Theme!

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About Theme!

Themes can help get your photographic/artistic creative juices flowing.

Take, make and submit a photograph based on a particular theme. Themes are posted at the first and mid of each month, and will include a (broad) definition of the concept, and a bit of a descriptive prompt to get your creative juices flowing.

Some basic rules:
1. Feel free to submit multiple photographs for the same THEME! but please limit daily submissions to 2 per day. If more than 2 photographs are submitted per member per day, the last photograph submitted will be removed from the pool by an Admin.

2. Include the tag listed in the fortnight's theme (see relevant theme Topic post for details).

3. Include the following in your description of the photograph:

Submitted to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/themegroup">THEME!</a> for '[insert theme title]'.


Note: It's important that you include the link back to this group in the description of your photograph as it indicates that your submission is in the Theme! competition. I've noticed a number of shots in the pool which do not (on the surface) appear related to the current theme and suspect that they have simply been added as a group-spamming strategy. Photographs submitted to a Theme! competition which do not include a link back run the risk of being deleted before a theme competition closes for judgment.

4. View other photographs submitted for the same theme and comment on one or two of them (if you're commenting, please say something a bit substantial eg. "What an interesting take on the theme. I particularly like the... because it makes me feel..." instead of "Nice shot!" :-)

5. While you're encouraged to create a new photograph (or photographs) for the theme, you're also welcome to submit an existing photograph from your FlickR 'stream - but make it a thoughtful and considered submission: read the theme, think about its details and prompts, and then decide if the photograph you submit will contribute to the theme. If in doubt, hold back and think about taking/making a photograph specifically for the theme.

Winners and grinners
There will be a jdge nominated for each theme who will pick the winning photograph for that theme based on the criteria listed below.

The judge for a theme is welcome to post their own interpretations of that theme to the group but, obviously, cannot select their own photograph as the winner, no matter how good that photograph may be.

Judgment is made only after the close of the current theme and the judge will identify the winning photograph in that theme's Topic post.

The winner of the present theme will have the honour of becoming the judge for the next THEME! And the winning photograph will be made into the group icon for the next fortnight.

How good is that?!?! (ok, you can stop hyperventilating now).

Judging rules, or how to pick the winner if you're the judge
While recognising that the appreciation of photographs is often subjective, influenced by a host of personal, cultural and psychological factors, as judge, you should consider the following 3 criteria when assessing photographs in the theme you're judging:

1. Interpretation of the THEME! - Is it original? Innovative? Creative? Unique? Atypical?

2. Technique (technical eg. DOF, exposure; and artistic eg. post-processing, colour grading, angle of shot) - has it been effectively used to make a point, convey a feeling, position our responses as viewers of the photograph?

3. Subjective impact - You're the judge, so your personal opinion counts. Do you love the photograph? Why? What makes it 'sing' to you?

Once you've picked a winner, make a post to that theme's Topic thread and explain why it's a winner using the 3 points above.

That's it!
What're you waiting for? Check out the current THEME! and start getting creative!