It's time for the 2007 DG Photo Contest!

I agree. I can think of no good reasons to post that information. Of course, I'm sure this will lead to the odd user thinking that the balloting was skewed. You'll never please everyone. =)

Just an opinion- we are fellow gardeners and we share SOOOO much. There is no reason for anyone to know numbers. The winner is the winner, etc. I've learned the hard way, we are joined together as gardeners but our diverse mind/heart makes us very, very different and what works for one will NOT work for the other.

Let's enjoy the fun that Dave has provided and wish one another the best of luck. We won't be rich from any thing here, in money, but will are all rich from the creation of DG and all the friends we've met and the plants we've traded.

It should be fun - otherwise, why bother to join? Good luck to all.

Kathy

For the plants, I wouldn't care about numbers. For those of those that put up pictures of their pets (babies), I'm not sure if they'd want to know exactly how many votes they got. I personally don't :) Mine are of course the cutest, and if not the winning photos, I can at least assume that other people found them cute, too. I'd rather have delusions than facts in this case.

edited for grammar, ideas, punctuation and ...

This message was edited Oct 31, 2007 7:19 PM

*sorry*
i wasn't thinking so much that it would be public information - just that we could individually find out.
honestly - i am new at this, and i would want to know how i did, which of my entries were considered "better", etc. that's why i asked about comments too.

i didn't mean to ruffle anyone - sorry...
:-)

I don't think you "ruffled" anyone, amethystsm. I think that even if the numbers would be given privately, somehow someone would still find a way to have a problem with the results, and what should stay private, would become public. I think the way it's being done, is the best way.

Just my $.02 =)

I'm not ruffled by the suggestion :) I'd probably just be ruffled by the results ;)
... what do you mean that's a cruddy picture?!...it has my babies face on it *big boobery sad look*

I'm just happy I learned enough from my DG family to grow something I COULD take a picture of. And, truth be told, the pic I submitted was the best pic I've EVER taken of anything, and I know that already. So, in my book, I'm already a winner!

I'll just be amazed at the OTHER wonderful pics folks submitted...

i can't help it - i always want my grade!
and i really like the teachers who let you know how the class as a whole did - 5 As, 8 Bs, 9Cs, and 3 Ds... so i can figure out where i stand!

(honestly - i was talking over a project with a professor last week, who said "Don't worry so much - it isn't a graded assignment, you just get credit for doing it." And i thought, "well, what's the point in that?")
(Actually, that is the project i am supposed to be working on now, and here i am instead!)

i know i am not a great photographer - i'd just love to know what part of the pack i came out in, and if people have comments or not...
But now that i see that this is not a popular wish, i will let it rest there.

neurotic to the last drop -
amy
*

Ya'll, I don't think Amy is quite done, yet. I think she can squeeze just ooooooooooone moooooooooooooooooore drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrop outta her cup. What'd ya'll think?

smile, Amy...

heeheehee...

Woohoo Nov. 1st! Let the games begin.
I don't expect to win but I did want to share a few of my photos.
I hope everyone does well!
Teresa in KY

Good luck to all!

Participation is the key and I've done that. I'm just a clean novice compared to so many very experienced and fine photographers here , but I just had fun searching, choosing and posting up in some of the themes. I've done what I could do best and my intention of posting was for the above and not for winning. I've enjoyed it and I'll look at all the others' bests in the next two weeks.

Where's the link to vote???

I just started voting, and there are some very great pics out there, its hard to judge them, I can pick 5 that I really, really, like, and have to pick one, and I see mine###
I will do better next year. as far as wanting to know my rating on how my pic did, doesnt matter, just look at the others and then rate your own ( sorry if this didn't sound nice)
Its a contest and you get to pick your choice, And if I did know how many voted for my pics doesn't really matter, just means mine where not the best.
Amend

Some of these photos are absolutely amazing. They are soooo good that I didnt even vote for my own after viewing the rest. :)

Gonna be a great calendar!

chris

wow so many great photos to choose from... good luck everyone!
Allison

I totally missed out this year. I wish it had been posted in the photos or camera forum. Oh, well, at least I can look and vote for everyone else's photos!

Dave did have an announcement on the home page, I think it was up there for at least a week (in the same place where you see today the announcement about the voting being open)

I had trouble last night, by around 2.30am (yes I should have been in bed!) I couldn't get Dave's, couldn't even open an email. My ISP must be at fault, I'm getting very low connection speeds which had happened before, but until yesterday it had been at near full speed on dial-up at 45,333 bps for some time, today I got 9,600 bps. I had even done a disc clean up and defragmenter etc. Not good for viewing pics!

I was about to post my experiences with viewing and voting on one category last night but couldn't do it, luckily I saved my post which I pasted into an email and sent to myself, taking 10 minutes to send!

This is what I wrote,

"I'm wondering if there are some glitches in the system. I started in one category and the internet shut down when I clicked on about the third picture to skip. When I went back it had the link to go to the voting or to view my two favourites, but I hadn't chosen the first two as favourites! I clicked on that link and it told me there was an Error, I had no favourites!

I finished the voting in that category but didn't see a link at the bottom to return to the category page, I just clicked on the 'Home' button. I went back to see if I could view what I had voted for, it had another link to view my 'XX' no. of Favourites, which was 1 less than the total entries. As I had entered 1 pic in that category I assume it hadn't counted my own, but the other 'XX' were not my favourites either, being the near total of entries!

