Citizen f0rTyLeGz 

Wincustomize.com is a skinning site specifically, and not a Photographic art site.  Therein lies the difference.

There are many sites suitable particularly for photographs and photographic art....the best of them would be Deviantart.com, an excellent site for just that thing.

The wallpaper section here at Wincustomize is intended specifically as an adjunct to the proggy skins sections and not intended as a repository for digital art per se...

If I would have seen that original photo, I would have passed it through moderation.  To tell you the truth, I rather have it on my desktop than most of the abstract generic stuff that goes through the bin.

I have to disagree with people who think that "anyone" can take photos of light and reflection like that.  I also don't believe that a picture needs to be modified to be "good enough" to be a wallpaper.  If photos are "good enough" to be included as wallpapers with XP, why wouldn't they be good enough for here?

I think we may be getting a bit closed minded to walls.  If it is a good image, it shouldn't matter how it is obtained.  Would it have passed it he threw a paint daubs filter on it before he submitted it?  I have definately seen worse things on here than that photo.

Of course, I may have a different view on this since I went to school for fine art photography.  If anyone is interested in my "photography life", my studio web site is at: www.angela-marshall.com  It doesn't have many images on it yet as I have been lazy and haven't finished the site.

That's my $.02

If photos are "good enough" to be included as wallpapers with XP, why wouldn't they be good enough for here?

I'm not getting the middle of this except to say I tend to agree with KarmaGirl, in that I would have given that particular photo/wall a thumbs up. But I really wanted to say that KG's arguement quoted above is a poor one, since the photos included with XP as walls, are really awful...

[Message Edited]

Actually it looks quite good as a wallpaper:


However it doesn't follow any of the photo guidlines that I know of. The image isn't accurately divided into 9 equal parts, shown by the wierd placement of the horizon line. It is somewhere in between a half and a third (which is the ideal placement). The colors on either side of the photo aren't balanced. The right side is extremely dark while the left is bright. while this works good as a wallpaper, I am not sure of its artistic merit. Of course I might be wrong about these guidlines. The last time I thought about it was when I was reading Ansel Adams' trilogy about photography, and that was several years ago. I am sorry if I am wrong with the guidlines, but in my mind those are what I follow when taking photographs.

here is a photo I took that loosely follows the guidlines I said above. Its not my best, but its the only one thats digital as of right now.

bigger version(its big): http://web.utk.edu/~tthomp11/fieldnfencebig.jpg

[Message Edited]

What exactly were you photographing? Can't see any subject matter. It has no perspective, no framing, uninteresting subject and is under-exposed.

Perhaps you should upload to DA...

I have to disagree with people who think that "anyone" can take photos of light and reflection like that.

You are right with that comment Karma.
Digital cameras are like airbrushes and tablets .... any idiot can buy one, any semi-talented person can make a passable image using these tools, but real talent is required to get the best results.
An eye for composition is very rare, and the number of boring 'formula' photographs (for example) I see every day is mind-numbing.
Rather like filters and Bryce .... used with care and skill there are some great images dating back to the Skinz.Org days. (Mobius)?
I prefer B&W photography, and to date, my trusty EOS and 100ASA Fujifilm are my choice for a day at the races ..... unless you go for a $10,000+ Pro Quality digital camera the alternatives are just for 'Happy Snaps'.
Certainly (IMHO) there should be a niche for photographic excellence in the walls section here, certainly the standard should be very high, but considering some of the "Art" (please .... my own opinion!) that is passed through moderation and posted is very ordinary ....
BTW Paul .... what about your own F105 wall from way back when ....

The wallpaper section here at Wincustomize is intended specifically as an adjunct to the proggy skins sections and not intended as a repository for digital art per se...

As we have often discussed before, 'Digital Art' is often totally unsuited to use as a backdrop.

However it doesn't follow any of the photo guidlines that I know of.

CT, good photography is an instinctive art, not something one can learn via a series of tutorials or by rote.
'Guidelines' are for journeymen ..... and are just that, guidelines.
IMHO great photographers and great artists are born .... not manufactured.

Crazy Travis....those aren't exactly the "guidelines" that I learned in school.

Each photographer has their own style and way of viewing a subject.  The "rules" are typically of thirds. this way of composing is usually something that is instinctive to a "photographic eye".  However, it really boils down to what you are photographing.  The picture that we are discussing has a very pleasing composition.  The lighting is also quite nice as it gives depth and perspectve to the image.  The position of the boats and the light to the left draws your eye "out to sea". 

