explanation needed

[Cricket]

I asked this question in the Photo of the Week forum yesterday but as it has gone unanswered as maybe the wrong forum I shall ask it here:-

Can someone please explain to me the difference between "Dark" photography and "Low Key" photography?

[ameerat42]

Hmm! Have heard of "dark" photography, and as I thought it was related to "dark cinema", I had a quick check on-line.
It seems to be the case, and deals with anything that is "dark" in the sinister sense.

Low-key photography, on the other hand, is NOT necessarily associated with "dark themes". Rather, it is a style whose
subjects are intrinsically dark of tone. The images typically develop from darker tones to mid and some - though a minority - of
light tones.

Hope this is a good enough explanation for you to do more research. Of course, you'll get popular, inevitable blurring of the two ideas

[Cricket]

Thank you AM as I was really confused with this weeks subject in Photo of the week as I felt most entries would fall under the category of "Low Key" rather than "dark" and thought I must have got the idea of "Dark" phtography really wrong. Now to go searching for something "DARK"

[ameerat42]

Fair enough, but I would say that the name of the POTW theme was not particularly intended to mean
the same as "Dark Photography". I think here it is more open in interpretation. However, you are not wrong
at all in looking for "something Dark".

[ricktas]

As Am says, the photo of the week themes are deliberately ambiguous at times to get people thinking outside the box and coming up with really clever interpretations. Often if someone does a really good interpretation, the entry will get good votes over a literal interpretation. After all photography is a creative Art, so get creative.

Just be careful if you go really out there with your interpretation as others may not 'get it' and vote lower if they cannot see how it fits the theme.

[Mark L]

Just be careful if you go really out there with your interpretation as others may not 'get it' and vote lower if they cannot see how it fits the theme.

Yeah, I was going to make a point along this line Cricket.
So while you may find the true meaning of "Dark" photography, does anyone that votes in the comps also know that meaning?
I sometimes think that we don't consider the theme well enough when voting, but that's okay (sorta).

[farmmax]

when I vote in competitions, it is not uncommon to see photos which I cannot see how they fit the theme. Sometimes they are very good photos, and may even be the one I want to give top points too, but I'm not sure how much penalty I should give for not meeting the theme. Is there any guideline for this?

[Cricket]

1-4 Obvious technical problems in picture capture, production or presentation. Comments should be sensitive to ‘newer’ photographers offering suggestions for improvement.
5-6 A picture with only minor blemishes but without pictorial strength.
7-8 A good picture almost worthy of recognition for minor awards (merit/highly commended)
9-10 Strong visual impact with evidence of creative composition, use of light, viewpoint. Should not contain technical blemishes. At this level – pictures are also often separated from the 7-8 range by exceptional presentation quality and or picture quality.

I feel if an image does not fit a critique subject then it falls into category 1 (1-4) Most judges award the score 1 in this case

[enseth]

I wonder if we should be expecting a photo of a Black Kite from MarkL?

[ricktas]

when I vote in competitions, it is not uncommon to see photos which I cannot see how they fit the theme. Sometimes they are very good photos, and may even be the one I want to give top points too, but I'm not sure how much penalty I should give for not meeting the theme. Is there any guideline for this?

For me, if a photo does not meet a theme, I give it a 1. Say a colour photo in a monochrome themed comp. I treat the theme as the primary reason for the competition.

[ricktas]

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...g_entries_1-10

[Gazza]

I recently entered a comp 'SPRING'.
It was clearly referring to the Season, but having little to offer, I posted a pic of two springs taken from my kitchen taps and it made into the final four...go figure?

[ricktas]

I recently entered a comp 'SPRING'.
It was clearly referring to the Season, but having little to offer, I posted a pic of two springs taken from my kitchen taps and it made into the final four...go figure?

Exactly, clever interpretation and a good photo to back it up, is often recognised by voters. It stands out. And making your entry stand out from all the others is what gets you votes.

[bcys1961]

I give photo's that don't fit the theme 1 . I voted "The springs" highly as I thought it was a clever interpretation of the word and nothing said it had to be about the season.