Amended Proposal for the Competition Category

The competition category, “Out Of The Box” (OTB) has been tested on a provisional trial basis for a little over a year. We have had, I feel, a positive reception to it with a few bumps and discrepancies along the way, as expected. I feel it is now time to either fish or cut bait, in other words decide if we want to make this category a permanent part of our competition agenda (Schedule A) or not. The following is a first draft of what the objective, description and parameters of the OTB category might be. I encourage any and all comments, suggestions and feedback.

This following proposal was discussed at our May 14, 2009 Executive Committee Meeting for the purpose of deciding whether to continue with it and if so in what form. .

OTB (Draft)

The OTB category is to be offered to the membership three (3) times a year – spaced out over the club’s annual, eleven (11) monthly competitions. It is the purpose of this category to give those members who wish to create and present images that do not fall into the genera or parameters of the existing categories of Assigned and Open, the opportunity to compete and to have their images discussed and critiqued. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place images from this category are  eligible to compete in the Club’s annual “Print Of The Year” competition held on the first Tuesday of the following new year.

There will be no assigned topic in the OTB category. This category will be similar to the Open Category in that any subject matter may be entered (at the discretion of the Competition Chairman) but the images:
(a) Will Not Be conventional, typical or what may be classified as normal images.
(b) Must Be considered very creative, unusual, possibly experimental, and somewhat off the wall in nature.

It matters not whether the image is created through contrivance, Photoshop, or in the camera. Examples of such images would be: extreme Photoshop editing, collages, bazaar subject matter and unusual presentation, as long as they comply with the above parameters/guidelines.

This category is to make available a venue to those image-makers who have the desire to try out creative and different avenues of image making. It is also the hope that this category will stimulate others to try new and creative approaches to their image making.  During the Executive committee’s discussions the following question was presented. Who will determine whether an image is eligible for OTB or not and how will the determination be made? It was discussed what might be OTB for one member may not be for another. At present, the final decision as to the eligibility of an image is solely the Competition Chairman’s decision.
So what happens if the chairman’s decision is challenged?
One solution would be to have the image in question voted on by the members in attendance as to its compliance with the category. It was also suggested that a 4x6 of the original image should accompany the OTB entry when possible. Granted, if the creation was done in camera, this would not be possible.

I’m sure some of you have additional ideas and thoughts on this – so gather them together and we will discuss them at out June 16, 2009 competition meeting. It was agreed by the committee to continue with the OTB for the remainder of the year and then vote on whether to continue and make it a permanent part of our competition and have it included in the competition write-up in the Club’s By Laws.

Jim Fife – 05 - 2009

Posted 01 June 2009 09:11 AM by admin | no comments

What is a Portfolio Challenge and why should I be interested?

This activity was initiated so that club members would have the opportunity to learn what it takes to put together a cohesive body of work and exhibit it as if they were having a show at a gallery or museum. The operative words here are, cohesive body of work. It is not just a collection of various images that you have photographed over the years. A portfolio for an exhibit must have a common theme, a continuity of printing and presentation and an artist statement. If any one aspires to have an exhibit or a show at some time, this is an excellent venue for you to learn what it takes and what you need to do. And if you don’t have the desire to have an exhibit, you should still participate because it will help you expand your photographic horizons and abilities, and give you a new appreciation for an exhibit when you view it. The Portfolio Challenge program is not just an exercise. It is a vehicle for you to learn and improve your photography.

The time frame for this project is from January to the first meeting in October. Instead of the Club’s usual October Program night, there will be an exhibit of the work of all the participating photographers. It is open to the public so invite family, friends, relatives, neighbors and members from other photography organizations. All the participating photographers will meet again, on the following night (Wednesday), at the Doss Activities Center, for a one on one review of their portfolio. There will be five to seven reviewers, depending upon the number of participating photographers. All participants will have the opportunity to sit down with a reviewer, on a one on one basis, and have their portfolio reviewed and discussed by various established photographers, educators, curators, etc. Participants, normally, will have the opportunity to meet with at least three reviewers during the evening.
The Portfolio Challenge and the monthly print competitions are probably two of the most important opportunities that the Club offers its members.

