This most likely has been discussed before, but I was wondering how does everyone come up with ideas for their images.

The reason I ask, is that I have started to notice that many entries seem to have been done before. I find myself not being as original as I should be.

Do you believe that ideas start to become saturated after awhile, and originality becomes harder and harder to come by?

Sometimes I wish I could find a book on Photoshop Ideas.

Look at today's contest. it seems everyone was thinking either space satellites or solar panels.

Just wondering.

Yeah Jim, after you've been here a while you do see some repetitiveness in the source images, and of course it becomes harder to come up with that 'new' idea. Something that hasn't been done in the previous 6 or 8 "looking up at a building" sources. Same goes for leaves, flowers, tree trunks, stone walls, etc, etc, etc.



I suppose it comes back to us though. We are the ones taking/submitting and voting on the source images.....

Brad makes a very good point, sure originality is still around in the comps if you look, but if the sources are similar to many previous, ideas will get done again and again.

However, just because an idea has been done, doesn't mean it is worthless if done well.

But sure we would all like to be original.

By the way nice one Br4ad for finding al those sources to illustrate you point

Well...if people would STOP voting for the same genre of sources...

How long does someone's source image stay in the voting queue?

I have noticed that some of the same images keeps coming up for voting.

With all due respect to Billtvshow, I would love to take over the source images.

And you'd only get to see 7 images per week!!!

Yeah...but...the same 7?

Funny - just saw this thread. I was looking at the sources to come under Advantage etc., but nothing is really inspiring me. Might just be that I'm tired...but sometimes when I see certain sources - the topic of people or cheesey sources is a big turn off - I just don't bother because I find it dull...

OOOHHHHH no you don't.......after the Team Chop source pics...we are not letting you even close to that Source Que.

I think people who do enter thier Images for sources need to remember that the image needs to be CHOP'ABLE. Just because it was COOL LOOKING does not make it a good source. Like the "looking up" shot of a building. Leave that one for the wall at home....BACK YOUR ASS UP ABOUT 50 YARDS...and get a shot that you can use to chop.

I know we get a lot of grassy feilds, and incoming TIDE shots, but hey....at least they are Chop'ABLE. Sure any pic is chop'able, and being creative is part of what makes a good choper. You still need something to WORK WITH.

If voting for the source don't seem to work.....just start handing them out....no voting...no corrupting and really it won't change what we do. We will still have sources everyday.

Dewd, I had to use sources already in the queue and take into consideration allowing enough time for everyone to make somthing.

I don't dislike all our sources....just most of them.

A handful of ppl vote for the sources. It's an okay addition to the site, but like the rating system...leaves a lot to be desired. I'd rather be able to post pictures in non-advant. chat with no character limits.

JMH (or whoever) plunked down 7 different sources (undisclosed to everyone prior to posting them) each week, and most of them were interesting.

I read all that, (Feels like soapbox time again)

I agree with eve about the 7 days advantage image thing it a better idea and worked real well before. If people want a master chop then once maybe twice a month have an image of the month for every one to play with equal footing make it a prize Im sure we would see some outstanding work from people we did not know had the skills and talent.

I want to make one thing clear, the main thing I read in this thread was people blaming there tools for the work produced. Who cares what image is the source, the challenge is to make of it what you can, use your imagination test new waters expand your concepts. What ever the source we should be able to creatively expand that image to what we perceive with in our imagination.

I say....
7 day advantage
Drop the vote for an image
what you get is what you got
and lets get back to using what we have and not what we want.

(Man carrying around this bloody soapbox is getting tiring)

Amen Brother Blue!

I miss the spontaneity of this place


A month to work on things kills that IMPO. Fast and Furious chopping is why I joined, not for teh Prizes.

Splodge, and I , and perhaps others have been saying
for a long time that old school a couple days a week would cure all ills.
Old School being that no image is posted in advantage- everyone gets the image at 8am and races.
This is something that large numbers of users have stated their support for.
So if we try anything, I pray we try that first.

Sounds good to me...

yeah the prizes dont even come to you anymore
I joined to learn, to start with a program that I had never seen before and master it, having fun while doing.... But 1 month source images is too much, a week sounds like very good. So.. why doesn't the owner actually do something like this... a BIG update, just to better site. From what I've heard so far Jmh was a great owner.... Wish I was here when he owned this site...