TWO RUNNERS UP SELECTED!!

© Fred Krieger

© Monica Nagy

Well, I have made my pick of two images from the Wilmington Photo Walk that, in my judgment, were close runners-up to Kathleen Buckalew's winning entry. As I mentioned in my August 1 post, I decided to have a "Second Chance" contest which included entries from four participants who did not submit entries in the first round.

Fred Krieger's "The Market Below" and Monica Nagy's image of the Taxi Stand at the Amtrak Station.

Fred and Monica win a photography book of their choice (listed in the August 1 blog entry).

We now await Scott Kelby's decision for the Grand Prize winner and the ten honorable mentions. We are rooting for Kathleen's entry! A decision will be announced on August 17th, so stay tuned.

Critiques

Fred Krieger's "The Market Below"

This image was very close to getting my pick for our local winning image. There are so many things I like about this image. The use of a rectilinear fisheye lens is perfect for this kind of composition. The symmetry present in the image is very appealing to me. The curved lines, the ventilation ducts, the wooden beams, the diagonals in the floor tile pattern -- all are strong elements of composition. My eye goes immeditately to main subject - the busy market below - thanks to it being nicely framed by the opening between the ductwork and the floor tile (at the bottom, actually present on the second floor). I also find all the detail in the market fascinating.

Monica Nagy's Image of the Taxi Stand at the Amtrak Station

This is a very nice and very interesting image that can be considered to be in the "photojournalism" category because it tells a story. I really like this picture. There is tension in the composition. There is symmetry in the way the double doors are positioned, yet the tension is in what we see through the doors. My eye goes immediately to the taxi driver on the right, who is nicely framed in the door window and is positioned comfortably to one side. He appears almost as a silhouette, yet we vaguely see his face. Then, my eye goes to the left side, and I like the way we see a portion of the front of the car in the foreground juxtaposed against the back of the car that is in the background. I also like that red column in the background for some reason!

Congratulations to Kathleen, Fred and Monica! Congratulations again to all participants!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

We have a winner!

Kathleen Buckalew submitted two panoramic infra-red images to the Wilmington Photo Walk competition. Her image "Walkway and Crane" is my pick and has been entered in the worldwide competition that Scott Kelby will be judging over the next two weeks.

So, how and why did I choose this image? First, let me tell you; this was an excruciating exercise for me because all your images were excellent! I would like to submit all of your photos!

After a laborious evaluation of the 68 exceptional images, I ended up with five semi-finalists, then three finalists. I was impossible to live with as I hunkered down to ponder over the remaining three images. My task: to decide on the one image that I felt would most likely be chosen by Scott Kelby in the worldwide competition.

Kathleen's image meets my personal qualifications for a winning photograph. It succeeds because it answers three questions which I always strive for in my own photography:

1. Does the image have a theme?

Kathleen's image is about the Wilmington Riverfront. That is the theme, plain and simple. There is something else that I considered. I feel bad about the Wilmington Riverfront. I notice more and more that it appears to be an unpopular and abandoned locale. A place that was developed for tourism and for the enjoyment of the local populace, but that didn't quite make it. It's a melancholic place, in my view. This image imparts this feeling to me - stark, empty. I also feel that the infrared treatment enhances this cheerless location. If the image were in color, the desolate feeling would not be as pronounced.

2. Does the image focus attention on the subject?

First, let's consider what the subject is in this image? It is the building in the distance, the walkway, streetlights, and the crane. There are several compositional elements here that immediately lead my eye to the subject each and every time I look at the image. On the day of our Photo Walk, there was a most beautiful sky with very distinct and interesting cloud patterns. Notice how the cloud patterns and dark sky areas are essentially lines that lead the eye towards the subject. Notice also that the walkway curves in towards the subject and is more-or-less parallel to the cloud formations. Curves are very great compositional elements, and they are used effectively in this image. Additionally, there are diagonal lines; also very effective. Finally, the shadows on the bottom of the image serve to frame the center subject area, and the two trees on either side also frame the main subject.