Still not convinced that you should try this. The follow is a commentary from one the Club’s long time members.
 “When it was suggested to me that NWHPC should conduct a portfolio review, I was more than slightly skeptical. When we had a presentation on writing the artist statement, and told how it would guide, and even make you change the direction of your work on your chosen subject, I may have even laughed to myself. To be honest, I participated mainly to help out with having enough people to make this well attended enough to keep our club from being embarrassed. But after participating, my mind is 180 degrees from where I started. I for one found that the act of thinking out a subject, executing it, and writing the artist statement to help people understand what I was doing, has elevated me in my hobby better than anything else I have attempted. In fact during the last showing of the HPS Portfolio Review, I was disappointed in viewing people’s work who had not written an artist statement to help me understand their point of view or motivation.
I enjoyed this experience more than I anticipated. I found the reviewer’s comments to be very helpful, and I am already planning for next year. Give it a try, you will be rewarded.”
Terry Connors
Club Newsletter Editor

Some of you may be familiar with FotoFest. For those of you who are not it is an annual spring venue in Houston where you can view other photographer’s work, attend workshops and seminars. It is the largest photographic exposé in the world. You can also show your portfolio to museum and gallery curators, buyers for card companies and advertising people, just to name a few. This is not available for free. It costs $300.00 per person per day and in one full 8-10 hour day you probably will only get a chance to see three reviewers.
Now here is the BIG ADVANTAGE of the Club’s Portfolio Challenge. You have the same opportunity here at our club to show your portfolio to museum and gallery curators established photographers, educators, etc. for no cost - except that of your annual dues and you won’t have to spend a whole day doing it – only one evening. What a deal and what an opportunity. Isn’t this why you want to join a photo club – to have this kind of opportunity?
At least come visit us as our guest – you will be glad you did.

 

Posted 19 February 2009 09:15 PM by admin | no comments

Filed under: Portfolio Challenge

Considerations and Variables Facing the Image maker and the Judges

As most of you all are aware there has been a lot of conversation and comments, as of late, about our competition critique and discussion. I think this is great and very healthy for our club. I’m delighted to see this degree of interest – over 60 prints entered in each of the last two competitions – WOW!

 I know the purpose of this program is to discuss our competitions and how we score and evaluate our images. It actually goes much deeper than that. It address our whole philosophy of the what, why, where and for what we make images. I understand that just by making that statement or having the audacity to use the “p” word (philosophy), I may have some of you rolling your eyes. I hope not. I don’t want this program to be an exercise in futility. If you don’t hear what you want to hear – don’t tune it out – keep an open mind and be ready at least to consider what is presented here this evening. Some of you have heard part of what we will discuss – for others it will be new. So bear with it and keep in mind that this discussion needs your input. Remember - Judging & Judges Aren’t Fair. There is no such thing as a totally objective judge.  Take from this program (as well as from a critique of your images) that which is useful and helpful to you and discard the rest.

 

What Do Competitions Encourage?

1. Involvement.
2. Desire for Ribbons? (Another notch in the old camera grip.)
3. Desire for Feedback – Pro or Con?
4. Affirmation or Reinforcement of your work?
5. To Learn? (New ways of seeing, techniques, expression, etc…)
6. Mediocrity? (Do what the Club or Judge likes.)
7. Suppression or Encouragement Creativity & Originality?
8. Carbon copies of what has been accepted before?

I hope items #1, #3, #4 and #5 are your reasons and not the others.

 Where Do We Want To Go As A Club?

So where do we want to go as a club? There is no answer that will satisfy everyone. For one thing, we all have different goals and aspirations. For some of our member’s photography is only a now and then hobby, others are serious amateurs, others are professional photographers and some others aspire to be either professional or at least a serious amateur.

 

To answer this question we need to do some soul searching as well as evaluation of what we as a club want and that meets most of our needs. This is like the question – How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only One. But the light bulb has to want to change.

 

When I was starting out in photography, I was encouraged by several of my friends, who were full time professional photographers, to enter my images in photographic competitions. Yet, in the same breath they said that they almost never entered them. Why then was I supposed to enter?

 Years later I came to understand the reason. They, the professional photographers, realized that competitions are the only exposure to outside criticism that the aspiring photographer may get. It is a chance for them to pit their work against their peers, to see how well they react to critical judgment, and see if they can take it in stride. It is a testing of the photographer as well as the merits of his work. My friends

were introducing me to failure and that it is no reason to become discouraged or quit. 

 

I know, from various conversations I have heard, that there are some concerns with the Club’s judging and how images are being scored. When I have asked various members how they scored a particular image or why they scored it high or low, I was surprised at some of the answers… “I liked the image.” “ I felt that the photographer must have worked very hard to achieve the image. I didn’t care for it that much but I gave extra points for the effort.” “I liked the subject.” “ It was obvious that the photographer went out of his way to get the image.” DUH! Isn’t this what we’re supposed to be doing?

