Picture This Contest and Editing Images
Posted on | January 27, 2010 | Comment
In January, I was the guest judge for the Gardening Gone Wild blog “Picture This” photo contest. I chose ‘Winter Beauty’ as the theme and watched as the entries were posted. The deadline was midnight, the 21st. About seventy photographers sent in their selection.
I rated each image on a 1-5 scale. Fourteen entries earned a rating of 3, 3+, 4-, 4, and 4+. In order to view them all together, I imported the pictures into Adobe Lightroom as a collection.
I reviewed the collection many times to find the strongest images. Seven pictures rose to the top with one a clear winner. Interestingly, some initially highly rated images did not survive and some of the lower scored pictures were better over time when viewed against the other fourteen. I reviewed all the entries one more time to confirm the choices. The results are now posted - www.gardeninggonewild.com.
As a photographer, one of the most difficult challenges is the editing of your own images. There are emotional attachments to each image, otherwise you wouldn’t press the shutter. Viewers, however, will miss the emotion unless it is obvious in the image. If you are going to be presenting or showing your images to someone else to view, you must edit as if you are the judge in a contest. First, make sure of the technical requirements. Close or good enough doesn’t count. Then look for feeling, lighting, gesture or something that is unique in the image. Don’t rush. If you are not sure, walk away and come back with a fresh eye.
The bottom line is this. As a photographer, every time you show your images to people other than your family and friends, they are going to be judged. One weak image in a group will cloud the rest. If you are a critical editor, you can relax when you send your treasures out into the world.
Lecture/Workshop updates -
The lecture ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ is scheduled at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ, July 10, 2010. Also, keep in mind the macro workshop at the New York Botanical Garden, April 30th, the Master Photography workshop at Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Pa, Oct 1 - 3 and the macro workshop at the Maine Media Workshop in Rockport, Maine, Oct 17-23rd.
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