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 06/02/2003 05:53:15 AM · #1
Just out of curiosity, how many of you read titles on the challenge submissions? I ask because there was a comment left on my current challenge submission that was clearly answered by the title of the photo. I just wondered if folks regularly read or ignore the titles.

Shari
 06/02/2003 05:58:29 AM · #2
I read the titles because i think they are an integral part of the image. the title, however, should not answer questions that are generated by the image :)
 06/02/2003 06:03:32 AM · #3
I usually glance at the title while I wait for the picture to load, then I look at the picture. If I feel like I am missing something, I go back to the title to lead me where I should go. I'm like setz, though, a good title further describes the picture, doesn't explain it. My goal as a photographer is to try and convey meaning/expression/emotion as much as possible without words. Others may disagree, that's fine.
 06/02/2003 06:08:22 AM · #4
I read them sometimes; sometimes they help, sometimes they fit like a glove, and sometimes it feels like someone's trying to shoehorn in a picture that doesn't fit by giving it a pretense in the title. They don't affect my vote.
 06/02/2003 06:10:17 AM · #5
I read them, I don't base my vote on the title.
 06/02/2003 06:16:41 AM · #6
I read the titles and I just got a very rude comment left obviously because the fool didn't think my photo met the challenge when it is obviously the home of the subject I used!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My title portrayed it...I'm going to start putting Untitled 1, Untitled 2, and so on in for a title cause it is obvious so many don't read titles and if they do they just don't understand them.
 06/02/2003 06:23:13 AM · #7
I vote on the image and sometimes read the title afterwards. I lean towards having the image stand on it's own without the title.


06/02/2003 06:42:51 AM · #8
I do read the titles. It doesn't necessarily affect my vote, but it sometimes gives me a better idea of what the photographer was trying to do, which could theoretically affect how on topic I feel something is. But as someone else alluded to, a clever title on an off-topic picture does not make the picture on topic.
 06/02/2003 06:48:48 AM · #9
I read the titles sometimes it actually makes me understand what the photographer was trying to say.
 06/02/2003 06:53:22 AM · #10
I always read every title... I think they help put me in the right frame of mind for understanding the context of each shot before I cast a vote.

I agree that a title doesn't excuse an otherwise bad image, but I'll definitely admit to being swayed by a title. A clever title can definitely affect a vote; a really dumb one can do the same.
 06/02/2003 08:31:09 AM · #11
I read the titles, and can sometimes be slightly swayed by them, in the "okay, they DID know what the challenge was supposed to be" way. Sometimes a photo appears to not meet the challenge at all, but the title can give you a hint as to what they were trying to do. Personally, I think that if it has to be done in words, the photo didn't succeed on its own, but I won't penalize too harshly for that if the title indicates that they did read the requirements and simply interpreted them in an unusual way that doesn't make obvious sense on first glance.

People with funny titles -- some of them are so clever, it really makes me laugh and enjoy the voting/commenting! Those won't get voted higher just because of the title, but I do appreciate the effort. :)

Basically, what everyone else said.

Here's another question series for you guys, also about titles: how do you decide what YOUR title will be? Do you ever think of the title first and then photograph to fit it? Is your title ever the only thing that really makes your photo meet the challenge requirements? Would you be able to do a challenge where your photo could not be titled? How would that change your approach, if at all?
 06/02/2003 09:11:39 AM · #12
I have come up with a title, then shot the picture. Kinda backwards, but sometimes it was the only way to get started. Other times I have a general idea of what I want to shoot, then titles are running through my head as I shoot. I guess basically, I have no set method. :-/
 06/02/2003 09:22:18 AM · #13
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
I read the titles because i think they are an integral part of the image. the title, however, should not answer questions that are generated by the image :)


If the title of your shot is "Tulip". And someone asks "what kind of flower is this?" I think it's fair to say that the title can answer a question about a photo to a certain degree. It shouldn't have to explain your whole photo, but I think that kind of question/answer combo would be just fine.
Or what about location? Someone wants to know where the shot was taken and you title it "Kalamazoo, MI Nature Center". The title clearly answers the question, and that is perfectly fine in my opinion.
~Heather~
 06/02/2003 09:24:24 AM · #14
I think titles are important ... but they shouldnt be used to justify why you used that specific photo for a particular challenge ... titles should complement the image, not justify it :)
 06/02/2003 09:26:45 AM · #15
I enjoy clever, catchy titles. Some of mine are the clever type, some are pretty generic. Most of them are some sort of cliche with a twist. Naturally Decaffeinated was one of my better titles, A picture with feeder goldfish in my coffee urn. I think titles are neat and kind of fun. I like to have fun with them anyway and appreciate those who do the same. I think a good title will help a good picture. If you don't have a good title, be short and to the point. There should not be explanations in the title. That's title misuse IMO.

