Stereo competitions and assignments

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Talbot describes very nicely how the "After Hours" competition 
proved a useful experience for him.  I understand and agree with
his comments.  I like taking pictures of my family and routine
vacation shots, but I also like from time to time to accept the
challenge and produce visually appealing images that are of
interest to most people, not just myself and my immediate family.

I have mentioned several times in the past that participating
in the Detroit Stereo club's competitions (all in a form of
an assignment except for the first and last) has been (and still
is) a great learning experience for me.  It has motivated me
to explore many different subjects and try and do my best in them.
The best part for me is not winning the competition but knowing
that I have produced some interesting images, as a result of this
process, and that's what counts, no matter what the judges think.

In our Cleveland club we are trying to do something similar and
P3d member Jim Motely is in charge of figuring out the details.
Some people oppose to competitions in general.  One member wrote
in the feedback form of the membership subscription that he
does not like the idea of competitions and concluded "let's keep
this fun" as if the competitions will take the fun away.  My
experience is that the competitions make these meetings even
more fun, creating an exciting atmosphere to share our stereo
images.

-- George Themelis


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