 Effort = Learning = our Reward, it does not necessarily equal a ribbon. I don’t care what the photographer has done to achieve the image – if it’s a poor image; it’s a poor image. It either does or doesn’t comply with the intent of the Assigned category. If the judge cannot tell by looking at your image whether it meets the intent of the Assigned category or not, you shouldn’t expect it to do well. Another thing, don’t enter images from your archives that at first glance appear to meet the intent of the assignment but in fact were shot for a totally different reason. You are cheating your self and defeating the purpose of the Assigned category. By doing this you are going after ribbons not learning. If you have an image that you wish feedback on, put it in the Open category.

 

The comments by club members that I mentioned earlier were not good or valid reasons for awarding points. Do not award points for effort or that the image satisfies your bias, regardless of excellence of execution, compliance, creativeness or quality.

 

We need to give our fellow photographers their fair due – accolades as well as criticism. We’re not a competing for a Nobel Prize or an Oscar – we just want to learn and have fun doing it. The content of our competition print discussions has lapsed into the doldrums and we hear the same litany over and over, ad nausea.“We’ll basically, I like it, and there is good use of the rule of thirds. I’d like to see the horizon line a littlelower, but it’s a nice print.”“Yeah, I like it too… I like the way the diagonal pulls you into the picture. You could lower the horizon

line by cropping an inch or so off the bottom. All in all it’s a fine print.”

 

Stating that you like a print does little to help the printmaker. Critical and aesthetic analysis needs to happen. True examination is not occurring both in our discussions and by the judges, as is evident by what images place and how they compare to what is said in our print discussions.

 

It is important not to confuse good workmanship with creative ability. The task is to evaluate the print for what it is, not how it would be if you had done it.

 

Whether your role is photographer and printmaker or photographer and judge/critique, you should look at images as a new work of art rather than a carefully detailed reconstruction. Compromise ultimately leads to mediocrity and repetition. As the English author, Somerset Maugham said, “Only a mediocre person is always at his best.” If you are asked to judge, be willing to stretch, to be creative.  You should keep in mind that we acquire, from the study of creative photographers, a greater discernment and a more differentiated ability to perceive. Louis Pasture said it, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I think that is where most of us aspire to be.

 

I think if you will put aside your personal feelings about an image you are judging and score it based on the parameters on the score sheet of Mechanics, Composition, Impact, Initiative and Compliance, you may surprise yourself at the total score you end up awarding an image. I will guarantee that it will be different than if you had given it a single score. DON’T try and make your score components total to fit a  redetermined score. Just score an image fairly based on the 3 or 4 components on the score sheet and let it be whatever it works out to be. This may be hard for some to work with – please try. Be fair to your fellow photographers, as you would wish them to be to you. A very important thing to  remember – Do not, in any of our competitions, take any of the critique of your images personally! The critique and discussion is to help you learn and is in some cases no more than someone’s personal opinion and not the definitive word on your work. Your images may be GREAT and we just don’t see it. In a case like this the only thing you have done wrong is… You showed it to the wrong audience.

 After putting together my part of this program, I gave it to someone (who will remain nameless) to read and asked what they thought. There answer was somewhat disturbing. “I don’t think they (the nebulous they) want to think about all of that. They just want to say I like it or I don’t like it and move on without any justification. The whys are not that important and they won’t want to go to the trouble to analyze why.”

Whew, Tell me it isn’t so! I thought that’s rough and not very positive. Fortunately, I know that a number of you in this club don’t feel that way; however, I cannot speak for all of you. You can’t just talk about change and learning, you’ve got to really want it and be ready to walk the walk.  No one is saying it will be easy but I will guarantee you it will be worth it.

 Jim Fife

 

Posted 12 May 2008 07:59 PM by Jim | no comments

Aspects of A Critique

Technical and artistic aspects of a photograph are intertwined, and the distinction below is for convenienceonly. Technique can be used creatively to enhance the artistry of an image.

 

TechnicalFocus and depth of fieldIs the image appropriately sharp or soft? Is the depth of field optimal? Good selection of lens? Goodcamera angle?LightingAre details visible in the highlights and shadows? Is the lighting is appropriately dramatic, flattering,revealing. Lighting draws attention, both wanted and unwanted. Good time of day selected?FormatIs the format appropriate for the subject?A vertical format suggests dignity and is useful for portraits.A horizontal format suggests peace and rest, and is useful for landscapes.Color and rangeIs the color range wide or narrow? How does the color work with the structure and message of the image?Are colors rendered accurately?Presentation

Mating and/or framing.

