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