Bob
 06/02/2003 09:30:20 AM · #16
Forget clever or funny titles - I tried that this week and I have 7 comments already, 5 of which say "that's not a good title." SO WHAT? It is too. And it's funny. And those who don't think so are being far too serious about what they are here to do.

Titles - kill em.
 06/02/2003 10:04:26 AM · #17
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
I read the titles because i think they are an integral part of the image. the title, however, should not answer questions that are generated by the image :)


It wasn't a question about the image as much as it was a suggestion for something to add to the composition that if the title were read would make no sense whatsoever. (A physical thing to put in the picture with the existing elements that with the title would show that physical thing was not appropriate)

Does that make more sense?
Shari
 06/02/2003 10:06:47 AM · #18
Originally posted by hbunch7187:

If the title of your shot is "Tulip". And someone asks "what kind of flower is this?" I think it's fair to say that the title can answer a question about a photo to a certain degree.
~Heather~


That's the kind of thing I meant, Heather :). Thanks for explaining it better than I did.

Shari

Message edited by author 2003-06-02 14:07:31.
 06/02/2003 10:06:50 AM · #19
I think a title becomes important IF you use one. By this I mean that if you are going to 'title' a photo, great, but put some thought into it. The photo may be harmed as much as helped by the title you use.

I find the title (at times) conveys more information about the photographer than the photo itself (creativity, demographics, geographics, sane or insame, etc, etc.).

The title is (or can be) the 'first impression' for the viewer the image. A photo can convey many things, none of which are right or wrong, but the photographer has an opportunity to convey his (or her) interpretation of his own work by using a title.

Choose one wisely.
 06/02/2003 10:20:28 AM · #20
I had some feedback about my title in a currently-running challenge -- someone said the title didn't match the picture. I thought that was a really helpful comment, because to ME, the title matched. I was identifying the place that was the subject of the photo, but the viewer looked at the title and didn't feel that the photo was a representation of it. Interesting, because it tells me that my own connection to the subject is perhaps too close to be objective in titling it. :)
 06/02/2003 10:30:05 AM · #21
I just got some feedback on one of my entries and it indicated I got WAY TOO cutesy on the title and probably nobody understood what in the heck I meant. I'm now sure that some voters may think my entry doesn't even belong in that challenge category. Will be much more careful in the future!
 06/02/2003 10:36:22 AM · #22
Originally posted by mavrik:
Forget clever or funny titles - I tried that this week and I have 7 comments already, 5 of which say "that's not a good title." SO WHAT? It is too. And it's funny. And those who don't think so are being far too serious about what they are here to do.

Titles - kill em.

Without the title...NO ONE would have gotten this one (not sure if alot did, anyway) LOL Matrix Shot

tracy
 06/02/2003 10:41:25 AM · #23
Originally posted by hbunch7187:
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
I read the titles because i think they are an integral part of the image. the title, however, should not answer questions that are generated by the image :)


If the title of your shot is "Tulip". And someone asks "what kind of flower is this?" I think it's fair to say that the title can answer a question about a photo to a certain degree. It shouldn't have to explain your whole photo, but I think that kind of question/answer combo would be just fine.
Or what about location? Someone wants to know where the shot was taken and you title it "Kalamazoo, MI Nature Center". The title clearly answers the question, and that is perfectly fine in my opinion.
~Heather~


IMO, the description you give here is fine for any 'documentary' style photo. Howver, if there is something abstract about your tulip photo and you title it 'tulip submerged in ginger ale', then I don't particularly like the title...

This type of issue is where artists comments are useful. Since we don't have visible artist comments on the photos during the challenge, the photographers are taking it upon themselves to give as much of that info as possible in the title line...
06/02/2003 10:47:25 AM · #24
I like to try to give my pics titles that, hopefully, to some degree echo the thoughts of the viewer anyway.... so hopefully the title reinforces their view / feeling of the pic.... having said that, my title for the matrix really had nothing much to with the pic.... come to think of it, the pic didn't have much to do with the movie either ;-)

Message edited by author 2003-06-02 14:47:52.
 06/02/2003 10:52:00 AM · #25
Originally posted by casualguy:
The title is (or can be) the 'first impression' for the viewer the image. A photo can convey many things, none of which are right or wrong, but the photographer has an opportunity to convey his (or her) interpretation of his own work by using a title.

Choose one wisely.

Why not move the title to display below the image on the voting page, so folks who wanted their photographic judgement unsullied by verbiage can vote that way, and they want to comment, just decide on the vote first (the title makes no difference, remember?) Those who want to see the title first can scroll down before they vote.
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