April Pictorial Competition: It's not all about winning

April 19, 2010
Livermore Valley Camera Club

Everytime Color Pictorial Competition (Print and Projected Images) comes, it's always a big, busy and competitive night. As we get bigger (population wise), the competition gets tougher as well. More new pro are coming in and old timers getting better and better.

How do I pick what images to enter?...For me, competition is not all about winning, it's also about LEARNING. We are entitled to enter maximum of 2 images and my strategy is to enter one that will give favorable comments from the judge (and hopefully will win ☻) and a not-so-good one so I know where I can improve my skills.


PRINT Color Pictorial: Honorable Mention
Ventura Sunset

judge commentary: It's simple, though not a spectacular sunset, but I like it. It's something that you will hang on your wall and look at. It's relaxing. The clouds, the light on the water, and little bit of the mountain are interesting.

PRINT Color Pictorial: not a winner

Subway Light, New York

judge commentary: Someone saw interesting in the subway. I would just crop and focus on the light on the ceiling. Crop the fluorescent light and the lower part (floor) as well. But I like the fact what the photographer saw and made an interesting image of

the subway.

PROJECTED Pictorial Competition: Honorable Mention

The Silhouette Of The Foggy Tree, Mission Peak CA

judge commentary: The tree is sharp and stand out in a foggy day. I like the position of the tree and the sun. I also like the inclusion of

the hill below as foundation. Very nice composition. It's simple and yet well done.

PROJECTED Pictorial Competition: not a winner

Beach Comber, Pismo Beach CA

judge commentary: he's looking to the photographer and I don't know what he's doing. I would tone down the lights on the top.

A good balance of winning and losing is important. If you just win all the time, you won't get anything out of it; having some tough losses can be really important. ~ Andrew Shue

[click the images to enlarge]

Orange Dusk in Baja Coast: color or hue?

The image on the left is, so far my 2009 winning picture...still travelling and competing with the other winning pictures in Northern California camera clubs for Intermediate Print Pictorial category.

I stepped up by accident at the camera club on June 15 from Basic to Intermediate level competition. I hesitated at first because I did know I had a fear of failure BUT that fear compelled me to fight off anything that might support it. Then one member told me "It's OK, take the challenge! You shouldn't compete in Basic anyway since you produce such fantastic photos." So, I took the challenge of competing with 2 professional photographers and 1 photography instructor and got the 1st place.

Standing alone in a 100 ft drop, the colors of the sky and the sea changes from yellow to orange to pink to red orange to blue until it becomes pitch black. For 3 hours of non-stop sunset pictorial, I have witnessed and captured the phenomenon called Hue. To see it is a gift... during my birthday trip in Baja California Mexico.

The word color is the general term which applies to the whole subject - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black and white and all possible combinations thereof. Hue is the correct word to use to refer to just the pure spectrum colors.

I'm a self-taught photographer. Never took a class but attended some seminar/lectures that I didn't really learn anything. I certainly think training is important: self-training and to learn from a pro. The Orange Dusk in Baja Coast can never exist without the "eye" and "passion", not just by the camera+lens alone.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my travel companions/my cousins Dollie&Jeff for showing me the beauty and light of Baja California Mexico ~ It is their 2nd home and the Orange Dusk is actually the view from their "El Muchacho" cabin.

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator” ~ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
[click on the picture to enlarge, click the above title Orange Dusk in Baja Coast to see the colors of Erendira BC Mexico].