SEMIFINAL #4 - Advice
kwalsh
Registered Users Posts: 223 Major grins
Howdy all, I came late to this contest (didn't know it existed if you can believe that!) and was lucky enough to qualify in round 19. So now I need to so a SF entry. I've looked through the past semi-finals - wow - and am looking for some advice as to what to go shoot.
First off, I usually shoot landscapes and a little bit of wildlife. I've even got a period in the 2nd week of the semi-final where I could take a camping trip to do some landscapes just for this contest (though I really should be at work). That said, well from looking at the past it seems that in general landscapes don't connect as well with the voting public as much as "concept" shots (for lack of a better word). I've certainly enjoyed stepping out of my normal shooting style during the past two qualifying rounds doing more "concepty" shots but I wonder what I should do for the semi-final...
I've got a few "concepts" I'd like to try, but that's fairly new to me and I'm not sure how good a judge I am of my work in that area. I'm pretty sure I know what a good landscape is, but as I said it seems from past semi-finals some really nice landscapes seemed to get passed up by concept shots (and please, I'm not digging on the concept shots at all, they are awesome, I just personally thought people seemed to respond to them more than the landscapes). I've included some representative shots of mine below - what do you all think I should pursue???
Thanks for any thoughts!
Ken
Here are a few of my better landscapes from the past (better for me at least, perhaps worse compared to the competition!):
And for comparison, my LPS19 and LPS20 entries:
First off, I usually shoot landscapes and a little bit of wildlife. I've even got a period in the 2nd week of the semi-final where I could take a camping trip to do some landscapes just for this contest (though I really should be at work). That said, well from looking at the past it seems that in general landscapes don't connect as well with the voting public as much as "concept" shots (for lack of a better word). I've certainly enjoyed stepping out of my normal shooting style during the past two qualifying rounds doing more "concepty" shots but I wonder what I should do for the semi-final...
I've got a few "concepts" I'd like to try, but that's fairly new to me and I'm not sure how good a judge I am of my work in that area. I'm pretty sure I know what a good landscape is, but as I said it seems from past semi-finals some really nice landscapes seemed to get passed up by concept shots (and please, I'm not digging on the concept shots at all, they are awesome, I just personally thought people seemed to respond to them more than the landscapes). I've included some representative shots of mine below - what do you all think I should pursue???
Thanks for any thoughts!
Ken
Here are a few of my better landscapes from the past (better for me at least, perhaps worse compared to the competition!):
And for comparison, my LPS19 and LPS20 entries:
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Comments
Some of My Photos: app.electrikfolio.com/v/steven-hatch
I personally like this one quite a bit. As far as liking landscapes less... I think it's the fact that as photographers we've seen and done quite a few landscapes, so we may become a bit jaded about landscapes unless they have some extra oomph to them (see seastack for example). That being said if landscapes are your strength, then play that. One thing you have to remember though. There are some strong contenders in LPS, so often "Good", or even "Great" images, will get flattened by "Spectacular" ones.
PS: a piece of advice on SF - "Shoot early, and shoot often!"
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This summer's wilderness photography project: www.tessa-hd.smugmug.com/gallery/3172341
Basically treat it like a round, but set yourself a theme rather than relying on someone else to do it.
Landscapes are good and they've done well in previous semi's, but I think you need to produce an image that allows people to really escape into it. Landscapes generally don't tell so much of a story as much as they communicate a feeling. So if you can let people escape from the every day into a feeling of relaxation or solitude, then I think you are on some solid ground.
Otherwise, do something with people that has focus on what they are doing. That is, don't just photograph a person, but capture them engaged in something and make the message in the image pretty strong.
Finally, let it all out, but also keep in mind that it's only two weeks to the final shoot-out. So don't wear yourself out (though you need to put a lot in to make the top 10) because you'll have to back-up straight away.
Regards,
Peter
This one made top 10 = emotions
This one too but barely = some emotional response
This one, out by 1/10th of an inch... less emotion, static I think
Anyway, let's hear what our colleagues have to share!
