*2015/07/17 - B&W and Pictorial photo contest results!
Cleveland Photographic Society has changed their competitions up a bit, and included a brand new category! The new Category is a general B&W competition, which can include anything B&W. This just so happens to be one of the areas where I struggle, so I see this as a great opportunity to learn and grow at something new! The competition was tough, but I did manage to receive one award!
2015-07-17 - Third place - B&W Competition - "Meditation"
Taken during a fun photo shoot with my friend Kelly!
2015-07-17 - Did not place - B&W Competition - "Colorado Curve"
2015-07-17 - Did not place - Pictorial Competition - "Tiny Cleveland Fireworks - 2015"
Dan
*2015/07/10 - Creative & Pictorial competition results
Creative Competition
2015-07-10 - Third place - Creative Competition - "The Feds Never Sleep"
2015-07-10 - Third place - Pictorial Competition - "Summer Solstice Sunset on the Cuyahoga"
2015-07-10 - Did not place - Pictorial Competition - "Fireworks over the Cleveland Pyramids"
That's it for now... I wish you the greatest in all that you do!!!
Regards,
Dan Sandy
*2014/01/24 - Projection Competition
"The City is Alive"
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Second place (I think at least one person got a perfect score this evening)
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: Top of the Terminal Tower in Cleveland, Ohio! One of the many benefits of being a member of The Cleveland Photographic Society!
Story behind the photo: Sunset on top of the Terminal tower can lend it self to some beautiful views! I used a few Cokin graduated filters to take this photo.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 11-18mm Ultra wide-angle
- Remote shutter release
- Tripod
- Cokin Filters - Graduated Neutral Density
- Sunset filter (Can't confirm)
- Amber filter
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > 3-image HDR saved as PSD> Saved as Jpeg for upload
Focal Length: 14mm
Exposures: 0 / -2 / +2
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter Speeds: 0.5 - 1/8 - 2.0
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
-NIK HDR Efex 2 (3 Image HDR)
Lessons learned:
- Cokin filters can save even the brightest of days! Or it can totally ruin your photos... you just never know.
- Bracketing exposures (AEB) and then using HDR software such as NIK HDR Efex or Photomatix can yield some interesting results!
"Reflecting On Where They're From"
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Third Place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: Somewhere in Bedford Metroparks in Bedford, Ohio. http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Reservations-Partners/Bedford-Reservation-1.aspx
Story behind the photo: Went on a hike during early December in the park. Saw remnants of fall leaves in a pool of unfrozen water, and got some ideas...
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as PSD > Converted to JPEG for upload
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/40
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4 (Just used slight filters)
- HRD Efex Pro 2 (Single Image Tone Mapping)
- Alien Skin Exposure 5 (for some simple film effects, and the boarder)
Lessons learned:
- Even if it's cold, there are shots to be had!
- The original unedited photo doesn't look nearly as cool as the final product.
- Sometimes rotating a photo 180 degrees can make a substantial difference!
Final Thoughts:
The proper cropping can help or hinder your photo entry... could mean the difference between placing, or getting nothing at all... Just make sure you it works for the photo, and don't force it!
*2013/10/11 - People Competition
"I Surrender... To Meditation"
Category: Studio
Contest Score: xx/27 - First Place (Became Photo of the Year in 2014)
Print medium: Semi Gloss
Print Size: 11x17
Location: Studio 11 in Tremont (Yoga studio) https://www.facebook.com/studio11tremont
Story behind the photo: My good friend Kelly is a yoga instructor who was happy to help me get some yoga shots!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle
- 2 Constant Studio lights on stands & one fill light on the background.
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif > Jpeg
Focal Length: 12mm
Exposure: -0.33
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter Speeds: 1/15
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
Lessons learned:
- Friends make great models when trying to learn.
- Lighting can be difficult... move the lights around until the shadows look right for your shots.
Utthita Hasta Padangustasana
"Utthita Hasta Padangustasana"
Category: Studio
Contest Score: xx/27 - Didn't place
Print medium: Matte Paper
Print Size: 11x14
Location: Studio 11 (Yoga studio) https://www.facebook.com/studio11tremont
Story behind the photo: Same shoot as above... Kelly was a trooper, as it lasted several hours, and she was doing complex poses for most of them!
Fun Fact: as an instigator, I used the legitimate name for this yoga pose. I knew that someone would need to try and pronounce the title during the contest, so I made sure it was long, and difficult to read... The best part was that the announcer asked how to pronounce it, and I stated that I didn't even know... good times!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle
- 2 Constant Studio lights on stands & one fill light on the background
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif > Jpeg
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure: -0.33
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speeds: 1/50
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
Lessons learned:
- I took hundreds of shots during the eve... Good things pixels are cheep!
- After the shoot, I was told by another artist that some cultures are offended by the bottoms of women's feet... Although it is nice to be considerate of other people's cultures, I would still take and show this shot a million times over. Although it didn't do well in the contest, I really like it anyhow!
Final Thoughts:
Learn your camera by taking tons of shots... you'll only get better by knowing your gear! One thing to aid in that is to search Youtube or Linda.com for tutorials specific to your camera gear. The difference between an mediocre shot, and an award winner could be just a matter of using some simple after market filters in Photoshop! (I personally love the NIK filters (currently owned by google). If you decide to buy this filter pack, look for coupons online, as you can get something like 20% off!
*2013/09/27 - Projection Competition
"Wind Swept"
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Second place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Judges Comments: I recall the judge liking the fact that the bent stick in the foreground almost makes a complete circle along the grass in the sand, and the other greenery.
Location: Roosevelt Beach Road, Copalis Crossing, WA (I was somewhere near coordinates 47.176033,-124.195655 Plop that into Google maps)
Story behind the photo: Was aimlessly driving around Washington state and ran across a beach access... decided to walk around to enjoy the beautiful June day on the West coast!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 11-18mm Ultra wide-angle
- Remote shutter release
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > 3-image HDR saved as Tif > Saved as Jpeg for upload
Focal Length: 11mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speeds: 1/320
ISO: 200
Circular Polarizer (filter)
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
-NIK HDR Efex 2 (Singe Image Tone Mapping)
Lessons learned:
- The West coast has a lot to offer!
- How to beter edit photos using some simple aftermarket filters in Photoshop! (NIK software)
"Old Czech"
Category: Black & White
Contest Score: ??/27 - Did not place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: A former co-worker's basement with all their old musical instruments.
Story behind the photo: Both the harmonica and sheet music are from old world Czech Republic.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Lensbaby Composer with Double Glass Optic
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for upload
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/??
Shutter Speed: 1/50
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- HRD Efex Pro 2 (Single Image Tone Mapping)
Lessons learned:
- Using a Lensbaby gave the look of motion when none was present!
- Silver Efex pro can give some really cool effects to photos!!!
Final Thoughts:
I highly recommend shooting photos in RAW format, and converting your image to a smart object before doing any edits. Both those things will give the option to go back and fine tune any changes you've already made (minus clone brush work). If you intend on using the Clone brush or Dodge/Burn tools, do so before converting to a smart object.
Saving the image as a PSD file will allow you to retain any layers and edits for later retouching. Once you're happy with the photo, flatten the image, and save a copy in a different format (preferably JPEG).