Feb 2025 POTM voting Thread

[maroun.c]

The subject for Feb 2025 POTM contest was LPS Colony
It is now time to choose the winner!

The poll allows multiple choices so choose the ones you like from the numbered entries below. The voting thread will close on Mar 31st at 11:59 pm EST.

As always, we thank Avast Marine for sponsoring our POTM contest. Visit their website HERE and be sure to take a look at the great products they have to offer.

Winner will be determined by this R2R Member voting by poll. In order to be eligible to have votes counted in the poll, voting members must have at least 25 meaningful posts and have been a member of R2R for at least 1 month by the time the poll ends (votes that do not meet this criteria may show in the poll but will be disregarded in the final count). In case of a tie, Team R2R will assist in picking a winner. Rules, deadlines and terms are subject to change at staff discretion at anytime.

PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO ENTER YOUR VOTES IN THE POLL, NOT VIA COMMENT IN THIS THREAD. IT'S GREAT TO COMMENT, BUT PLEASE USE THE POLL TO VOTE. YOU'LL NEED TO BE ON THE WEB VERSION OF THE SITE IN ORDER TO SEE THE POLL.

So let's vote for the winner of Feb 2025 POTM
#MODS #POTM #POTMWinners

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[tzabor10]

How do I vote?

 

[Hunna’s Stunnas]

I’d really love to see the criteria used to choose which pictures are selected for the voting round. Once again pictures with far less community reactions make it, and are arguably “worse” in many ways, over ones that had more reactions and are better in many ways, both subjectively and objectively.

Pictures that are out of focus and super saturated make it to this round while having 10 or less reactions. Meanwhile, ones that aren’t and have 20+ reactions don’t. Please make it make sense.

 

[stE25wy14]

I’d really love to see the criteria used to choose which pictures are selected for the voting round. Once again pictures with far less community reactions make it, and are arguably “worse” in many ways, over ones that had more reactions and are better in many ways, both subjectively and objectively.

Pictures that are out of focus and super saturated make it to this round while having 10 or less reactions. Meanwhile, ones that aren’t and have 20+ reactions don’t. Please make it make sense.

exactly this!! but some are amazing tbh!! i remember for november or december, it was worst photo u could take, people told me to do polaroid, so i did, and people liked it, and it wasnt even on the poll :(
but these are some amazing photos though!! I feel like every photo should have a chance! he's just condensing it down. @maroun.c , u should try that for march, every photo has a chance of winning, no 1-15, it should be all of the photos!!

 

[Hunna’s Stunnas]

exactly this!! but some are amazing tbh!! i remember for november or december, it was worst photo u could take, people told me to do polaroid, so i did, and people liked it, and it wasnt even on the poll :(
but these are some amazing photos though!! I feel like every photo should have a chance! he's just condensing it down. @maroun.c , u should try that for march, every photo has a chance of winning, no 1-15, it should be all of the photos!!

Multiple photos that made it to the voting round had under 10 reaction scores on them, while ones with 20+ didn’t make it. It’s nothing against the photos or the photographers, but a random list with zero explanation doesn’t seem right.

If it isn’t the ones with the highest reactions, that also meet the criteria, then what is it?

 

[Joe462]

Multiple photos that made it to the voting round had under 10 reaction scores on them, while ones with 20+ didn’t make it. It’s nothing against the photos or the photographers, but a random list with zero explanation doesn’t seem right.

If it isn’t the ones with the highest reactions, that also meet the criteria, then what is it?

It’s not based on reactions. Read the instructions in the posting thread, the finalists are chosen by moderators

 

[stE25wy14]

It’s not based on reactions. Read the instructions in the posting thread, the finalists are chosen by moderators

still, reactions+moderators would make it a lot better imo, the photos the mods picked are really nice tho tbh!! some are.......................

 

[JoJosReef]

I believe reactions are a poor indicator of quality. I could post a poor photo of an Aiptasia and get 30 reactions because I follow threads with 30+ people in them who might all react to my post. Or a clown doing something silly. Some objective criteria for selection would be nice, but I'm not sure how it can be made public and transparent without people griping and contesting their "grades". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[JoJosReef]

I'm not sure how to vote on this one. It's 15/15 this month!

 

[IntrinsicReef]

I’d really love to see the criteria used to choose which pictures are selected for the voting round. Once again pictures with far less community reactions make it, and are arguably “worse” in many ways, over ones that had more reactions and are better in many ways, both subjectively and objectively.

Pictures that are out of focus and super saturated make it to this round while having 10 or less reactions. Meanwhile, ones that aren’t and have 20+ reactions don’t. Please make it make sense.

