Indiana State Fair Photography

CompetitionRules, Tips and Tricks

Dave Chan

Indianapolis Camera Club

March 22, 2016

Introduction

• Dave Chan

– Photography is a really serious hobby for me

• Amateur Photographer (by choice)

• Shooting since 2003 (digital only)

• Started with a Nikon D100 dSLR

– Day Job: Lilly Engineering in Manufacturing

– Competition Experience:

• Entered 2014 and 2015 State Fair Competition

• 2015: Fortunate to score a perfect 100, winning 1st

place and Best of Show in Amateur B&W.

State Fair Competition

State Fair CompetitionEntry Categories:Professional: ($40-30-20 for 1st-2nd-3rd , $50 for Best of Show)

1. Portrait (B&W and Color)

2. Wedding (B&W and Color)

3. Commercial (B&W and Color)

4. Open (B&W and Color)

5. Nature (B&W and Color)

6. Wedding Album

Amateur: ($30-25-20 for 1st-2nd-3rd , $40 for Best of Show)1. People (B&W and Color)

2. Travel (B&W and Color)

3. Sports (B&W and Color)

4. Photojournalistic (B&W and Color)

5. Nature (B&W and Color)

6. Open (B&W and Color)

Special State Fair Category: ($75-50-30 for 1st-2nd-3rd )1. “Celebrating Indiana’s Bicentennial”

State Fair Competition

Amateur vs. Professional:

• Judging criteria and scoring are IDENTICAL.

• Professional

– Photographers engaged in creating prints for payment regardless of the percentage of the total income.

• Do you have a website where you advertise?

• Have you put prints for sale?

• Amateur

– Photographers who do not (nor try to) sell their work

• Entries

– Categories for Amateur and Professional are different.

– Professionals 5 entries max: 3 category + 1 wedding album + 1 state fair category

– Amateurs 3 entries max: 2 category + 1 state fair category

State Fair CompetitionMounting:

• Judging criteria and scoring are IDENTICAL.

• Entries are measured for dimensions and thickness!!!

• Professional– Longest side must measure exactly 20 inches. 20”x20” max.

• Amateur– Final mounted submission must measure exactly 16”x20”.

• Mats:– Thickness must not exceed 3/16”.

– Digital mats are preferred for handling purposes.

– Overlay mats are acceptable. Note: Double faced tape, layer of spray glue, etc. will NOT hold up in high heat and humidity.

– Entries that fall apart before/during judging will be disqualified.

• Backing:– Solid photographic mount board or foam core. Masonite,

corrugated cardboard, or thin posted board are unacceptable.

State Fair Competition

Individual vs. Camera Club Entries:

• Judging, criteria, scoring use the same standards.

• Making the 5 entries “a collection” does not matter.

– Judges are told “Camera Club Category”.

– Judges do not know which camera club each entry belongs to.

– A camera club’s 5 prints may not be judged consecutively. They can be mixed with other camera club entries (order-wise)

– The scores of each club entry are added for a club score.

Camera Club Specific Items:

• 5 entries from 5 different club members.

• Club entries CANNOT be entered individually

• Print Size/Mounting: Same as Amateur. 16”x20” final size.

State Fair Competition Judging

Judging:

• The Photographic Exhibitions Committee (PEC) of

PPA (Professional Photographers of America) uses

the “12 Elements of a Merit Image”.

• IPPG (Indianapolis Professional Photographers Guild)

hosts/coordinates the State Fair Photography

Competition

– I volunteered through IPPG in 2015.

• Criteria: 12 Elements of a Merit Image

• “Objectively Subjective”

State Fair Competition Judging

IPPG’s role:• IPPG (Indianapolis Professional Photographers Guild) hosts/coordinates

the State Fair Photography Competition.

• What is IPPG?

– A club more focused on portraits and the business side of photography.

– Most members are professionals. Amateurs are welcome to join!

• IPPG uses the State Fair Competition as a “club competition” and awards

members cash prizes (paid from membership dues).