3. Does the image simplify?

Distracting objects in an image are just that: distracting! They take away from the image. They prevent the viewer from focusing on the subject and theme that the maker wants to impart. I always check all around the frame to make sure nothing encroaches into the scene and result in my viewer missing the point of the image. This is definitely the case in Kathleen's image. It's clean. No bits of trash on the ground, no person or other objects on the grass and walkway. This lack of distracting objects also serves to accentuate the starkness of this location.

So there you have it! Kathleen's image is successful, and the winner in our local Wilmington Photo Walk contest. The image has been forwarded on to the worldwide competition, and we all hope that it wins the grand prize consisting of over $6000 worth of great photo gear. By the way, there will also be ten honorable mentions with over $1200 in prizes going to each winner.

Finally, please remember that photo competition is very subjective. As judges, we struggle to avoid applying our own biases and preferences when judging images that we come across. We have our own criteria, our own favorite techniques, our personal dislikes. Fact is, we each view our world differently through our camera viewfinders.

If you don't "win" a photo competition, it does not necessarily mean your image is in any way bad. Just be sure to study the results of any competition, and analyze the critiques carefully. View competition as a learning experience. You are likely to gain tips and techniques that help you develop your "photographer's eye" further.

When asked to judge a competition, I strive to avoid my own personal biases and preferences. Instead, I focus on those three principles of good photography that I enumerated above. For this competition, I know that Scott Kelby, an experienced professional photographer, will do the final judging. I have to assume that Scott will use the same judging criteria, and so I am doubly sure to follow them myself in order to increase the chances that one of our own Walkers wins the Grand Prize.

Congratulations to each and every one of you for your excellent work!

Sandro V Cuccia
Leader, Wilmington Photo Walk
www.DEPhotoWalk.com

Another Chance to Win!

[Note: This blog entry is important to all Wilmington Photo Walkers, but in particular to those who did not submit photos to the contest]

Well, I have concluded my judging of your photos, and I will be announcing the First Place winner of our Wilmington Photo Walk shortly.

But before I do that, I'm eager to inform everyone that I have decided to add two more prizes which will be awarded to the two runners-up for best image! The First Place winner (that I will announce shortly) will receive the prize directly from Scott Kelby: his new book, "The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3," and of course, the chance to win the Grand Prize in the worldwide contest.

I will award a photography book to the two runners-up.

I recently taught a big class called "Your Photographer's Eye" at the Academy of Lifelong Learning. It was immensely popular and well-attended with 82 registered students!! Anyway, throughout the semester, as I covered the major topics of Composition, Exposure and Light, I recommended three of my favorite books. I will award a book of choice to the two runners-up. Oh, and I am including Kelby's Digital Photography Books as possible choices.

So, the two runners-up will be able to choose from the following list of books:

• "Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition)" by Bryan Peterson
• "Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)" by Bryan Peterson
• "Exploring the Light: Making the Very Best In-Camera Exposures" by Rick Sammon
• "The Digital Photography Book" by Scott Kelby [choice of Volume 1, 2, or 3]

IMPORTANT: If you were not an "official" Worldwide Photo Walk participant, that is; you did not officially register and submit photos for consideration, you can qualify to win one of my two runner-up prizes! Additionally, a number of you were registered but chose not to enter photos into the competition (why?), you too, can be included in my runners-up competition.

But I need your entries! You can e-mail me two of your best images by 11:59 PM on Saturday, August 8.

The rest of you registered participants need do nothing to be considered for these two prizes. I will evaluate the images you have already submitted along with the aforementioned Photo Walkers.

Of course, the First Place winner will not be eligible for the runners-up prizes. And - as usual - I am not eligible to win one of the runners-up prizes, either. Darn! Foiled again!

If you have any questions about all this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Stay tuned for information about our First Place winning entry!