Important changes to POTW

[Jordy]

As we approach the new year, the forum staff thought it was time to let you know of some exciting changes that we're making to our 'Photo of the Week' competition (POTW) starting immediately with the launch of a special 'Free for all' competition. Starting tonight, there will be a prize each month and there's a chance your entry could be used in the RailUK Forums 2014 Calendar which will be produced and sold through the forum. Any profits made from the sale of the calendar will go to charity.

So how will this work? POTW will continue as normal but at the end of each month the winning entries from that month will go to another vote to choose the 'Calendar Photo of the Month' (POTM). The winning entry will be used in the forum calendar and the winner will receive a prize in the form of a £10 gift voucher. There may also be additional photo competitions during the year with prizes on offer. We feel these changes will enhance the popularity of POTW and look forward to your participation throughout the year.

Please note the following new rule which will come into effect for all photos entered from now

By uploading an image to the POTW gallery you confirm that the image you have entered is your own intellectual property. You additionally give RailUK Forums the right to use the image you upload in a calendar which will be sold through the forum with any profits made being donated to charity. This right may not be withdrawn by you at a later date.

A special 'Photo of the Year 2012' competition is now open for entries, the winning entry of this competition will be included in our 2014 calendar. POTW 701 will open on Tuesday 1st January, with voting commencing on Sunday 6th. POTW 702 will open on Sunday 6th January with voting commencing on Sunday 13th January. The regular weekly competition will then continue as it has in previous years.

 

[TGVDUDE]

Sounds good to me, I look forward to it, as one who keeps on forgetting about the POTW over the past year, it's a great incentive to keep me coming back!

 

[eastwestdivide]

£10 voucher for what?

 

[Jordy]

Initially, we expect to be giving a prize in the form of a multi-store gift voucher.

 

[RozzaDownunder]

Is the competition limited to UK participants?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Nope, anyone from anywhere can take part - I'm certain we already have a couple of Australian contributors and there are entries from all over the world.

 

[Yew]

This is going to end up with my spending far too much money on a camera, My Iphone just doesnt cut it

 

[Crossover]

This is going to end up with my spending far too much money on a camera, My Iphone just doesnt cut it

You'd be surprised - we have had a few phone entries, and some of them have won. You don't need an expensive camera to take good photos, just a bit of imagination and a little knowledge of how to make best use of the equipment you have

 

[Jordy]

MattE2010 is correct, international entries are welcome.

 

[Temple Meads]

You'd be surprised - we have had a few phone entries, and some of them have won. You don't need an expensive camera to take good photos, just a bit of imagination and a little knowledge of how to make best use of the equipment you have

The picture for the only POTW I have won was taken with a £25 fixed lens piece of junk, not either of the two considerably more expensive cameras I've used since.

Quality of equipment isn't everything, it helps, but not if it's used incorrectly.

 

[Crossover]

The picture for the only POTW I have won was taken with a £25 fixed lens piece of junk, not either of the two considerably more expensive cameras I've used since.

Quality of equipment isn't everything, it helps, but not if it's used incorrectly.

I spoke to one of my uni friends about this sort of thing a while back, as they are a keen photographer and has a digital SLR with various lenses.

When I mentioned about it, the advice was that an SLR will make good photo better, but won't make a bad photo good. Essentially, I guess, one needs to understand the art of taking good photographs on whatever is available and then moving up to an SLR to enhance them.

I, too, have taken photos on my phone and with some, you'd be hard pressed to know it was only off a phone...then again, I have seen photos taking on the likes of iPhones that look awful (not necessarily rail related) due to basic understandings of photography not being observed

 

[Wikipedia]

This is going to end up with my spending far too much money on a camera, My Iphone just doesnt cut it

Like I say, "It's not how many mega pixels you have but how you use them!"

 

[Temple Meads]

Like I say, "It's not how many mega pixels you have but how you use them!"

But if you only have 1 or 2 you might be in difficulties

 

[Wikipedia]

But if you only have 1 or 2 you might be in difficulties

True true very true!