26 replies to this topic

[Ryan Shrout]

Its time to try out a new type of contest on this site. We all love to bring our cameras out the amusement parks and capture memories of our favorite scream machines. So for all the shutterbugs out there, this one's for you. As an added bonus, the winner of this contest will be featured on the cover of COASTER-net's upcoming calendar! And everyone who participates is eligible to have their pic(s) used on the pages therein. So this contest is extra fantastic because there isn't really just one winner. Pictures should be submitted into one of three categories: Layout, Action, or Element. These will be explained later. In the mean time, this next week is to give you all time to sign up (there is not maximum number of participants) and look through, organize, and gather what you believe to be your very best coaster photographs. The actual contest will start on Monday, June 21.



Here are a few rules and notes to keep in mind.

• By submitting your photograph to the site, you give all rights to said photograph to COASTER-net.
• Please no trademarked, watermarked, or copyrighted pics
• Please avoid using pics with logos or faces in them (these can not be used for our calendar or other products)
• And please submit all photos in full resolution. Note that only photographs taken at 10 Megapixels or higher will be eligible for inclusion in our calendar or used to produce other COASTER-net Gear and products..
• Currently operational rides are preferred.

Oh and staff are welcome and encouraged to participate.




Sign-up list:

• CoasterCrazy
• X-car
• krosscoasters
• Coasterholic14
• Nessie
• CreditCrazy
• Brad
• HCL
• Jeremie
• deathfearsnone
• Raptor
• BRTeller
• The BeastFan
• Hulk

[Tyler Carlton]

So does that mean that pictures taken on a 7.1 megapixel camera aren't eligible?

[Daniel Westfall]

Not for winning to be on the calendar, but that is more than suitable for other items we will be producing where anything 5MP or better should be sufficient. We just can't get the 200-300 dpi (or ppi) for the 8.5x11 (actually probably 8x10 or 9x12) print if the resolution is less than 10 MP (sorry).

[TexasCyclone]

How do you know if the image is taken at 10 megapixels or higher? I'm making a trip up to Six Flags Over Texas this Saturday so I'd like to know if I should bring my camera.

Edited by TexCyclone8612, 15 June 2010 - 12:50 AM.

[Kevin Dice]

How do you know if the image is taken at 10 megapixels or higher?

You multiply the width by the height.
Since Megapixel means 1,000,000 pixels, at picture that is 3000x4000 pixels will be 12,000,000 pixels or 12 megapixels.

Like Daniel said, a 10megapixel shot (IMO just a little bit lower) is about as low as we can go for the calendar, but we can use lower shots for other store items.

So does that mean that pictures taken on a 7.1 megapixel camera aren't eligible?

Your 7.1 megapixel camera shoots 3072x2304 if I'm not mistaken. At 300dpi, that would be 10.24 inches by 7.68.

[Daniel Westfall]

The actual math is too hard to show (since it involves square roots) and I'm sure most of you don't want to see it anyways.

Since I don't know everyone's aspect ratios, the quick answer is to multiply the linear resolution (x pixels by y pixels) out and see if the answer is greater than or equal to 10,000,000 sq. pixels.

Your aspect ratio is PROBABLY 4:3 (some cameras would say 1.5) for landscape or 3:4 (1.3333....) for portrait.

That means that the minimum linear resolution (given that aspect ratio) would be 3648 pixels x 2738 pixels. Neither dimension should be smaller for that aspect ratio (though they can be larger if your camera's MP rating is higher than 10).

Just flip the length and height restrictions I'd your picture is portrait instead of landscape. If your aspect ratio is not 4:3, I'll help you figure out your minimum lengthband width requirements.

[Daniel Westfall]

I'm thinking we are going to give a week for you guys to find your photos you want to submit (this week we are currently in), and then another week for submissions to be made (starts when Ryan makes the official announcement that the contest has begun), and then a week for public voting (will get us down to the "finalists" from each category), and finally a vote from the staff on which finalist will be on the front of the calendar (probably another week). So we are looking at this contest taking about a month total before the winner is announced.

[Daniel Westfall]

I'm interested, but how long will the round last? As I've already mentioned in the Coaster Draft, I'll be gone from 6/19 to 6/29.

