NEW Assignments Index and Rules

Photographic Assignments Photographic Assignments are a series of challenging tasks that you have to complete one by one. They are meant to be challenging and each one of them requires thinking and careful planning on your side. The difficulties you face in the way of completing an assignment are added to your photographic knowledge as valuable experiences. Your attempts are evaluated by our moderators, who are very strict about the rules of assignments and have high expectations from you. Sometimes even more than what you expect from yourself. If your entry is not accepted, you must retry until you do well enough to be accepted! It is a given that the camera used will be an A-mount digital or film SLR, and not any other type. Important Note About Copyright: as with all photos posted on Dyxum the copyright remains with the photographer who took and posted the shot. However to make the idea of assignments working our Admins/Moderators/Alpha Eyes who are evaluating your work in here may need to modify posted shots for instructional/educational purposes. So by posting an image in Assignemnts you give Admins/Mods/Alpha Eyes permission to post a modified version for instructional/educational purposes only. Such modified photos will be published exclusively in Assignments section on Dyxum and will be removed as soon as possible on your (copyright holder's) request.

Guidelines Read your assignment carefully. Some of them might be hard to understand. It's your responsibility to comprehend the given set of rules and come up with a correct interpretation of it. Take your lessons. When you fail, make sure you understand the given reason. If it's not clear, discuss it. Discuss. Ask questions about our evaluations, leave your comments about other dyxumers' attempts. Photography related discussions are always welcome in assignment topics. Follow other attempts as well. See how people interpret the assignment. Learn why attempts get accepted or refused. If you are not in agreement with our decision, jump in and tell your opinion. Try to use "quality" shots. Don't just post a grab shot that meets the criteria, try to use shots in line with your usual standard re. lighting, sharpness etc.

Assignments Basic Assignments: Rule of Thirds and Golden Mean Leading Lines Foreground Interest Perspective Shape/outline Silhouette Use of Fill-in Flash Intermediate Assignments: High Key Low Key Softness Primary Colour Symmetry Pattern Texture Portrait Assignments Natural light Studio with multiple lights/reflectors Environmental portrait Advanced Assignments: Getting closer Macro w/o macro Use of flash with rear curtain sync Breaking the rules Self set goal/assignment These can be taken in any order. But if you want to set yourself a personal challenge, you can still do them in the numbered order -- the prizemoney does not increase, but the satisfaction when finished will be greater. However you can only do one assignment at a time, and you can only move to another once after completion (passing) of the one you started.

Rules The general rules for the assignments are as follows (the specific instructions will be posted in the threads): clean slate, all “old” assignments will be locked (over time as the new ones are created) Photo's shot with A/E-mount cameras only, no other brands/mounts no mining, shots must be specifically taken for the assignment (we trust you ) Provide shooting data, like camera, lens, exposure details, date taken etc. when there is no exif included in the picture file. only one assignment at the time. Once started you can only take the next assignment after having passed. one dimension crop and minor straightening allowed (to allow different aspect ratios, but don’t crop in both directions) max 2 pics per post/try you can do the assignments in any order, and repeated as many times as you want at least one moderators or admin will comment on every post and determine fail/pass. This might include general C&C as well. all members of Dyxum can also leave comments on the shots posted id of members that passed will be kept in a "pass post" specifically good pictures or good examples of assignment passes will be kept in a new "assignment gallery" instructions for specific assignments will generally stay as is (and we'll have to write new ones for new assignments). shots posted for the assignments are eligible for selection in the weekly exhibitions

If you have a suggestion to improve the Assignments, please post it in this thread.

Edited by bms44974 - 10 October 2013 at 12:26

I wanted to suggest having a few post-processing assignments. Seems to be very important in digital photography. If the same quality of tips and tricks can be conveyed as what has been done with the photo assignments - I would say great.

For example, the first basic post-processing assignment could involve developing the digital image.   Take a raw file and accomplish specific development tasks with it for a pass or fail. People would post the original (in JPG) and their developed JPGs.

For other assignments, you could do HDR, selective altering of the photo (and reducing image size to hide manual edits), airbrushing, etc.   



Edited by DWardCA - 27 June 2012 at 14:18

ifreedman wrote: Let me second DWardCA's suggestion about post processing assignments. But on another note, I came here to reference the rules and what kinds of post processing are allowed or not for these assignments. Other than cropping, I don't see any clear regulations re. PPing. Can I suggest that you make it more clear in the rules about whether PP is allowed. I assume that basic color/levels/contrast is allowed. But are filter effects? Level mixing and masking? Sharpening and blurring? Etc? Ian

We're currently discussing PP assignments, so hold tight, something is in the works.

For the rest all PP is allowed as you see fit to complete the assignments, except for a photo-montage of several pictures. It should have all happened with one shot (or a bracketed HDR)

Hello there,

Wondering if NEX E-mount shots are permitted. One spot says A's and KM's another says A and E mounts. I'm away from home without the A700 and was hoping to work on my skills and get some constructive feedback. Always been afraid to try but boredom is a good push :-).

Hi

I believe the link entitled Rule of "Thirds and Golden Mean" points to an old version.

Cheers

What happened to the 'Decisive Moment' assignment? I actually took a pic for it today and now the assignment seems to have been dropped.

Brian, thanks for the quick reply. I always thought it was a bit of a tricky assignment!   I posted the pic in the Oktoberfest outtakes (a burning match). I'm sure it will receive due comment over there - the level of commenting has been A++ over there this time around :-)

In the meantime, I must crack on with all the other assignments.... I've been a member here for quite a while and I think I really should have done more (in fact, that was my new year 2012 resolution...)