It's time for a photo contest! This one's completely random, but since it's getting warm and the sun is shining, it's time to dust off your cameras and get some pics. Maybe there will even be a prize.
Anyone want to add any criteria? I'm just thinking of buses with sprouting plants and trees or something, but...anyone want to make it interesting? Feel free to post your suggestions and we'll start the contest on Wednesday.
"On street" pictures ONLY. No pictures at the Metrorail Stations or major bus terminals.
My suggestions are these:
1. Allow non-DC area entries
2. Consider photos taken in recent weeks, even before the contest was announced, to count, but I would also set a limit on how far back one can go with a submission
3. I like the no terminal rule suggestion
Sweet. I mainly take my pics while en route. Now as for major terminals, is Shirlington out of the question?
I'll second WMATAGMOAGH's first suggestion of allowing non-DC area entries. However, I believe the criteria should be set so that one must go out to *seek* these pictures, as opposed to being able to dig up previously taken pictures that just so happen to "meet" the requirements.
That being said...
Perhaps including at least one of the following elements:
1. Trees in blossom
2. Water (Natural or Artificial)
I third WMATAGMOAGH's idea of allowing non-D.C. area transit into this, as well as everyone needing to go forth and get the pictures, rather than dig up a photo.
However, I would like to include statues/monuments into the "required elements" criteria.
Ken, I'll put your point out to vote, but if anyone has any objections, comment only if you've been to or seen Shirlington Station. I'm torn on the issue myself because it isn't really a place where a bunch of buses would be sitting around (so it's still a challenge, except for ART buses), and it's kind of in a neighborhood ... but at the same time, I can't think of many really outstanding shots that we'd miss if we banned Shirlington, but I'm not the expert on that. It's open for discussion for and against, however.
aznboy, I agree with you on that because the idea is to get more photography going...but, I think it's fair to say maybe back to mid-March (any objection)? But definitely not before that. Your other two points I would count more as suggestions than requirements. <-- I thought this because I didn't want to exclude places like downtown Washington, but then.....maybe we *should* add that to the list of banned places because we have seen a lot from there ("Downtown" does not necessarily include attempts to squeeze some of the Smithsonian's buildings or the Capitol/White House/etc in, just not office buildings).
In terms of non-DC entries, we'll allow it but vote separately. I might make it two separate contests even, because i don't want good DC photos to get shut out by a bunch of photos from other places. We'll have a separate "Beyond the Beltway" photo contest since the demand is there for such a thing.
Between Monuments, Trees or Flower Beds, and Water, I think we have enough options to make requirements out of your suggestions. We'll also have a bonus "Name that Location" contest for non-photographers pulled out of the entries...so don't say where the pics came from.
Quote from: Tristan on April 05, 2010, 01:46:14 PM
Ken, I'll put your point out to vote, but if anyone has any objections, comment only if you've been to or seen Shirlington Station. I'm torn on the issue myself because it isn't really a place where a bunch of buses would be sitting around (so it's still a challenge, except for ART buses), and it's kind of in a neighborhood ... but at the same time, I can't think of many really outstanding shots that we'd miss if we banned Shirlington, but I'm not the expert on that. It's open for discussion for and against, however.
I'd honestly am less than thrilled with the idea, simply for the fact that it falls into the "place with a lot of different buses and routes serving the same place". That's why I'd frown against photos there as well as malls, etc. Of course, one could easily make such a case for photos along roads like Georgia Ave, so I'm curious to see what others think.
Quote from: Tristan on April 05, 2010, 01:46:14 PMaznboy, I agree with you on that because the idea is to get more photography going...but, I think it's fair to say maybe back to mid-March (any objection)? But definitely not before that.
How about simply "Spring 2010", from March 20th on?
Good idea on the dates, Brando. Since spring effectively ends here today by May 1, it'd probably work to run this through the end of April.
Requiring monuments seems a bit burdensome to me. I also don't think Downtown DC ought to be banned.
Ray: My suggestion on allowing back entries was simply to encompass all of this spring, since we are already into April and chances become more limited as time goes on.
March 20 seems like a good cutoff date to me. If the other cutoff is May 1, perhaps we should get until May 8 to make submissions? I also think there should be a limit on the number of submissions so people can't just submit every photo they take.
I haven't been to Shirlington, but it seems to me that we could make the requirement be that photos must be of vehicles in a public ROW (eliminating all shopping malls, Metro stations, etc.) and cannot be an established layover point for any route.
I say ban shots in Shirlington terminal itself, but allow buses on approach/departing Shirlington.
I think this is a good idea...I'm in!! But I'll wait until you guys finish your back and forth with the rules...
@wmatagm, monuments would be one of three options under azn's proposal.
I think I'll get in too. I like the idea so far, especially the shooting at terminals, Metro stations etc. I've always been a fan of what I call "action" shots. To me action shots are of transit vehicles on the road doing their thing.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on April 05, 2010, 05:42:06 PM
Requiring monuments seems a bit burdensome to me. I also don't think Downtown DC ought to be banned.
Ray: My suggestion on allowing back entries was simply to encompass all of this spring, since we are already into April and chances become more limited as time goes on.
