Competition photo graveyard

[Viathelens]

On competitions in general, it’s best to enter with the thought of “I’ll throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.” Don’t take it too seriously, but do listen if feedback is given as it can help you grow in your photography. I’ve won 13 awards and had many images in judged competitions around the state I live in, California. I recall someone walking past my one “Best of Show” and him saying to his wife, “that’s NOT best of show!” The comment simply made me laugh. We’ve all got an opinion! Judges are just people, some like one thing, some like another, some are qualified, some are not…that’s why you can’t take it too seriously. I think if an image even gets considered someone has won, it’s a step toward being the photographer you aspire to be. Shoot what you like and shoot for the story you want to tell or the emotions you want to convey and then pick your best work from your point of view to enter into a competition and “let go.”

On your first image I am a big fan of high-key, I generally love it. I agreed with the statements about this one being a bit over the edge and I think the fix improved it. If you know PS or a similar layer-based program this type of image is really fun to put a background behind and doing this can oftentimes create an even more beautiful image. I love this image.

I would have guessed that the elephant image got considered. And I would guess that some judge said the shot would have been better if you did not see the butt end of one elephant and s/he did not like that the face of that same animal was not apparent at all: some people don’t know how to process compositional elements with any artistic thought, they just follow a “rule,” the one that seems to say always “show the face of an animal.” I loved reading that one of David Yarrow’s most popular prints is “78 Degrees North,” this print sells for around $100,000, and the main subject is the butt end of a polar bear in the snow: the only dark part of the image is the back paw of the polar bear, it’s a wonderful shot. I figure if he can shoot the butt end of an animal then it’s ok to do that when it tells a story or gets the point across. Look him up, an incredible animal photographer.

On the third image, while it is a very nicely done image, this shot has been way overdone. Judges do look for something new and often learn toward an image that is more unique in composition or subject matter. Also, it might have been improved by processing the image so that fish showed up more in the image. This type of image is perhaps more about the fish than the eagle as the fish is the one losing its life. I personally like the image.

I think you are doing very well and you are looking for the right thing when you shoot. Don’t get discouraged, just keep on trying.

 

[Squawk]

Thanks for your input. Indeed I do just chuck my hat in the ring and I don’t expect to win as in any competition I enter I will always find other images I think are better. I can’t deny though that it does itch when a poorly executed image of the same subject comes up, hence the post. There’s always the nagging question of overrating one’s own image.

Yes, I’ve been checking on David Yarrow’s work for ages. Being Africa based I’m more interested in that side of his work, and in particular his elephants. I probably see about 300+ in a year and have no satisfactory photo, but he’s helped me figure out the pictures I want. It’s unbelievably difficult to get from a photo of a rather large organic lump to photo that distils the essence of “elephant”.

I won’t get discouraged, and thanks for the encouragement. As an experiment I did put an average gorilla photo up and that went forward. An earlier comment of “what they want” I think is important.

On competitions in general, it’s best to enter with the thought of “I’ll throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.” Don’t take it too seriously, but do listen if feedback is given as it can help you grow in your photography. I’ve won 13 awards and had many images in judged competitions around the state I live in, California. I recall someone walking past my one “Best of Show” and him saying to his wife, “that’s NOT best of show!” The comment simply made me laugh. We’ve all got an opinion! Judges are just people, some like one thing, some like another, some are qualified, some are not…that’s why you can’t take it too seriously. I think if an image even gets considered someone has won, it’s a step toward being the photographer you aspire to be. Shoot what you like and shoot for the story you want to tell or the emotions you want to convey and then pick your best work from your point of view to enter into a competition and “let go.”

On your first image I am a big fan of high-key, I generally love it. I agreed with the statements about this one being a bit over the edge and I think the fix improved it. If you know PS or a similar layer-based program this type of image is really fun to put a background behind and doing this can oftentimes create an even more beautiful image. I love this image.