Well, that is going to be the week of submissions (I think). Although you can't be eligible to get your picture on the front cover if you don't submit your pictures for the contest, you can still feel free to submit them in a PTR or make them available to the staff to add to our galleries, and you will still have the chance of having them be used for other products.

[Daniel Westfall]

If they are Photoshopped, they need to meet the minimum resolution requirements. I know you know this Matt, but I'm saying this for everyone else's benefit:

If you crop a picture you are litterally cutting away pixels and just making the other pixels look bigger. That's what we are trying to avoid here by ensuring that we have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) or ppi (pixels per inch). If you can artificially add pixels to make the resolution higher without making it obvious that you have done so (no line or shadows and you don't mess up the color), you can feel free to try and enhance your photos (Brandon Teller will probably catch any such enhancements). We are also thinking of blowing some of these up WAY bigger than just calendar size (hint, hint), so that's what I'm REALLY worried about. We want to make sure we keep everything we make at or above 150 dpi (preferably above 200 dpi). That means lots of megapixels for some of the stuff I am scheming.

[Ryan Shrout]

I think I will join if just for the fun of it and to be included. About submissions, what are the rules on the number of photos allowed for submission? 1 per category (for 3 total) I assume?

Each contestant can submit up to 3 photos per category. The top 15 photos in each category will then be put into a poll where everyone can vote for their favorites. From the winners of each 3 categories, the staff will choose which photo will "win" the contest and be featured on the cover of our calendar.

[Daniel Westfall]

Also, don't forget that if you still take pictures with a 35mm (or other size film) camera, and can get a digital copy made in FULL resolution of your frame, that would be SUPERB, as you have to get to 20 MP or higher to compete with 35MM film.

Please let us know if your images are from film or if you change the aspect ration to 2:3 when you take your picture (as this will affect what print sizes we can make with your image or how much cropping will be necessary to make it fit the template).

[Ryan Shrout]

Alright everybody its go time! You will have until midnight on Sunday the 27th to submit your pictures. You may submit up to three photographs for each category. Please label them as to which category you are submitting them to.

Here's the basics that you need to know for each category:

• Layout - fairly self explanatory, these are shots that show an overview, or at least a large portion of a coaster. Many of these will take advantage of exceptional lighting conditions or striking backgrounds. Or its just an epicly cool coaster that you wanted to try and get all of it in your shot.
• Action - These will be tighter shots that feature the coaster car going through its course. Please do not zoom into the point that faces become visible. Or at least use a longer exposure so that it blurs a bit. We can't use pictures that have other people's faces in it due to various laws and restrictions prohibiting it.
• Element - Some coasters just have that thing, that is just awesome. TTD's top hat, Dominator's loop, Beast's helix. This category is for shots of a specific part of a coaster that you just can't get enough of. These will not have the coaster car in them (or at least not prominently featured).

And a general note to keep in mind. Please do not use any pictures for any category that have park signs, ride signs, or other company logos. Again, this is for copyright reasons. COASTER-net cannot use a picture on our calendar that has a Papa Johns logo in the corner. Also, only submit pictures that are "landscape". Vertical pictures won't fit on our calendar.

Well that about covers things for now. Good luck everyone. I can't wait to see these awesome pictures!

[Nessie]

Seeing that I will be leaving for camp on the 23rd, I think I will post my entries now (Tomorrow will be packing...all day...)

For my layout entries:



Alpengeist's layout in the hole.



Loch Ness Monster over the Rhine



Griffon



For my action entries:



Just missed the splash



Into the woods



Diving down (Is this blurry enough?)



For my element entries:



Loch Ness Monster lift hill



Griffon Immelmann



Loch Ness Monster drop and lattice supports on turnaround almost beat this out, but Alpie's zero-g is too good to not put in.

So those are my entries. I filled them to the max 'cause I'm not 100% what my best shots are, and I may as well increase my odds.

[Ryan Shrout]

Layout:

Raging Bull


Mind Eraser @ Elitch Gardens


Action:
Demon @ SFGAm



Iron Wolf



Element:
Demon @ SFGAm



BtR @ SFGAm



American Eagle

[Jeremie]

Here are my entries......


