Outcome of my photography salon (competition) entries – Month of April 2014

Not a very busy month when it comes to salon entries for me. Only the middle of May and I’ve already received the results of all my salon entries for the month of April 2014.Keep holding thumbs – luck is still on my side because I did not have one salon with a zero acceptance rate this month again. Now for the actual details on the results for the month of April 2014:

Total number of salons entered:

6 (1 national salon (2 salon circuit) and 5 international salons (one 4 salon circuit)).

Overall outcome:

International: 38 acceptances from 64 photos entered = 59% acceptance rate (slight increased from the 57% last month)

National: 31 acceptances from 48 photos entered = 65% acceptance rate (increased from the 55% last month)

Medals: 4

COMs: 3

 

Now for the individual salons:

A. International salons:

 

1. 2^nd Cheltenham International Salon of Photography 2014 (UK):

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in the Nature section.

Acceptance: 3 acceptances (75% acceptance rate)

Comments: Supper 2 received its third international acceptance in its fourth entry.

 

Supper 2

Giants Castle, Drakensberg, South Africa.

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2. Sydney HarbourInternational Salon 2014 (Australia):

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in the Nature section.

Acceptance: 4 acceptances (100% acceptance rate)

Comments: All four my entries were accepted and Goshawk half circle received its second international acceptance in only its second entry. I was not sure about his image but looks like it is pulling through. I might use it in another few salons and probably in a few national salons as well.

 

Goshawk half circle

Laikipia nature reserve, Kenya

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3. Artfoto International exhibition of Art Photography 2014 (Bosnia):

Photos entered: 4 photos entered each in the People, Landscape, Travel, Free colour, Free monochrome sections = 20 entries.

Acceptance: 11 acceptances (55% acceptance rate)

Comments: I was impressed with my 4 landscape images that all received acceptances. I was particularly satisfied with Munnik pass sunrise 22 because it did not so well in other salons. It is only its second acceptance in 6 entries.

 

Munnik pass sunrise 22

Near Rhodes & Elliot, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

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4. 1^st Impression International Salon 2014 (India)

Photos entered: 4 photos each in the Nature section.

Acceptance: 3 acceptances (75% acceptance rate)

Comments: It was the first salon entry for Pygmy goose take off and it received its first acceptance. I was a bit worried about this image because the tip of the wings are not in focus (blurred and not sharp) despite a shutter speed of 1/2500 of a second. Just to confirm one of theories regarding bird photography: When trying to capture a small bird in flight, your shutter speed must be at least 1/4000 of a second to get everything sharp/wing tips not blurred.

 

Pygmy goose take off

Chobe River, Botswana

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5. Ecological Truth 2014: International Circuit Exhibition 2014 (Bulgaria, Bosnia, Slovenia & Serbia)

This was a 4 salon circuit held in 4 cities in 4 different countries.

Photos entered: 4 photos entered each in the Nature & Scapes section = 32 entries.

Acceptance: 1 Medal & 16 acceptances (53% acceptance rate)

Comments: This is mine was accepted in all four salons and it received its first medal after five entries. Four of these entries were international entries with four acceptance.

 

This is mine

Giants Castle, Drakensberg, South Africa

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B. National Salons

 

1. 5^th Emfuleni National Circuit Salon 2014 (South Africa)

This was a 2 salon circuit.

Photos entered: 4 photos entered each in the Nature colour, Nature monochrome, Sport colour, Sport monochrome, Open colour and Open monochrome = 48 entries.

Acceptance: 3 Medals, 3 COMs & 25 acceptances = 31 acceptances (65% acceptance rate)

Comments: My Open colour images did not go down very well with the judges – only 1 out of a possible 8 acceptances. However, my images in the Nature colour (6 acceptances) and Nature monochrome (7 acceptances) made up for it. Elephant trunk won a runner’s up medal in the monochrome section in its first ever salon entry. Wait 22 won the other medal in the Sport colour section – totally unexpected because the image did not well in other salons. I’ve changed Aggressive 800m start into a monochrome image and it also best category medal in the Sport monochrome section.

 

Elephant trunk

Chobe River, Botswana

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Wait 22

Varsity cup 2013, Bloemfontein, South Africa

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Aggressive 800m start

Interschool athletics, 2013, Bloemfontein, South Africa

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Message to take home:

Just this very short message – maybe not everybody will agree: “It is not worth spending lots of money of camera equipment and think you can become a great photographer.” A controversial statement but think carefully about it!

Until the next month, be prepared and know what to expect before keep on shooting!!!