I would have guessed that the elephant image got considered. And I would guess that some judge said the shot would have been better if you did not see the butt end of one elephant and s/he did not like that the face of that same animal was not apparent at all: some people don’t know how to process compositional elements with any artistic thought, they just follow a “rule,” the one that seems to say always “show the face of an animal.” I loved reading that one of David Yarrow’s most popular prints is “78 Degrees North,” this print sells for around $100,000, and the main subject is the butt end of a polar bear in the snow: the only dark part of the image is the back paw of the polar bear, it’s a wonderful shot. I figure if he can shoot the butt end of an animal then it’s ok to do that when it tells a story or gets the point across. Look him up, an incredible animal photographer.

On the third image, while it is a very nicely done image, this shot has been way overdone. Judges do look for something new and often learn toward an image that is more unique in composition or subject matter. Also, it might have been improved by processing the image so that fish showed up more in the image. This type of image is perhaps more about the fish than the eagle as the fish is the one losing its life. I personally like the image.

I think you are doing very well and you are looking for the right thing when you shoot. Don’t get discouraged, just keep on trying.

Thanks for your input. Indeed I do just chuck my hat in the ring and I don’t expect to win as in any competition I enter I will always find other images I think are better. I can’t deny though that it does itch when a poorly executed image of the same subject comes up, hence the post. There’s always the nagging question of overrating one’s own image.

Yes, I’ve been checking on David Yarrow’s work for ages. Being Africa based I’m more interested in that side of his work, and in particular his elephants. I probably see about 300+ in a year and have no satisfactory photo, but he’s helped me figure out the pictures I want. It’s unbelievably difficult to get from a photo of a rather large organic lump to photo that distils the essence of “elephant”.

I won’t get discouraged, and thanks for the encouragement. As an experiment I did put an average gorilla photo up and that went forward. An earlier comment of “what they want” I think is important.

 

[Andrew Lamberson]

Photo competitions seem to be like the Westminster Dog show they show on TV....how do they pick a winner????

Just for my 2 cents...I liked the 1st Elephant picture the best, and I thought all the dirt and dust flying was a very important piece of the shot and the story.

 

[NickD]

Hi

My thoughts are as follows. Your first image leaves the remaining subject looking blown out plus in the composition, the subject matter is too central.The third image's problem is the time of day and over head light. Not sure what you could do.

Your best image is the elephants but the composition is too centered. Taking the original image (on the left) and using a Fibonacci Spiral frame, I cropped the version on the right to place it over the elephants eye. I then tried some adjustments to exposure and clarity to elevate the contrast as I feel the original did not have the range of Black to white. This I thought made your wonderful image more lively.

 

[Robin]

On competitions in general, it’s best to enter with the thought of “I’ll throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.” Don’t take it too seriously, but do listen if feedback is given as it can help you grow in your photography. I’ve won 13 awards and had many images in judged competitions around the state I live in, California. I recall someone walking past my one “Best of Show” and him saying to his wife, “that’s NOT best of show!” The comment simply made me laugh. We’ve all got an opinion! Judges are just people, some like one thing, some like another, some are qualified, some are not…that’s why you can’t take it too seriously. I think if an image even gets considered someone has won, it’s a step toward being the photographer you aspire to be. Shoot what you like and shoot for the story you want to tell or the emotions you want to convey and then pick your best work from your point of view to enter into a competition and “let go.”

On your first image I am a big fan of high-key, I generally love it. I agreed with the statements about this one being a bit over the edge and I think the fix improved it. If you know PS or a similar layer-based program this type of image is really fun to put a background behind and doing this can oftentimes create an even more beautiful image. I love this image.

I would have guessed that the elephant image got considered. And I would guess that some judge said the shot would have been better if you did not see the butt end of one elephant and s/he did not like that the face of that same animal was not apparent at all: some people don’t know how to process compositional elements with any artistic thought, they just follow a “rule,” the one that seems to say always “show the face of an animal.” I loved reading that one of David Yarrow’s most popular prints is “78 Degrees North,” this print sells for around $100,000, and the main subject is the butt end of a polar bear in the snow: the only dark part of the image is the back paw of the polar bear, it’s a wonderful shot. I figure if he can shoot the butt end of an animal then it’s ok to do that when it tells a story or gets the point across. Look him up, an incredible animal photographer.

