Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

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K.W.
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by K.W. »

Should we keep up the monthly photo contests?

Yes we should!!!

John C and Jens,

I thank you for all the work you have with this thread!!!


I'm still not long active in the forum. But this thread pleases me immensely.

It is wonderful to see the images of the other plant lovers.
The gain is not important, I'm in Europe. . .
But who will win the voltage . . . every time is very exciting . . . :wink:

It should be made so on.
Happy with some modifications, but in the spirit of friendly competition. Which makes it so exciting. . . :D


Best wishes

K.W.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
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cactushobbyman
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by cactushobbyman »

I just received a calendar from my daughter for Christmas. She had it made by Sam's Club and the cost was 22.00 dollars. It has a face cover and a page for each month. Regardless of the final outcome of the photo contest, what a great gift to receive or give. Each month reflects a theme. I posted a few examples of what my daughter did. All cactus pictures are from my garden. And of course my family. :lol:

Cover page for the calendar
Cover page for the calendar
1.jpg (103.15 KiB) Viewed 9119 times
April birthdays
April birthdays
2.jpg (117.84 KiB) Viewed 9119 times
This picture was some time ago, we were at the zoo.
This picture was some time ago, we were at the zoo.
3.jpg (107.88 KiB) Viewed 9119 times
At Project Survival Cat Heaven
At Project Survival Cat Heaven
4.jpg (109.67 KiB) Viewed 9119 times
Old Man of the Andes is now a foot taller
Old Man of the Andes is now a foot taller
5.jpg (105.47 KiB) Viewed 9119 times
Now my daughter is married and lives in Utah
Now my daughter is married and lives in Utah
6.jpg (93.88 KiB) Viewed 9119 times

8)
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Robb
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by Robb »

What if the winners Photo was displayed on the cactiguide.com homepage? it could be the new "face" of cactiguide.com.
Buying a cactus a day will keep the madness away.
MJPapay
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by MJPapay »

cactushobbyman - Your garden looks fantastic, and you are so very fortunate your family enjoys you enjoying your hobby! A perfect gift.
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Jens
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by Jens »

Thanks for all the feedback on the topic up to now . It is amazing how different the views on this section of cacti guide are.
My own view of the piucture contest was about the one of Harriet. Many nice and high quality pictures to look at and talk about each month.

It is another thing (and quite some work to be done either) to use the winning pictures for a calendar or an exposed place on the forum.
I hear that Darryll of Corona Cactus nursery is not going to sponsor the gift certifcate any more because he became frustrated about none of the winners ever using the certificate... :( :shock: #-o
GeneS
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by GeneS »

Regardless of any final decision, I also would like to give large thanks to JohnC and Jens for their continuing efforts. If either of you are ever in the neighborhood, that would include a bit of water, grain and hops as well :)

I have enjoyed the photo contest, not so much from a photographers viewpoint but as an incentive to keep working on my own skills. It has always served me as an idea factory. The combination of the actual entry and comments/extras thread have given us a lot to look at and consider. Having a theme is a big part of it as it requires me to think of my collection from different viewpoints. Something I hope others can enjoy and see as having value.

If I were to make a single suggestion, It would be to follow what most clubs/branches do now and have a "Plant of the Month" theme that combines a write up/introduction of the selection and combines a request for members to submit their related photos. I think it might produce a wide view of a given subject. From seed to seedling to mature plant including habitat shots. Sort of a "this is your life" for the subject. Could be a contest there but the real value, as in the current contests, would be the consolidated contributions.

Just my 2C worth ... GeneS
bluetexasbonnie
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by bluetexasbonnie »

I have been thinking about the photo contest while pulling weeds and dreaming of spring. I came up with a suggestion for the theme list. (I have not looked at your old contests yet, so not sure how you did it in the past.)

February (Valentine) -- Flowers, red, white & pink
March (In like a lion, out like a lamb) -- thorns (lion) and fuzz (lamb)
April (showers) -- weeping/trailing forms
May -- flowers, everybody loves them
June (marriage) -- grafted cacti
July (freedom) -- Open category, the freedom to pick your favorite
August (last days of vacation) -- What I saw on my travels, i.e, not your plants.
September (back to school) -- Pencil and columnar cacti
October (harvest) -- fruits and seeds
November (Thanksgiving - family & friends) -- mixed plantings
December (rebirth of sun, winter soltice, new hope) --Flowers, seedlings and babies

Just a suggestion.
My cactus must be gods. They demand blood sacrifice.
bluetexasbonnie
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by bluetexasbonnie »

There are of course many potential monthly associations, here are some more I thought of over lunch.

