What is the purpose of PaD projects?

[jaxtion25]

i doubt PaDers are made up mostly of retired people. I'm a student, everyday is pretty much the same for me. I go to uni and i go home, sometimes i go back to uni at night to work on assignments. We are all busy people, but going back to my point, PaD is a voluntary project, you don't have to do it. No one ever said PaD is easy, quite the opposite. It's challenging as hell for me. But realistically, a photo takes less than a second to take. Yes often you would delete-reshoot until the composition is right. That's part of what PaD trains you to do, compose quickly & proficiently on the fly. Presvisualization is also part of the trainig, if you can imagine how you would frame the shot then actual composition would take less time.

[fieldstone]

Back to your original question - "What is the purpose of PaD Projects"

My answer would be whatever you want it to be. I've been exposed to some wonderful photos in the PaD part of Pbase and don't particularly care or check when the photo was taken or if the photographer is "exploiting PBase for publicity" - if you don't want publicity why be on PBase - will it get you anywhere? only in a small percentage of cases will PBase launch a career. I started my PaD in January and now have 133 images in there. so I guess I'm ahead of my quota....I better slow down.

Best of luck to you

[jaxtion25]

if you don't want publicity why be on PBase - will it get you anywhere?

If publicity is one of your goal than that's a big big mistake. I made that mistake before while on flickr, the desire for exposure began influencing my approach to photography in a negative way. No, my main reason for posting my work on internet is to get critiques. While 1 out of 10 comments are geninuely helpful, they are well worth it. Also, you get to meet some pretty amazing people on the way who shares your particular interest in photography. But anyway, we are getting off-topic. i'll make one more point.

The name 'Picture a Day' doesn't leave much room for interpretation does it...

[fieldstone]

The name 'Picture a Day' doesn't leave much room for interpretation does it.

I would suggest respectfully that all of life is open to interpretation - and perhaps most importantly in matters of "art", which is after all what our photo hobby is all about (IMHO). Please feel free to interpret the features on this site as you choose and I will do likewise.

[ourlouisiana]

Well apparently we have misunderstood. We began posting to the PAD project with aspirations of taking a photo each day, and posting it to the PAD gallery. Over time we began to feel many other projects pulling our available time.

We have made many friends through the PAD project, and have learned a lot about many aspects of photography. We never considered that we were among an "elite" group, only a group of people that could observe and capture the beauty around them and allow others to see that beauty through their eyes.

The spectre of "publicity" and "vote grabbing" was raised as motivation to do PAD, that was never our intention.

If we have broken any rules, if we have offended anyone with our posts, if we have portrayed that we consider that we belong to an elite group, then we sincerely apologize.

Out of respect for those that DO follow the spirit and guidelines of the PAD project, since we have not followed these guidelines, we will discontinue posting to this gallery.

Donna n Paul

[abrazo]

I feel that it is time to draw a line under this discussion folks and get out there and do what we all enjoy................. TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS!!!!!!!!


Ann:)

[jaxtion25]

this is getting out of hand. First of all, i apologise for being stubborn. It is not my intention to upset anyone with this topic. Everything i've said here is my opinion only, it is only suppose to encourage discussion. What most people have expressed here is PaD is supposed to be relaxed & enjoyable, others had said PaD is what you want it to be. I have argued against them, because i don't feel it's the purpose of a PaD. I argue not because i'm trying to change how others think but because a discussion is the great way to learn for all involved. I feel like i've made my points clear enough, but no one seens to have made any counter arguments to them.

To Donna & Paul : Quit if you want, but don't do it for the wrong reason. PaD is not an elite group, it's for people who want to deeply commit themselves to a challenging project, it's nothing more than that.

[mathildaportfolio]

Jeffrey, I think the crux of the matter is, that no matter what, people will PaD in their own way.
I have recently completed my second year od PaD'ing, and in that time, I sincerely tried to take at least one picture a day,
and post it that evening. I have also, for a few select months, participated in monthly themed PaDs, which I found more challenging, but also enjoyed very much. And then, I have, for one month, last year in May, devoted the entire May 2008 PaD, to my visit to home country, South Africa. I visited SA in April, and didn't post while I was in SA. But, I took hundreds of photos while visiting my family, and used these photos for the month of May, as PaD photos.

Did that constitute cheating? By your standards, it probably did. My way of thinking was that I did not have the opportunity to post while I was in SA, and so I devoted the month after my return to my visit there.

The main thing is to enjoy what you're doing. If you PaD and get all worked up about how other people PaD, what is the purpose of participating then?
I am now PaD'ing again in the more traditional way of attempting to take a fresh photo most days and posting it by that evening, and enjoying it very much. However, I believe in live and let live. I have certain Pbasers whose galleries I visit on a daily/weekly basis to view their latest photos, regardless of whatever is posted in their PaD. I do so, not because their galleries float to the top and get some publicity, but because I have come to respect and like their work enough to visit their galleries whether they feature on "Recent uploads" or not.

