Help With Contest Entries...

[Lau]

Hmm. I'd say 5, 11, and 13 myself. I wonder if you should enter the best scene type one, the best close up and the best objecty one (whether it's people or a bird, or a boat). That kind of covers all bases.

I really like 5 though, it's a great scene type shot. But I'm not sure, looking at the previous winners, that it's the kind of thing they're looking for. But I'd be tempted to say sod em and enter what you like anyway.

 

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

10, 5, and 1 (although they're all pretty good )

 

[iGary]

So for scenes, this one deifinitely then, I guess:

Critters - this one:

Or this one:

Boats - this one:

Still looking for more feedback - thanks.

 

[djturner]

be careful

I don't want to be a stick in the mud but I hope you know that these contests are their way of getting a bunch of license free stock images to add to their library. It's a very common practice for state dnr and tourism offices to hold a photo contest and offer prizes very low in value, usually only award 3 to 6 prizes. The key is that somewhere in the rules it will state something like they reserve the right to publish or use ALL entries. Even if your image doesn't win, they can use it. So basically they will get thousands of royalty free images to use as long as they like without paying the photographer a dime. I'm sure a lot are not keepers but it still adds up. They are capitalizing on the fact that most people would just be thrilled to get their picture in a dnr publication. Meanwhile they are being used in many other publications and sometimes sold to other publications for commercial use without the photographer ever knowing. There has been a lot of articles lately about this in photography magazines. I urge you to check the rules and research this topic more online.
Here is just one of many articles on this negative trend.

http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2005/05/scams_avoiding.html

Again I don't want to be a downer. You have some nice images there and I would hate to see you walk into something un-informed. I believe you should be compensated a fair price for the use of your images if they are used. Good Luck,

 

[iGary]

I don't want to be a stick in the mud but I hope you know that these contests are their way of getting a bunch of license free stock images to add to their library. It's a very common practice for state dnr and tourism offices to hold a photo contest and offer prizes very low in value, usually only award 3 to 6 prizes. The key is that somewhere in the rules it will state something like they reserve the right to publish or use ALL entries. Even if your image doesn't win, they can use it. So basically they will get thousands of royalty free images to use as long as they like without paying the photographer a dime. I'm sure a lot are not keepers but it still adds up. They are capitalizing on the fact that most people would just be thrilled to get their picture in a dnr publication. Meanwhile they are being used in many other publications and sometimes sold to other publications for commercial use without the photographer ever knowing. There has been a lot of articles lately about this in photography magazines. I urge you to check the rules and research this topic more online.
Here is just one of many articles on this negative trend.

http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2005/05/scams_avoiding.html

Again I don't want to be a downer. You have some nice images there and I would hate to see you walk into something un-informed. I believe you should be compensated a fair price for the use of your images if they are used. Good Luck,

I've already sold a bunch of these and honestly, I'd be flattered. It's worth the gamble to me to win 600.00.

Thanks though, your points are well taken.

 

[emw]

If you've sold them, they may not be eligible for the contest, according to the rules. And they do reserve the right to publish all entries, although it doesn't state that they retain all rights to the photograph.

 

[jared_kipe]

I think if the goal of the contest is to point out the beauty of nature around the area, an osprey with a bloody fish makes a poor tourist image. Just my 2¢ on the osprey pictures.

EDIT: Plus there is bird poo in the picture. ^o^

 

[iGary]

If you've sold them, they may not be eligible for the contest, according to the rules. And they do reserve the right to publish all entries, although it doesn't state that they retain all rights to the photograph.

I've sold them as framed images and the cover shots for local mags I sold were not exclusive rights - so I am OK.

Hopefully.

I'll read the rules again.

 

[puckhead193]

i like 9 12 and 13

 

[Abstract]

I wouldn't use any of the bird photos. I can suggest which one I think is the best bird photo, but they're not the best photos in the group.

I don't know what they're really looking for, but I don't think they're really looking for brochure/touristy type photos, because the other winners you linked us to don't seem like those types of photos.

