So who is scared of competitions?

mmacleod

mmacleod

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Martin
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I found myself thinking about this the other day..

I'm new to photography (5 months), and still finding my feet.
I like competitions as they focus the mind and take some of the overwhelming choice out of what picture to take.
I have a subscription to digital photography magazine and the are running a POTY 2011 which I thought about having a go at until I read the rules.
No restrictions on the use of photoshop :(

Now, Im in awe of some of the things people do with photoshop, it really is truly amazing, but I feel that I have a hard enough task trying to learn how to use my camera and get a good shot, let alone trying to compete with the experts on photoshop.
When you see some of the images posted, even on here, the high standards put me off as I cant compete with that...

Just wondering what the other noobs think?
 
I just shoot for fun, nothing serious at the moment. Maybe in the very far future though :lol:
Photoshop is a super tool and is worth it, if you can afford it. But if people need to use photoshop so much what does that say about their photography :P
 
Experts in photoshop maybe BUT its not photoshop that wins the comp it is the composition of the pic itself the correct exposure light etc that catches the judges eye PS compliments the pic it wont make a bad pic into a prizewinner.

Being that you want to focus the mind why not look at the comps on here go for one of them and take some shots as though you were going to enter that comp.
Post some of these shots up for critique and hopefully you will get a lot of advice helping you to learn and move forward.
There are some very friendly, helpfull and talented people here who will point you in the right direction so dont be afraid to ask questions.

I am on a slow learning curve as well but its with the help Ive had on here that I am improving be it very slowly at times (thats because Im thick).

Welcome to TP by the way
 
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I am not a photographer, but I aspire to be so ;)

NEVER feel too intimidated to post here, especially for critique. I have learnt so much by doing so and the vast majority here are friendly and helpful.

As for using Photoshop; it is a tool and just because one can doesn't aways mean one should ;)

I believe you are right to concentrate on how to get the picture first but there are some aspects of post processing that are as essential in digital photography as getting film developed was. So some processing you will learn to accept and how to apply as you learn to photograph. It is up to you as to how much you process and how 'obvious' you want this to be.

Some photograph to record today, some photograph to create art as a reflection of today...and many levels between :thumbs: The important part is to enjoy what you do and produce :D
 
I will keep an eye out on the comps here and see if there are any that I can work with...
 
There are an awful lot of photo competitions that specifically disallow a lot of Photoshopping. For example the Countryfile competition that has just been posted in the competitions section.

I am nowhere near as good a photographer as many people on TP but strangely, I have won prizes in several competitions. I think an unusual take on a theme is much more likely to win a competition, as long as it is technically competent.

Jenny
 
I've never entered a photographic competition in my life. Sometimes the conditions try to grab copyright and I would enter an image I thought was good enough to win if I'm going to loose it.

Maybe I should enter some though, it seems every second wedding and portrait photographer has 'award winning photographer' as part of their promo these days. You look at their portfolio and wonder why there's no images in there that look like they should have one an award though. It's all subjective I suppose.
 
Sony_SoFar said:
I just shoot for fun, nothing serious at the moment. Maybe in the very far future though :lol:
Photoshop is a super tool and is worth it, if you can afford it. But if people need to use photoshop so much what does that say about their photography :P
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You can usually tell if an image has been shopped to within an inch of its life. Photoshop can add that extra touch the same way you would improve a print using traditional techniques with film. But the essence of a great shot is captured in camera.
 
I like the idea of entering competitions , but have been put off by the high standard most of what i shot gets deleted as i strive to copy the high quality photos on tp, just out of interest where has everyone seen these comps?
 
I've yet to even upload a pic onto here for c&c let alone enter a competition with one. I find just looking at the pics on here for c&c and reading the comments given helps me judge my own pics better. Once I'm in a position where I think the pic is ok then I'll stick it on here or maybe even enter a competition!
 
The thing that puts me off most competitions is the unrealistic conditions with regards to the rights of use of the submitted images.
 
mmacleod said:
I will keep an eye out on the comps here and see if there are any that I can work with...
Click to expand...

I think that the POTY competition on TP is the ideal place to start entering competitions. I joined here in jan 2009, and entered the Jan 2009 competition, and haven't missed a month since. My first shots were decidedly average, though I still occasionally managed to get the odd vote or two. Gradually, I improved, and the votes picked up to match. I'm still in there swinging this year - though I have to admit i'm struggling with some of the topics.

The great thing about the POTY on here, is that there are hardly any restrictions, apart from the shot being taken within a given timescale (to prevent people with huge back-catalogues from just stuffing an already prize-winning shot in!). The topics chosen are kept deliberately quite wide and flexible to encourage out-of-the-box thinking, and nobody is going to do a rights grab on your shots and publish a book of the winning shots for their own profiit!

As far as photoshop skills are concerned - well - it's just another tool at your disposal as a photographer. There used to be the same discussion in photography clubs pre-digital and internet days that the people with their own darkroom had an unfair advantage. So far this year 2 of my shots have been pretty much straight out of the camera - the tricky bits being done by lighting setup or using a specific lens and camera technique, one was a bit of a digital art job, and one was a combination of lighting, set building and a tweak or two in photoshop. This month, I've gone old-school (back to my roots in fact) and shot something on a 1988 vintage film camera. When I started, believe me, I was no great shakes at photoshop - indeed, I'm still not all that much cop.

The thing is, I've learned most of these techniques in order to improve and get better at photography - and hopefully improve my scores in the competition as a by-product. But I could quite happily have shot something and posted an image straight out of camera if i'd have wanted. One thing I've learned in the last 2 years is that it's usually the well taken, well thought out shot that wins, not necessarily the one with the most fancy processing. Any processing needs to be done to improve the image, or to create the image I had in my head, not for the sake of it.

So - to anyone who's thinking about competitions I say, give the TP POTY a try first - believe me, the kick you get when you check the poll and find that one of your peers / fellow members have voted for your shot is amazing :)
 
Photoshop enhances pictures just as dark room techniques did for film and like it or not every photographer must learn to use it or perish in obscurity.

But back to your title, while I am not afraid of competitions I view them cynically as often no more than a trick of the weak to harness the able. Outcomes will often reveal more about their judges than the entrants as results are invariably based upon collective bias or interests.

My advice, study the works of others, decide what you like and don't like, experiment, take endless pictures of things that appeal to you and learn to honestly criticise and evaluate your own work. Admittedly, self evaluation will always be subjective but not necessarily invalid as photography is art and can only express what the creative photographer wants.
 
Don't be scared of comps. If you think your image is good enough to compete then enter it. I have been having a go at attaining my AFIP and IMHO Judges are strange animals anyway. An image of mine disliked by the camera club judge seems to do rather well internationally.

Check the T&C's though, there are lots of competitions that are really a trawl for free images.
 
Rhod - in your quest to attain that standing you need first to cultivate a network of influential people, do something photographically outrageous such as having a few hundred people pose nude for you on the London Eye, buy a Ferrari, and you're be in!
 
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