May 2009 Official Picture of the Month Poll

[Elspeth]

Originally Posted by susan alicia

but then you might as well leave the cute kids out of the competion?

That, largely, is what we've been trying to do, and partly why we started the unofficial polls which give scope for candid photos and other baby and toddler pics. The first year of the poll, where we didn't have these restrictions, it was just cute baby after cute baby after cute toddler after loving looks after silly mugging for the camera, to the point where you wouldn't have had a clue that this was supposed to be a forum about royalty. And when the photo of the year - the ROYAL photo of the year, mind you - ended up being a picture of a toddler smeared with birthday cake, we decided it was time to do something about it.

This is why cute kids are only in the official photos when they're part of an official event and the photo shows the actual event and not just the cute kids. Same for photos of loving couples - as long as they're part of an official event and it isn't just an "awwww, innit cute" moment. So as far as I'm concerned, I'd be perfectly happy to do away with pictures of cute kids from the official photos. It's really depressing when a photo, for example, of the Queen in full Garter rig gets two votes because there's another photo of Princess Whosit chewing on her stuffed bunny on her second birthday and it gets 50 votes because "awwww, innit cute." TRF isn't about "awwww, innit cute," it's about royalty.

[Elspeth]

Um, Lilla, if the world comes to an end, I don't think the North Pole will be exempt.

[Marsel]

Originally Posted by Lilla

I take the world comming to an end very seriously . Cute kids being there or not...........I have packed my suitcase!! Right now I am on my way to the North Pole!

I hate to break it to you, but North Pole is still part of the World.

I think the picture of the month committees are doing a very good choosing the pictures; sometimes the winning pictures feature kids, sometimes they focus on the more official roles of the Royal Families, but all of them are unique and special in some way.

[lumutqueen]

I'm really glad that Mary came second. I wish she had come first but oh well

[susan alicia]

I did not know that. Now I understand the merit of the picture of the Dutch royals which I thought was a terribly wooden picture, like puppets in bad lighting, did not understand how it could qualify at all. But we all like different things, there are more pictures that I think are (the mother and child in millitary uniform) but others liked them.

Originally Posted by Elspeth

That, largely, is what we've been trying to do, and partly why we started the unofficial polls which give scope for candid photos and other baby and toddler pics. The first year of the poll, where we didn't have these restrictions, it was just cute baby after cute baby after cute toddler after loving looks after silly mugging for the camera, to the point where you wouldn't have had a clue that this was supposed to be a forum about royalty. And when the photo of the year - the ROYAL photo of the year, mind you - ended up being a picture of a toddler smeared with birthday cake, we decided it was time to do something about it.

This is why cute kids are only in the official photos when they're part of an official event and the photo shows the actual event and not just the cute kids. Same for photos of loving couples - as long as they're part of an official event and it isn't just an "awwww, innit cuuuute" moment. So as far as I'm concerned, I'd be perfectly happy to do away with pictures of cute kids from the official photos. It's really depressing when a photo, for example, of the Queen in full Garter rig gets two votes because there's another photo of Princess Whosit chewing on her stuffed bunny on her second birthday and it gets 50 votes because "awwww, innit cuuuute." TRF isn't about "awwwww, innit cuuuute," it's about royalty.

[Elspeth]

Oh yes, there's a quite detailed set of guidelines for the official picture polls, and quite a few photos get rejected each month and the reps are asked to submit replacements. The Dutch photo was very much in line with the guidelines and I must admit I was pleased with that photo. It's a shame when something royal like that gets ignored in favour of a kid smeared with birthday cake, which is what was happening the first year of the poll.

This is what the current guidelines look like:

1. For all formal polls, the photos must show the royal(s) at work. This means showing the visiting royal(s) greeting, interacting and mingling with heads of state, dignitaries, officials, or other royals and/or visiting museums, schools, etc. The reverse also applies; the receiving royal(s) must also be shown interacting with their guest(s).


2. These are considered official pictures:

1. Gala events such as the Nobel Prize ceremonies, state visits, royal ceremonies such as the Order of the Garter ceremony in Great Britain or the New Years gala for the Knights of the Order of the Elephant in Denmark, Opening of Parliament, coronations, enthronements.
2. Openings of public events, government buildings, hospitals, christening of ships, official charity work.
3. Family celebrations (such as wedding, christening, or special days such as Victoria Day in Sweden or Queen's Day in the Netherlands, King Harald's 70th birthday) and the balcony shots that accompany them.

3. These pictures are not considered official pictures:

1. Royal hobbies - Queen Margrethe designing ballet costumes. Prince Henrik presenting a cook book he has written.
2. Pictures of newborn prince(ss).
3. Presentation of new prince(ss). Example: Princess X or Queen Z leaving hospital with Prince or Princess A.
4. Birthday pictures unless the birthday is an official celebration.
5. First day of school. School is mandatory in most countries and most shots are candid.
6. Royals in gala attire unless the royals appear with the guests for whom the reception is being held.
7. Candid shots of royals during official events will no longer be accepted. (Examples: Royals dancing at the Olympics; royals making funny faces; couples touching/caressing/kissing or chatting away by themselves during official events.)
8. Nationally observed religious holidays (Christmas, Easter, Eid, etc) photos will not be considered for the official poll.
9. Holidays and vacation photos. There will be a separate poll for these types of photos.
10. Interview: unless it is part of an official function and microphones and/or reporters are clearly visible.

[Lilla]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Um, Lilla, if the world comes to an end, I don't think the North Pole will be exempt.

Really? ......why not?

[Elspeth]

Well, you know - on account of being part of the world

[Lilla]

Great answer

[Humera]

Originally Posted by susan alicia

but then you might as well leave the cute kids out of the competion?

In certain royal families, like Brunei, we only get to see the royal children when they accompany their parents on an official visit (thus the picture of Princess Sarah and her son at the military event in this month’s poll) or when they are actually performing the royal duties themselves, i.e. the grand children of the Sultan of Brunei have been doing official duties for a couple of years now, the children of Prince Feisal of Jordan also perform solo official duties.
If it weren’t for these photos, we probably wouldn’t get to see much of these kids unlike their European counterparts whose pictures are plastered all over the media thanks to the local press documenting almost every day of their lives.

[susan alicia]

Thx for the information, did not know that either.

Even though it is an official function and a child in the picture I do not care for a mother and child in military uniform.
Will take a look at the thread of the Brunei Royals thx again