BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: To Be Categorized

Winning photos

To love this question, log in above
January 25, 2001

I've never concerned myself with this. For artistic works I choose the specific film to match my "vision" for the image. It is based on which film's characteristics best align with the subject material, and how I want granularity, color, saturation and contrast (or latitude) rendered. I'm still not perfect at it, but at least it's intended to increase the probability that print results will be what is desired.

I would ask instead what your vision for an image is . . . exactly what you want the finished print to look like . . . and choose a film that is most likely to help produce those results.

Maybe not the answer you were looking for, but I've never worried that much about whether I win a contest. Not that I don't try to follow entry rules to the letter, give careful thought about what will be submitted, and do my very best. More important to me is whether the photograph achieves my vision for it technically and artistically, not what others might think about it.

-- John

To love this comment, log in above
January 25, 2001

Most contest winners won because the image is (among other things), technically excellent, uniquely unusual and highly imaginative or creative. If you look at the submissions to larger contests, you will find dozens of sunrises, sunsets, lake reflections, cute kids, cute pets, etc. Many of them are technically and artistically superb. However, when piled in with the other submissions they do not stand apart from the rest. Creating your own unique style and developing a "vision" for each artistic image before making it is what will set it apart from the others. Developed fully, it becomes a "signature" or "hallmark" for them.

I suppose one could take a statistical approach. By researching winning contest entries one could determine the film type, focal length, and subject material to find what takes the top prize more often. Then, one could "scientifically" shoot what statistically wins more often in hopes of optimizing the chance of winning. I don't think this would work well. Photography is an art. Judging it is highly subjective and at least as emotional as analytical, with an element of pure chance separating who wins and who almost won.

I believe a person trying this would be left disappointed and frustrated. Better to fuel imagination and creativity, make unique and original art, and have something at the end that pleases its creator. Less disappointing and frustrating, much more gratifying, and very possibly something more likely to win a contest . . . as slim as the odds are to begin with.

-- John

To love this comment, log in above
January 26, 2001