I found this note today on Betterphoto.com that I had written over a year ago in response to a question about "how to win the monthly photo contest". It is a response that really hasn't changed much for me since I've written it and seems to have marked a turning point for me with my photography. So I wanted to put it here, so I don't lose it. I wrote it on 5/31/2005, which happened to be just after I had won the Grand Prize in the prevous month's contest. Here was my response to the question "How to win when most photos are manipulated?":
This is an interesting discussion, but not necessarily a new one. My views about good photography have changed dramtically in the last year in which I have been taking Betterphoto classes. My tastes in photography have also changed over that time. What I consider good photography has changed too. It is completely a matter of personal taste.
For example, my girlfriend loves abstract paintings...to me, they look like something a 3rd grader did one day when they were bored in art class and spilled the paints on the canvas. That thinking means I am more concerned with technique than effect. This perfectly describes how my tastes have changed in photography over the last year. I used to be awed by wonderful technique (i.e. sharp focus, good dof and shutter speed choices). Now, after seeing so many wonderful photographs on this website, I find that good technique is really just the price of entry into the creation of a stunning image. And it's also not just as simple as putting something in the right spot using the rule of thirds. It's more about the message, mood, idea or beauty a photograph can bring. It includes the tension or lack of it, the negative space and the positive space, the rhythm and so on.
I have no idea how they judge photos on this site, because frankly there are so many amazing ones. I don't know if some of these people are pros or not either (whatever that may mean). All I know is that by looking at all of the photos that have become finalists over the last year, I have greatly improved my ability to "see" a potential photograph that I find compelling. Again, it's something "I" find compelling, not necessarily anyone else. And that's the beauty of it...it doesn't need to be for anyone but me.
Now I must admit, I enjoy receiving nice feedback about my photos (who doesn't). Many more of my photos have not been choosen as finalist as those that have. I still like the ones that haven't been picked just as much. I still have them hanging on my wall at home. They are part of me and my vision. But I'll emphasize again that by looking at other good photographs (and there are over 1000 new ones on this website every month)I have learned from others and refined my technique to greater capture the idea/mood I am going after. I learned from how others see...and that is the beauty of this whole place we call betterphoto.com.
Winning a contest doesn't make you a better photographer. Learning to see does. Translating what you see through the use of your camera is an exhilirating and challenging art. And since it is an art...it's completely subjective. I don't like abstract paintings or flower photographs...that doesn't mean they aren't good, or don't win photo contests. Frankly, I think it's cool that there are so many categories on this website with which to explore your own personal interests.
Now as to the subject of using photo editing software to enhance/change photos. I think that's a personal decision for each person. I shoot RAW format which absolutely requires editing to even start to look like what I saw through my viewfinder (most raw files have low saturation and contrast).
I freely admit in my photo descriptions that I will boost saturation/contrast/ remove unwanted elements, etc. I don't think there is a right or wrong on this issue. For example, Ansel Adams was a wonderful photographer, but an even better artist in the darkroom. Imagine what someone with his eye would create with the tools we have available today.
One of the things I realize early on last year as I began shooting digital, is that the photographs I liked the most were ones that not only had a good photographer behind the camera, but also had someone who was talented with Photoshop. For that reason, I have spent the last 6 months learning as much about PS as I can. It's my "darkroom". The benefit of processing my own photos with PS, is that now I begin to see potential problems before I shoot and adjust for them before releasing the shutter....meaning actually less PS work in the long run. Either way, for the type of photography that interests me, PS is a must.
My feeling is that BP.com is a great place to learn. The contests are a fun way to get some feedback on your photos, by having others see and comment on your work. I may never have another finalist photo...but I know I'm a better photographer than I was a year ago and that I will be even better a year from now because of all the knowledge and experience shared with me from instructors and students on this site.
