joeywpc
TPF Noob!
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Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to get a discussion happening about what aspects of a photo might be important to the judges of any photography competition. This is a long post, hope you enjoy reading.
This is intended to assist amateur photographers, hopefully the pros have mastered these techniques and can add some more ideas to this thread.
1. Creativity Obviously there are numerous subjects and themes in photography. Landscape, portraits, animals, fashion, food, still life, macro plants / insects / objects, buildings / structures, abstract, underwater, sporting events and many more. It might seem like some of these are easier to photograph than others, however to make any of these topics into a great photo takes skill and practice, along with a bit of creativity. Any great photograph is rarely achieved by simply pointing and shooting. While the individual judges may have a preference for certain types of photography, what they are looking for while judging a competition is creativity, something that makes a photo stand out from the crowd, while at the same time getting all or most of the technical aspects just right.
Some of the more important technical aspects are:
2. Lighting getting the lighting right can mean the difference between and image that looks dull or flat and an image that really punches out at the viewer. Try to create interesting highlights, shadows and contrast. Several techniques can be used such as flash, in-fill flash, studio lighting (can be improvised at home with lamps), back lighting, choosing the right time of day (there are times of day known as the golden hour or magic hour at the beginning or end of the day where the light is softer and the colours more intense / interesting). For example the middle of the day is not always the best time to shoot landscapes although this is not a hard and fast rule. Some portraits in harsh sunlight can benefit from flash, lightening up harsh shadows and providing highlights.
3. Composition - some almost great photos could be winners if only they were composed a little better. Put some thought into how the photo should be framed so that the result is naturally pleasing to the eye. The dead centre of a photo is not always the best place for the subject. Let the picture tell a story, not a 1 liner. For example a landscape might benefit from something interesting in the foreground, an attractive middle ground and a soothing / non distracting background / sky. Find some way to lead the viewers eye into the photograph. If it is a portrait for example and the subject is looking to the side, leave some space in the photo where they are looking. Show the space where the person is looking so the photo tells more of a story than just the subject. It can feel awkward if the subject is looking out of the photo rather than into it, it might leave the viewer feeling like they are missing out on some information in the story. If you dont get the composition right out of the camera, play around with the crop function of a program like Photoshop or whatever else you have available.
4. Focus / Depth of Field a potentially great photo can be spoiled by the subject being just out of focus / not sharp. Some good photos can also benefit from having a shallower depth of field so that the subject or part of it is in focus while the foreground / background is blurred, drawing the viewers full attention to the important subject. If you are using automatic focus, make sure the focus points in your camera lock onto the subject before moving away to your preferred framing. Look up your user manual and change the camera setting if necessary. If you are using manual focus, make sure you get it just right. In portraiture or animals / insects, the judges are usually looking for sharp focus around the eyes, this is usually where the viewers attention is naturally drawn.
5. Horizon a great way to ruin a potentially winning photograph is to have the horizon line slightly off. Rotate and crop your photograph using Photoshop or some other editing program to make sure your horizon is horizontal. This is not a hard and fast rule but it can make a photograph more pleasant / natural to look at without the viewer being distracted. When a person looks at a scene with their own eyes (not through a camera) the powerful human brain naturally tries to balance and look for a horizon.
Keep in mind that the judges are not looking for you to replicate the previous winners, they are looking for individuality, creativity and great technical aspects. Photograph whatever you want, but do it well. Study the greats, practice and practice some more. Good luck. :thumbup: :salute:
Joe from Weekly Photo Comp
Just wanted to get a discussion happening about what aspects of a photo might be important to the judges of any photography competition. This is a long post, hope you enjoy reading.
This is intended to assist amateur photographers, hopefully the pros have mastered these techniques and can add some more ideas to this thread.
1. Creativity Obviously there are numerous subjects and themes in photography. Landscape, portraits, animals, fashion, food, still life, macro plants / insects / objects, buildings / structures, abstract, underwater, sporting events and many more. It might seem like some of these are easier to photograph than others, however to make any of these topics into a great photo takes skill and practice, along with a bit of creativity. Any great photograph is rarely achieved by simply pointing and shooting. While the individual judges may have a preference for certain types of photography, what they are looking for while judging a competition is creativity, something that makes a photo stand out from the crowd, while at the same time getting all or most of the technical aspects just right.
Some of the more important technical aspects are:
2. Lighting getting the lighting right can mean the difference between and image that looks dull or flat and an image that really punches out at the viewer. Try to create interesting highlights, shadows and contrast. Several techniques can be used such as flash, in-fill flash, studio lighting (can be improvised at home with lamps), back lighting, choosing the right time of day (there are times of day known as the golden hour or magic hour at the beginning or end of the day where the light is softer and the colours more intense / interesting). For example the middle of the day is not always the best time to shoot landscapes although this is not a hard and fast rule. Some portraits in harsh sunlight can benefit from flash, lightening up harsh shadows and providing highlights.
3. Composition - some almost great photos could be winners if only they were composed a little better. Put some thought into how the photo should be framed so that the result is naturally pleasing to the eye. The dead centre of a photo is not always the best place for the subject. Let the picture tell a story, not a 1 liner. For example a landscape might benefit from something interesting in the foreground, an attractive middle ground and a soothing / non distracting background / sky. Find some way to lead the viewers eye into the photograph. If it is a portrait for example and the subject is looking to the side, leave some space in the photo where they are looking. Show the space where the person is looking so the photo tells more of a story than just the subject. It can feel awkward if the subject is looking out of the photo rather than into it, it might leave the viewer feeling like they are missing out on some information in the story. If you dont get the composition right out of the camera, play around with the crop function of a program like Photoshop or whatever else you have available.
4. Focus / Depth of Field a potentially great photo can be spoiled by the subject being just out of focus / not sharp. Some good photos can also benefit from having a shallower depth of field so that the subject or part of it is in focus while the foreground / background is blurred, drawing the viewers full attention to the important subject. If you are using automatic focus, make sure the focus points in your camera lock onto the subject before moving away to your preferred framing. Look up your user manual and change the camera setting if necessary. If you are using manual focus, make sure you get it just right. In portraiture or animals / insects, the judges are usually looking for sharp focus around the eyes, this is usually where the viewers attention is naturally drawn.
5. Horizon a great way to ruin a potentially winning photograph is to have the horizon line slightly off. Rotate and crop your photograph using Photoshop or some other editing program to make sure your horizon is horizontal. This is not a hard and fast rule but it can make a photograph more pleasant / natural to look at without the viewer being distracted. When a person looks at a scene with their own eyes (not through a camera) the powerful human brain naturally tries to balance and look for a horizon.
Keep in mind that the judges are not looking for you to replicate the previous winners, they are looking for individuality, creativity and great technical aspects. Photograph whatever you want, but do it well. Study the greats, practice and practice some more. Good luck. :thumbup: :salute:
Joe from Weekly Photo Comp