March (relief from Saint Patrick) - Anything but green
April (April Fools Day) -- other succulents -- Fooled you!! (a better choice than my first thought of April showers. May could still be flowers for Mother's Day).
June (Father's Day) -- Greenhouses and structures (something we think of as a traditional dad project)
September (return to school) -- what i did on my vacation (would need something different for August)
October (Octoberfest) -- round and globular cacti (think beer barrels and beer bellies)

Any spring month -- leaves -- they are so fleeting and so easily overlooked
Any spring month -- seedlings -- most seedling pictures are more informational than 'artistic'. Encourage folks to look at them in a new way.
Any winter month -- snow -- white flowers and white cactus
Any month, should be able to think of a justificaion without too much brain strain -- Cactus and animals
My cactus must be gods. They demand blood sacrifice.
bluetexasbonnie
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by bluetexasbonnie »

I've been admiring all the good pics available here, and had an idea. (Yeah, my brain is overheating. Might need a nap after all this thinking.)

Not a contest, but still about good photography, and recognition for those with a good eye, but not so sure of their camera skills --
Quarterly Spotlight: Members spotlight their favorite picture from elsewhere on the board posted in the previous 3 months. (i.e. in April start a thread for pictures posted January thru March.)

There might be a more direct/better way to do this, ....
-Repost picture with link to its original thread
-No pictures from the photo forum section
-No pictures of your own

If this turned out to be popular, it might be fun to once a year do an All Time Favorite -- photo from anywhere on the board and from any time. Still keeping the 'not your own' rule.
My cactus must be gods. They demand blood sacrifice.
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Jens
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by Jens »

Thanks for all those sugestions for new topics bluetexasbonnie. So you are in favor of keeping the photo contest, aren´t you?
bluetexasbonnie
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by bluetexasbonnie »

As a member -- absolutely yes.

I have now had a chance to look at a very few of the more recent contests. Surprised how few entries and votes there were, especially considering how photo laden most posts are. If I was sitting in your seat, I would have to wonder whether the effort to run and maintain a contest is worth the effort for so few participants.

Perhaps there would be more participation if it wasn't a photo contest, but a plant contest. Each month have a different genus, and let people vote on the best. You would definitely want to limit entries to 1 or 2 per member or you would get hundreds. If the subject list was published several months before hand, people like me who have a very limited number of varieties would have a chance to scout them out at public displays. The plant contest should be moved to another forum heading that everybody reads -- General?
My cactus must be gods. They demand blood sacrifice.
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John C
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by John C »

Wow! There are quite a few good ideas here! If only we could get this many replies to every month's photo contest :wink: :lol: Seriously though, thank you everyone for your thoughts and opinions - keep them coming! 8)
I am certainly in favor of continuing the contest in one form or another, I'm just not sure which is best at the moment. In my opinion, while I do love the calendar idea, I feel it will end up being much more work than the contest currently is, and I think that would be taking us in the opposite direction of what we are thinking at the moment. I also really like the "Theme of the Month" idea, but is it too similar to the "Cactus of the Month" that we currently have?

Thank you again for everyone's thoughts and ideas so far!
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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Harriet
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by Harriet »

Theme of the Month sould be completely different than Cactus of the Month...(which, if it is there, I have not seen lately; how have I missed it?) To me the theme would be more like pictures of "cacti in the garden" while cactus of the month should (?) be a more in-depth description of one particular species.
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John C
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by John C »

Harriet wrote:Theme of the Month sould be completely different than Cactus of the Month...(which, if it is there, I have not seen lately; how have I missed it?) To me the theme would be more like pictures of "cacti in the garden" while cactus of the month should (?) be a more in-depth description of one particular species.
Here: http://cactiguide.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hasn't been updated for a few months, but you can get the idea. I understand what you are saying. That may be a good idea. :-k
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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CactusFanDan
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Re: Should we keep up the monthly photo Contests?

Post by CactusFanDan »

Perhaps less contest which are specifically aimed at cacti could get more people to reply? Some people might not collect cacti after all, and instead collect other succulent plants. Maybe classification-neutral contests would be a good idea like to do with general things like colours and textures or roots or something. :)
-Dan
Happy growing!

There is always one more glochid. Somewhere.
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