What Makes a Good MPC?

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 08-12-2012, 09:02 PM

Before I post up the next MPC, I'd like to hear what people think makes a good contest. I have an idea for a theme and it's a very broad theme, something that is very open to interpretation. Is that good, bad, or neither?

Just curious. And thanks for the kind words about my submissions in the last MPC!

**bad dancer** · 08-12-2012, 10:14 PM

For me, a broad theme is not as good.
I have found that even with specific themes they
turn out to have broad interpretations in submissions. That's what make these so awesome.

**Altmanator** · 08-13-2012, 08:30 AM

I've picked a few themes that I really hoped would be awesome but ended up kind of fizzling and my takeaway is that the theme needs to be accessible just to get people out shooting. A tougher theme does not elevate the level of the entries but seems to discourage more people from participating.

So I'd say more importantly than a broad theme is an accessible one. Take "Coffee & Beer," not super broad but got a lot of great responses. Big Machinery is a tough one, pretty broad but not very accessible unless you are either really creative, or have access to view big machinery.

Something like "Skiing", while it's such a boring artistic theme would really flesh out a ton of entries and a lot of varied responses.

Also I think more concrete themes tend to draw more and better responses than more intangible themes. While something like "Anticipation" has the potential to be a great MPC, those types of themes do not get a lot of quality entries.

**Fuzz** · 08-13-2012, 08:33 AM

I like broad themes over more specific ones, especially ones which allow more artistic/unusual interpretations. For instance: cars < vehicles < transportation < on the move.

But specific themes may generate more entries since they help us focus and look for the specific theme.

In the end though, it's really up to the MPC starter -- if you want to see cars, then no point doing an MPC on transportation -- just do an MPC on cars.

**splitter** · 08-13-2012, 09:21 AM

I've had more luck with photographic concepts/technique based themes over subject-oriented themes.

silhouette (worked well I think) vs. community (eh, not so much, and could be argued is very broad)

I think we do a disservice to the MPC when we try to avoid at all costs themes already used.

We can tweak those themes to make them more personal or timely or season specific, but avoiding all together disallows newer photographers the chance to participate in themes that ultimately help teach technique (leading lines).

With a photographic technique based subject there's less opportunity for someone to find something they happened to shoot that happened to "kind of" fit the theme, usually with a little bit of qualifying when submitting their photo (like me with "hot/heat" and a little girl jumping in a pool).

If something does fit the theme (silhouette), they likely were shooting with a theme or technique in mind and it is a very fitting photo for the MPC.

Now, before Lonnie (winkeez) comes in and tells me not to pigeonhole anyone or limit the broad range of interpretation, there are certainly serendipitous coincidences and those should be involved.

The more participation the better.

but the ones I've picked I've felt were more successful when highlighting technique or concepts rather than subjects.

**Fuzz** · 08-13-2012, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by splitter

the ones I've picked I've felt were more successful when highlighting technique or concepts rather than subjects.

Good idea, although most of the technique subjects have already been used...

Originally Posted by splitter

I think we do a disservice to the MPC when we try to avoid at all costs themes already used.

We can tweak those themes to make them more personal or timely or season specific, but avoiding all together disallows newer photographers the chance to participate in themes that ultimately help teach technique (leading lines).

...so this is a good suggestion. It would be great to do more technique-oriented MPCs, like color, leading lines, patterns, B&W, etc.

**splitter** · 08-13-2012, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Good idea, although most of the technique subjects have already been used...

Absolutely, when I've been trying to come up with new themes, I've look around at other similar photo challenges to get ideas. On Fred Miranda, for example, themes regularly return. I don't think we need to revisit them as much as they do, or should revisit them that much, but it's okay to return to some of the more fundamental conceptual ideas from time to time...

Originally Posted by Fuzz

...so this is a good suggestion. It would be great to do more technique-oriented MPCs, like color, leading lines, patterns, B&W, etc.

In regards to color, I've even thought of singular colors being themes. Blue. Open to lots of interpretation including skies, water, different hues of blue stacked, sadness...

**SchralphMacchio** · 08-13-2012, 07:05 PM

I like most of what you guys have said so far:
-accessible
-technique
-repeats

and I think that specific is better than broad, but not so specific that it's inaccessible.

I also am too freaking busy to go out and shoot with the theme in mind 90% of the time ... meaning I like more submission time and less voting time.

**jm2e** · 08-13-2012, 08:17 PM

Midgets.

Or, "little people" if you will.

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 08-13-2012, 08:24 PM

Interesting discussion.

I can certainly see the merits of a more technique-oriented contest.

I'm going to put up the new MPC now and am going to go with the theme I had in mind even though it doesn't conform so well with what's been discussed here. Perhaps the winner of this MPC will take this and run with it, and should I win another one down the road I'll definitely give more weight to the ideas expressed here. It's just that I had this idea last week, it's a very accessible subject, and I'm tired and have 400+ pictures to go through from my backpacking trip last week.

Edit: jm2e snuck one in while I was typing that ^^. Midgets would be a helluva subject... Everything goes better with midgets!