Last week, I wrote with pride about having two images selected to show in the State of the Art Gallery’s  21st Annual Juried Photography show, in Ithaca, NY. Photographers entering the contest were limited to entering two images. So, obviously I was pleased with having both of mine selected. On Friday evening a reception was held to kick-off the month long show. Besides the exhibition of the selected photographs (the show actually opened two days earlier) the night’s draw was the announcement of images that were recognized as “winners” by the gallery.

Photos selected for the show were juried by gallery members. Winners from among those selected were chosen by an art teacher at Ithaca College, who selected five pieces for recognition. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch his name or we could thank him here. At the outset of the awards announcement it was also noted that throughout the month, visitors would be encouraged to vote for their favorite work. This, in response to people questioning the judges’ selections in prior years.

I guess we should not expect everyone to agree with the judge(s) in any contest, especially one that is a subjective as a photography contest. It’s difficult under any circumstances. However, when you have a show like this one, with photos that range from grand landscapes, to abstracts, to portraits and more, the judge’s decision becomes even more challenging.

I have to wonder what people are thinking, especially any contest entrant who might complain about which images were recognized. I’d bet that virtually everyone in attendance (and there was barely room to walk in the packed gallery) selected his or her favorite within minutes of arriving. There was work designed to make a political statement, a photo created with a pinhole camera, a brilliantly colorful abstract (one of the winners), photos printed on metallic paper, on canvas, framed, unframed and gallery wrapped. I really loved some and wondered about others. But, as the saying goes “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.” No where is this adage more apt than when the subject is considered art.

I think, when we photographers enter contests of any type we ought to take time to understand our audience first. Now, that’s not all that different than the way those of us who sell our work proceed every time we select a final destination for any of our images. Unless specifically requested, we wouldn’t send landscape images to the National Wildlife Federation for possible use in its calendar. We wouldn’t deliver photographs of Alaska to a gift store that specialized in work depicting the Finger Lakes region. Who would suggest macro flower images for an industrial trade magazine? We always need to consider our audience and an art gallery contest is no exception.

I am one of the photographers who did not take time to know his audience at the State of the Art Gallery. Only two days before the entry deadline, a friend has encourage me to enter the contest and I barely had time to prepare two images. What I selected were both images that had been favorites at other venues last year.

When I arrived at the gallery on Friday evening, within minutes I told my wife there was “no way I’d be one of the winners.” That was in part because of what I saw on the walls that evening. Most images presented were much larger than mine. When it comes to photography, big is often better. That said, I think all the winners were smaller than mine, so there goes my credibility in this case.  Few images were landscapes. Many were a genre I couldn’t even describe. A few, in my opinion, were either accidental or outright poor quality. One of the “winning” images fit the former category . . . again, in my opinion, though obviously not in the judge’s.

But, all the images had one thing in common. They expressed something for, or about, their creators. How well they did that job is part of what a contest of this type is about, I think.

Next time, for this show or any other, I’ll be doing some homework first. I’d bet many other photographers will do likewise. If that’s all we take away from this year’s State of the Art Gallery photography show, we win.

Day 1 - clean and simple winter horizon, employing the rule of thirds.

Simple, simple, simple. Some say never put the horizon in the middle. Okay.

I awoke the other morning and the scene outside my bedroom window was of the snow covered room of the rear entrance to our basement and a barren winter sky. I was struck by the wintry yet simple scene. However, from my bedroom I couldn’t get the width I wanted without adding clutter to the edges of the frame.

I frequently walk in the early morning and winter mornings are my favorites. This particular morning I couldn’t stop looking for the image that first captured my interest earlier in the morning. I’d think I’d found it only to quickly discover some problem, corn stalks that littered the foreground, sumac intruding on edges, contrails x-ing my views of the sky.

Day 2 - not so simple, yet somehow a gentle winter sky

A warmer winter horizon with the assist of a white balance change

Eventually my eyes settled on an eastern view that offered the clean simplicity I was looking for.

One day later, the sky had changed with the addition of a few light clouds and brighter highlights.  I shot for a few minutes before deciding to change the white balance from “daylight” to “cloud”. I cannot figure which morning was more satisfying.

Canada Geese over Otisco Lake

I posted a short while ago, right after I learned that one of my images had been selected for the NANPA Daily Showcase. Now, and it’s still morning, I’m pleased to note that two of my images (seen here) have been selected to show in the State of the Art Gallery 21st Annual Juried Photography Show. State of the Art Gallery is a popular gallery in Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell University. The show runs from tomorrow night (March 3) through March 28. On Friday, March 5, the gallery will host an opening reception from 5-8 p.m. at the gallery. At 6:30 pm awards will be announced, from among those images selected for the show.

First Snow - Otisco Lake

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank fellow photographer and friend Chris Sanford. It was Chris who told me about the show/contest and encouraged me to enter. I’m very glad he did. Thanks Chris.

Reflections on a Moose River pond.

I’m starting off the morning right. Just received two e-mails. One requesting some photos I’d taken for another client and the other, from the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA), letting me know that one of my photos had been selected for the NANPA daily showcase. This is the photo they put in the showcase. It’s only in the showcase for a day, I think. You can see others at http://www.nanpa.org/daily_sampler.php.

Take one of Trees in the Snow

Today was one of those days that I really wanted to get outdoors with my cameras. I awoke this morning to the snowiest morning of this winter season. Last night I had spend an hour and a half snow blowing a foot and a half of snow out of my driveway. It was the first time this season that I really had to snow blow. Until yesterday our 2010 winter could only be called mild.

As this morning dawned it was obvious I’d need to get started on the snow blowing early if I hoped to make three appointments scheduled for the day, in a timely fashion. However, already the landscape was tempting me and the sun wasn’t up yet. I packed my cameras and winter boots in the truck, slipped it into four-wheel drive and cautiously pulled out of the driveway that I’d cleared only a half-hour earlier. Already fresh snow was piling up and the snow covered and greasy roads would make travel slow.

Take two - I like the tuft of weeds in the lower left corner

From the day I’d scheduled these appointments I had harbored the hope I could wrap things up in time to do some shooting  between my last appointment and dark. Unfortunately, a packed schedule coupled with snow covered roads would erase that possibility. Still, I kept my eyes open and couldn’t pass up an early afternoon sun drenched snowscape. With two appointments looming for the afternoon, I gave in to the temptation and parked as close to the roadside snow bank as I could when two squat trees caught my attention in a windswept roadside landscape, under a sudden brilliant sun.

I only took five minutes to capture a dozen images, but it was five minutes that made my day.