Photo of the Month and Calendar Discussions

[Lynda Bradford]

We have decided to have separate topic board areas for the Calendars by year, as for administration purposes it is easier to keep all the discussion for each year's calendar separate. 
 
The Photo of the Month winners from October of each year can be included in the Calendar of the year after next (e.g. winners from October 2011 to September 2012 will be eligible to be included in the 2013 calendar), so they have been placed in the relevant QE2 Photo of the Month & Calendar Topic Board area.

[Lynda Bradford]

I recently had a suggestion from a Forum member that the names of the Forum Member/Photographer should be removed from the Poll for the Photo of the Month Competition.  This has now been done.

The names are still visible in the Gallery, but not in the call for votes and the poll for the photo competition in the Forum itself.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Just a quick reminder that the list of potential themes for the Photo of the Month competition is here :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,5145.0.html

Winners each month can choose a theme off this list for the next competition, and they may also add another theme to the list, which another prizewinner may choose in future.

We accept nominations for themes from all Forum members; please feel free to post suggestions by replying here. It seems amazing that at one time we thought we had exhausted all possible themes for the photo competition -- and yet, new ones are not hard to find, and I cannot yet see the day when we shall be unable to think of more!

[Adam Hodson]

So many great choices. Hope the winner picks a good one

[Alan Snelson]

I have just been looking at the website visitor statistics and notice that we have had just over one million more page views in 2014 compared to 2013.

To then see that only 13 people have taken the time to vote in the photo of the month competition is really rather disappointing to say the least, considering the ammount of time and effort it takes to organise and administer the competition.

Members please take the time to get involved and support the competition and this wonderful forum so that it continues to be a strong voice for QE2.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

If you would like to see the photo competition and calendar to continue, please show your support and vote today.  It only takes minutes, is fun, and without your support we will be forced to abandon it.

Thank you, Lynda, for this mention.

As a Moderating Team, we are having a serious discussion whether it is worth continuing the photo competitions if so few people show an interest by voting. It is quite a lot of work to keep these competitions ticking over, and we might need to think again about focusing our efforts. Do let us know (by means of your vote or abstention) what you think!

As Lynda says, a vote only takes a couple of minutes... .

[Peter Mugridge]

I've voted, and I do always tend to vote on the first day.

Perhaps one problem is it's often very difficult to whittle the choice down to just three given that the vast majority of the photos are simply impossible to choose from?  Every once in a while one will really stand out that just has to be voted for, but the quality is always so high that maybe people are just putting it off and never get round to it in the end?

Can we tell whether or not it's that same few people voting each month?

I wonder about a different format...  A vote over 3 months in which after one month those with zero votes are eliminated, then after a second month the lowest half of the remainder are eliminated then it's a straightforward race to the winning line amongst the rest?

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks for your comments Peter, which are appreciated. 

The moderator team want to ensure that forum members are happy with what we are offering on the forum.  We enjoy running the photo competition especially as so many photos of QE2 that would not otherwise be seen have been submitted.  However we are also aware that the number of members voting in relation to our members is low and that is why we would appreciate members supporting the competition by voting or telling us if there is another option they would prefer.   

I know what you mean about finding it difficult to make a choice when there are so many good photos posted and appreciate your suggestion about running the competition over a longer period of time, eliminating the zero votes.  It will be interesting to hear other suggestions and comments. 

We have no way of knowing who votes in the competition or their choices. 

[frazscot]

I agree with Lynda, this competition brings out lots of lovely pictures that would probably lie unseen in a drawer.
Let's hope that there is enough interest to keep it going as without it communication between us would probably dwindle .......So, vote and keep entering your pictures !!!!!!

[cunardqueen]

   As a Moderating Team, we are having a serious discussion whether it is worth continuing the photo competitions if so few people show an interest by voting. It is quite a lot of work to keep these competitions ticking over, and we might need to think again about focusing our efforts. Do let us know (by means of your vote or abstention) what you think!

   

If nothing else, please keep the photo comp going, its a great way to see and share some great photos.
For what its worth l always felt  selecting 3 was too many...ok l know we dont have to select 3, but lm sure we are aware its added work for the mods.
Im just back from holidays and it appears l have a heck of a lot of catching up to do...
What iv always thought with TQS is that it is the few that keep it going and the silent ones that do nothing . When you look around Facebook  there are other sites that seem to attract a different group to the ones on here,and a great many l know as friends, l purposely dont post on there, dont ask me why iv never done it, preferring to support Rob on here..
Trouble is on here, you have no idea who is watching or who is even on here.....
and there is the argument to facebook or not..?

[pete cain]

 Maybe to add a bit of interest to the photo comp, perhaps members could add a few comments as     to why they choose a particular imaage , I  would.....

[cunardqueen]

I always felt the winner(s) should add some info about the photo..when where and how for example it was taken..

[June Ingram]

Agreed and also add what the photo meant to the person who took it. 

[Rob Lightbody]

I was just looking through old photo competition albums, doing a bit of organising and tagging, and I came across this one that I dont remember (I have a terrible memory).

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=5579

Its absolutely epic, it really is.  Congratulations to Louis-Phillippe.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Often, as the photo competitions start, I look at all the pictures and wonder which of them will end up winning that month. There are many times when I could not have been more wrong...

Does it happen to you as well?

I have sometimes been tempted to suggest running another poll alongside the photo competition, where people could bet on the outcome...