Anyway, I'd choose to submit 7 and 13 for sure. The other photo could be 5, 11, or 12, and it wouldn't make much difference. There's a good reason to pick any one of these three photos.

For example, 11 and 12 both have someone in a canoe in it, which is good because it shows activity. I like PHOTO 11 more, but 12 is a great sunset photo that the judges might feel they are lacking in their collection. I mean, both 11 and 13 are sunset photos, but PHOTO 12 may be the big, bold sunset photo they were looking for, so it's safe to pick PHOTO 12. The canoe-ers being in the photo also helps.
The only reason to pick PHOTO 5 (boats) is because it's a great shot of the boats at the marina, which they may want to show off.

I really don't know how they're going to judge this, so it's difficult to say.

 

[pdxflint]

I can't judge based on how the contest judges will see things... I have no clue. But, my favorites are 10, 11 and 13 - all for their light. Cropping to tighten up 10 a bit, and maybe eliminate a cut-off boat somewhere on the left, but not too much because the 'big' sky works here. For 11, I like the effect of the underexposure, but perhaps try to bring a little detail back in the canoist by adding some 'fill' light there, just slightly. Leave 13 alone.

I considered why I didn't choose 9, and it was because I'd really have liked to see some separation between the top deck of the schooner and the distant shore, like if your camera position had been just a few feet higher. That would have made the shape of the boat pop out better and not have the top disappear into the horizon. Shot 5 has an overall nice composition and exposure to it, but I don't like the cut off boat on the bottom. I would have tried to include it's entirety by adding a bit to the foreground, or going even wider.

I'll cheat, and say if you need a 4th, I'd take number 7 - nice light and the shadow effect on the water make the shot. The boat is nicely framed between the other boats, but too 'dead center' to be in my top 3.

Overall, nice job.

 

[Abstract]

Shot 5 has an overall nice composition and exposure to it, but I don't like the cut off boat on the bottom. I would have tried to include it's entirety by adding a bit to the foreground, or going even wider.

I agree with you about the cutting off of boats, but what I didn't like about the shot was actually the cut-off boat on the left side, not the bottom boat. I didn't mind the bottom boat being cut off, but I really don't like the boat on the left being only sliiightly cut off. Forgot to mention that. I still love the shot though.

 

[-hh]

I don't want to be a stick in the mud but I hope you know that these contests are their way of getting a bunch of license free stock images to add to their library....The key is that somewhere in the rules it will state something like they reserve the right to publish or use ALL entries. Even if your image doesn't win, they can use it. So basically they will get thousands of royalty free images to use as long as they like without paying the photographer a dime....There has been a lot of articles lately about this in photography magazines. I urge you to check the rules and research this topic more online...

Without being another 'downer', I'm going to have to say the same thing.

I never even think about entering a contest until I read their rules. If this URL is this particular contest's rules, I'd decline entering, for it offers no copyright protection statement, and gives them unlimited rights to exploitation:

"DNR reserves the right to publish all entries."


The good news is that there have been instances where email feedback to the contest host - - revealing the offensive rules - - does sometimes result in positive change from the contest holder. It can be particularly helpful if the email reminds the tourism office how public awareness of their exploitive policies on Copyrights would negatively reflect upon them. There have been cases of success reported on on <UW-Photo> list in successfully getting rules changed on ongoing contests; I'd have to dig deep through the archives to find them (and I don't have them available to me this week).


FWIW, I saw your one response regarding sale (private) of a few of the images, and what that really means to me is that they're good enough that you don't want to risk the loss of even one commercial sale because the MD Tourism Department can undercut you with your own image.


-hh

 

[jared_kipe]

So what was the final decision?

 

[iGary]

So what was the final decision?

I went with the lighthouse, the heron, the osprey.

It's a natural resources run contest, so I figured critters would do well.

And thanks for the concern about publishing rights - its a valid concern, but it's not that big a deal to me.

 

[faustfire]

IMO, 5 is by far the best, most of the others have subject matter that is too centered, makes them look a little too snapshotish.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Gary,

I liked Spa Creek as the best.All of them are worthy though IMO.