We are a community of thousands of photographers here, and we are, by nature, all very diverse. But we do have one common interest/love: Photography. Let's enjoy it

[jaxtion25]

Posting time is not an issue, the project isn't 'post picture a day'.

i think our discussion has come to an end, the same points are being raised over & over again. I know this thread has at least affected two people, which i'm pleased with because that's what discussions should do. I thank everyone for participating in this thread! Best of luck to you all.


Jeffery

[mathildaportfolio]

My goodness jefferey, you certainly are hard to please
After re-reading your initial posting and all the replies here, I have come to the conclusion that you are simply sulking about nothing, because not a single reply seemed to satisfy you, everyone "missed" your point, somehow or other.
If you find that you don't attract enough views or comments with your photography, maybe it is time for you to pay your dues, by visiting other photographers' galleries, browsing and commenting. Most likely, they will return the favour, visiting your galleries and start browsing around. I bet you increased traffic to your galleries simply by posting here in this forum.

My advice to you is to stop being so full of it, and just to enjoy your hobby!

[amoxtli]

My goodness jefferey, you certainly are hard to please
After re-reading your initial posting and all the replies here, I have come to the conclusion that you are simply sulking about nothing, because not a single reply seemed to satisfy you, everyone "missed" your point, somehow or other.
If you find that you don't attract enough views or comments with your photography, maybe it is time for you to pay your dues, by visiting other photographers' galleries, browsing and commenting. Most likely, they will return the favour, visiting your galleries and start browsing around. I bet you increased traffic to your galleries simply by posting here in this forum.

My advice to you is to stop being so full of it, and just to enjoy your hobby!

Thank you Mathilda. I couldn't agree with you more. Jeffrey did get a lot of honest and well meaning replies from quite a few experienced photographers.

[jaxtion25]

My goodness jefferey, you certainly are hard to please
After re-reading your initial posting and all the replies here, I have come to the conclusion that you are simply sulking about nothing, because not a single reply seemed to satisfy you, everyone "missed" your point, somehow or other.
If you find that you don't attract enough views or comments with your photography, maybe it is time for you to pay your dues, by visiting other photographers' galleries, browsing and commenting. Most likely, they will return the favour, visiting your galleries and start browsing around. I bet you increased traffic to your galleries simply by posting here in this forum.

My advice to you is to stop being so full of it, and just to enjoy your hobby!

i'm not sure how you extracted all that from two sentences. Every reply here has said the same thing with no reference back to my points. It doesn't look like you guys read it carefully, this is most evident from the fact that none of you even spelt 'Jeffery' right.

"I bet you increased traffic to your galleries simply by posting here in this forum"

That line bothers me alot. This was the whole point i was trying to make, it's not about views & comments. You are right, i don't get alot of views & comments because i don't comment alot myself. Yes it would be great to have more of both, but my personal rule is they have to come from the power of my work and not through socialization. So obviously right now it signals i have a long way to go. By the way, I comment a photo when it evokes emotion or when i can offer constructive criticisms.

I'm willing to bet i take & view a hell of alot photos more than you do. It's time i paid my dues? I can't' help but feel you think views & comments is what it's all about. If that's the case then i'm sorry to have repeat myself again, you completely missed the point.


ps. do i sound all serious & angry because i don't use emoticons?

[bassrock]

I'm not telling people what to do, but encourage them to follow rules.

Jeffrey, there are no rules for PAD. Search around the site - no list of cans and cant's, and no PAD police either - it is a flexible opportunity for people to use their own way. And people do exactly that. By all means comment and raise discussion here, but from the tone of your posts it appears to me you are trying to make up your own rules and impose them on others, and then act surprised when people don't accept them.

Like Jypsee I have been here since 2004 and in that time PAD has evolved a lot. It evolves as old PADders move on and new ones join. People follow new trends and introduce new ideas over that time - the montly challenge is a new idea for example. If you want to see what PAD was about in the beginning why not look at David's page http://www.pbase.com/vid64/photoaday - if you don't know David, he was the person how effectively began PAD back at the end of 2002. You will notice he took a break from PAD for nearly a year, I guess that is against your rules.

Bill
BassRockPhotography.com

[jaxtion25]

I'm not telling people what to do, but encourage them to follow rules.

Jeffrey, there are no rules for PAD. Search around the site - no list of cans and cant's, and no PAD police either - it is a flexible opportunity for people to use their own way. And people do exactly that. By all means comment and raise discussion here, but from the tone of your posts it appears to me you are trying to make up your own rules and impose them on others, and then act surprised when people don't accept them.

tone? we are on the internet, you can't always tell what people's real tone is through text. The content of the post is more important, but people are interpreting what's being said instead of taking it as it is. I have already said im not here to tell people what to do, as it's obvious from that quote yet you still think that im trying to impose my rules on others? i just don't know how i can be more clear. A project has a start and a finish, so no i'm not surprised he decided to finish it at some stage.

[mathildaportfolio]

Ohmysoul Jeffery, aren't you just a bundle of joy, the epitome of a happy, easygoing person!!
I suddenly realised who you remind me of....my neighbour's little Chihuahua, who barks incessantly at anything and anyone, and then keeps barking long after the offender is gone! Enough already, sheesh!