On the third image, while it is a very nicely done image, this shot has been way overdone. Judges do look for something new and often learn toward an image that is more unique in composition or subject matter. Also, it might have been improved by processing the image so that fish showed up more in the image. This type of image is perhaps more about the fish than the eagle as the fish is the one losing its life. I personally like the image.

I think you are doing very well and you are looking for the right thing when you shoot. Don’t get discouraged, just keep on trying.

Thanks V much for your input, it gave me an uplift . Robin.

 

[Howard5252]

For competition, always submit your best work, don't try to guess what the judges want - if it rewarded, fine; if not, move on. Judging is generally extremely subjective and there is usually no way to know in advance which of your entries will win something. How 'bout this reason for not winning, there were better submissions than yours. Study the photos that did win; take a close look at photos in magazines. In order to take a winning photo, it will help to know what one looks like. Become familiar with a few of the technical rule of composition; break them not because of ignorance but because your photo requires it. If you want to have some fun, submit the same photo into several competitions and see what happens. Don't keep a folder called "Photo Graveyard" !! If you do, I would suggest you look at it only once a year. You may find that your photography has improved and when you look back at the "Graveyard Photos" you will know why they didn't win. Have fun.

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

..... Judges are just people, some like one thing, some like another, some are qualified, some are not…that’s why you can’t take it too seriously. ........

...... How 'bout this reason for not winning, there were better submissions than yours. .......

I have judged several competitions over many years. The above sums it up nicely. Just like you have an opinion on a photo, they do too. Except their's count more than yours Don't take it personally.

 

[Walter Baliero]

Delated

 

[Squawk]

Hi

My thoughts are as follows. Your first image leaves the remaining subject looking blown out plus in the composition, the subject matter is too central.The third image's problem is the time of day and over head light. Not sure what you could do.

Your best image is the elephants but the composition is too centered. Taking the original image (on the left) and using a Fibonacci Spiral frame, I cropped the version on the right to place it over the elephants eye. I then tried some adjustments to exposure and clarity to elevate the contrast as I feel the original did not have the range of Black to white. This I thought made your wonderful image more lively.View attachment 5533

Thanks for the input. Most people said the carmine was overblown, but how about the revised version? Fish eagle was taken around 9 in the morning so the light was still just low enough. Perhaps it's the fact it's coming from over my right shoulder rather than the left, but that would have introduced a new set of problems.

I’d tried Fibonacci (the grid I normally have on), tried thirds but in the end preferred more space for them to scrap in. I did do a tight crop on a different frame that was really tight into the action that I thought was better but it never saw the light of day. Thanks for calling the shot wonderful, but the really wonderful thing was being in the thick of the action.

 

[BiggDogg]

I am not of the level to critique anyone's photography. I'm happy just to get a decent, sharp picture of a wild animal at this point. Your photos are amazing to me. I will give you an answer to your question from another perspective. I was once married to an artist (painter/sculptor). She was excellent. I can't tell you how many competitions she entered only to be rejected for others' work that truly was inferior compared to hers. Though I am no longer married to her, she continues to be very successful in producing, marketing and selling her art and has become well respected by other well known artists. I learned back then that competitions are sometimes not about the art or artist, sometimes (more often than not) it is about "politics" among the jurors/judge, subject/style/technique bias and about artist name recognition rather than artist creation. In your case, I wouldn't even worry about it. You are already creating beautiful work of a quality that most of us would love to achieve. Don't let lack of recognition in competitions rule your life. Just keep taking incredible shots like the ones you offered with your post. We all can improve and grow. My favorite, the Elephants. Great shot!. Good luck!