It is always tough to decide on what may be best.

A co-worker won a Nikon competition a few years back with a fireworks shot of the main memorial site here in DC; sponsored by Nikon.

In the past I have won a few contests, and lost a few. The ones I won I never expected to. The ones I lost, I thought I would have placed better in.

In the end, nothing ventured - nothing gained...

I hope that any image you choose will be a winner....

 

[billy_d_goat]

13 all the way. Even if you don't like the shot, the lighthouse is really cool!

 

[andym172]

5, 7 & 13

 

[iGary]

Well I took all the links down, but here are the results (and I didn't even place):

Grand Prize:

Second Prize and Third:

Honorable Mentions

I thnk the Grand Prize winner deserved to win, and the second place winner certainly deserved to win (maybe even better than the Grand Prize winner).

Third place is a crap picture in my opinion - and it's in a backyard water pond - it's not even natural - and this is a natural resources contest.

Lesson with this contest: Oversaturate and make your natural images look unnatural. I think my problem is most of my stuff is kind of "stock," and that's the way I shoot it. I think they were looking for more "rough" shots.

Oh well.

 

[Lau]

I thnk the Grand Prize winner deserved to win, and the second place winner certainly deserved to win (maybe even better than the Grand Prize winner).

Agreed, the second place one is great, but I don't rate the third at all. The first one is a good image of the fox, but I think it would have been better without the trees in the background. Looking at the winners, I think your stuff definitely rates alongside it, and is better than a lot of it.

Oh well. Stuff em. We still love you, Gary.

 

[iGary]

Oh, I don't know about that, they are all good pictures (but the third place one does bug the crap out of me).

I just didn't have what they were looking for.

 

[pdxflint]

Oh, I don't know about that, they are all good pictures (but the third place one does bug the crap out of me).

I just didn't have what they were looking for.

Not having what they were looking for doesn't mean your shots weren't good. You just never really know what's in the minds of the judges, so good effort, nonetheless.

On the two winners, I really like them both. The shot of the fox is not something many of us see that often, and I liked the 'hell bent for leather" moment, and the softness of the subject. The trees didn't bother me, since it isn't something you can generally compose like a setup shot. Also, they are part of the environment and add depth while not taking away from the central focal point. The swans (or geese??) is a nice moment also, and has an ethereal quality due to the fog and high contrast. The sillouette style really works here, and a nice balance, thanks to the adult pair taking up the front and rear. The flower shot looks too ordinary, although it is well composed and exposed, it doesn't have much of an emotional impact.

I feel the winners deserved their kudos, and some of your shots had a great use of light and could have been winners in a different contest. Cheers -phil

 

[iGary]

Not having what they were looking for doesn't mean your shots weren't good. You just never really know what's in the minds of the judges, so good effort, nonetheless.

On the two winners, I really like them both. The shot of the fox is not something many of us see that often, and I liked the 'hell bent for leather" moment, and the softness of the subject. The trees didn't bother me, since it isn't something you can generally compose like a setup shot. Also, they are part of the environment and add depth while not taking away from the central focal point. The swans (or geese??) is a nice moment also, and has an ethereal quality due to the fog and high contrast. The sillouette style really works here, and a nice balance, thanks to the adult pair taking up the front and rear. The flower shot looks too ordinary, although it is well composed and exposed, it doesn't have much of an emotional impact.

I feel the winners deserved their kudos, and some of your shots had a great use of light and could have been winners in a different contest. Cheers -phil

I certainly believe the first two images deserve the win - especially the fox. The other one's are kind of "meh." I guess I was expecting more "wow" photos.

Not saying mine are better or worse - just expected different honorable mentions.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

was that your osprey in the HM section? i can't seem to view the original set you were selecting from anymore so i can't compare it..

the fox is great, but it wins almost as much cause it's something we don't see everyday as cause it's a nice photo. e.g. if you could get a picture of a giraffe, or something more "wild" like that then you'd have a better shot

second pic is cool. how can we see them bigger?