Hi all

I'm thinking of entering the QLD AIPP Awards, where is the best place to get prints done that meet the criteria?

Cheers

Matt

Ahhh the Print question!

questions I have for you, first.

1) Do you calibrate your screen?
2) Have your prepared your images accordingly?
3) What Paper are you thinking of printing on?
4) Have you asked for critique on your images from an experienced Awards entrant? (Have you spoken to someone who has won many awards)
5) Have you entered the awards before?


these are things which impact your printing, and where to go.

The other thing is how you mount them on the foam core, what matting you choose, what coloured matting you go for, and making sure you print to best suit the lights at the stand.

My experience is as such

1) I calibrate my screens, so my colours SHOULD be correct
2) As #1
3) I have used Lustre and Gloss, one of my best images did better on Lustre than Gloss, yet the Gloss gave it more punch! So Medium is subjective!
4) I ask critique from a few people, to help gauge immediate impression on the images
5) At the time, I hadn't, and the guidance sure did help.


I'm happy to look at your work and offer my thoughts, but keep in mind I've only entered QLD once and National (APPA) twice.

Either way, best of luck!

Care to share the images your thinking of entering?

Small tip.

Its not wise to make your entries public before entering.

So true. I keep my images to myself, as do many others, nothing worse than having a few judges walk away as they know your image.

Hi all

Thanks for the replies. Answers below to Matt's questions.

Don't worry, I don't have unrealistic delusions of grandeur thinking that my images will get gold distinctions! I would like to maybe enter 3 images and get some feedback. Speaking of feedback, I'm guessing you need to attend the judging to hear the judges feedback?

1) Do you calibrate your screen?

(Gulp, I know you're going to slate me for this next answer!) No, buying a colour management device soon any recommendations? The prints I've got back look pretty good compared to what's on my monitor.

2) Have your prepared your images accordingly?

In the process of doing so.

3) What Paper are you thinking of printing on?

No idea. In terms of mounting, I'd like to hand the digital files to someone and they do all the hard work. From memory, I thought last year one lab in Brisbane was offering this service?

4) Have you asked for critique on your images from an experienced Awards entrant? (Have you spoken to someone who has won many awards)

No... maybe I should PM Longshots to ask if he would be willing to take a peek?

5) Have you entered the awards before?

No, I moved back to Brisbane late last year and only just became an emerging member of the AIPP this week.

Cheers

Matt

Seems your timing may be good:

Print Critique / Judges Training Night
WhenWed, March 17, 6:30pm – 11:30pm
WhereMt Gravatt TAFE, 1030 Cavendish Road Mt Gravatt (map)
DescriptionRegister Online Here - http://www.qaipp.com.au/eventforms/aipp02qldpay.php The print Critique and Judges Training night will be held at 5:30pm Wednesday 17th March at Metro South Institute of TAFE Mt Gravatt Brisbane. The evening will be under the chairmanship of William Long who is Chair of Jurors for the Queensland Professional Photography Awards. Upload your images ahead of time using the registration and uploader form. Your name will not be identified to the images as all judging/critiquing is anonymous. If on the night you wish to question and illicit more info from the judges please feel free to shout forth. The evening is meant to be informal but at the same time offering practical advice to improve the quality of image offerings from our members and students. The evening is also meant to give ongoing training to our judges and to train new judges in the APPA system of print scoring. When: 5:30pm Wednesday 17th March Where: Metro South Institute of TAFE, 1030 Cavendish Road Mt Gravatt Cost: $10.00 for members and non members. Students are free. Please register your attendance online - http://www.qaipp.com.au/eventforms/aipp02qldpay.php
more details» copy to my calendar

Ahh brill, thanks Glen! I live near there too!

I'm completely amazed that I've been on the Qld AIPP site in the last few days and actually missed that event!

Just spoke to Stephen Jones, what a nice guy! I'm going to upload a few images for the critique event next week.

It is a common occurrence for people to submit photos for these events, elicit feedback and then rework them before submission to the real event. It is also common for people not to do that. It is very valuable when you get this feedback but it's a bit of a lucky dip - sometimes your photo hits some mark and gets lots of comments/feedback and sometimes it gets a no/yes, move on - same happens in the real judging. Even if your photo gets no comment there is oodles to be learned from watching the process.

