First, let me say that ALL the entries are very artful and fantastically creative ideas. I see that many of you put your heart and soul into it...They'll be siging your praises for years to come...really...but...

is it me or is there just not much to vote for in the tube contest?
Maybe its cuz Scion set the bar so high?? I dont know.

what do you think? provide a link to one and why you thought it deserved a vote?
maybe, I'll do the same...

Either way, thanks for your time.


Very sincerely, and with awe,
Showcase.

Geez Case,
I think your getting a bit jaded...there are some very fine entries in this contes, yes I agree Mr Shade has set the standard very high, but is it not best to judge the image for the work that is done rather than compare it to the best. If that was the case, Case then none of us could compete with your entry in this contest...oh hang on...what was your entry for this contest mate...I cant seem to find it.

(BTW I made sure you had voted for my entry before I posted this)

But I do like Rashdogs entry, it has a lot of feeling in it. I know you look more to the skills but artsy fartsy has a place here as well.

Waiting with baited breath for your response.

(Just a side note...I thought the Road Tar contest was a lot less represented, such a hard image to work with)

i think in addition to scions really great work on this contest, there is a little publicity-factor which could be good for another 5 to 10 votes he got...

IMHO:

Caldera's rusty pipe deserves a vote for the texture and lighting.

draugaer's broken trumpet needs it for the internal reflection work

Prince Joy's "Sketch" is a great concept. Granted it's not flawless but it's still pretty good. Fix the edge and it'd be close to perfect.

Finnish Flash's Cold Tube has great rust-work, lighting, and composition.

Blueker,
Jaded. HA! This section of the forums is defined as "Contests and Entries: Your favorite and not-so-favorite photoshop contests and entries."

There are tons of "feel good" threads and comments out there and I was just feeling too warm and fuzzy reading them all.

"If that was the case, Case then none of us could compete with your entry in this contest...oh hang on...what was your entry for this contest mate...I cant seem to find it. "
I hate this arguement, Can I not see if I dont post in a contest?

"I know you look more to the skills but artsy fartsy has a place here as well. "
I don't just look for skill. I look for the amount of work someone does to complete their idea. I look for ideas that are not "obvious". Making a pipe out of the torn tube is obvious. Artsy fartsy is fine if its not some artsy photo someone finds somewhere else.

I happened to look at rashdog's entry for a long time and will likely vote for it in the end. While it is still just another pipe, he created something else on his own and tried to make it different. Thats what set his apart from the other pipes IMO.

I don't know blue. I just wish people would get inspired...work on a chop for a couple days, maybe post every other day with something new and unique. thats all. I know non-advantage users can't do this but the advantage users can. Why not?

Yello Piggy, I dont get what you're saying? you think he received 5 - 10 votes on whoring or something? or other people talking about it?

Tofu,
Caldera? Texture and Lighting?? come on. Its the same lighting and texture as the starting image and it looks like (to me, anyway) that Caldera found a fusty old car, rotated the source and adjusted the color of the tube to match. A case of a snazy photo they found on the internet.

draugaer's broken trumpet. I had not seen that one yet. you may be right. Thanks.

Prince Joy's "Sketch". again. Thank you. This one surely have my vote. Its a good use of the source and a very creative idea.

Finnish Flash's Cold Tube. I think this is another case of the impressive work being the photo and not FF's work. It looks to me like he found a decent pipe image and just added the end to it. Im not so sure of this one.

Good reply Tofu. Thank you.

I dont completly dis-agree with you Case, (BTW I had to mention the non-post thing cause I know ya hate it).

But it is hard to come up with ideas day after day. I think that the pipe contest has some great ideas and because the skill level is lacking does not mean it is not vote worthy. I have noticed that the better chops normaly come to the front in voting and the best always win.

Skill levels change from chopper to chopper, some things I am good at other I struggle. I have been trying to go outside my limits and try different styles...harder than it looks.

In response to the advantage thing, some people like myself only get limited time to work on chopping...most of the time I post the hour before a contest, so yes I dont spend the time I should on my chops, some times finding a good out-source image helps me out a lot, but I always try to use PS other than cut and past...but cut and paste are part of PS.

I understand your fustration in regards to what to vote for, maybe its time you started to post a bit more and get ya passion back.

not whoring, but making friends, helping on problems in the forum and so on (as a part of this psc-game). there is whoring beside this, but didnt mean it, got me? got me!

HA! so now you're suggesting that being helpful and and friendly is why he's getting votes...but you don't mean it? I'm sorry but I'm getting more confused.

Blueker, I don't want this to turn into a techniques thread. I was just looking for suggestions on images people thought were worth voting for and why. It's something we don't do much in this "community" is discuss one image or another and what it lacked or included to make it what it is.

I actually love being in the contests...for the contest itself, the votes and the comments I get...I just hate chopping. I don't have the patience for it and it just takes too damn long. I'll do another some day.

whoring - NO, helping - YES; both good for votes, but in scions entry just a few additional votes maybe ... these are the words for the braindeads

alright tooting my own horn, I think my entry was very creative !

For me it's a balance between idea and skill"..sometimes the idea's are great but the know how is'nt there"..or the other way around. When someone does a fantastic entry, I think it inspires people to raise the bar on their own work".. also color and clarity have something to do with voting".. Gifs are part of photoshop too, and if done well should get a vote".. I think it's a good idea to let people know what went into your work too, because it's not always obvious all the work and technique that went into your entry"..but as they say" Art is in the eye of the beholder"..have fun, an open mind, ask questions and keep on choppin in the free world!

Ok. I understand all that Mikey, but give me an example of something from the torn tube contest that provides the things you say. please?

"When someone does a fantastic entry, I think it inspires people to raise the bar on their own work".. also color and clarity have something to do with voting"

This makes perfect sense but where do you draw the line at "own work" or when do you give the member credit for color and clarity when the color and clarity is the work of some photographer we wont ever know?

Lrossa, good tooting.

Queenofnightsky had a good idea" Almost Perfect did a good one"..
Prince Joy, ah....ah.....did you see my first post?..only 30 years art exp. 7 years photoshop"..seriously though you have a point, there's not always a lot of great post's to vote for, but wait and see, you might be surprised at some late entries"..

lol its another one of those feel the love threads, anyways, I think the following are top notch chopola's, in no particular order:

Yello Piggy: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87413/votes.html

Great intergration, and lighting, very crisp and a fun image.


Blue Lukers: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87810/votes.html

Top class creative thinking to achieve a fun and festive look. and with extra funnies if you look just a bit harder.


Caldera: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87380/votes.html

Whether you think its easy or not, it does not detract from the brilliant job of texture matching and intergrating the source to produce a very fine overall image


Merry Prankster: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87837/votes.html

A fun and lively image taking into account both light and dark issues, using the source image very well, and the polar bear works both as a point of comedy, but also a point of emotion, as it lays depressed on the pipe that the toxin spews


Rash Dogs: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87778/votes.html

A superb working of both graphical and real imagery that have been bought together so very well. The style of this piece alone set it out against the rest.


Eepi: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87864/votes.html

While simple it may look, it is both original and creative with the source image, a great perspective, and good grasp of Photoshop skills, and overall a fun piece.


Patre: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87793/votes.html

A heart-felt image that says far more to the viewer than the actual image itself suggests, it is a topical and truthful portrail of some of society today. Very good work, and great lighting to boot.


Finnish Flash: http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87856/votes.html

while many will just say this is a simple texture and external source cut and paste, I feel it is well lit, shows conviction of PS skills, and is really well themed. A beautiful image on the whole.

and there are more quality images, but I won't bore you with more, and reasons why