Mike,
Hey, don't worry, it seems everything is getting rejected at the Pentax Photo Gallery.
I recently submitted, under their new "voting" methodology, five images. Three of them were catagory winners, either in one of the various Pentax forums and/or juried exhibits of other professional photographers. One was accepted and it was the least technically correct of the batch.... just "purdy" to look at.
It seems, that if you show stuff on the forums (a lot) there is some recognition and images get accepted even if they are "technically" flawed and compositionally weak.
In the end I don't know what the criteria is or how an image is accepted. But it seems to me from my many conversations with many other Pentax users that some people just reject images out of hand if they don't like the genre of an image. If they don't do macro and don't like macro....your gone! If they don't like city candids... your gone! If they don't like landscapes (because we all know that all landscape images are "no brainers"... right!?!)
. If they don't like building shots... your gone. Flowers???... your gone... because it's a no brainer to do flowers correctly... right???
. And it seems to go down the list.
When I vote, I try to look at each image in detail. I always enlarge the image and look for certain criteria that I used to judge and critique those that I have taught in the past. I look first at;
Sharpness. Is the image focused properly? If yes...one big point. Without sharpness (unless intended for effect) the image is unacceptable and gone.
Composition. Is it pleasing or chaotic...if chaotic was this the intent? If so one point.
Post production. Is it over the top (oversharpened, oversaturated, poorly color corrected if so then a big, -), or does it enhance the image and balance the colors nicely (big +)
Content. Even if I don't like an image personally I try to look into what the the photographer was trying to do. I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt.
On B&W submissions. Contrast must be properly handled and judged as I would have judged a students hand made print.
All in all, I don't judge submissions based upon professional criteria. There simply are not that many professionals making a living with Pentax compared with the novice and just photography enthusiasts who want to share and exhibit their work. If it is clean and unencumbered by excess negatives I feel that they should have an opportunity to display their work. After all, isn't that what Pentax intended for this forum?
Some submissions cleary don't make the grade but voters might need to broaden their criteria and understandings of the complexities of other genres of photography that they themselves do not partake in or enjoy but do not deserve an out of hand rejection.
There are a number of subject matter images I personally do not really like, but when I factor in composition execution and technical merit the image will get my support and acceptance any way.
Then again, there are all the hidden things that Pentax may be doing to reject images too. Clearly they never say diddly why they put the hook on an image
Stephen
Last edited by SCGushue; 10-23-2007 at 10:39 AM.