I'm not sure that illicit comment from the judges (as above) will necessarily be what you want

Normally I would offer critique, but as I'm chairman of jurors for QPPA, I'd have to rule myself out

I think point 4 of Matt's post can be a bit iffy. The only reason I say that is it's going to be one persons opinion on your image and depending on what they say may affect the outcome of what you do. Example - multi award winning person says yeah great print enter it. You enter it and it doesn't get a silver or gold how will you feel? On the other side, they could say nah it's crap, you don't enter it but had you entered it it would have won, because those judges would have loved it.

So whilst I tend to agree somewhat with what Matt is saying at the end of the day if you want to enter it, enter it. What's the worst that will happen? It doesn't get anywhere that day (could do well the following year) and you lose an entry fee. Not like anyone is going to take your camera off you. Hmmmmmmm or do they? *checks rules* PMSL

Perhaps to qualify what Matt has suggested. Which I would contradict Chrissy and enlighten her with more of an explanation as to the intent of Matt's point 4.

OK ask someone who has entered these awards for their opinion and advice. And if you can, seek and ask opinions with the stress being on the PLURAL, from those who understand the awards system.

Quite simply a lot of the time, people dont read the explanations and rules for the APPA system, and generally miss the part which explains where and how the print will be judged. Which is under quite strong lighting, (check the APPA rules for the exact light reading); which results in needing to adjust your print for those lighting conditions. And if you dont your print can appear "washed out or too light".

And


Getting a gold or silver isnt that easy you know! Average to good photography is actually scored from the very low 70's. (judges score out of 100 = five of them, total is made of their score, which is then divided by 5, and the average score is the score attributed to the print). And yes will the people you ask an opinion of affect the outcome of your submission ? Well dam I hope so I've seen plenty of people enter prints the first time, and they've entered very average, ok'ish type work, yeah sure the clients have bought it, but that doesnt mean to say its of a high standard or its exceptional creativity; it just meant that the client failed to be a specialist in photography and happened to like your photographic product, which they probably had an emotional attachment to, making it easy for them to make the purchasing decision. Thats exactly what I did the first time. Although extremely fortunate to gain a silver with distinction, out of my four submitted. The others scored bronzes (which they no longer award).
There's not a single multiple AIPP Master of Photography, or even the very rare Grand Master who can guarantee how a panel of 5 qualified judges will react with any single image or print. In fact one very well known multiple Masters walked away with 2 of his four images not being awarded a silver or gold a year or so ago. Sure you can give some obvious advice (like pointing out the sensor dust on a great image - and yes I've seen that on award entries), and you can suggest how a print may score, and you can advise what the judges may like (in the same way you can gauge a client's personal likes and dislikes). But what you can never do is guarantee what will get a gold and what wont.


To not ask anyone is just missing out on your personal growth and develpoment. And this doesnt really even make sense:




I'm afraid because you can never predict the impact and reaction your image may make on a moveable panel of judges.


So I'm backing the suggestion of ask for advice and opinions. But at the end of the day, also take a big grab of the point that it comes down to your choice and your responsibility for everything you do.

Chrissy,

You know what pushed me to enter? Longshots said, "put these 3 images in"
I was sceptical, I saw his shots, his previous winners, and thought "No, I don't stand a chance".
Will suggested I alter them, change my processing, re-do them, basically start over and try to avoid some issues on the process level, so I did.
An you know what? I liked the images more!
So you ask, Did I enter them?
I certainly did!

And I got a silver!
To my surprise I also got a Silver distinction, and I was on top of the world, 2 awards!
Then I found out I got a Gold Distinction, I was over the moon!

Now, this proved to be an issue, as I got a bit of an expectation from myself in what I want from the awards each year.
Now, Whilst Will said to enter them, I wasn't expecting results. Nor do I continue to expect results, however I expect myself to excel and do well, as a personal choice.


Now, that said, I've seen prints first hand score a gold at state awards,to find out at nationals they didnt even batter an eyelid at the shot.
Moral: Photography is subjective

Now, with any feedback or input on an image, you're offering people your THOUGHTS on the images, and if you've had experience in the awards, you may be able to offer insight as to what might work, what might not work, and what could pull the judges out of their chairs to look at your work.

So Chrissy, I'm on the other side of the fence, and I think that if you listen to the critique of others, and ask experience persons, you can better judge your chances.

Thanks Longshots and Matt for further thoughts. I knew at 1.20am in the morning I probably wasn't going to make a lot of sense. I know what I was trying to say, it just hasn't come across well. Please forgive me.