March 20 seems like a good cutoff date to me. If the other cutoff is May 1, perhaps we should get until May 8 to make submissions? I also think there should be a limit on the number of submissions so people can't just submit every photo they take.
I haven't been to Shirlington, but it seems to me that we could make the requirement be that photos must be of vehicles in a public ROW (eliminating all shopping malls, Metro stations, etc.) and cannot be an established layover point for any route.
I agree with all of these points. That would cover the temporary bus terminal points in Silver Spring.
Quote from: Tritransit Area on April 06, 2010, 12:15:47 AM
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on April 05, 2010, 05:42:06 PM
Requiring monuments seems a bit burdensome to me. I also don't think Downtown DC ought to be banned.
Ray: My suggestion on allowing back entries was simply to encompass all of this spring, since we are already into April and chances become more limited as time goes on.
March 20 seems like a good cutoff date to me. If the other cutoff is May 1, perhaps we should get until May 8 to make submissions? I also think there should be a limit on the number of submissions so people can't just submit every photo they take.
I haven't been to Shirlington, but it seems to me that we could make the requirement be that photos must be of vehicles in a public ROW (eliminating all shopping malls, Metro stations, etc.) and cannot be an established layover point for any route.
I agree with all of these points. That would cover the temporary bus terminal points in Silver Spring.
I hadn't thought about Silver Spring. I was just trying to make a suggestion that eliminates the ability to find buses in predictable places and forces people to get the type of shots Wayne described in his most recent post. I worded it as established layover point so if you find a bus idling in a spot that doesn't ordinarily see buses laying over or parked on the side of the road at a point that isn't a layover, and the shot would otherwise meet the criteria, you can go for it and submit it. After all, I don't think we should be penalizing people for "rare" finds that would otherwise meet the criteria. But camping out at Silver Spring or somewhere comprable should be made difficult, if not impossible.
Okay so it looks like our rules are actually pretty simple - as follows:
-Must be taken between March 20 and April 30
-Should include either a monument, foliage, or water -- or perhaps other "springlike" environmental elements, subject to interpretation
-Cannot be taken in Metrorail stations, transit centers, or other areas -- it's a photo challenge, not just a contest :-)
Did I get everything you've suggested?
I got a suggested list of off limit locations regarding the terminals points
Ballston
Silver Spring IOS
Glenmont (NB on Georgia)
Tysons Corner
Pentagon City (Hayes St. terminus)
Germantown Transit Center
Lakeforest
Friendship Heights (Western Avenue and Wisconsin sides)
Georgia Avenue-Petworth (Georgia Avenue side)
anyone else wanna chime in?
Quote from: Tristan on April 06, 2010, 11:14:57 AM
Okay so it looks like our rules are actually pretty simple - as follows:
-Must be taken between March 20 and April 30
-Should include either a monument, foliage, or water -- or perhaps other "springlike" environmental elements, subject to interpretation
-Cannot be taken in Metrorail stations, transit centers, or other areas -- it's a photo challenge, not just a contest :-)
Did I get everything you've suggested?
Submission limit? My suggestion is 3 per category (DC/non-DC).
Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on April 06, 2010, 12:02:41 PM
I got a suggested list of off limit locations regarding the terminals points
Ballston
Silver Spring IOS
Glenmont (NB on Georgia)
Tysons Corner
Pentagon City (Hayes St. terminus)
Germantown Transit Center
Lakeforest
Friendship Heights (Western Avenue and Wisconsin sides)
Georgia Avenue-Petworth (Georgia Avenue side)
anyone else wanna chime in?
I think people can figure out what a layover point/terminal is without an official list...
I'd like to participate. Do model buses qualify as well as real ones?
Amended list of rules (there will be a new thread to start the contest and summarize all this!):
-Must be taken between March 20 and April 30
-Should include either a monument, foliage, or water -- or perhaps other "springlike" environmental elements, subject to interpretation
-Cannot be taken in Metrorail stations, transit centers, or other areas -- it's a photo challenge, not just a contest :-)
-Maximum of three photos per entry (post); one entry per person per category (DC/non-DC).
@Flx: Interesting question. It could be argued that posing a model bus does not represent a challenge, but then...it could also be aruged that this.......might be interesting to see. Anyone else have any comments on that?
Whats the grand prize? I hope its a DASH stress bus thingy.
Sure. One of those then. Either that or maybe a gift certificate for a custom bus from member Flxible...although I haven't pitched this to him yet.
Can we use Google Street view photos? Believe it or not, its hard to get clear pictures of buses with Street View, and I think it will be challenge finding some.
I doubt you can satisfy all the requirements with a GSV photo. Again, the point is to get you out taking more pictures, so no. We might do another GSV contest though.
You would have a hard time knowing when the GSV imagery was captured -- probably before March 20.
I didn't quite understand from the official thread...can we get shots from MD and VA as well or only DC? And what are the categories?
Good question - DC *AREA*. I'll specify that. By category, I mean DC or non-DC.
I can do a custom model bus of the winner's choice as the grand prize, depending on availability. Will announce that under the official thread.