Is weekly theme voting a bad idea?
Those of you who follow tookapic on Facebook and Instagram probably noticed that last two weekends I asked you to vote for the next weekly theme. And now I'm thinking if it was a good idea to ask.
Last week's theme won by few votes and so we were taking photos of smoke instead of beaches. This was our least popular weekly theme in 6 months.
I feel like the part of the community that voted for beaches got a bit mad and just didn't participate in the theme. Am I right?
So I'm thinking, should we just go back to keeping the next weekly theme a secret until Monday morning? What's your opinion here? I really want to know what you think.
PS. Those themes that I choose for voting were also suggested by some of you in the anonymous poll, so it's not like I'm just picking them out of a hat ;)
jewels I like the idea of voting and agree with Agnieszka, smoke was a tough one, and if you're not so much in to "studio" photography (my case), then it can get really tricky! I plan to have fun photographing toys though (since it looks like it might be the one getting the most votes). In summary, yes, keep the votes :-)
Margie Good summaries above. I like asking for suggestions and keeping the theme a secret.
Magda Korzewska I totally agree with Agnieszka, some theme is more suitable for you some not. To be honest I like this monday morning waiting for WT announcement. If I need to point just one solution for me it would be surprise.
Aaron Langley No I just think some people like to create a photo and others like to take their camera and find a great subject.
FlyteWizard The only reason I didn't participate in the `smoke` theme, was because I don't have means to photograph it. So I think voting on themes is nice once in a while, just not every week maybe.
Jola Nie martw się tym, że jakiś temat jest mniej popularny. Temat dym był trudny i to było wyzwaniem, żeby nauczyć się, spróbować zrobić coś innego. Co do głosowania, to ja nie wiem gdzie się głosuje i zawsze czekam na poniedziałek :). Tematy jakie by nie były, wszystkie są dobre, bo każdy ma okazję zaprezentować swoją kreatywność, a także uczyć się od innych.
Grace I also found the smoke theme difficult, I don't really have the setup and didn't want to get things just for the theme. It wasn't that we are mad I don't think! Also I like the voting because then I get a preview of what the theme might be, since it is Monday in New Zealand before it is in Poland, some weeks I don't get to see the theme before I take a photo early in the week.
Satoshi T
Now hot Summer in North hemisphere , There are no visible smoke from the chimnies.
I need 2 days to think and get idea of using incense and dry-ice.
Nevertheless, Dark background and strong backlighting was needed. I feel it is not a very casual theme.
I do so say, I would love to think about a given theme!!
Paweł , Please don't associate about vote as methodology and less contribution for "smoke".
Bastian I think we can go with the weekly theme. For me, it is helpful to take take a photograph once I don't have any idea what to shoot. Some themes could be not feasible for some of us, it depends on some factors, geography for instance or the photography equipments. However, we are not stricly necessary to take pics for the weekly theme--we can post whatever photos that we can get that day. My suggestion is, if there is only a few members can only submit pics for weekly theme, probably that's a sign we can change the theme and vice versa.
Grace is it possible to have the voting on a poll on tookapic rather than on facebook/instagram? I'm sure some users don't use them and although I follow on both facebook and instagram I missed the post for voting for this week's theme
tigg I liked smoke as a theme as it really challenged me. Tookapic is the site to do that for me, far more creative than other sites. I was really pushed! And I am in awe at some of the entries, also delighted that I managed to contribute a few. The worse thing about the vote is that you loose the surprise element, but Southern Hemisphere contributors certainly loose out. So sometimes you instigate a vote, and sometimes you just dictate the theme. Best of both worlds then.
Ian Prince Asking people to vote???!!!!! How could that be a bad idea? Mmm, maybe ask the Brits that? ;) Sorry, couldn't resist.
Kazzi I think weekly theme as a surprise works better. It has the element of randomness :)
Paweł Kadysz I just realised that with this talk I actually asked you to vote whether voting is a bad idea. Thank you all for your replies. I will now analyze them and will probably make another bad decision, but I'm sure you're already used to that.
Just kidding. The themes are off! :P
Ana I think voting is not a bad idea! But we could try to find a compromise. Maybe the solutions is voting only once a month, I mean usually Paweł will decide about weekly theme subjects but every first week of the month we will choose the subject by voting (tookapic websibe -maybe not FB or In.). I'm grateful for smoke theme because some of You made an excellent photos:)
Aaron I know it's plastered across the site what the theme is, but I'd not be against something even more obnoxiously obvious to make me think about going out with that particular theme in mind. :)
Bridget Braun I like the weekly surprise!
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Magda Korzewska posted
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Flo posted
agnieszka bladzik we didn't got mad, just not everybody have set up and equipment to do smoke photography, it wasn't really easy topic. other way around some people don't have beach nearby and they would not participate as well. this week kids or toys. I don't have kids, photos of the kids of strangers would be risky as well. toys not my thing as well, so I didn't vote.
Some themes are easliy accesible for everybody some aren't - it just the way it is. nevertheless I find voting good idea :)