kyricom: so how many silhouettes will we see? (278 days ago)

itsmymoment: I agree Mark....silhouettes are just too easy in a contest like this, I don't think they should rate too highly, the idea I think would be to have some sort of detail in the subject to score well....at least that's how I will vote it... (277 days ago)

MarcosSanchez: It can be ... but even the image of the contest, leads to the use of silhouettes ... This does not mean that every silhouette is easy to achieve the expected result ...
(277 days ago)

itsmymoment: Marcos... silhouettes are VERY easy to achieve...just expose for the BG, the hard part is bringing detail to the highly back-lit subject, which requires some talent and knowledge...any fool can shoot a silhouette...u wanna debate that? bring it...I've been shooting and selling for 30 + years and have taught my 9 year old to shoot silhouettes with her eyes closed...it's not, and I repeat NOT hard, and the easy way out...but, as you are entitled to your opinion, I am entitled to mine...thanks for responding. (277 days ago)

MarcosSanchez: Sorry James, I did not wanted to discuss whether or not have a bigger difficulty in shooting a silhouette against a great back-lit photo, I realize that, but even silhouettes will appear good and weak, and the good ones also have its value .. .Anyway, I believe is absolutely normal, in your criteria you penalize them ... (277 days ago)

fatmike85: Is a tree a plant? What about a landscape with some foliage in it? (277 days ago)

fatmike85: Is a tree a plant? What about a landscape with some foliage in it? (277 days ago)

Wayne Cheah: Technically any fool can take a silhouette. But not any fool can take a prize-winning silhouette. Silhouettes do have their place in a photography contest as silhouettes can convey, through a mere black shadow, a great depth of visual emotion and can be awe-inspiring because, paradoxically, a photograph though a visual-dependant medium conveys a lot more in what is not seen as what is seen. As for getting details in a highly back-lit subject, well, a well-placed reflector should do it? (277 days ago)

itsmymoment: A well placed reflector would do for a relatively small subject, or a close subject...what about a building, a bridge or something larger and further away, or an entire group of people?

Point is about the silhouettes, it just seems every time we have a contest like this, it turns into a silhouette contest...it gets old seeing 3/4 of the entries of the same old thing... (276 days ago)

friiskiwi: It does, next time we will have to make sure we ban silhouettes, just to make it more interesting. (276 days ago)

friiskiwi: If the tree is the main focus, I feel it would be off theme.
(276 days ago)

Wayne Cheah: Everyone has a valid point of course. But I think we should also consider the "beginners" (counting myself) amongst us. Cutting out all silhouettes, though making it more challenging, may cast an unwitting shadow on a contest open to enthusiasts of all levels of abilities. Perhaps a better way to cut out silhouettes would be to limit the contest to contestants with Levels 18+ ? A contestant having reached 18+ has no more excuses. (274 days ago)

friiskiwi: Wayne I can see where you are coming from, but we also seem to have plenty of contest for silhouettes. (274 days ago)

itsmymoment: @ Wayne...although I understand your point, if 'beginners' were not 'challenged' at some point....how you you ever improve? is that not the very essence of learning? to grow beyond your comfort zone, to try new things, to research, adapt, learn and overcome... and be actually challenged? just asking... (269 days ago)

Wayne Cheah: itsmymoment.....Of course, that goes without saying. I think the issue in argument is whether to remove all silhouettes which are 100% silhouettes from "back-lighting" contest. My point is against removing them because for beginners that is probably all they could take, at least "forthemoment" Your point was not to vote for these 100% silhouettes, no matter how good there were? This would be enough to serve as a positive "challenge" not to submit any more 100% silhouettes, at least for those beginners who have joined for awhile. But then new beginners will be joining and for this group, 100% silhouettes will be submitted. So removing all 100% silhouettes all the time will actually serve no educational purposes. The better solution (as suggested by you) would be not to vote for them, and not in removing them. (268 days ago)