever and they ended up in the top 3. "The mob is fickle" so it has been said...enough of that..

As Rob said, yes, it's blue on blue and was acceptable according to the goals, but, it lacked a clear subject, good definition and a certain "WOW" factor...the point being, what were you trying to say or convey through the image, was there a story, was there a clear and defined subject, was it sincerely interesting to anyone else, did it invoke emotion? OR did you just shoot the image to enter something that "Just met the goals"...(which it appears here.)

Sorry to be blunt, but, YOU posted the topic and asked...sincerely take an objective look at the top 3 or 5 and compare them to your entry pretending YOU DID NOT shoot that image and say to yourself honestly, "If I was voting on this compared to the winner, how would I score it?" Maybe you can answer your own question...

We all get disappointed with results now and again, but the best thing you can do other than be discouraged is to learn something and hopefully improve from the experience.

Also, In hind-sight...you stated "I KNOW it wasn't the best image"...not the best image in the contest, or the best image YOU can shoot???....Just asking...if you HONESTLY do your best and get beaten, there is no shame in that Think about it...

I have seen much of your other work, and quite frankly speaking, compared to what you are capable of this was not up to snuff. YOU can do MUCH better than this easily forgotten image.

Thanx for your explanations, much appreciated !
I see what you mean , i should have thought twice before submitting the image and triple before starting this topic

Thnx again