Would THIS photo have been YOUR winner?

LaFoto · Jul 7, 2008

As you might know by now, our local paper does a monthly photo contest, and the June theme had been "Movement".

At first, entries only trickled in one by one, and several were quite ... erm ... weeeeeeeeellll-like submissions, then there were some promising ones, then some really good ones, and I only handed in my one and only submission (you're allowed to post 4 photos per month on the given theme) in the morning of July 1 - it was the last.

http://www.scheesseler-anzeiger.de/index.php?menu=12751&dataid=29&page=1&searchValue=

This is the site where you can see all the submissions, and by clicking at the first (you might know who took that one, you can then click forward from photo to photo).

Just so you know without reading any German which one's the winner photo of last month's contest, here's a screenshot of said site with a red arrow pointing at it:

(There are more submissions than showed on my screen)

Those who care to reply to my question, please click through them so you can at least view them at 380px wide ... a pity they aren't any larger than that ... and tell me if you think that winning photo is a winner at all?

I'm not trying to say my submission should have been the winner.
Don't get me wrong.
This is not about me.
But more about the jury ... please go judge for yourselves and let me know, will you? Thanks in advance.

lockwood81 · Jul 7, 2008

Guten Tag,

To me these two speak movement:

1. Autor: Joachim G. Pinkawa, Rethem
Fuchs-Galopp

2. Autor: Corinna Schleiffer, Lauenbrück
VenezolanischesTanzfeuer

Hooligan Dan · Jul 7, 2008

Having been on the inside of photo contest judging on a number of occasions, I can say judging is a joke. They are made by people who often know nothing about photography and while entries are supposed to be anonymous, more than a few times I've been present when judges have looked at entries names and given them to people they know. One of the recent ones I witnessed(I was photographing the judging of a big local show for a story in the paper) a judge actually gave themselves a ribbon in the mixed media category and gave best in show to a horrible composite photo...that I overheard her saying to the other judges she knows the lady who did it and she "always does fine work."

It's why i never enter into fairs and shows anymore. Just got to a fair and look at the photos. Great photos won't even get honorable mentions while unintentionally blurry photos of boring subjects will get 1st place.

What's funny with the photo that won is just a few clicks down the road is a far superior shot of an insect in flight over a flower.

Antarctican · Jul 7, 2008

What a variety of photos! Many of which have no relation to the "movement" theme that I can discern. Why that shot was chosen as the winner is a mystery, given some of the other entries (such as the ones listed by lockwood81). You, and some others photographers who entered shots, 'was robbed' as they say

LaFoto · Jul 7, 2008

What annoys me a little is that they made a photo a WINNER which has evert so aparent technical flaws! If the body of that butterfly and its legs had been sharp and not blurred, I might have said, hey now, cool photo. But apart from a couple of blossoms, nothing's sharp. While other submissions are not only a lot better photography from the technical point of view, but also much more inspired photography (and I am still not referring to my own entry).

(While --- shhh: just among us, get closer --- I really don't see in how far four entries of the same person feeding the same baby has anything to do with "movement" at all, but shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Never tell!!!!

).

Antarctican · Jul 7, 2008

^^^ Heehee, those shots stood out for me as well as being ever so tangential to the theme (I mean we all know kids squirm around, but c'mon!)

Alex_B · Jul 7, 2008

that one winning image is what happens to you 1000 times when you try to get a proper image of one of those butterflies.

so i would not say it is the best keeper ever. i would have probably kept it since composition is not bad and the perspective is nice. but i would not have submitted it to the contest.

there are some images which are way more impressive among the submissions.

Miaow · Jul 7, 2008

There's quite a few I prefer that show movement better than that butterfly that won....True makes you wonder why it won

Joves · Jul 7, 2008

I think I would have shot a photo of a dog taking a dump. It would have represented movement better than the winner and, alot of those photos.

Overread · Jul 7, 2008

It was not until you said it was a photo of a butterfly that I noticed that it was - I thought it was a blurry flower shot!
I have to agree and say that Dan is in the right here! Synical as it is to think like that it is - sadly the truth of the matter in many cases. All you can do is either stand aside - start a rebellion - stop entering - or keep entering and hope!

tirediron · Jul 7, 2008

There are some very good shots of movement; that however is not one of them. In fact, I would have to say that as far as I can see, the best thing that particular image is, is a good bad example.

LaFoto · Jul 7, 2008

Well, for the time being, I've definitely decided to stop entering (which is not the first time I "decided" but have caved in again

), for July's theme is "holidays" and ... erm ... I beg your pardon? When this one's the June-winner, I dare not THINK what might become the July winner :roll: So I'll definitely opt out on the "holiday"-theme!!!

Senor Hound · Jul 8, 2008

Its been my experience that most contests in life are actually popularity contests. Whoever the judges are friends with, will get at least more consideration than others. And in competitions where almost all aspects are subjective, its almost impossible to keep them from being biased (and sometimes blatantly so).

Remember, its not who you know, its who knows you. If a judge knows you, then you're in!

I find your sense of pride and integrity refreshing, Corinna. If you feel discriminated (even in a subtle way) by entering such an event, then you should not enter. It is their loss...

Battou · Jul 8, 2008

LaFoto said:
What annoys me a little is that they made a photo a WINNER which has evert so aparent technical flaws! If the body of that butterfly and its legs had been sharp and not blurred, I might have said, hey now, cool photo. But apart from a couple of blossoms, nothing's sharp. While other submissions are not only a lot better photography from the technical point of view, but also much more inspired photography (and I am still not referring to my own entry).

(While --- shhh: just among us, get closer --- I really don't see in how far four entries of the same person feeding the same baby has anything to do with "movement" at all, but shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Never tell!!!! ).

I saw those and said "Yup....Local paper alright"

I agree, that butterfly/moth was a neat concept but not exicuted properly for victory....But...as Hooligan Dan said...there is serious doubt to be had in the judges credibility in those sorts of things.

LaFoto · Jul 8, 2008

Well, the surprising thing about the June contest is that as of February of this year, a good friend of mine has returned to work for the paper (after maternity leave), so that the "have a friend in the jury and you're in"-aspect can no longer count here, least of all since the is the chief editor for the online part of the paper and thus "head of the jury", and she is about the only other person I know who really knows something about photography!

Which is even more reason why I sure do NOT understand how a blurred photo could have become the winner here. And it still is not saying my entry should have been (I only won the April contest, opted out on the May one since I know where my strengths and where my weaknesses are, and the May theme was "Portraits" and I am no good at those), but there are so many better entries still. The running horse is one, though once you know that this horse is ALL this photographer has ever photographed (and won the "Photo of the Year 2007" contest with it with a photo where he had cut off the horse's hooves :roll: ), you begin to think, ah well, his horse again!

My personal favourites are the photos by the Wilken-couple from Hamburg, most of all this one: http://pflege.rotenburger-rundschau.de/rr/fotowettbewerb/images/2008_06/1539_picture_1.jpg, but also the tilted one next to it. I like the mere HINT at movement captured through the light trails, I like the overall sharpness, colours, but most of all the subtlety with which the theme is represented.