Layout
Shivering Timbers at Michigan's Adventure Thunderhawk at Michigan's Adventure
Hoosier Hurricane at Indiana Beach


Action
Hoosier Hurricane at Indiana Beach SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge at Nickelodeon UniverseDemon at Six Flags Great America


Element
Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great AmericaMillennium Force at Cedar PointVertical Velocity at Six Flags Great America

Good luck everyone!

Edit: I noticed that they were only 640 by 480, so I resized them to 4,000 by 3000. Hope that works!

Edited by Jeremie, 22 June 2010 - 04:25 PM.

[Tyler Carlton]

Layout:





Action:




Element:






Well, that's all I've got. Good luck everyone!

[krosscoasters]

So... Disney doesn't really have all that many coasters in the first place, and only a fraction of them are visible outside. So, here is what I could muster up:


Primeval Whirl... I guess this would go into Action.

[Coasterholic14]

Ok, here's my entries (yes, there are lots of Intimidator lol)...

Layout:
Intimidator @ Carowinds


Alpengeist @ Busch Gardens Williamsburg/Europe


Thunderhead @ Dollywood


Action:
Carolina Cyclone @ Carowinds


Intimidator @ Carowinds


Intimidator 2 @ Carowinds


Element:
Intimidator @ Carowinds


Intimidator 2 @ Carowinds


Loch Ness Monster @ Busch Gardens Europe/Williamsburg (let me know if this is too much of an "action" shot rather than element and I'll remove/replace it)

[Kevin Dice]

Here are my entries. I have several more that I would have loved to enter, but I could only pick nine; it was like picking your favorite child...very difficult.

Layout:

Boomerang From the Exit Path


Prowler from the Exit Path


Element:

Patriot's helix turn; taken from exit path


Spinning Dragons; taken from the exit path


Spinning Dragons; also taken fom exit path

[HCL]

Layout:


Carolina Cobra




GASM @ SFoG





I305 during construction

Element:




Goliath @ SFoG - Lift Hill




LNM's Double Loop

Action




Thunderhead @ Dollywood right before the turnaround into the station fly through.




Goliath @ SFoG with a storm on the way




Borghawk @ carowinds before the first drop.

[Brad]

Layout:



Maverick, Cedar Point



Vortex, Kings Island



Mean Streak, Cedar Point



Action:


Diamondback, Kings Island


Millennium Force, Cedar Point


Corkscrew, Cedar Point



Element:



Dominator, Kings Dominion


Magnum XL-200, Cedar Point


Kumba, Busch Gardens Tampa

Edited by Brad, 27 June 2010 - 12:03 AM.

[Ryan Shrout]

Alright and we are officially closed for submissions. No more entries will be accepted. The COASTER-net Admin will spend the next week going through all of your submitted photos, weeding out those that don't meet the qualifications and deliberating as to which are the best of the best. The top 15 photos in each category will then be placed into a poll, at which time it is up to everyone to vote for their favorite pic in each category. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to vote, regardless of whether or not you submitted anything.

[Daniel Westfall]

^Those shots are all good shots. But to be used in the calendar they have to be horizontal, not vertical as some of yours are.

I think all the vertical ones have also been resized....otherwise, they would make great posters.

[Daniel Westfall]

Edit: I noticed that they were only 640 by 480, so I resized them to 4,000 by 3000. Hope that works!

I'll check to see exactly what you mean by "resized." If you actually went and split each pixel into 4 pixels, you should be good (you would know what I meant if you did this). If you just increased the size of each pixel, then, no, it won't work, and your entries will be disqualified for having too low of a resolution.

[Jeremie]

Edit: I noticed that they were only 640 by 480, so I resized them to 4,000 by 3000. Hope that works!

I'll check to see exactly what you mean by "resized." If you actually went and split each pixel into 4 pixels, you should be good (you would know what I meant if you did this). If you just increased the size of each pixel, then, no, it won't work, and your entries will be disqualified for having too low of a resolution.

Oh no no no. I noticed that my shots were really small, so I re-uploaded them onto ImageShack with no resizing settings so they could be 4,000 by 3,000...