Post your 2020 landscapes!

AS_Photo wrote in post #19273712
This looks overly edited. I'd grade this image worse than the original you had posted. But both are lacking in contrast IMO. If you look at Peano's edit it has much better contrast.

I tend to agree, after looking at it more. I just don't have the Photoshop skills needed to make it really pop. I still have a few days before the entries are due, so I am going to reach out the the photographer in Allen in the previous post. Thanks for the honesty.

Well... this is great because you've identified where you should "focus" in order to improve; I've kind of had the same discovery lately - a lot are now using "smart objects" and doing more photo composite work... So the whole editing process evolves quickly...

Overall though - sometimes I have learned to just not get so attached to one particular shot... sometimes you discover that going back and shooting the same place several times = better and improving results. Obviously this is a function of time/$/family/other priorities, but that's kind of how my learning process works. Luckily landscapes tend to be fairly static, but you may find a different time of year, different weather conditions, etc...

I'm curious what other shots you have that are say in your top 3-5 that are up for consideration... What is this contest? is there a link? Who's hosting it?

HannahsDad wrote in post #19273958
=Hannah'sDad;19273958]​I tend to agree, after looking at it more. I just don't have the Photoshop skills needed to make it really pop. I still have a few days before the entries are due, so I am going to reach out the the photographer in Allen in the previous post. Thanks for the honesty.

HannahsDad wrote in post #19273958
=Hannah'sDad;19273958]​I tend to agree, after looking at it more. I just don't have the Photoshop skills needed to make it really pop. I still have a few days before the entries are due, so I am going to reach out the the photographer in Allen in the previous post. Thanks for the honesty.

Of course! We can't improve without feedback

I will say though, entering into competitions can be frustrating. I have won best of show at a juried competition that I have entered many times and on other times that I entered the same show, I didn't get anything, where the best of show was to me pretty horrible. Once there was a picture of a dumpster (seriously) and the other was some concrete stairs under an overpass. It depends highly on the juror. Since this show was mixed with photography, woodworking, sculpture, painting, etc. there were a variety of jurors from a variety of disciplines. The year that I won best of show the juror was a photographer.

There have been some excellent works there as well that won best of show. One was a scratchboard piece that was simply amazing. You never feel bad when the one that wins is such a great piece.

I have also exhibited in shows where I didn't place, but I sold work and the work that placed didn't sell. So you never know what you are going to get in exhibitions.

A view in the kurpark in Salzufflen Germany

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Yeah... "post modern art" is an interesting topic....

AS_Photo wrote in post #19274002
Of course! We can't improve without feedback

I will say though, entering into competitions can be frustrating. I have won best of show at a juried competition that I have entered many times and on other times that I entered the same show, I didn't get anything, where the best of show was to me pretty horrible. Once there was a picture of a dumpster (seriously) and the other was some concrete stairs under an overpass. It depends highly on the juror. Since this show was mixed with photography, woodworking, sculpture, painting, etc. there were a variety of jurors from a variety of disciplines. The year that I won best of show the juror was a photographer.

There have been some excellent works there as well that won best of show. One was a scratchboard piece that was simply amazing. You never feel bad when the one that wins is such a great piece.

I have also exhibited in shows where I didn't place, but I sold work and the work that placed didn't sell. So you never know what you are going to get in exhibitions.

Chris -

The competition is the annual Professional Photographers of America (PPA) International Photographic Competition (IPC). Here is a link to it and you can see some of the winners from 2020. https://www.ppa.com/ev​ents/photo-competitions The judging is done by a group of judges who assign it a score from 0-100. It needs to score at least an 80 to merit (win). If it merits, then all of those that merited go back through judges and the ones that are selected for "loan" are chosen. "Loan" goes back to the days when the actual print was loaned out for exhibition during the year. You get one competition point for a merit and two for a loan image. You need 13 "points" to earn certain degrees from PPA, such as the Master of Photography degree. Here is a link to the PPA degree site: https://www.ppa.com/cr​edentials-mem/degrees. It really is not about competing against anyone other than yourself and bettering your skills.

