Juried Art Event: Help Me Decide
Posted in Friends / Music / Photography / The Dog by CujoJanuary 25th, 2007 - 2:25 AM
Sault Ste. Marie’s winter carnival Bon Soo is fast approaching (Feb 2nd to Feb 11th) and I’ve gone crazy and decided (95%) that I want to participate in the Juried Exhibition being put on by the Art Gallery of Algoma. I want you to help me decide what photos to choose for display. They will be at the end of this post — first read through so you understand most of the criteria or don’t and just choose your favourite photos.
The rules are pretty simple:
- $5 per entry
- no categories
- any media
- work must be ready to hang/install
- maximum of 3 entries
My assumption is that the art show needs a solid dose of rock. Basically I want to enter to say I did, I’d like to win but I’ll assume I won’t (I don’t think they’d be prepared or appreciate what I would show — a barn, fall or winter scenery, the river and all the regular sort of fair is probably the acquired taste but maybe I can break that). Photos are not the only thing being judged and I’m not sure if a photograph is judged against sculpture or how it fully works yet. I’m planning on calling the Art Gallery tomorrow to get more details.
The other main detail I need sorting out is when the deadline actually is, the Bon Soo event schedule states Friday, the Art Gallery paper I have says the 29th and 30th.
Basically I’m assuming this will cost me about $40 to participate in — I really don’t have the money for it but it could lead to further things and I think it might be worth it. We have four frames that have been sitting on Fozzie’s crate since Jes brought them home, I’m hoping she’ll let me use those for display. I’ll need to get the photos printed and I should be on my way.
Now onto the photos. I’ve tried to limit the number to choose from as much as possible. I’m putting my favourite Domino pick on here, a couple of fireworks shots and the rest are all local musicians (I cut out any pictures of out of town musicians to help me cut my choices down). After over 6,700 photos I present you with 15 to help me narrow it down to 3. Pick your favourite 3 and post a comment on what they are. Please help me out in choosing what to display. The image number appears below the photo (to avoid any confusion).
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Image 9
Image 10
Image 11
Image 12
Image 13
Image 14
Image 15
Note: If you do not wish to vote in the comments below you may use the contact form on this site, send me an email or an instant message. Just let me know somehow so I can make a decision on this. Also these are how the pictures were shot, there is no touch up work done to them at all, not even cropping.
Possible Related Posts:
January 25th, 2007 at 2:36 am
2, 6, 15
Good luck. Getting yoru work exhibited should help you a lot, and is probably something you should try adn do on a semi-regular basis (I haven’t done that in about 3.5yrs *sigh*).
January 25th, 2007 at 3:55 am
I’d have to say 2, 6, and 8.
Ya like Kelli said, Good Luck. And it does help to get your worked exhibited, because people have no remorse and their always willing to blatently tell you what they like or dislike about your work. Plus it helps you get known and recognized for the work you do. Well hey good luck bud.
January 25th, 2007 at 7:32 am
Cuj, just so you don’t miss the window of opportunity. The gallery is ONLY taking submissions January 29 and 30 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The actual showing for Annual Juried Art Exhibition is February 1 to 10 and the Opening Reception is February 1 @ 7:30 p.m.
I stopped entering the exhibition a few years ago because every year the winner is normally someone who painted a bunch of flowers, made a sculpture of the city hall or Brian Trembley. But this year I am going to re-enter in the hopes of generating post hype from my last showing.
Your right it is a good opportunity to get your stuff out there for others to see.
I would vote on image 1, 2 (I love that picture of Domi) and 11. And just as a suggestion, I know you have more fireworks images. These ones that you have posted are nice but I would have swore you had some that the fireworks part was higher in the sky, and a bigger explosion. If you can find those, I would enter one under the condition that you photoshopped the sky a bit bluer, and intensified the colours in the fireworks part. People love that shit, it makes them all dreamy.
Also, although I like image 11, I would recommend slightly blurring the background to intensify Frank as being the main image and to subdue the details going on in the image. I would also take out the shadows on his banjo/hand, just to clarify the image and the importance of what is going on inside the frame. I might even darken the image “slightly,” just to give it more of a classical musician look. People love that shite too. *smile*
Good luck I know you’ll do well. You have some really good images here that I know will get some props.
January 25th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Thanks everyone so far — it looks like Domino is off to a running lead — too bad he can’t do much running right now, poor guy.
Anyway thanks for the submissions as of right now.
Queen WOWSER that’s a lot of words.
First off, more fireworks pics can be found here: Fourth of July Fireworks as well more pictures can be found in my photo gallery section.
Some of the bigger explosion shots made it to my 4th and 5th final rounds of cuts, I think they were in the top 20 but I axed them. It’s tough being a critic of your own work I think.
Doing this process made me comfortable in knowing that I do have a number of pictures of high quality (at least to me anyway).
Also thanks for all the suggestions - I understand your post work but it’s something I’m somewhat against, I’d like to get something/acknowledged for my photography skills and not my photoshop editing skills - although that may seem to be what it takes to win.
I think that comes from the fact of looking at some shots in online portfolios of local photographers and seeing a lot of post processing work that makes the image look more fake than real. How far is too far?
Thanks for all the constructive criticism though.
