I second that!  Great Idea!   

I think this would be a good idea and I don't see why someone couldn't start it.

I think the only issue is that not everyone is always able to get the right shot at the right time (a common issue!). It should try to be themes that most people will be able to achieve. It's easy to fire up FSX or FS2004 and get to the set area, but it's not always easy for people to get down to an airport and shoot general aviation. I know there's the common autumn leaves and other scenery photos but sometimes they can get a bit boring.

So it would be good, but I don't think the demand will be as high as it is with the screenshot contest just simply because the tools and targets required can be a pain to find.

I'd happily be a judge though!

Your biggest challenge would be getting enough support in that section to keep it going.

People will have to nominate or it won't work.  We tried to start one in the cage, and only 3 nominations were made in a month.

  So the members who regularly post in there would have to be the ones who support it and nominate, just like we do with screenshots.

Sounds like a cool idea though.

I think it would be worth a shot at least once to see what type of reception it receives. I'm certainly interested in something like this.

The point is, how do the photographers themselves feel about this? There's another thread on this subject posted in the Photos forum. http://205.252.250.26/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1252611955

Not many of the regular posters have commented so far but I would have to agree with Steve (61_OTU). As one of the old hands I post photos that I want to share with my friends on the forum, not for their technical or artistic merit. I have no wish to take part in a competition. That would put me off posting anything.

maafts wrote on Sep 11^th, 2009 at 7:17am:

Depends on how the competition is run. If entry is optional that's fair enough. If it's based on the Screenshot of the Month comp any shot can be nominated whether the author is aware of it or not. Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

Just saying what I think. Not everyone is interested in competitions. My opinion is not worth much as I rarely post photos here now anyway.

B-Valvs wrote on Sep 11^th, 2009 at 4:26pm:

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. Just putting what I think is a valid point of view. There is a basic difference between the Photos forum & other sections of the Graphics Gallery.

The way I see it, most people posting screenshots are either looking for recognition as a screenshot artist or asking for advice on how to improve their shots. The common link is MSFS.

A lot of the regular posters in the Photos forum are more interested in showing photos of general interest, rather like a snapshot album. The quality of their photos doesn't matter as much as the subject. I have always done my best to encourage these members to post their photos.

There are some very talented photographers among them & they would win a competition hands down every time. The others wouldn't stand a chance which I think would be very discouraging & deter them from posting. I could be completely wrong but I don't think too many people would be interested in your idea.

B-Valvs wrote on Sep 11^th, 2009 at 5:42pm:

Sorry but I think it sounds like a competition for the sake of it. Very few regulars have contributed to this discussion so far. After a few days you should get a good idea of whether anyone actually wants it.

I've said more than enough already so let's wait & see if I'm right. I should point out that I've never been the competitive type.