As for the other two that I am entering, I have already posted them in the 2021 landscape thread, so I won't post them here, just link to them.

Running Eagle Falls

https://photography-on-the.net …73&mg=284664&i=​i161956169

Swift Current Falls

https://photography-on-the.net …605&mg=284664&i​=i96894680

Both of these need a little bit of work before submission, but not like the one in this thread. I can enter up to four images and still need to select my fourth.

Interesting...

So in browsing some of the work on there....

I think a lot of peoples work on here runs circles around what's been posted there...

2 components I see:

1) The photo itself

2) The editing...

So really I think most people have #1 down pretty well being that we are nolonger limited to 24-26 photos on film... (I'm OLD okay!), so eventually most have figured out how to take decent photos/decent compositions. Where I see the biggest difference now is #2, the editing aspect. This is where a lot of people are standing out.

BTW: This is why I love birds/wildlife photography, because you either GET that shot, in that moment, or ya didn't... there's less emphases on spending hours editing your way to greatness. Now getting back into landscapes for a while, the biggest thing I see is just a wide variety in editing styles/expertise ( I have a lot to learn myself! ).

HannahsDad wrote in post #19274123
=Hannah'sDad;19274123]​Chris -

The competition is the annual Professional Photographers of America (PPA) International Photographic Competition (IPC). Here is a link to it and you can see some of the winners from 2020. https://www.ppa.com/ev​ents/photo-competitions The judging is done by a group of judges who assign it a score from 0-100. It needs to score at least an 80 to merit (win). If it merits, then all of those that merited go back through judges and the ones that are selected for "loan" are chosen. "Loan" goes back to the days when the actual print was loaned out for exhibition during the year. You get one competition point for a merit and two for a loan image. You need 13 "points" to earn certain degrees from PPA, such as the Master of Photography degree. Here is a link to the PPA degree site: https://www.ppa.com/cr​edentials-mem/degrees. It really is not about competing against anyone other than yourself and bettering your skills.

As for the other two that I am entering, I have already posted them in the 2021 landscape thread, so I won't post them here, just link to them.

Running Eagle Falls

https://photography-on-the.net …73&mg=284664&i=​i161956169

Swift Current Falls

https://photography-on-the.net …605&mg=284664&i​=i96894680

Both of these need a little bit of work before submission, but not like the one in this thread. I can enter up to four images and still need to select my fourth.

TRhoads wrote in post #19273660
I know a guy in Allen, Texas that does teaching and photoshop teaching, Jon Fischer, https://www.facebook.c​om/JonPFischerPhotogra​phy

Thanks for the shout out Travis!

While I'm here, I'll throw in one of my favorites from 2020.

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Well done beautifully this foggy mood image

cuda2k wrote in post #19275710
Thanks for the shout out Travis!

While I'm here, I'll throw in one of my favorites from 2020.

no problem, welcome back!

TRhoads wrote in post #19273660
I know a guy in Allen, Texas that does teaching and photoshop teaching, Jon Fischer, https://www.facebook.c​om/JonPFischerPhotogra​phy

Travis -

Thank you for the reference! He definitely knows Photoshop. We had our first session via Zoom yesterday (I'll be glad when this COVID crap is behind us). He had some very good pointers and it was well worth the time and money. I would recommend him to anyone that is struggling with a particular part of an image. He knows his stuff!

Scott

HannahsDad wrote in post #19275821
=Hannah'sDad;19275821]

Travis -

Thank you for the reference! He definitely knows Photoshop. We had our first session via Zoom yesterday (I'll be glad when this COVID crap is behind us). He had some very good pointers and it was well worth the time and money. I would recommend him to anyone that is struggling with a particular part of an image. He knows his stuff!

Scott

Glad it worked out!