 ArtisticCompositionGood composition implies a harmonious arrangement of objects, lines, and colors. However, there aretimes when the photographer consciously strives for discord.In general, the subject should fill at least 2/3 of the available space, unless the background or surroundingsare also a vital part of the image or story. Crop, but don’t crop through a joint, such as the wrist or knee.How does the eye move across and throughout the photograph? Is there repetition of shape, color, or scalewithin the picture? Is there rhythm and/or pattern? Is there harmony or disharmony, and is this effective?How does the composition deal with the edges of the picture? How does the composition deal with thescale of the work?ImpactSuccessful images tell a story, make a point, express a mood, or evoke a feeling.What is the image about? What are the central feelings, ideas, beliefs, and messages the photographer isexploring? Are the photographer’s intentions clear or confused? Is the message too obvious or too subtle?Think of a metaphor, word or phrase which best summarizes the image. Use the following exercises to

help: If the picture were a voice, how would it sound - shouting, whispering, laughing? If the picture were a book, what kind would it be - comedy, tragedy, drama, romance, short story, epic poem, etc?

Posted 12 May 2008 07:56 PM by Jim | no comments

Judging Photos

If you pursue photography as a hobby or profession and know what makes a good photo, then theoretically

you are "qualified" to be a judge.

 However, it takes more than this to judge well and not all great photographers make even competentjudges. I have discovered that many of the "additional" qualities needed can be acquired through 1) proper

mental preparation prior to judging and 2) an awareness of the pitfalls and excesses to be avoided.

 1) Have a set of criteria or guidelines for judging BEFORE you start.These may be given to you by the organization for which you are judging. If not, you need to develop yourown. Though most people agree on the general elements that comprise a winning photo, everybody hastheir own precise recipe for exactly how much each element contributes to a winning score. Without a setof such guidelines, your scoring will be erratic, overly subjective and unfair to at least some of the peoplebeing judged.Typical criteria can include proper exposure, sharpness, composition, impact, and originality. Pitfalls to

avoid in applying these criteria are discussed in the steps that follow.

 2) Be aware of the range of quality in the photos to be judged BEFORE you start.In other words, insist on previewing all photographs (or at least a subset) before judging to get an idea ofthe quality of material submitted. This enables you to successfully tailor the range of your scoring to theactual range of quality. This does not mean that you change your criteria for scoring, only the strictness oftheir application.

 

Lack of any preview can lead to messy, unfortunate situations, especially with numerical scores. If you dostart judging blind, everything will depend on the first several slide/prints. You may award them 7's and 8's(out of 10) thinking they are representative of the group. But if they are worse than most of the photos thatfollow, you will then be stuck at the high end giving out strings of 9's and 10's when the better photosappear. The reverse can happen if the first photos are among the best in the group, the result being that youare eventually "trapped" at the bottom giving out 4's and 5's.

 

3) Clear your mind of subject matter prejudice.This is most important for photographic categories (such as General or Pictorial) where many differentsubjects are judged together. If you don't like sailboats, abstract patterns, or sunsets (heaven forbid!),remember that meaningful images can still be made with these subjects, and that you are a "photo judge"not a "subject judge". The idea here is to avoid letting the likes and dislikes in your personal world coloryour objective judgment of someone else's artistic vision. With this mental attitude, your photojudgingmay even allow you to better appreciate the visual diversity of our outside world!

 

4) Avoid "snap" judging caused by initial sensory overload.Over the first 5 seconds of viewing, there are some photos that assault the eyes with beautiful bold colors,spectacular vistas, or captivating close-up views. The mind wants to say, "WOW!!" and the mouth wantsto blurt out "DEFINITELY A 10!" (or whatever maximum your scoring scheme allows).Try to resist this urge and regain mental composure! Photos of this sort are sometimes like a mediocrewine - they engage the palette but have no meaningful aftertaste. A great photograph should linger in themind and soul, and needs more than just technical flashiness or pretty scenery to do so. Previewing photoshelps one adjust to sensory overload, but I still recommend spending at least 10 seconds examining andcommenting on a given image before rendering a numerical verdict!

