I am not in favor of WIP during the contest.
Some people might feel "scared" by some users right at the beginnning of the contest just by viewing the wip of some works.
Then, I'd rather see where people are going with their own mind, imagination, technique and heart, not just apply what this "artist" or this "artist" told them to do to "improve" that part of the other.
I understand the joy of sharing and seeing the evolution of a render over the time like in the pic sharing section of the forums, but we are talking of a contest here, with quite big prizes, so it is not just an unformal thing.
I am waiting to be surprised by people, to feel chills down the spines thinking how good people are, how imaginative and clever they can be.
This is not only a technical contest, but a Terragen contest. Some of us are more technicians, others are more "artists". Some are hobbyists and others are pros.
I don't want people to fear to participate by watching the evolutions of a few renders, getting scared because they would feel they can't do better.
Everybody can do better than anybody, if they put their heart (and their art) into the contest.
And if people want that WIP section so badly because they like to see the evolutions of a render thorugh time, well I suggest that, after the contest we open few threads with contestants and they could post WIP of their renders and explain to everybody how they worked their way up to their final image, winner or not winner it won't matter to be honest.
We will just have all the benefit of the evolution, the explaination, etc... but without the problem that a WIP section might bring during a contest (people just applying techniques, people surrendering because scared, people leeching ideas, etc...)
Here are my ideas about the WIP section and why I am opposed to it.
Cheers,
Seth.