The real question is if WC is the place for photo walls.  I think it is (well, for good ones, at least).  Others will (obviously) disagree.

wombat_1, I totally agree with you. 

You guys should also check out Fuzzy Logics DA account.  He has some really nice images on there.  I wonder where he finds all those women willing to pose nude for him, though?

Dunno They just seem to fall all over me

Here's a link to my gallery http://fuzzylogic.deviantart.com/gallery/

travis will shut up now that he has seen a master

and I never intended to upload it anywhere. I don't like it, but as of last night it was the only pic on my computer that I had taken...besides some one of ostriches.

well I spied Fuzzy, but whos the lady with her arms arched over her head with her hands clasped?

The disagrements, justifications, and rigid opinions that you guys share, points out to me that you SHOULD have your rules worked out. Maybe you should have a photo wallpaper section... or say that no digital photos are allowed (since even dogs take good photos nowadays)?

The forth photo wall I submitted got an 8 rating, and has been downloaded 1000's of times. That encouraged me... along with the kind comments I received. All of my submissions were rejected after that. It was very confusing for me. All of the walls I submit here are heavily manipulated. In the canoe photo, for example, there was another boat in the photo. A RED one, with an outboard motor on it. A dog, or a flea on the dog "could have" submitted the photo though.

As Jafo says>Wincustomize.com is a skinning site specifically, and not a Photographic art site. Therein lies the difference.
There are many sites suitable particularly for photographs and photographic art....the best of them would be Deviantart.com, an excellent site for just that thing.
The wallpaper section here at Wincustomize is intended specifically as an adjunct to the proggy skins sections and not intended as a repository for digital art per se...<

Now, I found WinCustomize on Google. They say they have the "Best Collection of Wallpapers on the web." It doesn't say anything about NO PHOTOS. AND, you accept them. AND, people... given the choice, download them like crazy.

That would be Angie.

Um, no, not that Angie, another one...

#39 by Fuzzy Logic - 1/7/2004 12:44:41 PM That would be Angie. Um, no, not that Angie, another one...

Fuzzy lied.  I actually flew to England to pose nude  

Shhhhh - that was supposed to be a secret!

Maybe the 'rules'are a little blurry when it comes to photo art.There isnt a rule against it.I like seeing the occasional outstanding piece.The 2 canoe's pic would have made it in my book.It is better than a heap of stuff that is already here.However I dont want to see Winc. become a DA by any means.

The rules on wallpaper should be just that -do they make a good wallpaper?

I don't like elitism.

Frogboy there seems to be some disagreement as to what makes a 'good' wallpaper.I've had several walls rejected because it was felt that they were not a good backdrop for icons.(even tho that definition would been grounds for rejecting nearly a 1000 walls already here)

.Many of us dont use icons on the desktop,OD and the start menu take care of most of the chore for me.I dont want icons cluttering up my theme.So the only criteria for me is does it compliment it.

A lot of the abstract stuff are useless as wallpapers. Usually there's too much detail and contrast where the icons go to make them usable.

Perhaps an 'adjustment' in moderation criteria would cure this with a greater emphasis on usability.

Nice work Fuzzy

That would be Angie.

Nice work Fuzzy

And there's plenty of space for icons ......

I gotta disagree Fuzzy...'useability'dosnt even enter into it it for a lot of us.I just want an image that looks nice.Why should my work be excluded just because someone dosnt think icons wont look good on it.No one is forcing people that do use icons to dl it.Now if its just a sucky image...well...I guess I have a few of those too.I delete anything of mine that dosnt at least reach a 6.

AH HA! but how did Jafo end up with the negatives?

Sorry, I'm a day behind.

#11 by Admin KarmaGirl - 1/6/2004 1:45:01 PM : However, DA is not moderated. you can upload anything there

This is false, they do moderate. It's just they look for certain things. If it's in the right category and if it's against their new rules they put about posting.

I read pretty much everything else and I'm not getting into the middle of this. I believe that only the rare photos should be accepted and the rest people can post over at DA if they follow the guidelines. That's what I did. And if you look at the name of the site it tells you more of what the site is about.. "WinCustomize" "Windows customization".

/me done