 

5) Avoid judging that favors "technical proficiency" over "creativity".In my mind, judging should revolve around 2 major considerations - what the photographer is trying to sayand how well this is portrayed in the photograph. The first consideration can be called creativity, thesecond, technical proficiency - exposure, focus, etc.However, in most judging, technical proficiency looms large, while creativity tends to take a back seat.Ideally, they should figure more-or-less equally. Creativity is hard to quantify and judging it can bedifficult, but it is the soul of photography. In addition to original subject matter, it can include new ways ofapproaching everyday subjects. And the photo that takes a fresh look at our world, either at the previouslyunseen or at the familiar from a new angle, merits a higher score for just these reasons.

 

6) Consider "pluses" as well as "minuses" in commenting and scoring.In the process of objectively judging photos, one should mentally tally up the pluses as well as minuses of agiven image. This approach is also the friendliest way to comment on the entries. In particular, commentson what the photographer did right cushions the impact if you have to follow up with negative commentsand a low score!

 

7) Avoid over adherence to one arbitrary "rule of composition" or "theory of seeing".ANALYSIS OF "EYE MOVEMENTS" CAN BE OVERDONE IN PHOTO JUDGING!One may believe that a given rule of composition, say the rule of thirds, is far more important aestheticallythan anything else in an image. Any judge who zealously applies such a simplistic perspective will beimmediately recognizable. Suddenly, everything seems to revolve around 1 or 2 arbitrary specifics -leading lines, some obscure rule of composition, color combinations, etc., and everything else is a minorconsideration. Needless to say, such an approach does not come off as good judging to the "uninitiated"audience.

 

One major example I've encountered in this category are judges who are preoccupied with analyzing eyemovements. With every photo, they appear to go into a trance and let the image take control of their eyes.Every entry is evaluated in terms of "...where my eyes started..." and”...where they ended up."Now, I agree that certain photographic elements will attract the eye and therefore can be used to improvethe composition of the scene. Analysis of eye movements has its place in photo judging, but its best not tooverdo it. And in general, it is best to realize that photographic quality can be influenced by many differentaesthetic elements, all of which deserve consideration in photo judging.

 

8) Avoid obsession with minor imperfections.In searching for any hot spot, dust particle or other tiny irregularity that might " hopelessly mar" the photo -suddenly that little bright spot in the lower right becomes the center of attention, while an otherwise greatmain subject gets ignored. Needless to say, the final score is obsessively lower as a result. What usuallystrikes me with this approach is that if the judge hadn't pointed out such imperfections, I would never havenoticed them! Or, at least, they wouldn't be such a nagging distraction.The moral here is: A minor imperfection should not mean a major reduction in your final score!

 

9) Be careful with photos that evoke a strong emotional response.Every once in a while you may be hit with a photo that summons up strong emotions. Admittedly, judgingsuch an image in the context of all the others may not be an easy task. Yet, I do believe that an emotionalresponse can be a part of the photographic experience, and may be exactly what the photographer intended.So, let your feelings respond to the image and be a factor in your overall evaluation of the scene.However, there are two issues to consider. First, ask yourself whether your emotional response isrepresentative of the typical observer or a uniquely personal reaction. Photographs producing the lattermight include scenes that evoke personal tragedies in your life or faces that strongly resemble loved ones.Such overtly personal reactions on your part can potentially bias your score, and controlling them can be atough task. It is a judgment call - but then, you are the judge!

 

Second, images that elicit anger, shock, grief, melancholy, frustration, etc., should not be scored less thanimages yielding good emotions, if they are of otherwise similar photographic quality! Many well-known,great photographs, such as photojournalism shots of wartime scenes, fall into the "bad emotions" category.In the end, good or bad, emotions are emotions, and your task is not to judge the "happiness level" of theemotions produced but how well the photographer succeeds in bringing them forth from the viewer.

 

10) Stick consistently to your guidelines for judging throughout the ENTIRE judging process.Only by being consistent in your judging can you be fair to all those being judged. To do this, you mustkeep your aesthetic guidelines in mind for every picture you review from start to finish. This is easier saidthan done, especially in competitions with large numbers of entries. As your senses are engaged with aseemingly endless succession of possibly very different photos, your criteria or their strictness ofapplication may gradually drift, such that what got a 7 (out of 10) at the beginning is getting a 5 or a 9 atthe end.

 

So don't let those ethereal clouds on that mountaintop in entry #38 distract you! Thoroughly evaluate thepicture for exposure, composition, etc., the same way you (hopefully) have judged all previous photos inthe competition.