 

[tjphxaz]

Photo competition judging is very subjective and generally the judge(s) make a score in a matter of seconds. I have had the same photo place all through the range of 1st to HM and even no award. When I judge, I consider Technical Merit, Composition and Impact as the primary factors giving most weight to Impact then Technical Merit and Composition. I did not read the thread so as not to be influenced by what others think of your three entries. All have merit. Assuming it is a Nature Competition I would place them in order starting with the eagle with fish, the elephants, the bird and perch. The eagle with fish has high Impact and is sharp and well composed. The elephants have Impact but I would like to see a composition with more of a side rather than butt view. The bird and perch has interest but not Impact. The bird’s eye appears to be in shadow and I felt the perch was man-made which is a disqualifier in a Nature competition. So, there is much to consider in judging and it is usually done fast which increases the influence of subjectivity. Now, I will read the thread to see how many people got it wrong. Or if I’m the outlier.

 

[Yogi]

I'm probably the last person anyone would pick as a judge in a photo contest. I don't enter them because I often don't even like the winners in some contests. I'm not a big fan of the "creamy" background. I think nature photos should show some nature and not look like they were shot in a studio. My first impression of your photos: The first one is of a bird known for its brilliant colour, why does it look so faded? you have subdued the one thing that is distinctive about the subject. Second, the elephant image was shot from an unfortunate position, not your fault but it would have been better if both animal's heads were featured, rather than one's bottom. And the big dark shadow in the centre is unfortunate (again not your fault). On the eagle, the deep shadow under one wing and the nearly black fish detract from a great action shot. I agree they are all great shots and I would be happy to have them in my library, but they all have faults. Competition judges have too many entries to look at and will dismiss an image as soon as they spot a flaw.

 

[EricBowles]

I judge a lot of competitions, and this year have judged more than 1000 finalist images in a half dozen competitions. Every competition is different, and the level of photographer is going to vary. As others have indicated, the expertise and preferences of judges are going to vary. I've done a good bit of post competition analysis for competitions, and it's hard for an individual judge to avoid bias or preference. Sometimes there are "kick-out factors" - flaws that some judges consider minor might be complete rejects for other judges. One judge I know hates overlaps - things that overlap or touch rather than having a little separation. Most judges are very conscious about edges of the image and making sure nothing is cut off unintentionally. Blown out areas are problematic. In a larger competition, your work not only needs to be good, but you may need something different or unique. Most judges pay more attention to something different or special. Large mammals from a trip to Africa, bears from North America, large wading birds, etc. are often common entries, so they need to be exceptional to score highly.

I analyzed the results of a top national contest several years ago. There were 2500 images and about 25% were from full time professionals. One of the entries was a landscape by Peter Lik. He and his team enter a number of big national contests with some really good images that always do well in blind judging. There were three judges - two top professional photographers and a magazine editor. Lik's image received a perfect score of 7 from the two photographers, but the editor gave it a score of 5. If the image had been scored a 6 by that judge, it would have won the contest. As it was, it was simply a top 10 finalist. It turned out that the editor loved wildlife images, and when I interviewed the judge later, she indicated "anyone can make a landscape image". Her votes for landscapes were 1.5 points below her average score for wildlife images. Lik's image sells in his galleries for more than $25,000.

I consider images with the assumption that the photographer chose the position, time of day, and had an unlimited amount of time to make the image with trips over a number of days. That's clearly not realistic, but it's also not right to judge based on the fact you only had 30 minutes for a quick shot during the middle of the day. There are photographers who will work the same subject day after day to get a great image in excellent light.

The first image of the carmine with high key treatment was interesting and stands out to me. It's a different subject and being presented in an artistic manner. It would do better in a Fine Art category than just a Bird category. I struggle with the exposure and wonder if it is a little too washed out. I like the space to the right of the bird - in the direction it's looking. The image appears reasonably sharp. I'd prefer the image being a little darker - so the color of the bird is more vibrant, but I'd have to look closer as to whether that really made it better. The image definitely stands out as different.

The image of the elephants shows great movement and action. It's a dynamic composition. The subjects are very common, but the action is less common. My big issue is the near elephant is blocking the face of the rear elephant. I'd like to see the entire face of the rear elephant. You probably could not get that angle, but that's the angle that would make that image score higher. It looks sharp to me and a mild vignette would help a little. For me, the blocked elephant face would probably keep this image from being selected as a winner or finalist. As a judge, I have to separate your excitement of "being there" from the image as a stand alone photo. You might have this on your wall as a vibrant reminder of the experience.