• Judges do NOT know if a print belongs to an IPPG member. The IPPG tags

are applied AFTER judging

State Fair

Scoring ScaleScoring Scale:

• 95-100: Exceptional

• 90-94: Superior

• 85-89: Excellent

• 80-84: Deserving of a Merit

• 75-79: Above Average

• 70-74: Average

Judges Scoring:

• They start at 100 and find reasons to deduct.

My observations:

• Very few prints score >=90

• Ribbon usually awarded to >=80– PPA judging: >=80 is “major leagues” and considered “great”

• High 70s sometimes gets an award– Depends on the competition which depends on the category

State Fair Judging Logistics

State Fair Judging LogisticsJudges and Setup:

• 3 Judges, all “certified” PPA.– 2015: 2 from other states and 1 local.

• Judged under bright lights! Daylight Balance.

• Print is lit and framed by black curtains.

• Judging area is private, closed off to the public and volunteers.

Process:

• They announce the title and then unveil the print.

• Judges silently input a score.

• The average of the 3 scores is announced.

• A judge may challenge if the average score isn’t what they think it should be.– Challenger states their reason. Other judges respond. They give a rebuttal.

They rescore. It can go up or down.

Notes:

• A LOT of prints are judged and it’s all done in 1 long day.

• Comments are NOT written down. You get your print back with the final score.

“Drift into a Dreamscape” – Dave Chan

• Shot in Bariloche, Argentina. 24mm, f/8, 108 Sec, ISO 100, ND Filters. Metallic Print.

• 2015: Score=82. Honorable Mention in Amateur Color Travel.

• 1 Judge challenged (thought it should score higher) and print was debated. Technical

comments on “banding” and “warm/cool tones”. Post discussion, score went down.

12 Elements of a Merit ImageElements:

1. Impact:

– The “WOW” factor. Evokes intense emotion.

2. Technical Excellence

– Sharpness, focus, color balance, proper exposure, details

3. Creativity

– Has this been seen before or is it something unique?

4. Style

5. Composition

– The “rules”

– Holds the viewer in the image and the viewer looks where the photographer intended them to

6. Presentation

– Mats & borders should enhance, not distract from image

– Processional printing companies offer “Competition Prints”

12 Elements of a Merit ImageElements:

7. Color Balance

– Skin tones are accurate, etc.

8. Center of Interest

– Should be obvious what the viewer should look at and no distractions from the point(s) of interest

– Everything else supports the center of interest

9. Lighting

– Use and control of light – should be dimensional and not flat, sources, shape, roundness - should enhance an image

10. Subject Matter

– Subject should match surrounding and appropriate to tell the story

11. Technique

– Approach used to create the image. Printing, lighting, posing, etc.

12. Story Telling

– The image’s ability to evoke imagination. The Title matters!!! It’s the only way for you to communicate to the judges.

12 Elements of a Merit Image

Other Advice:• The title you choose is your communication with the judge. It

can greatly help your score!

• When selecting images for competition, choose an image that

has more of the 12 elements vs. one you may like better that

has less.

• Images must stand on their own – judges don’t care how hard

it was to get the shot or what may have prevented you from

getting a better shot.

State Fair

State Fair Competition TipsTips I received for 2014:

– Use glossy finish.

– Print your prints dark.

– Recommend using digital or no mat (full bleed)

– Generally, warmer tones preferred.

– HDR / Filters – Does it help? Avoid overdoing it.

– Backing – Use marker and black out the sides so not distracting

– Try looking at your print upside down real quick. Your eyes should be drawn to the center of interest. Also, you’ll naturally see the bad parts.

– Often, the winners are not the prints people buy

– They look for technically perfect photography

– The title matches the center of interest

– Horizontal lines across people are distracting. Avoid.

– Get your rule of thirds including the mat.

– Model release required.

My 2014 Entries

What I learned and applied for 2014:

• First “real” competition I ever entered. Learn the judging criteria and cater to it.

• Use digital borders/mat

• Have it professional printed (easier)

– Professional printed/mounted by Burrell Imaging.