I am guessing that any voting placed could be changed, but it seems you would have to go through the lot again to place another set of votes, which would replace the first set. If this is the case, the thumbnails would be useful as you could see which ones you wanted to select after having viewed them first time.

In the column on the categories page which states whether you have voted, it does say 'yes' in that category. Last year it worked so that you could go back and change votes, and register them by clicking on the link at the bottom. This changed any previous voting.

Now I don't know if I have actually voted even though it says I have as I can't view them, and I didn't click on the bottom link to return to the categories page. I assumed by selecting first, second, third favourites that would register as votes.

Another thing I am now wondering about is if we can actually vote on our own pics as it didn't count my own pic in the "view 'XX' favourites", that is does the system ignore our own pics so we can't vote on them?"

I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences as this!

wallaby--go look at Dave's most recent post on the voting thread, he says there's a way you can go back in and change things but you have to use the thumbnail viewing option for voting rather than the full size pic option.

Thanks ecrane, I just read it, I should have posted there but was only watched on this thread so jumped in. Dave did say to go through the thumbnails.

I went back to the category I voted in, it' still says to view your 'XX' favourites which is one less than the total, but there is also a second link below where you can view the favourites chosen.

I went to another category which I hadn't viewed, it said 'or to view your 1 favourite' or to that effect so I'm guessing the system assumes one will be your favourite even though it hasn't been chosen, then subtracts that from the total when you have been through the list!

I just wanted to say how amazing these pictures are, it's almost impossible to choose the best. After looking at others compared to mine, well, now I'm kind of embarassed, lol. I can hardly wait to purchase the calendar, and next year, I'll be leaving the date stamp off (doh! amateur! lol ;-) This has been really fun to be a part of :-)

karen

I wondered why the voting was running for two weeks, until I spent 1 hour in the veggies voting booth last night. then another hour in another site.. It's gonna take two weeks to go through the pics....

It took me a long time too. I just finished all categories. Some excellent photos are entered. I think I took a very serious approach when looking at each - like the landscapes - I really focused on personal landscapes vs. professional ones. That probably isn't how it's intended but it's soooo difficult that you have to narrow your choices of views.

Great photos to all who entered.

Kathy

I've completed only one category. Have made the preliminary selection in 5 others and will go back later to make final selections. What tough choices.
Ann

Wow, after looking at everyone elses, no way could I vote for my own. There are some excellent pictures this year. Good job, everybody. : )
~Lucy

So... no one else has voted for them self ;)

Well tombaak, I have to admit I did. I voted for one of my pet photos of a beloved dog I lost last year. Mine may be the only vote, but it was a choice of the heart.

I did not enter, and I can take a slow stroll through the entries, but it will be difficult to pick the favorites. There are more excellent photographers here than any other site that I have visited. Congratulations to all, who have devoted their time and energy to this project, for you truly deserve applause from those of us who merely enjoy the results.

You are all winners.

I haven't finished voting yet and haven't ruled out voting for myself, LOL. But I'm trying hard to apply the same standards to my own as to the others.

I had 2 entries in one category. I left the better of the two and voted on that one, along with two others in the category. And guess what? Mine came in 3rd! Oh my Gosh!

I entered 8 pix in 4 different categories, and so far I'm still kinda liking mine in two----but I haven't submitted my final votes yet. It does take a loooonnng time to go thru all these beauties and give them the attention they deserve, and it's SO HARD TO CHOOSE! Like ViolaAnn, I'm trying to use the same critical eye with mine that I apply to everyone else's---and in one category I knew I was going to throw mine out after the 3 entries looked at!! (Maybe next year I'll have a "worthy" shot in that category.) I've learned so much from everone on the Photos forum, and even more from going through all these spectacular pictures!!!

It's been a great experience, both culling my own pix to decide what might be good enough to enter, and then having the opportunity to see all this wonderful work that others have done.

Thanks, Dave for doing this!

Of course I voted for my own dog! LOL....To tell the truth, I tried to vote him for 1st 2nd and 3rd, but it thankfully and rightfully doesnt let you. :)
I just couldnt vote for my own in the other category. Wow, and I thought my yard was almost done. I was feeling so satisfied until I was drooling over some of the others. Thanks to these great photos, I have next springs gardening inspiration all ready.

I think next year we should have a vote on categories... such as...I would like a specific one like... "my landscape" or "my garden". Although beautiful, I enjoy the personal gardens of my DG friends over the photos taken in public or commercial gardens.

My future photo taking will also be done with a new creative mind.

chris

I agree that a category for public gardens would be great. I do feel it's unfair to try and compete with what Disneyworld can do with a staff of professional gardeners compared to our own efforts.

It hadn't occurred to me to vote for my own photos. Hmmm. .... Am I naive? Although I could see voting for your own pet's pic because every pet owner knows that their dog or cat (bird, fish, frog) is the cutest ever! :)

I've only gotten through 3 categories so far. Very difficult to narrow the choices. I seem to always end up with about 10 and then have a devil of a time winnowing it down to 3.

Enjoying all the photos, tho.

Karen: Don't feel embarassed! A photo doesn't have to be perfect to get votes. I've voted for some that were out of focus before, but had other great qualities.
The contest is really just for fun and sharing your favorites...IMO.
Deb

Everyone votes for their own dog or cat.

I voted for my own bug! LOL LOL

However as insects go it was quite cute.

Well, why not? It's your bug and this is America - a free country, so I agree with you.

Ok, all my voting is done! Whew! Was not easy, but lots of fun and inspiration.

chris