How Did This Win?

johnmflores · 11-16-2010, 09:04 PM

Originally posted by CWyatt

I'm going to stick my hand up as someone who likes the image.

First off, I don't like it just because it's different. I very much had an issue with the World Press Photo winner, which was a very unusual photojournalism image. Also, I'm not too big on nature photography per se. Couldn't exactly tell you why, but I generally find it rather, well, boring. Not to say it all is - I am usually in awe of the work in any Nat Geo I happen to pick up, but it doesn't really move me in the way a great street image does (like some of HCB's work), or make me look at it for minutes, or go back to it continuously. There is a lot generic-ness to it, I feel.

Anyway, this image does make an impression on me. I like the unusual framing, I'm driven to the animals eyes, it looks wild, scared, or inquisitive; I like the blur, it has a great feeling of life; and I like the desolate foreground, which gives me a feeling of the isolation, and contrasts to the animal's coat. The image gives me an impression of fear, speed, candid-ness... life, feeling.

In saying that, I think it's more of a series type photo, and not an awarding-winning great stand-alone image.

Off topic: My favourite images either grasp a sublime moment, tell an amazing story or raise large questions, or all of the above. They're evocative, which I guess is why I'm not big on most nature stuff personally. Here's a case in point one of my favourite images (an HCB too): http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/samhochberg/nLqmk9VNr8XswgA5xcfY...%2FOWCyjUss%3D

I'll stand with you CWyatt in the minority. The others are the kind of photos that you see Flickr Explore - very nice but variations on well-worn themes. The kingfisher is technically brilliant but emotionally empty.

The cheetah is wonderfully composed, in the upper quadrant and moving left but looking back into the frame. That look over the shoulder draws me in and makes me linger. The high contrast and blur add to the energy of the photo. Even without the caption you get the sense that this is a fleeting, stolen moment.

TBH, I feel for the judges of these competitions. They must get inundated with hundreds of technically proficient yet me-too photographs. I don't blame them for picking apples in a basket of oranges.

CWyatt · 11-16-2010, 10:21 PM

World Press Photo - 1st prize, Nature, single image

Jonathan Mac · 11-17-2010, 12:38 AM

Of the photos there, the Kingfisher underwater is by far the best photo.

yusuf · 11-17-2010, 12:45 AM

It's different but agree that it does not look like a winning shot!

cabstar · 11-17-2010, 01:16 AM

so this guy is in tanzania after a huge bush fire, he goes for a walk through the ashened ground stumbles across a cheatah. instead of running away he manages to capture it looking over its shoulder at him & frames the cheetah in the top corner.

as with all photography its not technique but also getting out tbere to find these shots.

that is why i think it won & also as always with these competitions you dont know what the rest of the entried where like.

myself i like it...

Manel Brand · 11-17-2010, 06:00 AM

Originally posted by cabstar

so this guy is in tanzania after a huge bush fire, he goes for a walk through the ashened ground stumbles across a cheatah. instead of running away he manages to capture it looking over its shoulder at him & frames the cheetah in the top corner.

Maybe, but everyone should know that cheetahs are not dangerous to humans; in fact, they are very shy and run away fairly quickly if they spot someone in the field; I don't believe that a wildlife photographer doesn't know that.

Manel Brand · 11-17-2010, 06:02 AM

I think that's an important lesson to everyone in this prize: all those shots that are trashed without a second thought should be well preserved and kept for a career opportunity. Trash the keepers instead; they are not very interesting by today's standards.
And, HCB once said that sharpness is a bourgeois concept. I wonder why people are so concerned with lens that are soft, shutter inducing softness, and so on...

BTW, +1 for The Kingfisher

Last edited by Manel Brand; 11-17-2010 at 06:03 AM. Reason: sorry, forgot to put text in italic

johnmflores · 11-17-2010, 07:24 AM

Originally posted by CWyatt

World Press Photo - 1st prize, Nature, single image

Thanks for posting this. This kingfisher photo is technically inferior to the one on BBC, but IMO better timed.

What a difference a tenth of a second makes - if the BBC photo had been taken a tenth of a second later - just as the beak was closing upon a fish - it would have been great.

unixrevolution · 11-17-2010, 08:53 AM

Originally posted by Manel Brand

Maybe, but everyone should know that cheetahs are not dangerous to humans; in fact, they are very shy and run away fairly quickly if they spot someone in the field; I don't believe that a wildlife photographer doesn't know that.

