no ribbons this year :-(

[quasigeostrophy]

computerchix and I went to the state fair this morning. Did our usual "tour" (checking out the various animals, eating the various junk foods, etc.). This time we started with the photography exhibits, since I had 4 entries this year (finally felt confident enough and got motivated enough to submit some prints, one of which is the 11x14 of the pic from Yellowstone used on this post). I really wasn't expecting to win anything, but it's still a bummer when that is confirmed. Only 2 of my 4 entries were put out on display, but at least they were the 2 I thought were the best of my 4. It was nice to see at least those out on public display (an irritation about that: On one of them, they placed the wrong name tag below and hand scratched it out to write my name in. How much effort would it have taken to reprint a simple name tag?)

I know things like this are always totally subjective, and I'm a newbie. I don't know if there is anything political about it, I don't know who the (only) 3 judges are (although one is from a different state - explain that for a state fair), and, due to our vacation schedule, I won't be in town to attend the critique. I've got other candidates, and I'm sure I'll take plenty of good shots before next summer, so here's to looking forward to next year's fair. I'll stop being grumpy now...

Comments

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

*seeble*

I've had photos I thought were the best I've ever done go into competition to a resounding "eh" from the judges. And I've had photos I thought pretty pedestrian go on to win in more than one venue. There's just no accounting for it. I know in my case that I've got an emotional investment in most of the photographs I choose to put out there. I'm not objective about them. I'm too close to them to see them as others do.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I agree completely. I'd say I have the same emotional inventment in the shots I choose/chose. I suppose I can/should take comfort in this: those not involved in the event about whom I care and/or care about me who have seen the shots do like and appreciate them - a lot. I should have reminded myself of the time I dropped an art photography course I took back when I was an undergrad: one of the first assignments was to go out on a "general" (fairly undefined) shoot with one roll of film. We were (after shooting) then told to print full-frame, no cropping. The instructor then had the gall to be extremely critical about those prints, when we had no foreknowledge that we'd be critiqued on the full frame. I dropped the course and became essentially self-taught beyond that point.

Re:

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

I was privileged to have an excellent photography teacher at the local junior college. The entire thrust was on the technical - exposure, printing, framing according to the rules, the mechanics of the camera, the lens, the film, the darkroom. He never critiqued outside that criteria, and always with the suggestion of how it could be done better. He loved when someone broke the rules with good effect, and was generous with the praise and very sparing with anything negative. I'm having a hard time remembering anything negative he might have said.

And he never required a full-frame photo. Yes, framing in the camera is important, but cropping the print is *just* as much a part of the process.

The overwhelming memories I have of him are of how much fun it was to learn from him, and of the great joy he took in teaching us about something he so obviously loved.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Well before the failed attempt at the art class, I had a course as part of the video production curriculum, in basic visual communication. That is where I learned the technical stuff. That prof was similar to the teacher you describe: here are the "rules", master those, then break them where appropriate.

I do frame in the camera when I can; I just felt submarined by this (appropriate emphasis required) ar-Teest. The whole experience helped establish a dichotomy in Art in my mind: there is art (which I love and appreciate), and then there is (pause) "art".