I mentioned a while back that I’d entered into a photo competition. Well, on Friday night the awards were presented and I was very lucky to get runner-up in the Open section. The prize was a voucher for $200 photo printing.
The standard of the more than 200 entries over 6 categories was very high, with many professional photographers entering – all vying for the $1000 first prize money.
The exhibition will be open for the next two weeks, and I’m planning to take some photos of it when I’m in town next week. With a bit of luck, one or more of my six images may be sold also 🙂
Here’s the image:
Of course, the funny thing is, that this was taken with my old camera, Fuji 200EXR, before I obtained the Olympus, which just goes to prove, it’s not all about the camera!
One of the aspects about the competition which did concern me however, was the constant reference by the judging panel about winning shots, being the ‘sharpness’ of the image. It seemed to count more than whether the image imparted feeling or told a story etc….. Other photographers I spoke with on the night also shared my concerns. It’s an old debate I know and it appears we’re no closer to resolving it.
PS – No animals were harmed in the making of this image 🙂
Eremophila's Musings 
Well done and agree on your comments, it is almost as if a sterile shot can win over one which elicits emotion….🍀
Thanks Mick, and nice to know I’m not alone in feeling like this.
Congratulations….love your photo!
Thank you very much Katrina 🙂
congrats! what a wonderful photo – so much energy. each image should be judged individually on its merits.
Thanks Sheila. I think each image was judged on its merits – it’s just that their criteria wasn’t one I agreed with. Some really nice images didn’t even get a look in, especially those that were a little ‘soft’.
What a wonderful photo. Congrats on your recognition – and the prize isn’t bad, either!
I have some friends who enter competitions on Flickr, and know a couple of professional photographers who have submitted work for judging, and been judges themselves. It’s so interesting to listen to the conversations. It tickles me that everyone seems able to recognize a bad photo, but a good one? Lots of discussion, there!
Many thanks Linda 🙂 I thought about ‘everyone recognises a bad photo’, and not sure I agree with that! It’s all so subjective isn’t it. I was talking with a poet on the weekend, and she’s had to encounter the view by others that if it doesn’t rhyme then it isn’t poetry.
It’s these fixed ideas that squash creativity.
Congrats! And great shot. I’m becoming more and more aware of the whole sharpness debate too. Not sure how I feel about it. But anyway this shot is fantastic.
Thanks Heather 🙂 Funny thing is, shots of mine that have got prizes at comps, are not necessarily my favourite images…. and one of the prize winners on Friday thought his image that got the win, wasn’t the best of his entries. As he said, you just can never tell….
That’s a great image, congrats!
Oh yes, the good old sharpness debate. It’s also a bit of a zeitgeist thing, I guess. Nowadays there is the tendency of tack sharp images (sometimes unnatural). But then one should take a look at professional photos back in the 70s or 80s…
We live in a time that sometimes seems to overvalue technological progress, I’m afraid.
Thanks Timo. Hope you liked my comment about it not being just about the camera 🙂
I like the softness that comes with film… looking at pro work taken around early 20th century they have something special that we’ve mostly lost along the way.
I can see the time fast approaching when I concentrate more on my abstract work than any other form… was discussing today with a friend who I’m planning a photo shoot with, to do work along the style of this – http://cynthia-haynes.com/2012/10/on-being-on-display/ and she was quite excited at the concept.
Yes, that comment about the camera stood out for me. 😉
I am looking forward to your abstract work – I did some abstract work in the past, too, but not too much, I’m afraid.
Great photo, Enivea. I love the way you have captured the tension between the working dogs and the charging cattle. The cloud of dust adds impact to the image amplifying the action and hinting at the physical conditions of the day.
I am sure you will put your prize to good use – congratulations!
Thanks very much!
congrats!
Thank you very much!
Entering contests takes a lot of work and self confidence. I can’t imagine being the judge (judges) of these events. It always seems odd to me that judges, like the entrants, are all different, with difference likes and perceptions. How can anyone say “this is a winner” and that one is not? So in the end, we need to satisfy ourselves that we’ve done something we like and want to share with others.
I can feel the movement, hear the noise in this composition, Eeremophila! It’s wonderful!