The third image of the fish eagle has a well lit subject and great action. The eagle's head and shoulders are in focus, sharp, and well lit. The outstretched right wing of the eagle adds to the composition. The contrast of the eagle's orange shoulders and blue water in the background adds to the image. But eagles are relatively common subjects, and this image will compete with other eagle and osprey images. The fish is in shadow so it does not add to the image. There is a bright spot above the eagle on the top edge of the frame that could be darkened slightly. If there are too many similar images, they all get rejected, and the finalists for an exhibit would only have one eagle or osprey image. This is my favorite image of the set, but it probably would be chosen for exhibit but not as a winner. This belongs on your wall.

Contests are a good way to push yourself to make a great image - not just a good one. Making a print can add another layer of difficulty or challenge. Every little detail should be addressed in a competition image. If you wonder whether you should fix something, in a competition the answer is probably yes. Look for images that have great lighting, great action, wonderful compositions, etc. Look for the image that captures your eye when you enter a room or when you bring up 20 images in your Lightroom library. The great image will jump out. Definitely keep entering contests.

 

[Deleted member 115]

I judge a lot of competitions, and this year have judged more than 1000 finalist images in a half dozen competitions. Every competition is different, and the level of photographer is going to vary. As others have indicated, the expertise and preferences of judges are going to vary. I've done a good bit of post competition analysis for competitions, and it's hard for an individual judge to avoid bias or preference. Sometimes there are "kick-out factors" - flaws that some judges consider minor might be complete rejects for other judges. One judge I know hates overlaps - things that overlap or touch rather than having a little separation. Most judges are very conscious about edges of the image and making sure nothing is cut off unintentionally. Blown out areas are problematic. In a larger competition, your work not only needs to be good, but you may need something different or unique. Most judges pay more attention to something different or special. Large mammals from a trip to Africa, bears from North America, large wading birds, etc. are often common entries, so they need to be exceptional to score highly.

I analyzed the results of a top national contest several years ago. There were 2500 images and about 25% were from full time professionals. One of the entries was a landscape by Peter Lik. He and his team enter a number of big national contests with some really good images that always do well in blind judging. There were three judges - two top professional photographers and a magazine editor. Lik's image received a perfect score of 7 from the two photographers, but the editor gave it a score of 5. If the image had been scored a 6 by that judge, it would have won the contest. As it was, it was simply a top 10 finalist. It turned out that the editor loved wildlife images, and when I interviewed the judge later, she indicated "anyone can make a landscape image". Her votes for landscapes were 1.5 points below her average score for wildlife images. Lik's image sells in his galleries for more than $25,000.

I consider images with the assumption that the photographer chose the position, time of day, and had an unlimited amount of time to make the image with trips over a number of days. That's clearly not realistic, but it's also not right to judge based on the fact you only had 30 minutes for a quick shot during the middle of the day. There are photographers who will work the same subject day after day to get a great image in excellent light.

The first image of the carmine with high key treatment was interesting and stands out to me. It's a different subject and being presented in an artistic manner. It would do better in a Fine Art category than just a Bird category. I struggle with the exposure and wonder if it is a little too washed out. I like the space to the right of the bird - in the direction it's looking. The image appears reasonably sharp. I'd prefer the image being a little darker - so the color of the bird is more vibrant, but I'd have to look closer as to whether that really made it better. The image definitely stands out as different.

The image of the elephants shows great movement and action. It's a dynamic composition. The subjects are very common, but the action is less common. My big issue is the near elephant is blocking the face of the rear elephant. I'd like to see the entire face of the rear elephant. You probably could not get that angle, but that's the angle that would make that image score higher. It looks sharp to me and a mild vignette would help a little. For me, the blocked elephant face would probably keep this image from being selected as a winner or finalist. As a judge, I have to separate your excitement of "being there" from the image as a stand alone photo. You might have this on your wall as a vibrant reminder of the experience.