Good Luck! --JY (ifocus on smugmug)
I think I'll take the advice of trying to come up with a theme or concept regardless of what I do, I've found in the past few rounds it has been easier to pre-visualize a photo with a theme/concept and I've always found pre-visualized photos to be stronger than ones I stumble upon/into (at least that's how it works for me).
Oh, and shatch, I think it is the other way around. Although these were my first two entires into a contest - I've been a lurker here and at FM off and on over the years and if my intial entries were halfway decent it's because of all I've learned from watching you guys in previous contests!
Thanks everyone,
Ken
I disagree with your asertion that shots have to trigger emotions to win place or show in this contest... although I certainly feel your frustration... 2 of my shots made top 10 in 2 semi finals and they were both pretty much static / landscape... some of my entries I thought would do well didn't and some I thought wouldn't did... Soooo my point is it really has more to do with the judges and the fact that they are, for the most part different each time. plus I just realized from the feedback thread that one of the judges used other peoples opinions to come up with their top 10 (I never even figured that into the equation)... There isn't any truely objective judging going on here, it is all very subjective, which is fine with me, all I'm saying is you just have to go out and shoot, post and hope for the best... No matter what I create with my photography there will allways be a better one out there, in someone's opinion... So have fun and enjoy the competition!
Winston
The other is something I read some time, somewhere out in the ether, and it really stuck with me: showcase what you're proud of. There are always going to be people who don't like a particular picture, but if you can look at it at the end of the day and still feel proud of the capture, then it's a good picture. Certainly a little objectivity is required (in small doses
Good luck and happy shooting!
I agree, that's really good advice.
To take it one step further, shoot what you love, what you care about, find what really "get's you going," get's you excited, on the jazz ... there's no substitute for passion and it will show. Making really great photos is as much about you as it is about the picture ... create something that's both a window and a mirror, as a great photographer once told me. I work on this all the time now, think about it constantly ... but that's another discussion.
My personal bias is against "created" conceptual shots, unless they are very, very good because otherwise they run the risk of looking cartoonish ... that's just me ... I don't want to be a commercial or wedding photographer, and my hat is off to those who do or are, incredibly hard work ... personally i'm looking for something genuine ... again, that's me. It's one of the great challenges of this contest ... there are no categories ... which I think it's great, it gives everyone an opportunity to find themselves, perhaps even develop a style. I've gone all over the place during the last year which has helped me tremendously as I come back to a more photojournalism, street style with twists. (My first LPS entry was a red teapot, completely contrived shot, but I learned something about lighting and it was still a good photo)
Anyway, you may be right about landscapes - as someone said, we've all seen so many and the bar is now so incredibly high. There are a number of truly outstanding landscape photogs on dgrin and smugmug, a few well published, who have not entered this contest ... I know one who was solicited to participate but did not, and I am forever thankful ;-) If some of these folks had joined in, I know they would have taken tops in every semi. Perhaps the only genre that gets less interest than landscapes is street photography (in general, not just here), which is sort of where I'm at right now, lol.
So, in a very roundabout way, my point is to find whatever get's YOU going and go for it ... if it's an incredible image, whatever the genre, you could do well with it and if you are enjoying making the photo, on the jazz, and on a roll, you are more likely to come up with that incredible shot.
Best of luck
First - what a great thread, already a lot of good advise to think about.
Second - I'm a bit torn myself, maybe it's my imagination - maybe not - but it seems to me that a lot of the winners of the various rounds have been staged/heavily photoshoped rather than just photos. Now I'm good at photoshop and have been using it for many many many years, but I like entering a photo contest with a photo - not a fine art illustration. So, I'm worried now that the photo I enter in the SF will get passed over no matter what in favor of a composited image. I could do a composited image myself, but then I feel that I wouldn't be growing as a photographer. Man this is tough to figure out.
