Perfect pictures. Do they exist?
imax
Registered Users Posts: 691 Major grins
I wonder. As I look at this upcoming challenge I am faced with the same type of questions that I have asked myself over the previous challenges. What do I need to do to make my photographs not only stand out in a crowd, but be true to who I am and how I see the world. But I have to say that my desire to reach above and beyond what I have done in the past has been met with the feeling that if other pictures don’t have to be perfect or at least the best that they can be, then why should mine. Let me explain….
I must say that I am a bit confused by some of the submissions that have made the final 10 over the past two challenges. In challenge 35 we had a photo that had two flaws in it and it not only made the top 10 but it won the challenge. Now I realize that the idea for the photo was a great idea and the corrected photo clearly was a winner, but the submitted photo in the challenge in my opinion should not have won because of the flaws. In this past particular challenge we have a photo that was altered, and the flaws in the picture are quite noticeable, at least on my monitor they are but yet it made it to the final 10. Is this the best that we can do?
So as I ready my submissions into this challenge, I find myself looking at this one saying “it’s good enough” to enter and not looking to push myself further. Is that who I am? Is that who we all are? Just submitting something we feel is OK, but yet we know we can do better?
Here is one definition per websters
Challenge: to arouse or stimulate especially by presenting with difficulties
So may I suggest that we all dig deep within ourselves and push ourselves to the edge, to where we all can put forth our best work, our best possible work and be proud of what we have done.
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Simple. Emotion, not technical accuracy, is what makes an image great. And I think it is too easy in the age of digital photography to concentrate on the wrong things.
A fine art gallery near where I work recently had some photographs for sale. Unusual as they usually sell paintings and drawings, not photographs. Most were older photos with very important subject matters. John Lennon, Muhamed Ali, you get the idea. A picture of Ali in the ring after a knock-out was going for $2,500 framed. Very grainy picture, for one. Other technical items were "wrong" as well. But it was a powerful image. It was worth the bucks.
It moved you.
I'm not saying your images aren't moving (I haven't see any, other than the one you posted). What I'm saying is that a fascination with the technical accuracy isn't where "it" is at. I take fantasic and technically accurate racing photos all the time. But if I don't capture "the" moment the picture isn't going to sell just because the white balance, color, and shadow detail are stunning. And no Photoshopping is going to fix that.
I'm still learning how to get "that" moment. It is not easy, but it is critical. Emotion trumps accuracy every single time.
A former sports shooter
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I don't work, I used to only do the challenge. Whenever I do photography I treat it like a self employed job. I work very hard to "find" the right photograph and work it up correctly. Others work very hard to "make" the right photograph in that I call their work "still lifes".
I cannot minimize the work that has gone into these challenges by some people. Then if you have worked as hard as possible and you don't make the finals, well there is nothing deader than a challenge where you did not make the finals, except to vote. And with the heart and soul poured into the work, I am not exagerating to say that hearts are leaden.
I no longer put my "work" into the challenge, I like the nature thread. But I have continued the challenge. I have never done less work than the last challenge, but I did stay up all night and part of the next day doing it. I became emotionally involved, and I was disappointed, though I could very well understand why I did not make the finals. When you don't understand, it is worse. I do not think I should be criticized for not putting more work into the challenge, yet entering it, I am doing this to keep the entries up, particularly in the last challenge which seemed to not be terribly popular. In the past, we could not have ten finalists without about 30 entries. If you were upset about the quality of the finalists, I was upset about the percentage of finalists to entries. Maybe I am not needed to keep the numbers up......
As far as searching and searching and working and working to get your best work, I don't think that necessarily makes a winner. The only winners I have gotten have been very early in the challenge and very accidental. So I don't even really know what does make a winner. I mean as far as finding one. I will agree that emotion plays into it, but sometimes it does not seem to be emotion. If a strong shot of a child comes in, I figure I am dead.........but maybe not.???
The challenge has been a problem all along. Andy worked hard to set it up. How much work it takes now, I don't know, but he is quite involved with this group in general. This is, IMO, essentially his site. He knows more about challenges than others.
What is affecting me would be different than what might be affecting others. The active people in the group are not necessarily the same who used to be.
To be honest, I don't think I am capable of winning a challenge anymore. The new people who come in are not beginners. I came in as a beginner to this type of world, certainly not a pro, not even an advanced amateur. I enjoy shooting birds, so that is where my time has gone.
