Up until this year, I have not entered this event, mainly because I’ve never done a panel before.
For me, this year is different though – the club did run a how to do a panel evening last year, and having seen a few now, and having the capability to cut mount board, I thought I would give it a try.
The other key motivator is (as per previous POTY blogs), is that I am attempting to compete with the top photographers at the club, stretching myself by trying new things, and going all out this year to enter into every competing round in the overall POTY competition.
How the print panel competition works
Members may enter up to two print panels each.
Each panel can have from a minimum of three images to a maximum of six images.
Members must submit each individual image digitally as usual, and a hanging plan which illustrates how the panel would hang, I.e. The panel’s orientation.
I have subsequently learnt that a hanging plan is only needed if your submit individually printed and mounted images that are to be arranged for display on an easel.
Members get a point for each panel entered, so it stands to reason most members competing in the wider overall POTY competition will probably enter two panels.
More points are given if any of the panels are held back (shortlisted) and there are more points for the winner and runner up.
There are no scores for panels, just critique, and shortlisting to the next round, or discarded.
In general, it’s an enjoyable evening – the lack of a score takes away any sting value, and the judges in the past have been most complimentary about all the panels.
Preparation
As is usually the case, family members (most often my Wife and daughter) have little choice but to offer me opinion and critique. Even more so with multiple images.
After going through loads of images, I had three working themes to design a panel for:
Red squirrels
ICM Seascapes
Beach huts
In addition to family, some photography friends of mine also gave me advice which was really useful. And I also sent a vote to a few work colleagues which may have increased my procrastination over which ones should be submitted.
Observations from differing opinions
Probably not a surprise, but my Wife and daughter both have a good eye for images.
My Wife has several hobbies such as knitting, quilting, croqueting which involve patterns and she’s always had a fantastic eye for a composition.
My daughter studied Illustration at Uni and also has hobbies of knitting and croquet, and an interest in tattoo and nail art.
It’s quite interesting that they, more often than not, choose the same images from a shortlist.
My photography friends usually have more technical or panel arrangement advice, and my work colleagues tend to pick what floats their boat in terms of theme of the images from a general sense.
Some members are submitting panels of six images and many are putting in a three image panel.
My opinion (as someone who has never done a panel and has limitations in creative artistic thinking), is that a ‘three’, a ‘trio’, commonly referred to as a triptych works very well. We shall see if that rings true very soon…
In fact, I think that triptychs only should’ve been a rule for this event, so that judging on number of images on a panel isn’t even a consideration.
I will now tell you a bit about each panel and how I arrived at the final two to submit.
Unlike other POTY blogs, I’m not going to self-critique pre-judging because, as previously stated, I have no experience in forming panels, and therefore can’t really offer anything other than my own subjectivity and bias, and many of us have had enough of that from judges to date (meow)!
Panel 1 – Red Squirrels
I thought it would be cute and competitive to use some of my red squirrel shots from the Yorkshire hide trip, as none of them have been used for competition.
It took a while to pick three that would go together, both size and colour tone wise.
Some sample grouping were made:
Panel Idea Panel idea 2
After much to-ing and fro-ing, the following panel was created:
Untitled red squirrel panel – didn’t make the shortlist
I was pleased with this final printed and mounted panel, and as cute as the red squirrels are, the variations in tone of colour and squirrel pose didn’t beat the other two panels.
Panel 2 – The Beach Huts of Lowestoft
I knew I had a few beach hut shots, or many images where beach huts are in the scene.
After collating many images, I was working up three images that I felt could work together.
My original draft (mock) panel
I ended up with shots from Lowestoft, since that’s the location where most of my beach huts shots originated from, and I felt this three went well together.
You have modern huts, a quirky one, and more traditional huts hence the overall title of the panel implying the range of huts.
Some advice received was to flip the outer two images to have the one with the railings pointing inward, to match the opposite one.
I also modified the traditional huts image, to reduce an over-emphasis on the railings, and have more of the huts in view.
The final panel is below, where you can see how it changed from the original concept / mock-up above.
Final Answer: ’The Beach Huts of Lowestoft’
Judge’s Verdict
The judge said they recognised these huts and quite liked the simplicity of the panel.
The liked the colour tones of the outer images, and the railings element of the foreground of the left hand image.
They felt that the hut to the left of the right hand image near its border was distracting, and wondered if shooting from a different angle, or doing something in post-production to remove it.
I don’t think they meant the staircase, just the partial hut in the background, but they may have meant both, and I can now see what they mean – see below:
What the judge had an issue with (highlighted)
Overall, they said well done.
I found out after the tea break that this panel had made it to the initial shortlisted panels (final eight).
This panel didn’t make it to the final four but with the quality of panels on show, it was a tough competition.
Panel 3 – Seascapes from Three Counties
My third panel which made it to the shortlist was one comprised of seascapes.
Original mock-up
I had quite a few decent ICM seascapes so wanted to throw some together.
This mock-up was quickly formed and I settled on it – when I looked at a panel print, the orientation seemed tight as a horizontal arrangement which I would only achieve if the images were scaled very small.
In the end, I changed the panel to a vertical arrangement, and with hindsight I don’t think I’ve really considered (or re-considered) the images as a sequence!
Now I’m writing this blog, and looking again just a week before judging, I can see that perhaps the images could’ve been re-arranged into a more flowing trio top to bottom!
The final mounted panel is below:
‘Seascapes from Three Counties’
I also wonder if my title should’ve explicitly named the three counties. Most local readers and especially photographers will note Norfolk (Happisburgh), Suffolk (Landguard), and Essex (Dovercourt) as the locations of the images.
Judge’s Verdict
The judge had said up front as soon as the first ICM style panel was presented that they don’t particular like ICM photography but would try and not be too biased.
The judge said these were three images from which they recognised two locations, and they weren’t sure if they were ICM or multiple exposures.
They are ICM of course, zoom burst ICMs.
They questioned the title of the panel and remarked that they were not convinced these images work as a panel, or as a concept.
Needless to say, this one went no further.
Reflections
I had low expectations for this competition, simply because I’ve never done a panel before.
For one of my panels to reach the last eight is quite something, so I’m pleased about that.
I had thought the title of my ICM coastal panel was probably not helpful, and I have to confess my wife Kathryn at the time felt I should keep ICM within the title. And as is often the case, I foolishly ignored her advice.
Despite that, with something of a wild newbie attempt, the judge not particularly liking ICM, and my ‘off” title, it was no surprise this one went no further.
it was interesting that the panel I thought might do better didn’t, and vice-versa.
In summary, I’m pleased with what I achieved for my first ever panel competition entry, and I’ve gained lots of learning and things to think about in future.
The evening was very enjoyable and it was great to see everyone’s printed efforts.
