Don't worry the format isn't going to change but something has been suggested that I think is worth considering:
That is that all pictures should be on plain backgrounds.
Now I realise that this might be a little controversial, as there are a couple of regular entrants who do some superb work and mostly have there pics with backgrounds. It is surprising that these entrys don't win every time but that is not the case, (if it were then there might be more of a case for this change). However by having a plain background the playing field is somewhat levelled and it might encourage more to enter. Remember that voters decide on their own criteria for voting, a base or background certainly adds to the appeal. I understand that, as we can enter long completed models, they might be fixed to a base and this might be an unfair ruling. Should dioramas be allowed but without a backdrop? should we have a seperate catagory for dioramas? I would rather leave it as it is and keep the number of entrants than change it and see the numbers fall.
Thoughts please.
Mal

Hi Mal,

I think that only using plain backgrounds is a good idea, it would concntrate the focus on the actual model and as you say it would "level the playing field".

Hi Mal

That's an interesting idea. I'm not sure it would neccessarily "level the playing field", for the simple reason that some modellers will always submit more attractive photos than others (whether down to better equipment or photographic skills), but I certainly agree it would help focus attention on the models themselves.

I don't know if they have a Diorama of the Month yet, but there's an Aircraft sub-section on the Diorama forum.

All the best

Rowan

Agree! More focus on the aircraft.

Mal,

I did not realize that the playing field was not ''level'', I would never have entered any of my pictures of my models that have a background in them if I thought anyone thought it might be some sort of cheating.

Sorry,

Matrixone

I do not feel that anyone is being accused of cheating. I for one love looking at a model that is presented with a background. It makes everything come to life. I think that for contest purposes they want the main focus to be on the model with no distractions.

Maybe I am no one to talk as I have not built anything worthy of showing pictures of yet, but one of the days I will

Mark,
When some people say pictures with plain backgrounds will ''level the playing field'' it says to me that those pictures that did not have a plain background had an advantage over the others, some might consider that as unfair and an attempt at cheating.

Most of my pictures of my entries in the MOM have had a painted backdrop used in them and I don't think it made a difference one way or the other as to how I did in the voting, I have never even come close to winning because it is the quality of the model that counts not the backdrops.

I need to improve my models to have a better chance at doing well in the MOM and not try to take more interesting pics.

Matrixone

Hi guys,

When I used the phrase "level the playing field" I was actually thinking that the guys who do use a backdrop and base to display their entries were at a disadvantage when I came to vote.

I actually prefer to see a model displayed in a "vignette" or "diorama, it puts them in some sort of a context in terms of scale and historical use.

However when it comes to picking my favourites for the voting if two models were attracting my attention for one of my votes the one in a plain backdrop seem to grab my attention more, the quality of the build seems to be more pronounced.

I'll give one example. One month one of the entries was of an aircraft displayed undergoing some maintenance. The builder had modelled oil pouring out of a drainage tap into a drum. It looked fantastic but when I came to vote the aircraft itself didn't stick in my mind, it was the accessories. This detracted from the quality of the aircraft in my mind and I actually didn't give it any of my votes. Looking at it agin after voting I couldn't believe I hadn't given it a first or second vote.

All the guys who enter regularly know the MOM is a bit of fun, but if you check the number of voting thread views against actual votes, I'd bet that half the views are of entrants occasionally checking back to see how many votes they've got.

This would suggest that most of us want our efforts to be appreciated by getting at least some of the votes. My argument is that the voting might be more dispersed among the entries if they were all shown under similar conditions.

Les


No, you are not cheating at the moment this is a perfectly legitimate way to enter and I love seeing them. I have had the question put to me so I am asking the members for their feeling on the matter.
Me.


I actually must agree somewhat with Martin as I tend not to vote for those images with backgrounds, as they aren't actually part of the model. Dioramas are different, as the base they are on is part of the construction (you could argue that a backdrop is a digital construction but I think that might be pushing it a little). My first vote this month though was for a Spitfire, it just happened to be on a base, As I would dearly like to see a Spitfire win (None of mine have come anywhere )
So Les, please don't think that anyone is being accused of cheating, as that is definitely not the case. Please continue to enter, with backdrops if you wish, until I have a definitive answer to this. If the consensus is for plain backgrounds nothing will change until the new year anyway. So please keep entering your stunning models. That goes for everyone.
Mal

All well and good as far as the contest is concerned, but please continue to post the excellent photos as well, they really are a pleasure to look at!!

Mal,
When I take pics of any of my models I have always used a photography base and a backdrop, I have been doing this long before I ever heard of Armorama or the MOM. Before I bought my digital camera I was greatly impressed by the pics I had seen that Brett Green (at Hyperscale) had taken and after buying my own digital camera I have been slowly learning how to take those sort of pics of my own models and have improved over the last year and in a couple years might get to the same level of quality where Brett is at now but I need to keep trying new things in order to learn what works and what does not.


Since we are allowed to enter three pictures in the MOM and instead of all three having a plain background could we have the option of entering one of the three pics with a backdrop?

Matrixone

Les,
Sounds like a good compromise and you tend to do that anyway. The fact that your entries don't do better is a mistery to me. For the time being nothing will change, so keep posting as before.
If you have any thoughts on this matter lets hear them please.
Mal

Mal,
Thanks for your reply.

If I expect to do better in the MOM I must improve my models, and that is as it should be.

There are no other modelers or any clubs in the area where I live so the MOM is the closest thing I have to a model club meeting or contest and when I at least finish in the middle of the pack in the MOM voting its good enough for me! At least I know somebody approves of my work when I get a vote. :-)

Matrixone