I cannot imagine the challenge being my life story again, but I have mentioned that it might help if there were two levels. Then I don't really understand how that would work, but it would help the people who are struggling think that maybe they could succeed. I know I would be put in the top group because I have won two challenges, this thing cannot change for me, I would not qualify for a beginners group anymore, even though I don't think I qualify to compete against most of the people here now.
ginger
We have to remember that the photographers here are mostly hobbyists, rather than professionals. And secondly, it is not always possible to find that perfect moment or subject during a particular challenge period. Each person puts up the best photo they have been able to capture during the challenge period, not their best photo ever. I, for one, want to encourage everyone to participate. I feel intimidated by some other sites that have many professionals as members. I like the fact that we have young people and students here. I'm neither young nor a student, but I am still learning photography, a hobbyist who wants to learn more.
As far as technical perfection goes, we all have varying degrees of experience with photo editing. If we put our photos up in a critique thread before the challenge, we can usually get help. But, in the end, each person's best effort is exactly that, their best effort for that particular week, depending on circumstances.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
I vote as Bill says, emotionally. That is why I have always looked on the finals as an honor itself.
They are usually picked differently by different people. The winner and the finalists.
I hope the challenge continues, too, that is why I contribute and have every time. But it is not main thing in photography anymore for me. It might be at some challenge, but I don't know when.
g
Because you have knowledge and skill that maybe others don't; which obliges you to a higher personal standard.
If I remember, the corrected photo was submitted in time under the rules of the competition. And in my opinion, it could have had more tech flaws and still won.
For some of us, yes it is.
That is between you and yourself.
I can't speak for anybody else, but I put as much effort as my skill and current life (which has other things in it) allow.
I do push and I am proud.
Don't forget that this is a forum of all skill levels and that means that we have to spot people on the technical proficiency sometimes. If we had a bird competition, IMHO Harry would crush it 9 out of 10 times and the contest would loose it's luster. I think judging on getting "the shot" is the most democratic way of running this contest because then the people who don't have technical skills can enjoy the competition and push themselves to learn the technical skills that can only come with experience.
Sincerely and respectfully -Ian
Having seen what others were doing, I knew my submission would not be a winner, but I put a lot of time and effort into making the photo and I love the result (with a little additional touchup since I got home). Of course it would be lovely if others saw the same things that I see in the photo, but in some ways it is very personal and I know that generally my taste is a bit odd. The point, though, is that I am very glad I participated because I learned something new. When I have time (and perhaps more sophisticated equipment), I may try some of the amazing techniques that others used.
Also, some fabulous photos have not made the top ten in the challnges I have seen since I joined, photos that I would be thrilled to have in my own portfolio. In fact, haven't we all seen great photos in the treads leading up to submission that are rejected for the contest for one reason or another but that are fabulous efforts? So why don't these fabulous photos get picked? Often it is only because the picture doesn't quite fit the subject.
Bottom line, though, I want to thank Ginger for inspiring me to make an effort in the last two challenges which were particularly difficult for me to undertake since I was away from home. She pointed out that it is good for the contests to have a significant number of entries and that even if we feel that we cannot come up with a winner for a certain challenge, we should give it a shot. Perhaps we can't give 200% every time, but, whether we are amateurs or pros, we can do our best and take pleasure in the success of others.
Virginia
P.S. Perfection is in the eye of each beholder and there are a lot of beholder's out there!
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus
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I am leaving now for a mammogram and repeat labs. I am probably going to regret that I ever wrote this...........after I leave. If anyone notices.
And I did get serious critiques, just like I asked for, and they were nice. I just reached a point when the whole picture had been critiqued by one person or another so many times, I just reacted which I have learned to control to a bit. I have learned to thank people for their critiques and not try to justify myself.
Then I learned how to live with the challenges and my strong obsessive compulsive desire for praise.
Well, I have to go, I am late, but I did try, and I am still obsessing. The photo just was not liked, except by those who did, but it was not liked by enough people, I would have been an idiot to enter it. It seems that most people were not liking it for a reason, many different reasons, and that is why they would not have picked it or voted for it. Their reason.
But I am up a creek and emotionally invested. Will be back in a few, to many, hours.
ginger
You Can't Please Everyone, so be happy with the fact that you did your best and be happy with that.
gotta upload, the light was strange for me today, I felt like I was in the dentist chair like andy, but I want to see if I got anything. I am tired enough and hungry enough. I went to a totally different beach. Pier there, but couldn't get a shot like I kinda remember Andy getting.
love that cat shot! Even if you did have to put the computer on the floor.
ginger