Are You Ready To Compete?
by Bob Burns

Newcomers to camera clubs generally learn about competition by trial and error. Sometimes this can be pretty disheartening.

So let us explore the "mystery of competition". You'll see than a lot of the terms used by the judges can be explained by the IBM slogan - "THINK". Think before you trip the shutter.

What makes a competition slide? A slide may be great as part of a travelogue or essay, but in competition it must stand all by itself. It must say to the judge, "LOOK AT ME". It must capture his/her attention with impact, mood, center of interest, and technical excellence. If your slide meets all these requirements, most judges will give constructive criticism of the slide. You can learn from this criticism - but only after you have made some mistakes. So...

LET'S GET A JUMP ON THE JUDGE:
SLIDES MUST BE TECHNICALLY CORRECT
Slides that are underexposed, overexposed or out of focus should not be considered for competition. They will be severely downgraded by most judges. The proper film and filters should be used unless some creative effect is intended.

FIND THE BEST SPOT FROM WHICH TO SHOOT
Don't just stand there! Look for the spot from which the best possible photo can be taken. Kneel or lie down, move to another spot (but watch out for oncoming cars or the edge of cliffs).

STUDY THE SUBJECT!
The difference between a "record" shot and an award slide is generally the result of a little extra thought or effort on the part of the photographer. The subject didn't change, but the treatment of it was unusual. A fertile imagination cam be most helpful here:
- move in closer - shoot up at a high angle
- try a different lens - silhouette the subject
- shoot down on the subject in some manner

HAVE A CENTER OF INTEREST
A picture that has too many subjects or objects in it lacks a "center of interest". This causes the eye to continually scan, looking for a place to settle and never finds it. Something must be dominant, so that your attention is fixed upon it.

DON'T CUT OFF THE END
With a single lens reflex camera particularly, you must learn to look at the ground glass area and see that the whole subject is included and does not "hang over the edge". If you are shooting a person, its okay to do a head and shoulders portrait, but don't cut off the top of the hair or the tip of the nose.

AVOID MERGERS
When the subject touches the edge of the frame or mask, this is called a merger. A merger of tones may occur when the subject has not sufficient contrast to its surroundings, even though the colors are different. A merger of figures can also happen when there is no separation between people in a picture.

THE WHOLE SUBJECT SHOULD BE IN SHARP FOCUS
The proper combination of shutter speed and diaphragm opening (f/stop) should be used to ensure the sharp focus of the whole subject. The closer you are to the subject, the more critical these factors become. Use the depth of field preview on your camera.

DON'T CUT A PICTURE IN HALF
Avoid having horizon lines bisect the picture. When shooting reflections, it is usually better not to include the original subject. Such reflection shots are really two pictures and the eye continually jumps from one to the other, seeking the dominant image and doesn't find one.

DON'T TIP THE SUBJECT
Keep the camera as level as possible. Wide-angle lenses will exaggerate any tipping effect. When photographing buildings, either find a higher vantage point or get farther away and use a longer focus lens to increase the image size.

DON'T OVEREXPOSE HIGHLY REFLECTIVE AREAS
You should be able to recognize highly reflective areas without difficulty - your eyes begin to squint. When at the beach or on the ski-slope on a bright day, you shouldn't need a light meter to tell you to close down a full stop, or halve the exposure time.

HAVE THE SUBJECT FIT THE FRAME
There must be an aesthetic relationship of subject to frame. A tall skinny lighthouse should be a tall slender mask. A short stubby lighthouse should be in a mask more nearly square.

INCLUDE ALL OF THE SUBJECT OR MOVE CLOSER TO GET THE HEART
In the case of flowers, either include the whole flower or move in close and make just a portion fill the frame. Sometimes it isn't necessary to show the entire head to portray a person. However, it must be done with artistry and results in an attractive picture.

GIVE MOTION ROOM TO MOVE
There should be enough space in front of a moving subject so that it doesn't seem cramped or threatened with a sudden halt. It will also look as if the subject is moving into the frame. The space behind the subject is less important.

AVOID LARGE EMPTY FOREGROUNDS
Either get closer to the subject or use a longer focus lens. If this isn't possible, try to include objects which compliment the subject without dominating it.

FILL THE FRAME
Film costs money, so why waste it on small subjects and large surroundings. Move in close and make the subject as large as possible. Eliminate useless backgrounds. If you can't get physically closer to the subject, try a longer focal length lens.

TRY THE OTHER SIDE
Our eyes customarily read from left to right. Many times the leading lines or action in the picture will be improved by reversing the slide (as long as there are no legible signs to prevent it). Reflection shots can be inverted and fantasies created (the original subject must not show).

PUT YOU INTO THE PICTURE
This doesn't mean you should put the camera on automatic timer and run around to get in the picture!!

What it does mean is that you can't photograph other people's work - art, sculpture, etc. - unless you have either added something to it or have placed it in some unusual situation or surroundings where it is merely part of the scene, not the principle object.

MASK UNWANTED PARTS OF THE SLIDE
Very few winning slides are shown full frame, as taken. Generally there is some portion that detracts from the overall excellence. There may be some clutter in the foreground, a slanting horizon line, some object that intrudes into the picture or just too much of something. Masking can help. Very satisfactory masks can be obtained from Erie Color Slide Club, P.O. Box 672, Erie, PA 16512. The openings available will serve just about all your needs. They can also supply the binding tape. Cover glass can be bought at your local camera store.

BE NEAT!!
When masking and glass mounting slides, neatness and cleanliness are most important. Fingerprints and dust MUST be removed. Horizons must be really horizontal and vertical lines must be really vertical. The cover glass must be properly cleaned.

HAVE FUN !!!

ENJOY SHOOTING AND IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOS

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Revised on 10/02/00