The third image of the fish eagle has a well lit subject and great action. The eagle's head and shoulders are in focus, sharp, and well lit. The outstretched right wing of the eagle adds to the composition. The contrast of the eagle's orange shoulders and blue water in the background adds to the image. But eagles are relatively common subjects, and this image will compete with other eagle and osprey images. The fish is in shadow so it does not add to the image. There is a bright spot above the eagle on the top edge of the frame that could be darkened slightly. If there are too many similar images, they all get rejected, and the finalists for an exhibit would only have one eagle or osprey image. This is my favorite image of the set, but it probably would be chosen for exhibit but not as a winner. This belongs on your wall.

Contests are a good way to push yourself to make a great image - not just a good one. Making a print can add another layer of difficulty or challenge. Every little detail should be addressed in a competition image. If you wonder whether you should fix something, in a competition the answer is probably yes. Look for images that have great lighting, great action, wonderful compositions, etc. Look for the image that captures your eye when you enter a room or when you bring up 20 images in your Lightroom library. The great image will jump out. Definitely keep entering contests.

This is all good information for any of us that want to improve our skills regardless of competition. Thanks for sharing

 

[jeffnles1]

Hi, first let me say these are all very nice photos. I don't think I could have done any better and probably a whole lot worse. Of the 3 I think number 1 is the weakest. The composition is good, the bird is interesting but the overexposed background is, as someone else already said, kind of distracting. I've taken thousands (maybe 10's of thousands) of bird photos and sometimes overexposing the sky is the only thing that can be done to get anything other than a silhouette. Again, I don't think I could have done anything different on this photo.

The elephants are stunning. I have no idea why that one got ignored. Looking at that photo I can almost hear the noise as these two go at it and feel the ground stake as the monsters stomp the earth into dust. Contrast is great, sharpness, etc. It has it all. Maybe a tad over sharpened for some tastes but I really like it.

Number 3 the eagle with the fish is another fine photo. If I were to guess why it may not have moved forward in a contest is familiarity with the subject matter. I have dozens of shots in my catalogue right now of eagles and osprey grabbing fish or flying by with fish in their talons. Your photo is well composed, technically excellent and that eagle is a magnificent creature. Just there are a lot of very similar photos out there and that may be playing against you.

I hope none of this comes off as criticism or negative. That sure isn't my intent. They are all excellent and I find the elephants to be simply amazing.

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

To be very honest - we are all emotionally attached/engaged with our images - as we should be. Because each and every photo is very personal to us. For anyone else to compare them to other people's photos is a bit unfair. Having an image evaluated or critiqued is a completely different story. And I am all for that.

For instance - If a judge sees something in a competition what he/she have always desperately wanted to shoot, it is natural that he/she would be drawn to that photo. It has to be like that, or else you look through very cold eyes. Judging has a huge subjective factor.

 

[Viathelens]

A good information link about judges and judging. http://www.nanpa.org/twenty-five-qu...e Photography Association&_zs=PgnEa&_zl=7XNG2.

 

[Oztours]

@Viathelens, I haven't read it in full detail yet, but it certainly appears to have good info. Bookmarked for later reading. Thanks

 

[Squawk]

I judge a lot of competitions, and this year have judged more than 1000 finalist images in a half dozen competitions. Every competition is different, and the level of photographer is going to vary. As others have indicated, the expertise and preferences of judges are going to vary. I've done a good bit of post competition analysis for competitions, and it's hard for an individual judge to avoid bias or preference. Sometimes there are "kick-out factors" - flaws that some judges consider minor might be complete rejects for other judges. One judge I know hates overlaps - things that overlap or touch rather than having a little separation. Most judges are very conscious about edges of the image and making sure nothing is cut off unintentionally. Blown out areas are problematic. In a larger competition, your work not only needs to be good, but you may need something different or unique. Most judges pay more attention to something different or special. Large mammals from a trip to Africa, bears from North America, large wading birds, etc. are often common entries, so they need to be exceptional to score highly.

