BY 2019 - Racing to the finish

[Peter Connan]

I am currently still trying to cull and edit photos I took at an air show on 7 September. Since then I have taken around 6-7000 photos.

 

It takes my little laptop around 5 minutes just to open and fully resolve a raw photo, in order to be able to see if it is actually sharp. From there I have to decide whether or not the photo is worth keeping, in the case of birds it needs to be identified and key-worded, edited and then exported to .jpg.

 

In my mind, at least two months is required.

 

In most previous years no prizes were awarded. If that is the case going forward, I don't see any reason why there should be a cut-off at all. If there is a prize, I think end Feb is a good compromise.

[Kitsafari]

I looked back the last two years and all the BY counts were finalised by end-January. 

 

But as @Peter Connan said - there isn't any prize other than the title of the top BY Birder for 2019, so end-Feb sounds like a good sufficient time for those still birding in late December and being tied up with work/travel/family in January to sort the final photos. 

 

I'm fine with that. 

 

[xelas]

Me, as a slow birder which has to flip through the book for almost every bird to ID, I need about the same time as the travel/photo trip lasted. If that was a more prolific trip, like the one is expected to be for @PeterHG then I would allocate 2 or even 3 days to process and post 1 day of photographing. However, I spend more time looking for ID than processing the photo of it .

 

It is all a lot of fun, so let us be very relaxed and let participants to post their photos when they feel ready to do so. Heck, I am already 9 months in delay with our KZN trip report ... 

Edited October 22, 2019 by xelas

[Tdgraves]

5 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

 

It takes my little laptop around 5 minutes just to open and fully resolve a raw photo, in order to be able to see if it is actually sharp. From there I have to decide whether or not the photo is worth keeping, in the case of birds it needs to be identified and key-worded, edited and then exported to .jpg..

 

Sounds like you need a new PC @Peter Connan....

[Dave Williams]

Well, since my trip to Goa went down the tubes with Thomas Cook and I have no commitments to anything other than a dental appointment and a few footy matches I think the cut off should be 31/12. It's not when you take them it's when you post them by that counts. 

Photos taken on business trips should be banned too, it's misuse of company funds. Joint efforts , the total should be divided by 2. 

I guess the Tortoise is well and truly stuffed whatever the rules but I'm still in with a chance of catching up with my furry friend.. 

 

 

Oh and @Peter Connan might be quicker to check out your shots and delete in camera?

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

I'm fine with that

So am I.

I am not a 'rules' person but I think there should be some ahem, "Guidelines".

Irish Novelist and playwright George Bernard Shaw said "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men."

43 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

Photos taken on business trips should be banned too, it's misuse of company funds. Joint efforts , the total should be divided by 2.  

Yeah! And what about those retired people who can bird 24/7 without paid work getting in the way? Not to mention the DINKYs.

Mr Tortoise. Nothing booked? Fancy Galloway for the Geese 9th November? Only one room in the cottage but lots of B&B.

 

Great thread. Thanks @pedro maia 

[pedro maia]

What I think is really unacceptable is that after 9 months we still don´t have @xelas KZN TR...

 

As for the BY, this topic was just to spice things a little bit because I bored by not having new additions, the good thing about this "competition" is there are those who go for quantity, those who go for quality and those who are able to combine both, I´m obviously not a contender but I think there shouldn´t be a strict deadline, I think we already have too much of that in our lives.

[Zim Girl]

Oh boy, so much for me hoping to go un-noticed at the bottom of the list 

Not for want of trying mind, only last weekend we were on a fruitless search for Red Breasted Merganser and Curlew Sandpiper, and the local Sparrowhawk keeps teasing me by flying into the garden then whizzing off before I can get to the window with the camera!!

We go to the Western Cape in just over 2 weeks so hopefully a few more from there, but I really want to get my UK numbers up.  Oh well  -  must try harder!!!

[Peter Connan]

@Dave Williams I have been advised a number of times not to, as it might scramble the card's brain?

 

However, I have been doing more of that, but I find that sometimes photos that look just peachy on the camera's little screen are actually rubbish too.

 

@Zim Girl, I suspect that with a trip to the Cape on the agenda you could very easily beat me... 

[Galana]

@Zim Girl  Your Merganser is currently over here (or its cousin). I can't count it though!

 

I agree with @Peter Connan what look like nice pics on the camera are often disappointing in reality. I also agree with him that your score should jump ahead at the Cape. Good luck.

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, Peter Connan said:

@Dave Williams I have been advised a number of times not to, as it might scramble the card's brain?

 

However, I have been doing more of that, but I find that sometimes photos that look just peachy on the camera's little screen are actually rubbish too.