This is a juried competition. There are plenty of social media platforms that choose winners by reaction algorithms. I appreciate the curation, even if I don't always completely agree with it.
The curator took a lot of time to thoroughly explain their process last time you complained. I think it's excessive to ask them to do it again.
Post in thread 'Sep 2024 POTM Voting Thread' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sep-2024-potm-voting-thread.1075132/post-12895463

 

[stE25wy14]

This is a juried competition. There are plenty of social media platforms that choose winners by reaction algorithms. I appreciate the curation, even if I don't always completely agree with it.
The curator took a lot of time to thoroughly explain their process last time you complained. I think it's excessive to ask them to do it again.
Post in thread 'Sep 2024 POTM Voting Thread' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sep-2024-potm-voting-thread.1075132/post-12895463

i respect that!! much some of the photos are over saturated, not saying mine would EVER make it onto there. cause, it wouldnt... but there are some that are oversaturated, not sharp, soft, grainy, maybe not even in focus.

maybe next time all the photos should be included since POTM is such a small thing

 

[stE25wy14]

s

i respect that!! much some of the photos are over saturated, not saying mine would EVER make it onto there. cause, it wouldnt... but there are some that are oversaturated, not sharp, soft, grainy, maybe not even in focus.

maybe next time all the photos should be included since POTM is such a small thing

like some people edit for so long, just to get outmatched by grainy, badly edited photos...
im not tryna cause an argument, cause im a nice person, not tryna critique anyone, but thats just how I feel...
marounc and other mods do an awesome job and choosing photos, but some...

 

[Hunna’s Stunnas]

i respect that!! much some of the photos are over saturated, not saying mine would EVER make it onto there. cause, it wouldnt... but there are some that are oversaturated, not sharp, soft, grainy, maybe not even in focus.

maybe next time all the photos should be included since POTM is such a small thing

That’s my point. The contest was also “LPS colony” and a picture of 2-4 headed Duncan made it to the voting round. Again, nothing against the photo or the photographer, but there were multiple other pictures that better fit the contest for a “colony” or “colonies”.

I’m just trying to understand this “system” in place. And I’m not the only one it seems.

 

[Jasonak]

Some cool picks!

 

[stE25wy14]

That’s my point. The contest was also “LPS colony” and a picture of 2-4 headed Duncan made it to the voting round. Again, nothing against the photo or the photographer, but there were multiple other pictures that better fit the contest for a “colony” or “colonies”.

I’m just trying to understand this “system” in place. And I’m not the only one it seems.

2-4 head?? im only seeing colonies with 7+ heads...

Colony vs Frag - Definition??!!!!

For all the hoo-haa on this thread: Why Do We Continue To Buy Frags? https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Why-Do-We-Continue-To-Buy-Frags%3F.620966/ i’m not sure that the definition between “ colony“ versus “frag“ was ever defined. (some people also think the definition of colony has...

www.reef2reef.com

but tbh, not to be rude, i see u have many posts critiquing POTM, how u didnt make it on there. i did see some of your photos, and they are amazing!! but, some that u were questioning about(like the b+w shrimp linked up above) was soft, and like the ones u were saying were bad...
no hard feelings, I loooooooooovvvvee some of your photos!!(u should sell some of them, or hand them above your tankk!!!) but people have answered your worries a lot, but u keep asking :crying-face::crying-face:
btw, can i download some of your photos?


ok wait, how did your photo @Hunna's Stunnas not get featured, that is amazing?(prolly cause there was already one like it, but idk)

 

[exnisstech]

I’d really love to see the criteria used to choose which pictures are selected for the voting round. Once again pictures with far less community reactions make it, and are arguably “worse” in many ways, over ones that had more reactions and are better in many ways, both subjectively and objectively.

Pictures that are out of focus and super saturated make it to this round while having 10 or less reactions. Meanwhile, ones that aren’t and have 20+ reactions don’t. Please make it make sense.

I think the mods do a good job selecting the finalists. The problem I have is often the winners are the images with the most over top colors. When the members vote they're like moths attracted to a light and often the brightest craziest unbelievable to me colors gets the most votes. I've seen winners that didn't even contain the subject matter win because of some crazy colored coral.
I participate because i enjoy photography and the contests motivate me to try for a good shot. I have no illusion I'll ever win, I just do it for fun.

 

[Jasonak]

I just do it for fun.

How dare you! :)

 

[exnisstech]

So far no runaway leader. Maybe we'll have a close finish this month

 

[JoJosReef]

I think the mods do a good job selecting the finalists. The problem I have is often the winners are the images with the most over top colors. When the members vote they're like moths attracted to a light and often the brightest craziest unbelievable to me colors gets the most votes. I've seen winners that didn't even contain the subject matter win because of some crazy colored coral.
I participate because i enjoy photography and the contests motivate me to try for a good shot. I have no illusion I'll ever win, I just do it for fun.

You might win! I won the B/W for having a clown toadstool taco. Subject was just right at that time. Never know!

That said, there's a clown-duncan taco in this contest, I'd keep an eye one. People get funny when it comes to clowns and tacos.

 

[exnisstech]

You might win! I won the B/W for having a clown toadstool taco. Subject was just right at that time. Never know!

That said, there's a clown-duncan taco in this contest, I'd keep an eye one. People get funny when it comes to clowns and tacos.

I specifically did not vote for the clown taco this time around. My eyes were immediately drawn to the fish which is not the subject so I had to pass. I'm kinda funny about things like that :face-with-hand-over-mouth: