A Couple Of Requests About Contests

I agree on both counts Frank, however I find it a bit ironic that you say that and yet have both photographs and paintings in the same galleries in your portfolio.

Agree with you, Frank, 10 images is over the top for my tastes, as well! I allow only 1 or 2 in my contests. Sometimes, if the subject/theme is not very popular, I will allow both paintings & photography. But, you're right, it's best to ask for one or the other.

My advice is don't enter the ones allowing 5 to 10 entries...or those allowing both types of work! Or, better yet, host your own so you can make the rules. But, you will be removing paintings from your 'Photography Only' contest & vice versa! Some members simply do not read or follow the rules.

Contests are mostly for fun & simple promotion, not to be taken too seriously. That being said, we hosts who do 'it' well appreciate a note of 'thanks' for our time & efforts...once in a while!

I think contest hosts who ask for 10 images have 10 images of that particular subject that they would like the world to see!

I agree 100% with Frank, I don't even bother looking at all the hundreds of images which will be submitted.

Thank you Brooks for all your time and efforts hosting numerous contests.

Frank, thank you for bring this to my attention.

Honestly I never thought about how paintings are pitted against photography.

The contests that I host are open to all mediums because I admire painters and their artwork and have always enjoyed viewing their entries. I’ve noticed how hard it is for paintings to place above photography in these contests.

In the future I will be changing the mediums I allow in contests. I will start hosting contests for Paintings only and Photography only.


Additional comments:
I still plan on hosting contests where both mediums are welcome. In the future I'm planning on adding contests for Paintings only and Photography only.

Steven,

I also sometimes host contests open to all mediums and see no reason to stop. Most of the contests where I do this are "locale contests" for the Carolinas of Georgia.

My advice is if you don't like the rules of a contest or how many images are allowed, don't join that contest. But feel free to make your own contest as you see fit.

Frank, you are right, plowing thru too many entries kind of ruins the whole contest. But rules are rules. FAA could or maybe should be the one who sets some rules. However, is up to the contest administrator as of now.
I just pass by most of those kinds as not worth my time!
Contests are for fun anyway. Even worse we have no idea who goes out and gets more votes just so they win. So look at it as only fun, ( is a little added exposure and enter yours nearer to the end time of the contest closing date...so you are seen) & enter only if you like the contest. Best of Luck!

David, kind of you to say...the 'thank you' & all. Appreciate it! I always enjoy seeing you & your work, cream of the crop.

Frank, it's true that the FAA contest rules allow hosts to create contests with up to 10 images. So, like I said above, choose those that don't allow ten and/or those with paintings or photography only.

Good luck!

I can't think of any reason for allowing 10 images. I wish FAA would change that policy to allow for better quality contests overall. I do agree with allowing mediums of both paintings and photography IF the subject of the contest is a narrow one, say Bridges of Madison County (that just flew into my head, lol). But if you hold a contest for red flowers and open it up to all mediums, there will be thousands of entries to wade through when it comes to voting time.

So many contests to create & enter, so little love re! Let's hear some good news about them for a change, yes?

....and a discussion also means that other people have the right to say what was on their mind, which may be what someone else before them has already said, great minds and all that......

If someone holds a contest and expects participants to vote, then they would be wise to limit the number of entries. On the other hand, if the contests here actually meant something, this would be an issue. Since most of the contests lack any real value other than a fun diversion, it makes no difference if 1 image or 100 are allowed.

I imagine the hosts who let people enter 10 images either work their tails off, or don't bother screening the images.

There's probably a learning curve to hosting these contests. You do something that's way too much work - like let people enter 10 images each -- next time you run a contest, you do things a bit differently.

While I absolutely agree that allowing ten entries is ridiculous, there is one easy way to stop it--don't enter them. I usually don't unless it's a narrow niche subject. Maybe if people stopped entering, the hosts would stop setting them up. Either way, if you don't enter, you won't be bothered by it.

I am pragmatic - I just vote on what I like by jumping 5 or 10 pages at a time.
Sometimes, if the image count is small enough, I will vote on the even page
numbers - or another time on the odd page numbers. If there are enough
pages, each page that has a 5 in it, or a 7 ... that way I do not have to trawl
(it is impossible I know, and I will surely miss some gems) thru 1000+ entries...

Haha, Jack, I do the same thing! My favorite number is 13, so I always look on page 13, too. lol

Thank you for your comments Brooks, much appreciated.

contest complaints & all. gets old.

my pleasure, david!

where is frank, btw?

p.s. there is a contest in-progress right now accepting 10 images and, so far, 347 members have entered their work. no problem for them it seems.