Third - A lot of folks say to shoot what you are good at. What if you don't know what your strength is? It is impossible to ask friends/family thier opinion because they always say "everything you do it great" etc. That's not very helpful. I have't submitted anything on dgrin for whipping post because i'm too frightenedd of the whip :cry I guess it's just a subjective personal opinion that I have to figure out what I'm "best" at, is that pretty much it?
Well, thanks for reading and posting, and everything. You guys/gals are great!
~ Lisa
This observation comes up frequently here and has been heavily debated. I tend not to participate in "the great debate" as I can honestly see the validity in both points of view. Plus, every single image I've entered in an LPS round has been "staged," though many have been straight photographs with little processing in PS. A few have been composites, but on a small scale. I like to do as much in camera as possible to create my visions.
But as VisualXpressions stated, two of his images made it into the semifinal top ten choices, and they were very much straight photos with little processing (perhaps for sharpening, straightening, etc.). They were strong photos. Even the Pink Floyd-esque image that swept the last semi was a photograph, not a composite, with some processing work to clone out a stick a clock was perched on. I suppose what I'm trying to say is hope is not lost for the pure photograph.
Before I started in this contest, I thought I was best at architecture and landscapes (it was, after all, what I enjoyed shooting most). Becoming involved here showed me I had a lot to learn in both areas, and it also challenged me to try portraits, which I'm discovering I'm pretty good at (though I'm still uncomfortable shooting them).
I don't think anyone else can really tell you, the photographer, what your strength is. I think your own experience will reveal that to you. Your strength is usually borne from what you most enjoy shooting, are most comfortable shooting, and are most proud of when the print is made.
I still don't know what my strength is when I'm behind the lens.
Trust your instinct. And perhaps I should be saying, "do what you love" rather than "play your strengths."
Thanks for the fast response. I feel better already after reading that! Is the SF a good chance to convince my husband I "must" have a new lens?
I agree with another comment to get a photo you like and submit it, hope others like it as well. That's what I did for LPS20 and it worked out for me, so I guess I should do the same this time.
~ Lisa
Well, you've defined an avenue for yourself here ... what you like, and what you don't ... so i'd say go with your instinct
Second, look for photographers and photographs that have this quality where you look in total amazement and awe and say, " #$@, how did they do that, how did they SEE that."
This is incredibly important!!! Looking at other's work is as key to becoming a better photographer as is actually making photographs. Took me too long to figure that out.
I spend hours in a local college library looking through photo books of incredible photographers ... Alex Webb, David Alan Harvey, James Nachtwey, Eugene Richards, Christopher Morris, John Stanmeyer, Trent Parke (young and amazing), Alex Majoli (young and amazing), Alec Soth (young and amazing), Jonas Bendiksen (young and amazing), Chien-Chi Chang (young and amazing), Josef Koudelka, Larry Towell, Steve McCurry, Lauren Greenfield, Martin Parr ... to name a very few ...
If you're looking for great photographers who shoot "straight" photos with a fine art feel (really just great photographs that are not cliches), then all the above are good examples and most are members of Magnum or VII (lot of conflict work at VII but not all). Really, check out Magnum's website ... lots of incredible work there, undoubtedly some of the best in the history of the art ... but this is my thing, photojournalism/documentary, although some of the above photogs perhaps stretch this categorical definition ... just find who and what YOU like and start looking, it will seep into your brain
Last, don't worry about it too much ... go for gut instinct, get loose, experiment, fall down, get up, fall down again, learn ... and if you are really serious then work very, very hard ... it's a journey and if you are serious it will be as much a journey about life and personal growth as it will be about photography ... for truly great photographers these are hopefully and hopelessly entwined.
I know this is a lot more big picture than what you were seeking ... as for LPS, there are no easy answers, everyone here struggles with these same issues and you just can't get hung up on anything other than the journey ... be true to yourself, do what you love, love what you do, and realize that not everyone is going to appreciate what you do ... make pictures first and foremost for yourself, grow your own vision, don't pander to what you think others will like ... but do learn and do struggle.
See, photography is just life ;-)
cheers,
tom
I wouldn't call it that, just some very good advise. Answered all my questions at least