Let's suggest contests

[WG Admin]

This suggestion came in-

a contest based on photographing birds or butterflies (others?) to take place over the entire year as a massive species count? The prize could have some relation to the number of species photographed maybe?

I need input from more members.

Thanks

- Mark

[Sage]

Personally, I do not favor year-long contests on a website like this with such a limited number of photo contestants. NatGeo maybe. I alone, could totally clog the contest with different species of birds or ducks, while with other things I would have nothing to offer.

From what I see here, each of us have our special interests, birds, butterflies, bugs, plants, and would likely have no entries of other subjects.

Also of note is that species-specific sites, such as birds, participate in huge counts many times a year.

I would like to have a contest where everyone could submit five to ten pix from 2012 that they consider their best work, whether or not they were ever submitted here. I wanted to do that early in the year while members might still have those pix fairly handy, but other alternatives were being discussed here and no prizes were available.

Many contest subjects are really seasonal, e.g., bugs, butterflies, migrating birds and waterfowl, and holding a year-long contest would be unnecessary.

I would not want to judge a contest that long. It's too unwieldly.

Even photographing nesting activity is problematic as nest sites are not to be disturbed even by their adoring public, so photography should only be done from a distance.

This month, Feb thru March will be great for migratory birds and waterfowl in most of the country, but again, a 30-day contest would be sufficient. Right now I have no other ideas.

Peregrine season is beginning and we are juggling peregrine sightings with waterfowl. We spotted an elusive pair of Peregrines today and have duly reported the sighting to the DEC, Twitter, Peregrine Place and other NY pefa watchers, who will make the trip to Buffalo soon, on broken ankles but with scopes, binocs and cameras. It won't result in many award winning photos, but hopefully identifications of the birds.

[Equilibrium]

I'd be for another contest for articles.... I really liked the bucket cloner and I really liked all of the butterfly articles submitted. If we did those again.... it'd be nice if we could make them just 30 days longer. 90 days doesn't seem like all that much when there's so much going on come spring.
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A contest that lasts a whole year does seem kinda long.... just as contests other than the photo of the month that are only a month long seem too short. I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with a year long contest and I'd probably space out and completely miss out on any contest that was only a month but... I'm easy... I'll go with anything. And... prizes are nice but... they don't make it or break it for me. In a way... I kinda like it when there aren't any prizes because then everyone joins for the love of taking the photos not so much what's in it for them.

[Sage]

Good point, Lib

[Viceroy]

How about a caption competition?

Or a guess the location game, where we have to guess the location a photograph was taken, by clues in the photographs supplied by admin or the OP.

[MaggyNoLia]

For a year long contest ya'll could take the winners of the contests that ran that year as well as the runner-ups and have a grand poobah from just those shots. That would keep the numbers that need to be judged down and it would allow varied interests to participate. Just a thought...

Like Equilibrium, it's not the prizes that make me enter a picture. I JUST WANT THE GLORY...ummm, I mean it leaves one with a feeling of accomplishment when that instant that caught the photographer's eye is appreciated by others. It does a body good...

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by MaggyNoLia

Like Equilibrium, it's not the prizes that make me enter a picture. I JUST WANT THE GLORY...ummm, I mean it leaves one with a feeling of accomplishment when that instant that caught the photographer's eye is appreciated by others. It does a body good...

Although prizes can be nice, I've always said that "pride is a great prize", so I understand what Lib and Maggy are saying.

I'm not trying to discourage prizes, but I don't think they are the be all and end all. I'd like the contests to go on whether a prize is offered or not. That said, I like the idea of gift certificates for native plants...but how difficult would it be to get one specific to the winner's location?

[Sage]

I'm glad to hear prizes are not that highly prized here, but pride is prized, as it should be! I will refrain from begging for POM prizes, in lieu of the pat on the back.

[dapjwy]

~smile~

[River]

a contest based on photographing birds or butterflies (others?) to take place over the entire year as a massive species count? The prize could have some relation to the number of species photographed maybe?

In terms of the original concept of a species count, I think that is a great idea. There could be a special tab broken into geographical regions, and each picture could then be tagged with species, time of year, where picture was taken, and in what environment if additional clarification is helpful. By this last comment I mean was the environment a backyard, an urban/rural natural area, a farm, National forest/park etc. Prizes could be given at this stage for geographical area, general species (birds, mammals, etc.), specific locations (backyard for example).

There could be a suggested list of prizes that will only happen based on sponsorship for that prize. If someone is passionate about backyard wildlife, they could sponsor a prize for most documented species in a backyard habitat. Someone passionate about what possible effects the storms had in New England could sponsor bird shots from that region, or whatever.

That's my idea to make the original concept work. As long as people do not lose interest through the year, or sponsors drop off, it could work, allowing people to focus on a specific goal but in a wider context of a species count.