BoTM December 2011 - Nominations Please

Dr S":2psbvftv said:

Many are missing the point. BoTM should be about excellence. That doesn't mean mega bucks Yetis and Kleins, it's about passion. I'm just as impressed by the lengths someone goes to to restore and present a mid range bike- again may I reference WD Pro's Marin. An obsessive restoration of a Raleigh Mustang is just as likely to get my personal vote than a cheque book Klein resto. Part of that passion should be reflected in presentation too. Modern cameras are fantastic, hell even the camera in some phones are great. Just a little care and effort is all that is needed. You don't have to carry a shrink wrapped bike to the top of Snowdon to get a good photo, a well lit plain backdrop is as good as anything and can be found within 100 yds of the door! How hard is it?
Dragging something out of a hedge and taking a photo of it leant up against the bin isn't making any effort is it? Jesus, my four year old daughter has taken better photos!

Don't just throw any old lump of tripe into the BOTM ring and expect to be treated the same as those that actually care is all I'm saying. To then cry 'elitism' and 'snobbery' whilst attacking those that have made an effort is pretty piss poor in my book.

Si

Click to expand...

I agree with a lot of this. I personally have voted for bikes that have had dreadful photo's, because the quality of the photo doesn't enter into my selection method.
That said, I have learnt that presentation is a big part of BoTM. Why spend months sourcing and building something lovely and then not show it off to the best of your abilities.
As a personal example, I entered a bike into BoTM a year or so ago. I thought it looked ok and could see most of the detail, but it didn't get a single vote (the tyres I had fitted didn't help either!).
I re-entered it last month with a much better photo and it won. I know it was a much watered down month, as it was a 'special', but I know if I'd re-submitted the previous photo it wouldn't have got near winning.
I made the effort to ride to a good spot for a good photo, and on a sunny day and reaped the reward.
Another thing to consider is that lots on here (me included!) will be swayed by a photo of a bike being ridden, or at a retrobike ride.
That's really not a hard one to do is it, but it goes a long way.

I think its a shame the Activator is getting slated on here.

After all without it and bikes of its ilk a lot of us wouldn't be here.

My riding days started on a piece of pig iron bike similar to the Activator.

Its retro. Its a bike. It has as much right to be here as any other bike.

uktyler":33vg22i3 said:

I think its a shame the Activator is getting slated on here.

After all without it and bikes of its ilk a lot of us wouldn't be here.

My riding days started on a piece of pig iron bike similar to the Activator.

Its retro. Its a bike. It has as much right to be here as any other bike.

Click to expand...

Ditto now let's get on with the fine array, diverse selection of mountain bikes and get that Poll up

We_are_Stevo":1f8y1lwo said:

REKIBorter":1f8y1lwo said:

We_are_Stevo":1f8y1lwo said:

MikeD":1f8y1lwo said:

I'd be staggered if anyone had ever employed a pro photographer to put in a BOTM entry, that would seem mental.

Click to expand...

Ummm, a certain recent, flawless resto al-mega DX springs to mind??

Click to expand...

If you are reffering to Boy"O"Boys bike he has access to the facilities where he works and he is certainly not a pro photographer.

Click to expand...

No, but the photo's were taken in a studio using pro equipment - but if I had taken them they would have been better...

Click to expand...

So they were your pics of the tandem then?

Actually....I took these pics myself :evil: ....and I'm pleased with the results thank you. Yes, I have access to design studio facilities but It's up to me to learn how to use the equipment. It's a perk of the job...
I work as part of a team building show cars etc... We don't do half-arsed. I like to think that reflects in the quality and presentation of my retro bikes.
Expect more well presented projects in the future. If you go to any of the retrobike series/ mountain mayhem, you'll see I'm not up my own arse either. :evil:

If you want the 'underdog' to win, more people need to vote. BOTM is usually decided by less than 300 votes...out of a membership of how many?
Then again, that could mean more votes for the eye candy :roll:

Speaking about pictures... updated my entry with fresh photo as my Wicked has now cages, bottles and another Suntour pedals. My apologies for quality photo, just been lucky with light on my wee ride today.

1st. So I understand the self promoting band of brothers, I should end my passion for my exotic galactic expensive yeti bikes and GNP restorations and rebuilds because they don't qualify for passion - wabohc!

Yes I entered this month BoTM, and No I do not have any high hopes for winning, neither before I wrote this post, or after I have posted it. In Scandinavia we have a law The Jante Law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jante_Law and I must say this forum qualify indeed for it.

2nd. Some criticize that some of pictures look to nice and/or makes the bike or what ever look too good - well if someone wish to spend a extra buck on the passion (oh.. sorry.. its not passion) why cant he/she do so without being disqualified by the self promoting band of brothers? - well because he/she is not one of them.

I see I am shooting my self in the "back" here - well I just could not sit and watch the thread getting so out of line. I guess the members of the exclusive self promoting band of brothers will put all hell on my sorry blond blue eyed norse back for this post - I can only say bring it on me.

Best regards, and best of luck on the election

Yeti-man
(Yeti bike collector (2 x FRO, 1 ASR-SL, 1 ASX, 1 x Road Project) + some 10 other bikes - and yes did I mention I am a NPU member, Nikon Professional Photographer - two disqualifying points on my sorry ar... shoulders)

boy"O"boy":19z7v6i8 said:

We_are_Stevo":19z7v6i8 said:

REKIBorter":19z7v6i8 said:

We_are_Stevo":19z7v6i8 said:

MikeD":19z7v6i8 said:

I'd be staggered if anyone had ever employed a pro photographer to put in a BOTM entry, that would seem mental.

Click to expand...

Ummm, a certain recent, flawless resto al-mega DX springs to mind??

Click to expand...

If you are reffering to Boy"O"Boys bike he has access to the facilities where he works and he is certainly not a pro photographer.

Click to expand...

No, but the photo's were taken in a studio using pro equipment - but if I had taken them they would have been better...

Click to expand...

So they were your pics of the tandem then?

Actually....I took these pics myself :evil: ....and I'm pleased with the results thank you. Yes, I have access to design studio facilities but It's up to me to learn how to use the equipment. It's a perk of the job...
I work as part of a team building show cars etc... We don't do half-arsed. I like to think that reflects in the quality and presentation of my retro bikes.
Expect more well presented projects in the future. If you go to any of the retrobike series/ mountain mayhem, you'll see I'm not up my own arse either. :evil:

If you want the 'underdog' to win, more people need to vote. BOTM is usually decided by less than 300 votes...out of a membership of how many?
Then again, that could mean more votes for the eye candy :roll:

Click to expand...

I didn't intend to imply any criticism - merely to observe that the quoted post was eroneous.

Your bike was flawless (even though I voted for the tandem...) and if I still had access to studio facilities myself I'd be sure to take advantage.

The only professional improvement I would make on your handiwork would be to move the bike away from the backdrop to avoid the slight shadow - which the majority of viewers wouldn't even have noticed in the first place...

Are there gonna be anymore bikes?
Just asking.
Like.
:roll:

wired99":34uzfvzr said:

Are there gonna be anymore bikes?
Just asking.
Like.
:roll:

Click to expand...

Thinking exactly the same thing, so if it's not p*ssing it down tomorrow will take some photos of my daughter's original catalogue spec '96 Rocky Mountain Cardiac and enter that!