– $126.83 for 3 16x20 mounted prints

• Title Matters!

• Need the “Wow” factor. Something unique.

• I struggled with post-processing

– I didn’t know how to do things that need to be done…and didn’t give myself enough time to learn…

“Mandalay Sacred Sunset” – Dave Chan

• Shot in Myanmar. 14mm, f/22, 1/200 Sec, ISO 1600

• 2014: Score=78. No Merit in Amateur Color Travel.

• Halo effect from post-processing. Blacks (esp. the guy), has no detail. Better if had rim light.

“Midway Midnight Madness” – Dave Chan

• Shot at 2014 State Fair. 10.5mm Crop

Sensor Fisheye Lens on Full-Frame

Sensor Camera, f/18, 4 sec, ISO 100

• 4 sec = Time for ride to reach peak to

peak.

• 2014: Score=80. Third Place in State

Fair Category.

• Better if there were ppl. Sharpness.

Un

ed

ite

d o

rig

ina

l

“Moment of Concentration” – Dave Chan

• Shot outdoors in NYC Park, Natural Lighting. 55mm, f/3.5, 1/640 Sec, ISO 1100

• 2014: Score=79?. 3rd Place in Amateur B&W Portrait.

• The bubble wand is distracting and too bright. Darks have no detail. Try flipping left to right.

Unedited original

State Fair Competition TipsTips I received for 2015:

– Become a better editor: Photoshop!

– Learn from those better than you.

– Know the difference.• Snapshot vs. Good images vs. Competition images

– Don’t give the judges ANYTHING to object to!• Halos, over-sharpening, banding, any technical issues

– Compete Compete Compete• Experience helps.

• Put a print through multiple competitions.

– Blacks should not be pure black. Must have details.

– Whites should not be pure white. Must have details.

– Prefer digital mats.• White Mat

• Grey border

• Small black border

• Image

– Buildings must not have keystoning at all

– Symmetry matters. Arches of a cathedral should be perfect!

My 2015 Entries

What I learned and applied for 2015:

• Start earlier! Test prints! Get advice from friends!

• Try another printing place– Professional printed/mounted by ACI

– http://www.acilab.com

– $186.42 for 4 16x20 mounted competition prints

– Tried a Metallic Print

• Title matters!!!

• Get better at post-processing images. Don’t over-process and look for artifacts!

• Must have details in the blacks!

• Less entries in B&W Categories…

“Just Like Dad” – Dave Chan

• Shot in Noblesville, IN inside a combine. 14mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO-640. Remote triggered

off-camera Speedlight Flash w/ Gary Fong Lightsphere Diffuser.

• 2015: Score=79. No merit in “Year of the Farmer” State Fair Category. No judge comments.

• Peer feedback: Distortion due to ultra-wide. Shirt is wrinkled. Lighten the darks a tad.

Unedited original

“Buddha’s Delight” – Dave Chan

• Shot in Myanmar on a moving train using window light. 14mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO-640.

• 2015: Score=81. PVCC 3rd place in Camera Club Category. No judge comments.

• Peer feedback: The cord on the right is distracting and cuts off his hand…

“Drift into a Dreamscape” – Dave Chan

• Shot in Bariloche, Argentina. 24mm, f/8, 108 Sec, ISO 100, ND Filters. Metallic Print.

• 2015: Score=82. Honorable Mention in Amateur Color Travel.

• 1 Judge challenged (thought it should score higher) and print was debated. Technical

comments on “banding” and “warm/cool tones”. Post discussion, score went down.

“Devils in the Details” – Dave Chan

• Shot in Irvington, IN. 135mm, f/8, 0.6

sec, ISO 1000

• 2015: Score=100. 1st Place in Amateur

B&W Travel. Best of Show Amateur

B&W.

• 1 Judge challenged (to discuss). Title

greatly helped the image. Judges

couldn’t find anything wrong.

Resulted in a perfect score.

Un

ed

ite

d o

rig

ina

l

Questions???

• Next: Club Entry Process