Photographic competitions

Grandpa Ron · May 25, 2024

Personally, I would expect to find about half the examples you showed, in a photography magazine.

I also find about 1/3 of the photos currently being published, to be not to my specific taste in photos. I am, biased towards "as shot" black and white, but I have seen many excellent B&W prints that were the product of creative post processing.

Over time, I have found that the perfect print only exists in the eye of the beholder.

407370 · May 26, 2024

Grandpa Ron said:
Personally, I would expect to find about half the examples you showed, in a photography magazine.

I also find about 1/3 of the photos currently being published, to be not to my specific taste in photos. I am, biased towards "as shot" black and white, but I have seen many excellent B&W prints that were the product of creative post processing.

Over time, I have found that the perfect print only exists in the eye of the beholder.

I am, biased towards "as shot" black and white......

Thats the thing about photography, its different for everybody. Thats why competitions dont really make sense.

Most of the macro stuff I create is simply for me. I dont care if anyone else judges it higher than someone else's photo. I still do it because its painstaking work in camera and post processing, I can take a whole day to produce a single image that I am happy with from 110 focus stacked images. The sense of achievement from producing an image that we are happy with is what drives all photographers.

CHEERS
JBO

Rickbb · May 26, 2024

I entered one once, that was enough for me. Winner was, meh at best.

Grandpa Ron · May 26, 2024

Over time I have found that for me, simpler is more pleasing. Not because it is better or easier, but because it is natural in nature.

A close up of a butterfly, a macro-photography, coupling a camera to a telescope, are photography skills that require digital processing skills, and allow us to re-create what the eye sees.

Contests, by their nature often to reflect what is avant-garde or sugnificant in the eyes of the judges. Of course, when the judges agree with you it fun.

MontanaDave · Mar 1, 2025

The Journal of Wildlife Photography has a monthly contest with $ prizes.
Last month it was black and white photography, next few months the themes will be
behavior, color, birds in flight.

The contest has categories of beginner, intermediate, advanced.
There is a gatekeeper judge who filters thousands of submissions into a few hundred
photos and these are then judged by 2 guest judges (guest judges change each month)

I like this monthly contest because the photographer retains all rights to submitted photo.
I also like the contest because the gatekeeper judge in a webinar shows the winners and
critiques photos that were not quite good enough.

Common reasons for rejection are not following the rules (no cloning, max size 2000 pixels on the longest side, no watermarks, no canvas extension, etc.)

In the critique, photos typically have the following problems:
1) overcropped or poorly designed crop
2) white balance off...magneta or yellow cast
3) subject parts cut off by frame (feet or tail tip, etc.)
4) subject not tack sharp
5) no eye contact or no "catchlight" in subject's eye, photographer not at subject eye level
6) oversaturated
7) anything that would not appear "in camera" such as obvious vignette
8) visual distractions such as a twig coming behind subjects head, a bright spot in the background
9) water or horizon line not level
10) distracting line thru subject like horizon line or water line

I found it interesting that the gatekeeper judge felt the best photos have a wow factor
and require very little editing, just a little editing to bring the RAW back to what was seen in the field in the viewfinder. She felt that if it takes more than a couple minutes to edit, it will likely not be a winner.

Don Fischer · Mar 2, 2025

I think to be fair, judges should be chosen based on what they really know about the subject. I think only then can they relate to the photo's for their real worth. Otherwise it's little more than , in theory, what makes a good photo. Example: several years ago I submitted a photo of one on my dogs pointing a bird. End of his nose was in just beyond a branch of sage brush. People that hunt see that all the time in the field. part of the beauty of it is the dog entered cover and pointed out the bird for the hunter to easily find. That photo got a second place at the county fair here. The dog was a field champion but all the judge could see was what he considered a poor photo of a dog for which he had no understanding. Judges should be picked for their knowledge of the subject! Taken me a long time to actually realize that and except it. Got my own flaws also! I think having a photography contest is that the only class's should only be subject's the judges understand. Then of course too, we could accept that the subject show as close to perfect as we can get in technique with no regard to a story that might be being told! Hard to have a fair contest when the judge's are ignorant of the subject!

MontanaDave · Mar 2, 2025

Don Fischer said:
I think to be fair, judges should be chosen based on what they really know about the subject. I think only then can they relate to the photo's for their real worth. Otherwise it's little more than , in theory, what makes a good photo. Example: several years ago I submitted a photo of one on my dogs pointing a bird. End of his nose was in just beyond a branch of sage brush. People that hunt see that all the time in the field. part of the beauty of it is the dog entered cover and pointed out the bird for the hunter to easily find. That photo got a second place at the county fair here. The dog was a field champion but all the judge could see was what he considered a poor photo of a dog for which he had no understanding. Judges should be picked for their knowledge of the subject! Taken me a long time to actually realize that and except it. Got my own flaws also! I think having a photography contest is that the only class's should only be subject's the judges understand. Then of course too, we could accept that the subject show as close to perfect as we can get in technique with no regard to a story that might be being told! Hard to have a fair contest when the judge's are ignorant of the subject!

