The club’s final round of POTY (Photographer of the Year) competition took place late April 2022.
As usual, two entries were required, a themed image and a free choice image. Similar to the last round, this was a mounted prints round.
This blog is shorter than the previous POTY blog posts as I was unable to join club members for this in-person event. Therefore I can only describe what I was thinking when I entered my chosen images and the scores that were received.
The theme for this final round was ‘Captured in 2022’.
Bawdsey Sunrise (Themed Image)
Obviously with this round needing to be a shot within the last 3.5 months, I didn’t have a huge choice.
Not wanting to clash deliberately with other members, I really thought my best shot was the Bawdsey sunrise shot from the club dawn trip back in January.
I like this shot as it has good leading lines, a bright colourful sunrise colours and good texture in the waves.
This shot scored a 9/10 and was runner up to the winner David who also entered a Bawdsey shot.
Roar of the Kelpie (Free Choice)
For my free choice, I entered an image from a shot I took at the Kelpies horse structures in Falkirk Scotland in 2019.
I like this image because of the sunburst through the horse’s nose.
The final image needed a lot of post production as it’s a heavily cropped shot with some sharpening and conversion to mono.
The crop is designed to add more drama.
It scored a low 6/10 by the judge and I would’ve liked to have heard the feedback but sadly I couldn’t make it to this meeting, and there was no Zoom option as the club returns to face-to-face meetings.
Overall outcome
I came joint fifth overall from the members who made the top ten in my league (f/5.6).
Pretty good given my first year entering images in a club competition of this sort judged by RPS accredited judges.
My final scores tally is show below:
Round 1: 15/20 ~ 75%
Round 2: 15.5/20 ~ 77.5%
Round 3: 19/20 ~ 95%
Round 4: 15/20 ~ 75%
Round 5: 15/20 ~ 75%
Total to date: 79.5/100 ~ 79.5%
Congratulations to David, Pat and Graeme from the f/5.6 league who made it to the finals.
They scored 90.5, 88.5 and 85 respectively so I can see I was a good 5.5-11.5 marks from the top three. Or 1.1-2.3 marks per each of the five rounds. Yes, I’m competitive…
The three guys from the f/5.6 group now join the top three from the higher f/2.8 league in a competition to pick the winner.
Those six members in the final now battle it out with three images of different genres/subjects so I look forward to seeing what they enter.
Reflections
I’ve enjoyed the process of choosing images and revisiting the edit albeit it needs time and effort.
I’ve so enjoyed the club trips and an occasional invite out to non-club photo meet ups.
These excursions provide an opportunity to socialise, and engage in geeky photography chit chat that is most enjoyable.
I do wonder though if competition hinders more free and open meet ups as when you’re competing, you don’t want to be entering the same shots as fellow members, and you want something unique.
The reality though is that we all have our own style and level of skill, and as per lots of conversations, the score for an image will be down to the single individual judge on the day.
Competing doesn’t have to be awkward and there are probably many ways to avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
I’ve got a large back catalogue of images and I already try to pick something from that, rather than go to something from a recent shoot.
There is something to be said for considering the gain vs. pain of competing but as it stands, I can’t help myself.
A challenge for me is to go out as often as I can, and on my own if need be, and just shoot more. Or, as I am now beginning to try, diversify my photography and branch out beyond landscapes.
If you can’t beat them, join them. Or, if you can’t join them, beat them!
The competitor in me will force me to compete until such times as I win something, or get close and retire as gracefully as I can (yeah, right), through gritted teeth of course! 😄
Onwards and upwards…