Photographic Reflections 📷 - Why do I Love and Hate Photo Contests?
Contests or photo challenges are a great opportunity for photographers to have their works exposed to a greater number of people, and depending on the quality and composition of the photograph, being approved by the judges, the photographer can make good money. There are many sites that offer photographers the opportunity to expose their photos and earn money from them by participating in a variety of challenges. Right here at Steemit we have the Steemit Photo Challenge which is a great opportunity to have your work recognized in the community and still earn some SBD (Steem Dollar).
In addition, in the virtual world we have great sites in the web that launch periodic challenges, where participants can level up according to their final position in the challenges and this is quite motivating. Photo challenges are great for photographers to take with each test, improve their techniques and improve their photos in each click.Despite the benefits of professional recognition and the possibility of making lots of money by participating in challenges or photo contests, I personally (and professionally) do not constructively see this way of publicizing or exposing a photographic work.
As I said in other editions of my photographic reflections, what attracts me to photography is the fact that this activity is an "individualist" profession, where for the same object, person or landscape we have thousands of photographers, each one with their vision and that they will capture that image according to their perspectives. I think it's clueless for a person (in this case, a competition jury) who is not in the photographer's mind, to understand why he captured that image, and why he deserves to win or lose that prize, contest, or money.
Of course, in photography we have criteria to define if a photo follows the basic standards of photography, such as focus, exposure, speed and sensitivity, as well as the rule of thirds and other rules ("dogmas") to be followed in the photographic composition that is the basic to be presented by who defines himself as a photographer. But, beauty is something subjective, that is, what may be beautiful for me, may not be for you and who judge them, as I said above, don't know and were not present at the moment the photographer captured that image that is in the photo of that contest. For me, any kind of judgment about a photographic work is unfair.
Today's Message Is:
Let's Judge Less and Shoot Too Much!
If you missed the previous issues of my "Photographic Reflections", you can read my thoughts on these links below:
For new reflections, stay tuned for the next posts!
All photos are my own, signed in © and taken with my Sony Alpha ILCE 3500.
Thanks for reading my post and stay tuned for the next posts!
Obrigado por ter lido o meu post e fiquem atentos às minhas próximas postagens!
For new reflections, stay tuned for the next posts!
Thanks for reading my post and stay tuned for the next posts!
Obrigado por ter lido o meu post e fiquem atentos às minhas próximas postagens!
I've seen some of those photo contests on other websites. They all seemed to be high stakes and too competitive. I like the Steemit Photo Challenge because it's just a Challenge, not a contest. It's a nice way for new people to join in, and for established people to share something on a specific theme. Maybe a better name would be the Steemit Photo Showcase.
And I agree with @bitcoinparadise, your photos here have really gotten better and better!
I really like Steemit Photo Challenge, it's a great opportunity to have fun here in the community displaying our photos. Thank you for the compliments dear @haphazard-hstead :)
You're very welcome, @jsantana!
Just wanted to say from when we joined Steemit around the same time, I can notice a huge difference from content you created in the beginning and now. Only getting better @jsantana.
Steem on :)
I'm in search of perfection in every post friend @bitcoinparadise. Thank you very much for your words of support. A big hug :D
Well said !
Thank you @mammasitta :)
I'm always sceptical of competitions because they're often a way for an individual to make money from the work of talented people by arbitrarily pitting them against either other. While competition is a fact of life as an artist or indeed any working person, we don't need more of it than there is.
Cooperation is important too. I often wonder if the pot that participants contribute to could not be better used to further some common goal instead of being paid out to some winner (which in the case of art is impossible and unfair to determine, as you say).
Interesting photography by the way 😎
Thank you very much for presenting your ideas, @personz :) they are very important to me. I like to compete and I find it fun, but contests and challenges I find something out of the question if it is an activity extremely individualistic as photography.
I'm not a challenge person. I just enjoy looking. ;) I love your pics as you know, some of your pictures are really amazing. Give me more! ♡♡♡♡♡😍
:D Hello @bontonstory ! Thank you very much for your support, I am happy to see people like you who appreciate my work. This is exciting. "Muito Obrigado" in Portuguese!
Muito Obrigado! ;)