NCUPS Sea2004 contest results: It's official....

Well, shoot, I better start looking at the prizes more carefully! I'd take a 14 day trip for a winning photo but you may have to twist my arm a little.. )

Does wetpixel usually post the big contests or is there a list of big events on the web someplace?

M.

Well, shoot, I better start looking at the prizes more carefully! I'd take a 14 day trip for a winning photo but you may have to twist my arm a little.. )

 

Does wetpixel usually post the big contests or is there a list of big events on the web someplace?

 

M.

Sounds good until the wife wants to come along and you price out your airfare which is not included. I just won the opportunity to spend $9,000.

Coincidentally enough, a shot I'd taken of a Grouper at a cleaning station placed in two contest. Same exact shot. My only defense is, both contests had deadlines fairly close together and although I like to think all my shots are winners, there's no guarantee. So I entered the photo in both comps.

As far as I know, there's no problem with that. You just have to make sure your entry for one contest is postmarked before the results are announced for the previous. BTW, I'm no expert of course; I've just examined the rules from a number of contests, and sometimes sent questions to the organizers.

To further the dilemma, I've got several different, what I'd call quite different compostions from tht one session. You can see another one of them in the Wetpixle bi-monthly that's in judging. Wonder if this meets Linda's definition of a different compositon? I've entered yet another version in BTS.

I would think that different compositions in different frames from the same session would be fine, by my interpretation. But perhaps not from the same shot/frame. I think what they are trying to prevent is someone taking one shot, and cropping it different ways (e.g. vertically and horizontally) or doing things like flipping it to get a different composition. Usually it's stated something like "derivations from the same photo" in previous winners are prohibited.

But not all contests state this. The rules are certainly not all the same for all contests. For example, LAUPS does state that dodging and burning (as Todd mentioned) are acceptable, but NCUPS does not. While I know how to dodge and burn with prints, I'm not even sure how I would do that with slide film, unless I did it digitally and then output to film. Certainly my lab doesn't support this in making slide dupes. So, I personally have decided I won't worry about what details are kosher for various contests; I just send my unmanipulated stuff in and hope that the playing field is somewhat level. Otherwise, it'd be too nightmarish for me to keep track of which versions had which things done to them.. On the other hand, maybe if I did, I'd place better than runner-up sometime! :? Nah, it's less work to just keep striving to take better photos... :wink:

But not all contests state this. The rules are certainly not all the same for all contests. For example, LAUPS does state that dodging and burning (as Todd mentioned) are acceptable, but NCUPS does not. While I know how to dodge and burn with prints, I'm not even sure how I would do that with slide film, unless I did it digitally and then output to film. :

Actually, it is listed as acceptable on NCUPS. If you see under prints it is there, and same for BTS. So they all allow it. The editting allowed always seems to be pretty much the same. But, I am like you and just generally crop, balance, and sharpen. Maybe dodge and burn now that I understand it better.

Where they do seem to vary is on prior wins acceptability.

I think a good shot probably needs very little anyway so you don't have to worry Linda you will win out in the end. Your shots are great by the way!

Actually, it is listed as acceptable on NCUPS. If you see under prints it is there, and same for BTS. So they all allow it. But, I am like you and just generally crop, balance, and sharpen. Maybe dodge and burn now that I understand it better. I think a good shot probably needs very little anyway so you don't have to worry Linda you will win out in the end. Your shots are great by the way!

Ah, makes alot of sense for prints. Hadn't seen that since I've never sent prints in. I had just seen the disqualification rules that say optical or digital manipulation other than cropping and duplication is basis for disqualification. The dodging and burning for prints seems to be an exception; I personally might not assume that means it's acceptable for digital entries until I clarified it with the organizers first, but that's me. LAUPS seems to allow dodging and burning in any category, or they at least don't specify. BTS specifically allows it, though it is only mentioned for digital images. As I mentioned, I'm not sure how it would be accomplished with slides anyway, unless it was done digitally first.

I think we'll see these rules changing and evolving every year for a while. Folks are still coming to grips with what is the "right" thing to do for new rules, or what's even possible to enforce.

I'm with you; a good image needs little, no matter what the media! I'll keep striving, even with all this tough company out there...

I was with a film photographer whom I greatly admire in Palau, and his philosophy was to get it right out of the camera. That is my current goal. Doesn't always happen OK, rarely happens.

Nothing wrong with a little photoshop, but I have taken a little heat for this philosophy on some boards.

Chris

I think that the use of post processing, be it RAW adjustment or Photochopping, can become really powerful when you are aware of what it can do for you when you are in the water and adjust your techniques accordingly.

For example my work with Telephoto this year. Out of the camera telephoto shots look a bit flat, lacking in contrast and too blue - because they are taken through too much water. Indeed, on film they would go straight in the bin. But I shoot them because I know I am shooting in RAW - which will allow me to adjust both the white balance of the image - to correct the blue tinge - and increase the contrast of "my film stock" to a level that is suitable.

I think that it is great that BTS have combined digital and slide. We have just made a similiar step at BSoUP http://www.bsoup.org. Afterall, most publishers - judge digital and slide images side by side when deciding which to publish. I am glad to see that this artificial barrier is starting to come down.

Alex

I say good luck to people who win several times with the same shots. I think that there is far too much praising of mediocrity in underwater photography these days - particularly on internet forums - and anything that raises the standard is a good thing.

The SEA 2004 results, including images, has been posted on the NCUPS website http://www.ncups.org .

Check it out!

Kathy

I love it! Joe's digitally captured barracuda shot made best of slides! Way to go Joe.

And Kasey, looks like you got the Bob Commer award with a digital print. Woohoo! Who did you print it with, or did you do it yourself?

Cheers

James