NGF Photographic Competition 2013

Started by Newportnobby, January 29, 2013, 06:16:46 PM

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martink

Just a quick comment concerning the size limit for each picture. 

Many digital cameras use a fairly low level of data compression when creating their JPEG files (due to on-board computer, memory and time constraints).  If you load the picture into a paint program (I just use good old MS Paint) and then immediately save it again, you can get a major improvement in compression with no loss of quality.  For my camera, this works out to shrinking a 4320x3240 image from 5000kB down to 800-900kB.  I do this as a matter of course before uploading files.  No promises however - it depends on your camera, so try it on a suitable sample picture first.

BTW, just to be pedantic, I assume you mean 500kB and not 500kb (kilobytes not kilobits, 500kb = 62.5kB).

PLD

Daft question time - does the models category have to be N gauge??

Sprintex

Quote from: martink on February 02, 2013, 05:57:06 AM
BTW, just to be pedantic, I assume you mean 500kB and not 500kb (kilobytes not kilobits, 500kb = 62.5kB).

Talk about splitting hairs ::)

Given that 95% of people, myself included, probably wouldn't know what a kilobit was if it bit them on the bum I think it's safe to assume we're talking kilobytes as most people are familiar with that.


Paul

Newportnobby

Personally I feel we should not allow digital enhancements. :no:
The object of the photographic competition is to show your skill at composition, lighting, depth of field etc and not trickery in 'fudging' an image to make it look better :scowl:

longbridge

Quote from: newportnobby on February 02, 2013, 05:28:36 PM
Personally I feel we should not allow digital enhancements. :no:
The object of the photographic competition is to show your skill at composition, lighting, depth of field etc and not trickery in 'fudging' an image to make it look better :scowl:

Easier said than done Mike all people have to do is delete the exif or matadata details of their photo.
Keep on Smiling
Dave.

Caz

In my local photographic club we normally have two catagories of entries, full on Photoshoped or similar and basic entry which only allows altering the brightness and contrast and seems to works well and keeps everyone happy.

Caz
Caz
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Bealman

So that's a new rule, then? No digital enhancements?

George
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

Sprintex

#22
Not a new rule no, more clarification of a point.

Mick did state in his opening post "let the N gauge world know you are an expert with your camera" - not an expert with your PC editing suite ;)


Paul

Newportnobby

Quote from: PLD on February 02, 2013, 11:26:57 AM
Daft question time - does the models category have to be N gauge??

Not at all. We're just differentiating between models and the 12" to the foot ones :)

longbridge

Nowt wrong in using Levels, Curves, Saturation and Sharpen but adding the Moon over the top of a steam loco chimney is cheating, Layers should be a No No.
Keep on Smiling
Dave.

Bealman

Well, there'll be no such entry from me as I don't know how to do that stuff!  :dunce:
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

Chris

Quote from: Calnefoxile on February 01, 2013, 12:14:48 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on January 30, 2013, 06:08:47 PM
No Claude,
As we said, it's the photo being judged not the subject. Pictures of other 'models' can be sent to my private mail address >:D ;)

Hey Mick,

Does this one score on both levels  ;) ;)



Regards

Neal.

Neal - in future please ask permission before taking & posting photos of my wife  :P :smiley-laughing:

Back to the topic - my entries are up.

On the point of processed photos - this is one of my pet hates - and the main reason I left a photography forum! A bit of editing to tidy up is fine but adding too many effects makes the photo look fake to me. I like my photos to be as natural as possible, despite using a cheap "entry level" DSLR.

longbridge

Give me an enlarger, safelight and a few trays. pearl paper and chemicals any day, I gave up 25 years of weekend wedding photography in 2003 because I hated digital photography, somewhere along the line the real art of photography flew out of the window.
Keep on Smiling
Dave.

Bealman

Well said. They are throw-a-way pictures these days - when you only had a finite number of frames and the cost of processing, you gave much more thought to composition.  :thumbsup:
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

d-a-n

I work as a wedding photographer and I never consider any of my output to be throwaway, I put just as much thought into composition as I ever did shooting 35mm. Digital is just a much more flexible and efficient way of capturing someone's special day, the principles are the same as film though and you don't need to be shooting 2000+ images (if I was that indiscriminate with my photography, I'd lose sight of the special moments). I think people's main problem lies with so much exposure to bad photographs on social media and the internet which are inevitably taken on digital. People often took bad photographs on film (lord knows, I worked on the photo dev counter at Tesco for several years), it's just they never saw the light of day!

Image post processing is not something new to digital and should not be disregarded out of hand - you can save many good images and enhance outstanding ones. Improving photographs was something I would do in a darkroom on an enlarger, I would manipulate negatives, mask my photographic paper for selective lightening and change colour temperature all the time. Now, I only shoot in RAW and apply this approach to my digital output - I hate the idea that the camera is putting out a JPEG which it has effectively processed for me. Give me wet-film style of control over that next step in the photographs existence any day of the week! Photography is as much about making beautiful pictures as it is taking beautiful pictures - be it 35mm and darkroom or RAW file and Lightroom.

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