Oktoberfest 2023 - signup and guidelines - Event Date: 01 October 2023 - 31 October 2023

What better motivation than Micholand's oktoberfest potpourri above to sign up for this challenge
we're really waiting for you to
Sign Up Now


Participants:

1: pegelli
2: Phil Wood
3: alanfrombangor
4: LAbernethy
5: gregja
6: Jozioau
7: Fred_S
8: waldo_posth (posting later is no problem at all)
9: addy landzaat
10: ADub128
11: Dopol
12: fennetje
13: Snegren
14: minolta_mutley
15: Robbie
16: Jonas A-R
17: Biggator
18: onsplekkie
19: Robbie
20: jvsanchez
21: ffrolvaag
22: Snegren
23: ....

INTRO

Oktoberfest is a month-long photographic challenge that is part of the rich Dyxum Challenge tradition. Please read the guidelines below before you start.
If you do not understand the guidelines, do not worry. You will understand when you see - just sign up.

Oktoberfest can be challenging. However the challenge is not from Dyxum to you. You challenge yourself! The objectives are: (1) to get you out shooting more pictures; (2) to develop your photographic skills; (3) to enjoy photography; (4) to get to know the other photographers and fellow Dyxumers in the challenge and comment on their photo's.

This challenge is for everyone! It does not matter if you are a professional or a beginner. Everyone will learn something and everyone can enjoy it.

GUIDELINES
1) Take photographs every day and post one picture for each day in the thread. Pic-a-day (but 7/week or 5/week or 3/week is okay - see FAQ below).

2) Shoot for the whole month with one (or two), prime lens(es) (if you do not have a prime (=fixed focal length), you can use a zoom, fixed to one focal length; but you cannot change the focal length). Any lens is okay, but you should decide in advance.

3) Use only Sony/ Minolta “A-mount” or Sony E-mount bodies; but the old Minolta mount (SR-mount) bodies are allowed too because in a way that’s where we come from. Any brand/style/mount lens is allowed (directly mounted, via an adapter or even free-lensing if you're into that way of shooting)

4) Because the point is to shoot only one point of view, only minimal cropping is allowed to straighten, etc. However, you may crop ONE SIDE in order to present a picture in a square or elongated format but it needs to be planned when you took the shot (the point is that you compose in the viewfinder/LV and not on the computer).

5) You are expected to comment on the photographs posted by others – there will be a Talk Thread for this purpose.

6) State your challenge when you sign up. Add as many details and conditions as you want. You can change it up until the start date. A perfect challenge will be difficult but not impossible.

7) Read the Talk Thread every time you post in the Photo threads, so that you do not miss out on announcements or comments – please try to join in.

8) If you cannot post frequently due to problems with internet access that is okay. You can still join and catch up with posts when you can. If you do not have time to process your photos fully, don’t worry – post them with minimal processing. This is not a beauty contest.

Trust me, it is both a great learning experience and good fun...

FAQs
Please ask questions below - they are very welcome! But here are some answers to some common questions... numbers relate to the guidelines above.

1) If you cannot shoot every day (aka pic-a-day), you can choose to shoot 7 pics-a-week or even 5 or 3 pics-a-week instead. But challenge yourself to shoot much more than usual. If you need to use another lens for an event like a wedding or to make a living, or because the bear living in your toolshed has decided to cut the grass for you, you can claim an “event pass”. However, try to shoot with only one (or 2) lens(es) if you can – it is a good challenge (e.g. if you are not the paid photographer at the wedding try to do it with only your chosen lens first). But family gatherings, DPC's, day Prime, full wedding reportages, professional engagements etc. will certainly qualify for an “event pass”

2) One or 2 lens(es) only – do not change. If you use a zoom, we suggest you tape it to fix it at the focal length you choose (but don’t use tape that will pull the paint off your 70-200G!).

3) If you need to crop more than a “minimal amount” you can post those pictures in the “Outtakes” thread with a notice “cropped”. For your daily picture, use your feet to zoom and compose more carefully. Cropping to straighten is fine. Cropping to remove distortion is okay sometimes – but don’t do it every day ; learn to include the distortion in the composition.

4) It is important to encourage other people during the challenge…. everybody benefits from a little help and positive feedback to get through it, and it is much more enjoyable when there is communication. If your English is not so good, don’t worry… nobody minds. This is an international forum and if you tell me “ I like your self-portrait very much but I think your bottom is underexposed “, I will know it is the fault of Google translator. If you do not like “chat” you can just post regular lists of your favorite pictures for the past few days.




Your challenge can be anything! Express it like this:
“I’ll do pic--a-day with the Minolta 16mm fish. Restrictions are no crops at all and at least 3 night-time shots a week taken without flash.
“I’ll use the Sony 50/1.8 and go 3 pics-a-week (I will try to shoot more if I can). Restrictions are minimal or square crop and that all pictures will be composed using the LV.”
“I’ll try 7 pic-a-week with the Minolta 500/8, but I will try to shoot every day. No restrictions.”[/QUOTE]

Note that these are Guidelines - participation is key and the main thing is to challenge yourself and take part.

Get in, sign-up below with your challenge to yourself!



And of course if you don't live in Munchen you don't have to only produce photo's of beer, girls in traditional costumes or partying people, there's plenty more subjects that fit october

A Northern hemisphere autumn example:


And a southern hemisphere spring example:


But don't let these examples limit your creativity and show us what you can deliver with your own one or two primes, just sign up below:

Edited by Jozioau - 24 September 2023 at 02:04

I'm in. Probably Minolta AF 35/2 & 135/2.8 - but I may change my mind by October.

Ah, alas I'm going to be in Nanjing for October and November, and will have to miss this one.
It's for work, but I'll be taking the ɑ1 and 24-105. Which also precludes the challenge...

If I can connect to Dyxum I'll check in on this challenge from time to time

Will also jump in. Lenses TBD

I hope to be able to finally go for a solitary trip to mountains in October. The first one since several years. I do not plan to limit myself to just one or two focal lengths there so I am out. If it wasn't for that, I would join with 35/1.4GM and 135 STF.

So far I never did a month-long challenge. But I am tempted to give it a try.

Most of October I will be biking/hiking using a limited size backpack - no laptop, just a very old smartphone with OTG not working. I am even worrying how to do backups of my SD-cards.
So I would have to postpone posting of my photos to the end of October. I hope that's still in conformity with the rules.

My camera will be a Sony ILCE-6500 with the 18-135mm zoom lens. Lenswise the easiest way would be to use the zoom ends for participating. But I am thinking about an additional prime to take with me.

I haven't done an Oktoberfest here in quite a while! I'm in for 3-pics a week using my newish to me A7ii and brand new Tamron 24mm 2.8. No specific theme ... I'm best known for random observations!

Also, while I'm here, today is the last day to sign up for the 2023 Dyxum Postcard Exchange. We're at 19 participants, hoping to get to 20+! Come play over there too!