That can be difficult. For example, the theme for last month's Journal of Wildlife Photography
was "black and white photos". Thousands of photos submitted ranging from insects to whales.
This month's theme is "color", and likely thousands of photos submitted including insect, amphibians, birds, small mammals, marine mammals, etc.

407370 · Mar 3, 2025

Don Fischer said:
I think to be fair, judges should be chosen based on what they really know about the subject. I think only then can they relate to the photo's for their real worth. Otherwise it's little more than , in theory, what makes a good photo. Example: several years ago I submitted a photo of one on my dogs pointing a bird. End of his nose was in just beyond a branch of sage brush. People that hunt see that all the time in the field. part of the beauty of it is the dog entered cover and pointed out the bird for the hunter to easily find. That photo got a second place at the county fair here. The dog was a field champion but all the judge could see was what he considered a poor photo of a dog for which he had no understanding. Judges should be picked for their knowledge of the subject! Taken me a long time to actually realize that and except it. Got my own flaws also! I think having a photography contest is that the only class's should only be subject's the judges understand. Then of course too, we could accept that the subject show as close to perfect as we can get in technique with no regard to a story that might be being told! Hard to have a fair contest when the judge's are ignorant of the subject!

This is a particular problem with macro photographs.

The above photo was described by a judge as taken through a window and would have been better in BW. The same judge top 8 pics were all BW and were things like waiting rooms or candid street shots. Judge had zero knowledge outside their own particular genre of photography.

This photo came second in a competition and finished dead last in another:

One judge loved the originality and another hated the amount of post processing, even though they did not know how the holo was created.

Photographic Competitions are based on rules that are wide open to individual interpretation. When/if I win a competition I will stop entering them.

CHEERS
JBO

dstreetphoto · Mar 3, 2025

This is a great idea. Photo competitions are just a swindle and its nice to see someone taking the michael out of them. However, don't pay to enter as that would undermine the very concept.

407370 · Mar 3, 2025

dstreetphoto said:
This is a great idea. Photo competitions are just a swindle and its nice to see someone taking the michael out of them. However, don't pay to enter as that would undermine the very concept.

Someone mentioned The Journal of Wildlife Photography competitions in a favourable light. I would have given it a go except for the $397 membership for life or the $20 per month fee.

I will draw the line at using AI to create / edit photographs. I have become fairly competent with the new version of Affinity Photo and it can provide most of what I need to process photographs and Helicon Focus does the rest.

I will stick to my club and free to enter competitions.

CHEERS
JBO

MontanaDave · Mar 3, 2025

407370 said:
Someone mentioned The Journal of Wildlife Photography competitions in a favourable light. I would have given it a go except for the $397 membership for life or the $20 per month fee.

I will draw the line at using AI to create / edit photographs. I have become fairly competent with the new version of Affinity Photo and it can provide most of what I need to process photographs and Helicon Focus does the rest.

I will stick to my club and free to enter competitions.

CHEERS
JBO

There is much more than just their monthly wildlife photography contest! Monthly photo contest webinar critiques are very helpful to me and many expert webinars such as "Everything You Need To Know About Shooting In Low Light", "How to Shoot Wildlife Images For Publication", "Shooting Wildlife Images That Win Photo Contests","Secrets to Taking Sharper Wildlife Photos", "Stunning Bird-In-Flight Photography". These recorded webinars are by renowned professionals such as Simon d'Entremont, Steve Perry, Lee Hoy, Greg Basco, etc.
I paid for the annual membership last year, then upgraded to lifetime membership this year for $200.

407370 · Mar 4, 2025

I am planning a wee trip to London on the train. Stopping at a few stations to get some street / candid BW shots.

I will only use my phone camera and apply no post production.

Lets see if the zero effort pics will do any better in competitions.

CHEERS
JBO

MontanaDave · Mar 4, 2025

No charge for members to enter in the Journal of Wildlife Photography and the photographer retains all rights to the photos entered. The are published in the monthly journal pdf.
Here are some examples from the beginner category.
October theme: Water and Wildlife:

November theme Silhouettes:

Dec theme: Best of 2024

480sparky · Mar 4, 2025

smoke665 said:
It's been many moons since I've done anything in the darkroom. I've been reluctant to start again, since I don't shoot much film anymore, and what little I do (35/120), I've been sending off. My interest of late, has been leaning toward a 4x5. Searching a few labs, the 4x5 cost of developing is pricey, so wondering if it's worth the difference to develop at home and at what point (number of negatives) does it become price effective considering the shelf life of chemicals? I'd be doing B&W only.