 

11) Your final score should reflect your initial comments."Nicely composed, great leading lines, perfect exposure, strong subject --I'll give it a 4 out of 10..."DUH?!! This happens more often than you think, and can be particularly irksome to the maker of the photobeing judged. In my experience the reverse (bad comments, high score) is much less common. Stay alertand make sure that for every photograph judged, your comments justify your final score!No one can follow every rule perfectly; we're too human for that. And remember, you can't please all ofthe people all of the time.If you apply these rules to the best of your ability, you are probably better than most photo judges. If yousucceed in following these rules completely, I want you to judge for my club!!!

 

Posted 12 May 2008 07:47 PM by Jim | 1 comment(s)

Assigned Categories in Competition

What are the assigned categories all about in the scheme of the club's competition? They're to encourage the club members to photograph new and different subject matter and to help expand their photographic expertise and vision. That begs the question - How? As I have observed over a number of years, many of the club's members seem to feel that as long as an image has something in it that incorporates some part of the assignment statement, it meets the intent of the assignment. This, in my opinion, is not necessarily valid.

 

In our April competition we had a large number of good and well executed prints. I found, however, that in the assigned categories members seem to over look the intent of the assignment. What I'm about to say here is not an indictment of anyone's image. It is intended to try and change the way some of you approach these competition assignments and to illustrate what needs to be done to better achieve a given assignment.  Please pardon me if this in any way sounds preachy, I do not intend it to be so. I know in advance that some of you will not agree with me. What I do hope is that you will keep an open mind and try what I am suggesting. You will find it will stimulate your creative senses.

 

April's assigned category was "curves."  The majority of entries were images in which there were curved lines. As long as there was a curve in the image it seems that members felt the image met the intent of the assignment. I say NO "It ain't necessarily so."

 

Let's take some generic examples. There were a number of entries of landscapes in which there were curved roads, curved fences, curved branches and limbs, etc. First I want to establish that yes, they all contained curves; however, if you were to give these images to another photographer or individual with no explanation of the assignment (in this case "curves" ), what would have been their comment or response?

 

Would these images have said or shouted to the viewer "curves?" NO, these images said landscapes or pastoral landscapes with curvy roads and fences. Notice that the term curvy is secondary.

 

The same was true for the car image I entered. Yes there were curves in it but it was an image about a car and not about curves. I should have known better. I, due to some external influences, did not have time to shoot the image I intended for this assignment, which was all about curves. This is not intended as an excuse. It shows we all are vulnerable to the same pitfalls in our enthusiasm to enter the competition. I should have put my car image in the open category.

 

I know, from many years as a commercial photographer, that when I was given an assignment and I failed to bring back an image that strongly exhibited the intent of my assignment, such as "curves," I wouldn't get paid until I did. I would have to go back and reshoot the assignment at my own expense. Obviously, this is not the case with our competitions; however, if we approached an assigned category with this mindset, our images would better reflect the intent of the assignment than they currently do.

 

Let's take another example - John Edinburgh's First Place image of the Enron towers downtown. This has curves but if you didn't know about the assignment would his image have said to you "curves" or would ithave said to you as it did to me, WOW, that's a really nice "artistic architectural" shot. I wish I had taken it - notice, no mention of curves. OK, OK you say - what would you do for curves and were there any images

in this competition category that you felt said "curves?"

 

A resounding YES! There were several but one image in particular, Jerry Klumpp's image of the curved chrome lines of a chair jumps to mind. I can already hear you saying, "It was an image of a chair, the same as the images of the landscapes." No it wasn't. Granted, it was a chair, but the image didn't say chair and that's a very big difference. Jerry's image was all about "curves," the chair was very secondary. It mattered

not if it was a chair or any other object, the image was about lines and the lines were predominately "curves." Very well done Jerry - Bravo!

 

Although this next image idea was not in the competition, I want to mention it as another possibility because it is an excellent example of curves from a purely curve point of view. It was Graden Harger's idea to photograph a French curve in a very specific way, unfortunately he ran out of time. (For those of you who may not know what a French curve is, it is a curved plastic or acrylic template used for drafting curves.) This image would have met the assignment in the strictest sense of the assignment's intent.

 

There were many excellent images in this competition. The images I selected as examples for this article were just that, selected images and nothing more. Although the above commentary was all about the "curve" assigned category, the same thoughts can be applied to the "out of the box" category or any other assigned category. I hope this will stimulate you to look at the images you enter and how you address future assignments with greater depth and insight. If you have any questions or comments, I would like to

hear them and/or discuss them with you. Do not hesitate to contact me.

                Jim Fife

                04-17-08

 

Posted 12 May 2008 01:59 PM by Jim | 2 comment(s)

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