January 25th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I was looking at your fireworks images and I think you might want to consider some of them again. You have some really good ones in there that I am sure will show excellently/professionally once printed and framed. But I’m not the boss of your pictures LOL
I also want to let you know that I don’t Photoshop anything unless it is something that I could have done in the darkroom. I have wrestled with this Photoshop conundrum for sometime. But have come to the final conclusion that if it’s darkroom fixable then it’s Photoshop fixable. And seriously, that image of Frank has good composition to it. *smile*
You have good photography technical skillz.
January 25th, 2007 at 9:05 am
2, 4, 7 and 15.
Okay that’s not three but it’s close. Love the pic of Domino, is that at that long bridge in Fort Creek?
Keep in mind I know nothing about photography (my little preface before this comment) but does #4 need all that sky?
Seven’s a cool pic and 15 captures the spirit of Cliff’s playing perfectly.
Great shots Curt!
January 25th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Thanks for the submissions Ludger.
That is the long bridge (I believe) at Fort Creek. I’ve only been there in the winter about 5 or 6 times with Dom so I don’t know what all the actual places are referred to as. It’s the bridge that has the big hill before it, he was at the bottom of the hill and I simply called for him to come see us at the top. I kneeled down and shot as many pictures as I could — that is the only one that turned out and it’s right before he would have hit me.
As for the sky in the fireworks shot the long length to the pictures add some appeal to them — for me anyway — to shoot the fireworks I had my camera set up on my tripod so I wouldn’t get any blur from the long exposure time, thus it was set at a certain focal length to capture any fireworks that happened either low to the ground or high up.
Queen - any suggestions on the “other” fireworks. I think #4 is my favourite fireworks pic but maybe you can suggest some others.
Also, it kind of sucks that I can only submit 3. Especially based on opinions coming in right now, most are quite varied.
January 25th, 2007 at 9:22 am
4, 7 and 10. I will not explain why, cuz I don’t really know.
January 25th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Thanks Dave - no need for explanations, I’m so you can psycho-analyze them all but do we really wan that?
January 25th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Images 4, 8, 11, 15
That’s my vote.
January 25th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Thanks Manda.
January 25th, 2007 at 11:17 am
1, 2, and another one of Domino. He’s a cover-dog fer sure. I suppose they are not judged as a series, but I still like to see them that way. Though I don’t recommend putting a basset in a costume…are you familiar with William Wegman?
http://www.wegmanworld.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wegman_(photographer)
January 25th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Thanks Anita and I’m not familiar with William I’ll check him out.
The trouble with more of the dog pictures is I can’t remember who shot half of them, either Jes or myself and I don’t want to take credit if Jes was the photographer — call me a nice guy
January 25th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Okay…you’re a nice guy
January 25th, 2007 at 11:51 am
2,7,11….but if you had that one of Dom looking craaaazy then I’d say that one.
January 25th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Like I already stated, COOKIE belongs to Jes.
January 25th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
image 2, 6 and 7. those are my picks. Good luck buddy!
January 25th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Thanks slacky.
January 25th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I like #4 - #2 - #7 (In that order).
For Print, Compass Digital and Cliffes could Def. do it. But you will pay a more than its probably worth for you.
I’m not sure how large Staples will be, but I’m sure its cheaper than previous mentioned. Again, I’m not sure how large of a format they can print.
From experience, I found that iSolutions does a pretty good job, but they usually quoted the highest for me.
You can also call C.W. at Lucidia and see if he can get you a deal. They have a large Epson printer as well.
January 25th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Then tell Jes to put that one in….:)
January 25th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
If you’ve read Brad’s comment you can see I’m now struggling on my print options.
So if anyone out there has frames that I can put an 8×12 photo in (with matte) that I can borrow — I prefer black frame, white matte) or maybe $5 to put towards buying a frame/printing the pics - now I’m pushing it!
Seems the frames I have are weird sizes and will mess up some of the photos that are in the lead.
If you help me out maybe you can have your choice of print (after I get a job and can afford to make a print for you).
January 25th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
1, 3 and 14
January 25th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
1, 4, 7
January 25th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
2, 6, 7
January 25th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Thanks Rab, Heather and Jer…
There’s definitely two front runners now with a couple of others fighting it out for that final spot. They fight fight fight, fight fight fight, it’s the picture choosing show.
January 25th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
#2 because I like the symmetry of the background, and how the angles draw focus to the main subject.
#7 because of the overall atmosphere. I do find the blown highlight in the upper right corner distracting though.
#11 because I just like the composition.
Hope that helps you out… now you can’t hate me forever
January 25th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Thanks Brian and thanks the for constructive criticism as well. As far as the blown highlight in #7, that’s actually a wall light so the fact that I got it blurred out that much is a plus. I think.
January 26th, 2007 at 1:32 am
two
seven
eleven
the end.
January 26th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Thanks Gill.
January 26th, 2007 at 9:02 am
2, 6, 7, 15 and 8 if you crop off Franks knee!
wonderful photos!
January 31st, 2007 at 4:38 pm
3, 7, 15 are my favorites.
Good job on the pictures, all of them!
January 31st, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Thanks Jane, your votes were counted (it’s been awhile since I commented here)
And thanks Erin, um… your votes weren’t counted as the submission already happened and the judge already made her decision on what was good enough etc.
If anyone else would like to vote I’m sorry but the window is closed — it was a very short period of time.