I analyzed the results of a top national contest several years ago. There were 2500 images and about 25% were from full time professionals. One of the entries was a landscape by Peter Lik. He and his team enter a number of big national contests with some really good images that always do well in blind judging. There were three judges - two top professional photographers and a magazine editor. Lik's image received a perfect score of 7 from the two photographers, but the editor gave it a score of 5. If the image had been scored a 6 by that judge, it would have won the contest. As it was, it was simply a top 10 finalist. It turned out that the editor loved wildlife images, and when I interviewed the judge later, she indicated "anyone can make a landscape image". Her votes for landscapes were 1.5 points below her average score for wildlife images. Lik's image sells in his galleries for more than $25,000.

I consider images with the assumption that the photographer chose the position, time of day, and had an unlimited amount of time to make the image with trips over a number of days. That's clearly not realistic, but it's also not right to judge based on the fact you only had 30 minutes for a quick shot during the middle of the day. There are photographers who will work the same subject day after day to get a great image in excellent light.

The first image of the carmine with high key treatment was interesting and stands out to me. It's a different subject and being presented in an artistic manner. It would do better in a Fine Art category than just a Bird category. I struggle with the exposure and wonder if it is a little too washed out. I like the space to the right of the bird - in the direction it's looking. The image appears reasonably sharp. I'd prefer the image being a little darker - so the color of the bird is more vibrant, but I'd have to look closer as to whether that really made it better. The image definitely stands out as different.

The image of the elephants shows great movement and action. It's a dynamic composition. The subjects are very common, but the action is less common. My big issue is the near elephant is blocking the face of the rear elephant. I'd like to see the entire face of the rear elephant. You probably could not get that angle, but that's the angle that would make that image score higher. It looks sharp to me and a mild vignette would help a little. For me, the blocked elephant face would probably keep this image from being selected as a winner or finalist. As a judge, I have to separate your excitement of "being there" from the image as a stand alone photo. You might have this on your wall as a vibrant reminder of the experience.

The third image of the fish eagle has a well lit subject and great action. The eagle's head and shoulders are in focus, sharp, and well lit. The outstretched right wing of the eagle adds to the composition. The contrast of the eagle's orange shoulders and blue water in the background adds to the image. But eagles are relatively common subjects, and this image will compete with other eagle and osprey images. The fish is in shadow so it does not add to the image. There is a bright spot above the eagle on the top edge of the frame that could be darkened slightly. If there are too many similar images, they all get rejected, and the finalists for an exhibit would only have one eagle or osprey image. This is my favorite image of the set, but it probably would be chosen for exhibit but not as a winner. This belongs on your wall.

Contests are a good way to push yourself to make a great image - not just a good one. Making a print can add another layer of difficulty or challenge. Every little detail should be addressed in a competition image. If you wonder whether you should fix something, in a competition the answer is probably yes. Look for images that have great lighting, great action, wonderful compositions, etc. Look for the image that captures your eye when you enter a room or when you bring up 20 images in your Lightroom library. The great image will jump out. Definitely keep entering contests.

That’s really helpful and thanks. From the horse’s mouth so to speak. What I find a little odd is that the elephants are popular here and was the one selected, but it’s the one photo I don’t like. Perhaps because I have the original raw and know how hard I had to work to get it acceptable while the other two are basically our of camera. I’ll keep plugging away but be more focused on what gets entered. But again thanks for a really focused and enlightening review.

 

[billklipp]

Very nice images but here are a few thoughts.
1) the high key nature of the image appeals to fewer people vs one rich in color which is what a bee-eater brings to the table. Net net it comes off as washed out.
2) The Elle would be my pick although I would consider the new crop as well as increase the contrast and the blacks
3) Excellent eagle shot but this type of image is a bit more common and the judges often look for uniqueness (like the Elle). For example while I'm tempted many times I avoid entering photos of Egrets into contests as they are all too common no matter how awesome the image is. Uniqueness often helps a lot.