You know it and I know it, but does the Cheetah know it?

I can see the merits of that image, but it's not a winner, in my opinion (which is of course flawed just as is everyone else's.)

FullertonImages · 11-17-2010, 09:31 AM

Originally posted by Manel Brand

Maybe, but everyone should know that cheetahs are not dangerous to humans; in fact, they are very shy and run away fairly quickly if they spot someone in the field; I don't believe that a wildlife photographer doesn't know that.

Cheetahs in fact are quite glad to have their pictures taken, if you ask politely first. But wildlife photographers never try that. They always just try to sneak up and steal one. And cheetahs don't get down like that...

MRRiley · 11-17-2010, 09:44 AM

Originally posted by FullertonImages

Cheetahs in fact are quite glad to have their pictures taken, if you ask politely first. But wildlife photographers never try that. They always just try to sneak up and steal one. And cheetahs don't get down like that...

Careful... Don't give PETA any ideas. I don't really want to have to get model releases from every animal I take a photo of. LOL

FullertonImages · 11-17-2010, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by MRRiley

Careful... Don't give PETA any ideas. I don't really want to have to get model releases from every animal I take a photo of. LOL

Well, as long as the cheetah isn't distinguishably recognizable, or you're only taking the image for editorial purposes, then you don't need a model release. However, if you are shooting for commercial purposes, then you need one. Unless the cheetah is on public or national property, in which case it becomes a public domain cheetah, and a release isn't needed for any purposes.

MRRiley · 11-17-2010, 09:59 AM

Or if it is in Califonia where it has a separate "right of publicity."

bigdave69 · 11-17-2010, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by SpecialK

Looks sort of like a B/W version of Elvis-on-velour.

lmao
Now THAT was funny!

Manel Brand · 11-17-2010, 11:26 AM

Originally posted by FullertonImages

Cheetahs in fact are quite glad to have their pictures taken, if you ask politely first.

Really? Guess I will ask them to do so, next time I meet one; maybe she will be kind enough to let me set up my tripod...if I ask politely first, that is.

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11-16-2010, 09:04 PM	#31
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Originally posted by CWyatt I'm going to stick my hand up as someone who likes the image. First off, I don't like it just because it's different. I very much had an issue with the World Press Photo winner, which was a very unusual photojournalism image. Also, I'm not too big on nature photography per se. Couldn't exactly tell you why, but I generally find it rather, well, boring. Not to say it all is - I am usually in awe of the work in any Nat Geo I happen to pick up, but it doesn't really move me in the way a great street image does (like some of HCB's work), or make me look at it for minutes, or go back to it continuously. There is a lot generic-ness to it, I feel. Anyway, this image does make an impression on me. I like the unusual framing, I'm driven to the animals eyes, it looks wild, scared, or inquisitive; I like the blur, it has a great feeling of life; and I like the desolate foreground, which gives me a feeling of the isolation, and contrasts to the animal's coat. The image gives me an impression of fear, speed, candid-ness... life, feeling. In saying that, I think it's more of a series type photo, and not an awarding-winning great stand-alone image. Off topic: My favourite images either grasp a sublime moment, tell an amazing story or raise large questions, or all of the above. They're evocative, which I guess is why I'm not big on most nature stuff personally. Here's a case in point one of my favourite images (an HCB too): http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/samhochberg/nLqmk9VNr8XswgA5xcfY...%2FOWCyjUss%3D I'll stand with you CWyatt in the minority. The others are the kind of photos that you see Flickr Explore - very nice but variations on well-worn themes. The kingfisher is technically brilliant but emotionally empty. The cheetah is wonderfully composed, in the upper quadrant and moving left but looking back into the frame. That look over the shoulder draws me in and makes me linger. The high contrast and blur add to the energy of the photo. Even without the caption you get the sense that this is a fleeting, stolen moment. TBH, I feel for the judges of these competitions. They must get inundated with hundreds of technically proficient yet me-too photographs. I don't blame them for picking apples in a basket of oranges.

11-16-2010, 10:21 PM	#32
CWyatt Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,291	World Press Photo - 1st prize, Nature, single image

11-17-2010, 12:38 AM	#33
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,887	Of the photos there, the Kingfisher underwater is by far the best photo.

