41st International Underwater Photographic Competition Judges Comments

LOS ANGELES UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The Judges Comments Concerning the Competition Images

Again this year the judges felt that that overall the quality of photographic work in this competition was impressive and the number and quality of entries exceeds most other contests in which they have had past involvement.

As it was last year, technical deficiencies caused the immediate downgrading of images. These deficiencies included over-exposure, fuzzy focus, and depth of field where important, backscatter, positioning of subject, etc. The primary positive element for images to make the final cut was IMPACT.

This year the judges favored images that showed moving subjects (greater degree of difficulty) and common subjects shot in an uncommon manner. However, the rarity of the species rarely figured into their decision as they felt that criteria too subjective.

Some specifics they recommended:
- Images should tell a story. A simple portrait is okay, but a portrait with a story or some natural history will win out.
- Strong graphic elements are winners.
- Winning elements include degree of difficulty of the shot, evidence of behavior, symbiosis, etc. and images with strong color.
- Be sure to enter your images in the correct category.
- Images with rear curtain sync, black and white, etc. won this year, partly because they stood out from the usual types of entries.
- Weird or very unusual animals are not as likely to win on their own, without some of the above mentioned elements.
- The judges want to see images in new ways.
- Winning images often benefit by good timing and position by the photographer.
- Winners will often have superior technical merit, a story, and emotional impact.
- Do not submit prints or slides that are in poor physical condition.
- Look for new ways of seeing things and express these ways in your images.
- Digital slide dupes are poor and can't compete (at least, not this year), with film.
- Digital image files that were entered in the print categories worked the best this year as evidenced by a number of winners using this medium.

The following observations and comments were made for the video entrants to consider:
- Don't harass the animal life. That's automatic disqualification.
- Basic mistakes. Be careful to not have jump cuts in your videos, keep your horizons level, don't stay too long on a subject, and keep your camera very still. The quality of the videos submitted were very good and basic mistakes will keep the videos out of the running.
- Repeat shots. Don't repeat the same shot in the video.
- Lighting. The viewfinder doesn't lie. If it's too hot in the viewfinder, it will be too hot in the video. If you see that it's too hot, back away from the subject a couple of feet.
- Voiceover. If you use voiceover, use a voice that is not irritating or boring.
- Vary your shots. For instance, start wide, cut to a close-up, then back to a wide shot, matching the action at each cut. B-roll works underwater, too.
- Watch your framing. You don't want to notice the camera. Let the subject do the moving and minimize camera movement. Include foreground/background in your shots.
- Pans and zooms. Keep pans to a minimum. Instead of using the zoom, move your body/camera closer to or farther away from the subject. If you must zoom, record your shot, cut, zoom in, then roll.

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