Multiple Shortlisting from same photographer

[AndyStevens]

The word 'professional' has many connotations. I think officially, and according to my insurance, you're only a pro if at least 75% of your income comes from photography (or was it 65%, or...).

I don't say it on my website but I always act in a professional manner as do many of us. I've seen some cringy moments when a wedding tog has been rude to the guests/bride/groom just because they're stressed on the day and the light is fading and the pageboys are chasing the flower girls etc. And he was a 'pro' - almost ended up in casualty too!

The good thing about a lot of competitions is the judges are looking for something fresh. Remember the Landscape Photographer Of The Year winner that caused a bit of controversy? See this. A lot of other winners, and those entered by pros, had the familiar strong foreground interest, middle interest, background etc composed to the rule of thirds.

Bucharon has obviously got something right and has appealed to this years judges - let's congratulate him, and all other shortlisters, and see if we can take winning shots for next year's comp - whatever the rules

[russbarnes]

I see that your shortlisted landscape shot for this competition entry has previously been shortlisted in another competition earlier in the year with Practical Photography Paul. Your website even highlights it. This means this shot was also previously published and won a prize in contravention of rule 2 of this competition. I should know because I managed the same thing in the same round of the same competition but didn't enter it here. Perhaps you should read the rules next time a bit closer and drop the 'holier than thou' attitude. There are others I spotted doing the same, but what the hell, the rules are there to be broken.

[jinky]

I actually have a whole series of shots from that session others have which have won prizes I`ve checked exif detail and they were taken i a series of bracketed expsoures and this was the entry best exposed with different details. I also won a Nikon comp with another shot and one with Photoradar at a critique with another all variatiuons of the same scenes. There you go again naming me - but not the others you suspect in your bitterness. I certainly don`t expect to get any further now with your suspicions voiced so well done. Start on others now please if your venom is to be exorcised

[russbarnes]

If people really want other examples I'm more than happy to highlight them. Just go through the available video slideshows on Photoanswers here for starters: http://www.photoanswers.co.uk/Photog...the-Year-2010/ and you'll find another in round 3 people will recognise of the horse.

A bracketed exposure taken 1/10th of a second and showing an IDENTICAL scene could not be considered to be a different photograph, not from my point of view. Well, it's up to the judges to decide but you're trying to play a technicality - trying to work around rules in that way is not in the spirit of the competition for me.

I've had enough of this - there's a lot of self righteous people jumping on here claiming all sorts. Make your own minds up on what's fair and equitable.

[AndyStevens]

Now we're getting into sticky ground. Some of my personal favs of my own shots are bracketed exposures and I use the one I feel came out best - but if I've entered one into a competition, I wouldn't feel right entering the - 2/3 version into another comp as, to me, it's the 'same' image. I know we could prove otherwise by the exif data - but it wouldn't sit well with my mind and I wouldn't personally be comfortable with it.

And there's no critiscm aimed here Paul, just my thoughts. You've got some lovely images there and I would use them as much as possible if they were mine - if your mind is clear about it, then that's all that matters really and good luck!

[Stormsong]

I can't believe all 114,000 images were looked at. Sorry. Just look at the time frame of the deadline, and the announcement of the shortlists. Do the maths. Also, the initial judging panel are not the ones that judge the highly commendeds, commendeds and winners; there are two judging panels as far as I know (which professional is going to have the time to sift through all the images, go back and forth to decide which ones are bad, better, great and who is going to pay them for their time? etc). There were different judging panels in the 2009 and previous competitions - initial and final - if you look at the names on them.

Anyway, what to me is curious, is to see that one of the judges from last year, Miss Aniela, is shortlisted this year in the portrait category. Is that just a million to one shot of coincidence? ( http://missanielablog.com/american-p...-and-more-news)

I think if the question of having a photographer with multiple shortlisted entries is a thorny one, then perhaps DC magazine should do what happens in competitions in other sectors, for example design and architecture, where the entrant gets a unique entry number and there is no mention of their name anywhere on the entry. The database would reveal a photographer's details if they needed to be contacted regarding sending hi-res images or in the event of winning. As regards multiple shortlisted entries, my money is on buchachon then to win POTY 2010.

I am all for a separation of pro/ams but that is another topic for another day. And before anyone jumps at me and says that it does not matter what equipment you have or what studio gear etc you own - that's what everyone inevitably says - at the end of the day you would be hard pressed to find any similarities between an image taken by someone with a 20mp camera and someone who took a snap with a camera phone, no matter how brilliant the composition, thirds rule, lighting, lead-in lines etc. It might not matter, but it does factor in a lot.
Can of worms now open!

[PolaroidSky]

@ Russbarnes

If you're referring to my photo, A natural landscape upon the Photpanswers site, I can gladly inform you that I wrote to Photoradar (It's not in my nature to break any rules or ever attempt to) and explained its short listing and not placing in their POTY nor being printed within their magazine so you need not worry for any rules being broken.

The simple fact is that as my image did not win the Photoanswers competition nor was printed in their magazine it's eligible to be entered into any competition I choose to enter it into.

Oh and for the record I am far from being Pro. I have to borrow lenses if I want to make an image.


J A Mortram

[PolaroidSky]

@ Ricardowed : Please read the above comment.

[amk1977]

While I disagree with Russ regarding the multiple shortlistings from the same photograhper, I agree with him on this.

There appear to be quite a few images that won a prize on the Photo Answers POTY competition that have been shortlisted in the Photoradar POTY, with otherwise identical images. On the surface it appears to directly contravene the rules and therefore warrants immediate investigating by the judges.

With regard to the bracketing, I too find this a very grey area, bordering more on the dark. Is EXIF data enough to make a photo "individual". For example, you could have a still life image in a closed set, where all environmental controls were identical and take a photo, minutes/hours/days/weeks apart. The resulting images would be exactly the same, only the EXIF data would be different. If EXIF data is enough, then you could enter those photos in competitions and win both, with absolutely identical images with different EXIF data.

Like Andy, this would not sit well with me either and like Russ, I personally find this not in the spirit of the competition.

@ Polaroidsky - If you made it to the monthly shortlist, then according to the photoradar website, you should have won 150 pounds worth of Jessops vouchers? If this was the case, then surely this constitutes a prize in a national/international competition, which, according to the rules would here, render your submission ineligible???

[Amy Davies]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your comments, we will of course investigate any valid concerns and be in touch with the individual photographers concerned.

Thanks,

Amy