11-17-2010, 12:45 AM	#34
yusuf Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Palo Alto, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,497	It's different but agree that it does not look like a winning shot!

11-17-2010, 01:16 AM	#35
cabstar Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Grimsby UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 224	so this guy is in tanzania after a huge bush fire, he goes for a walk through the ashened ground stumbles across a cheatah. instead of running away he manages to capture it looking over its shoulder at him & frames the cheetah in the top corner. as with all photography its not technique but also getting out tbere to find these shots. that is why i think it won & also as always with these competitions you dont know what the rest of the entried where like. myself i like it...

11-17-2010, 06:00 AM	#36
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	Originally posted by cabstar so this guy is in tanzania after a huge bush fire, he goes for a walk through the ashened ground stumbles across a cheatah. instead of running away he manages to capture it looking over its shoulder at him & frames the cheetah in the top corner. Maybe, but everyone should know that cheetahs are not dangerous to humans; in fact, they are very shy and run away fairly quickly if they spot someone in the field; I don't believe that a wildlife photographer doesn't know that.

11-17-2010, 06:02 AM	#37
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	I think that's an important lesson to everyone in this prize: all those shots that are trashed without a second thought should be well preserved and kept for a career opportunity. Trash the keepers instead; they are not very interesting by today's standards. And, HCB once said that sharpness is a bourgeois concept. I wonder why people are so concerned with lens that are soft, shutter inducing softness, and so on... BTW, +1 for The Kingfisher Last edited by Manel Brand; 11-17-2010 at 06:03 AM. Reason: sorry, forgot to put text in italic

11-17-2010, 07:24 AM	#38
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Originally posted by CWyatt World Press Photo - 1st prize, Nature, single image Thanks for posting this. This kingfisher photo is technically inferior to the one on BBC, but IMO better timed. What a difference a tenth of a second makes - if the BBC photo had been taken a tenth of a second later - just as the beak was closing upon a fish - it would have been great.

11-17-2010, 08:53 AM	#39
unixrevolution Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Waldorf, MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,861	Originally posted by Manel Brand Maybe, but everyone should know that cheetahs are not dangerous to humans; in fact, they are very shy and run away fairly quickly if they spot someone in the field; I don't believe that a wildlife photographer doesn't know that. You know it and I know it, but does the Cheetah know it? I can see the merits of that image, but it's not a winner, in my opinion (which is of course flawed just as is everyone else's.)

11-17-2010, 09:31 AM	#40
FullertonImages Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 883	Originally posted by Manel Brand Maybe, but everyone should know that cheetahs are not dangerous to humans; in fact, they are very shy and run away fairly quickly if they spot someone in the field; I don't believe that a wildlife photographer doesn't know that. Cheetahs in fact are quite glad to have their pictures taken, if you ask politely first. But wildlife photographers never try that. They always just try to sneak up and steal one. And cheetahs don't get down like that...

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11-17-2010, 09:44 AM	#41
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	Originally posted by FullertonImages Cheetahs in fact are quite glad to have their pictures taken, if you ask politely first. But wildlife photographers never try that. They always just try to sneak up and steal one. And cheetahs don't get down like that... Careful... Don't give PETA any ideas. I don't really want to have to get model releases from every animal I take a photo of. LOL

11-17-2010, 09:49 AM	#42
FullertonImages Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 883	Originally posted by MRRiley Careful... Don't give PETA any ideas. I don't really want to have to get model releases from every animal I take a photo of. LOL Well, as long as the cheetah isn't distinguishably recognizable, or you're only taking the image for editorial purposes, then you don't need a model release. However, if you are shooting for commercial purposes, then you need one. Unless the cheetah is on public or national property, in which case it becomes a public domain cheetah, and a release isn't needed for any purposes.

11-17-2010, 09:59 AM	#43
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	Or if it is in Califonia where it has a separate "right of publicity."

11-17-2010, 11:12 AM	#44
bigdave69 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Nanaimo b.c. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 34	Originally posted by SpecialK Looks sort of like a B/W version of Elvis-on-velour. lmao Now THAT was funny!

11-17-2010, 11:26 AM	#45
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	Originally posted by FullertonImages Cheetahs in fact are quite glad to have their pictures taken, if you ask politely first. Really? Guess I will ask them to do so, next time I meet one; maybe she will be kind enough to let me set up my tripod...if I ask politely first, that is.