need help choosing an image to submit for PDN student photo contest

[lisa_13]

thanks for reading -

my professor is having me submit a work to this years PDN competition. i have until the 21st to choose a photo, but have no idea what to submit. these are some i came up with that i like but i'm not sure if they are worthy of being submitted


any feedback at all is appreciated

1.

2.

3.

[TPF Sponsor]

[bigtwinky]

2

[Derrel]

Of those three, only #2 is worth considering. Number 1 is a horizontal, with the subject looking out of frame with inadequate space to "look into", which would give you an automatic disqualification in the eyes of an experience, trained photographer. The lack of a head on the third photo makes it a less than interesting shot of a guy playing a guitar. #2 has an interesting filter or action effect, but is not quite well-processed enough to be considered a strong contender--you need to really go all-out on the filtr effect, in my opinion, to make #2 a winner.

Just as a general rule, coolish skin tones, as in #2, are not generally associated with "positive" emotions, and #2 is somewhat contemplative. it looks a little bit like a fashion catalog shot with a 1970's Cokin filter-like effect applied, then faded. Her green hair might be evaluated negatively by some judges.

[AnotherNewGuy]

Hit the eyes in #2 with the dodge tool. There are catchlights there, I swear I see them. Just gotta make them pop. Agree with above also. I might also try to see if I could do something in the channels about the color of her garment strap. I dunno what it is, just seems a bit dull to me.

[lisa_13]

derrel, when you say "go all out" on the filter effect, what do you mean? i thought you meant add more of that, until i got to the next line about the skin tones. thanks for the input, maybe i'll work on a re-edit.




here's the re-edit i just did quick & another image:



2. re-edit



4.

[lisa_13]

also i guess if you guys want to check out my flickr to see some other stuff you can do that here: Flickr: lisa_czech's Photostream

[Derrel]

...wait for it...wait for it.....

"High of 75", "Delaware River", "stream" of the monument at night with seated figure in LRC, and "Justine" cyanotype

I went through all eight pages of your Flickr. You have some good photos, especially for a student. By PDN, I am assuming you mean the Photo District News, which will have visually sophisticated judges. In which case, "stream" is out as the weakest of the four--it's too straightforward, perhaps a bit too cliche. "Thunderstorm", Kissame, Florida, for example--nice photo, but too cliche, too much of a scene capture and not a "pho-to-grafffff". I expect the PDN people will be looking for more than just pretty pictures. I think any of the three I point out would have vastly more impact than the photos you showed us, as far as contest winners or things that would impress a judge about a young photographer.

I think the other three shots show imagination,talent, and vision. Those three shots show that you are a *photographer*, not just somebody with a D-80 or a Rebel.

[dave196]

...wait for it...wait for it.....

"High of 75", "Delaware River", "stream" of the monument at night with seated figure in LRC, and "Justine" cyanotype

I went through all eight pages of your Flickr. ...............
I think any of the three I point out would have vastly more impact than the photos you showed us, as far as contest winners or things that would impress a judge about a young photographer.

I think the other three shots show imagination,talent, and vision. Those three shots show that you are a *photographer*, not just somebody with a D-80 or a Rebel.

Nail on the head Derrel, I think that the 3 your flickr has much stronger images than the ones posted here on TPF.

as for me, i think silhouette, deleware river, and beautiful are all stunning images.

Good luck!

[lisa_13]

thanks for all the input. i'm thinking delaware river, but is it too abstract for this contest? i'm a little bit unsure.

[Derrel]

If this is the contest PDNedu

then I do not think you need to worry about anything being too abstract. There are a number of categories, pasted from their web site:
FASHION / PORTRAITURE
DOCUMENTARY / PHOTOJOURNALISM
STILL LIFE
TRAVEL / LANDSCAPE
FINE ART / PERSONAL WORK
Pre College - Open Category

These are the judges Dennis Keeley - Chair of Photography and Imaging - Art Center College of Design.

Bill Hunt - Hasted Hunt Gallery

Mickey Boardman - Editorial Director - Paper Magazine

Dan Westergren - Sr. Photo Editor - National Geographic Traveler

Rest assured, ALL of those people are visually sophisticated...I do not think anything you have on flickr would be too abstract, if entered in the right category.

[lisa_13]

yes, that is the contest. do you think travel/landscape or fine art/personal for "delaware river"?

[Derrel]

Well, Delaware River is either Fine Art/Personal or Travel/Landscape...it's a tricky call s to where you think it would do better. Not that you haven't looked closely at it, but there are nine small sensor dust bunnies on that shot that need to be cloned out, probably because you shot it at f/16 at 1/4 second or something like that, judging by the blackness/density of a couple of the larger dust spots on the image.

My feeling is Delware River belongs in fine art/landscape...

I like the image quite a bit. The blurring is just right.