 

 

Nah, don't believe that. I do it all the time but I sometimes just "protect" the ones I want to keep then hit the "delete all images" which gets rid of the rubbish but not the protected ones. After downloading  everything I always re format the card too.

 

I agree that what can look good on the back of the camera is often disappointing on the big screen!

 

[PeterHG]

I rather think I did answer your question @Galana. For me the BY thread is certainly about the number of birds one can photograph in a year, but I do try to show a good shot wherever I can and that involves more post processing work than just cropping. I think quite a few fellow BY posters are no different in this. I do  not aspire to win any Photographer of the year award, but this is part of the fun of participating for me. 

My final say on this: my final count for this year will be the total I have on 31st of December. i'll just see how far I get with photos and if that does not get me to the first place, I certainly won't lose any sleep over that . 

 

[xelas]

Yet, @PeterHG, you will show us all those splendid birds from Colombia, yes? If not in a Big Year then in the trip report. That one can be delayed as long as needed (look who's talking ).

[TonyQ]

@PeterHG I will be disappointed if I do not get to see you birds from Columbia because of an artificial deadline

[michael-ibk]

Thirded! 

[PeterHG]

That's a promise!

[Peter Connan]

Well, that is admirable, but I certainly will not be following your example.

 

And I will also be very disappointed if I don't get to see those stunning Colombian birds! As I will also be if @Kitsafari doesn't post the birds Herman and I slaved for at Marievale! 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Peter Connan

[Dave Williams]

I don't think anyone was actually serious about the deadline for posting, or even the need of finishing top of the list for that matter. Pah! Not me anyway ( he mumbled something under his breath whilst typing about how annoyed he was to be well down the order and no hope of recovery)

[PeterHG]

3 minutes ago, Peter Connan said:

Well, that is admirable, but I certainly will not be following your example.

 

And I will also be very disappointed if I don't get to see those stunning Colombian birds!

I hope nobody does .I just did not want to be the topic of an ongoing discussion any longer. I will definitely try and show my Colombian birds and please, keep on showing your beautiful SA collection, no matter when they were taken or posted. 

[Peter Connan]

I don't think you were specifically the topic of the discussion, I am pretty sure most of us are in the same boat, as that time of year is probably holiday (or at least a long weekend) for most of us?

[Dave Williams]

I wish I wasn't the age I am but it does have it's compensations. Work is an interference I don't have to put up with unless she who I have to obey demands action on something! Doesn't happen too often hence I am already on the way with my trip report within 24 hours of returning home.

[Kitsafari]

@Peter Connan for sure I'll be putting up the photos of the birds Herman and you slaved to get at Marievale! whether I'll count them in the list is another thing - very likely not I think. 

 

just coming back to processing photos - i guess everyone has their perspective on how far one can process and how perfect one wants his/her photos to be. I do very light touches, although once in a while I get carry away. But Herman is particular about processing his photos as he also puts them up in the Singapore birding groups where there are a lot of stunning shots (just as there are here too). So I can understand where @PeterHG is coming from. 

 

I have fun from taking part in and reading the friendly ribbing competition that goes on here. the main purpose is to show the birds we have seen, and admire each other's bird photos so let's not get too fixated on a hard deadline?

 

(Besides, I have to see the Columbian birds! I wont get to South America for a long time yet, so I need my fix too, PeterHG!). 

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

 

I have fun from taking part in and reading the friendly ribbing competition that goes on here. the main purpose is to show the birds we have seen, and admire each other's bird photos so let's not get too fixated on a hard deadline?

Hear hear. I don't think the discussion was aimed at anyone. It just kicked off from a comment and gained a life of its own.

[Soukous]

On 10/21/2019 at 4:58 PM, wilddog said:

@Galana what is the  'within reason' timescale. I accept that pictures taken with 2018 to 2019 are acceptable but I should there be a cut off date at some point after December 31st for when they can still be posted on the Big Year 2019.

 

 

 

My understanding has always been that to qualify for BY the photo must be taken in the year. Submissions to BY 2019 must be taken in 2019. I didn't know there was a posting deadline. 

Not that it will matter much to me anyway as I am way down the list.

[Soukous]

On 10/22/2019 at 8:15 AM, xelas said:

Me, as a slow birder which has to flip through the book for almost every bird to ID, I need about the same time as the travel/photo trip lasted. If that was a more prolific trip, like the one is expected to be for @PeterHG then I would allocate 2 or even 3 days to process and post 1 day of photographing. However, I spend more time looking for ID than processing the photo of it 

 

I resemble that comment