Outcome of my photography salon (competition) entries – Month of July 2015

I’ve realized that it was a few months since I’ve posted the outcome of my monthly salon entries. I was so busy preparing images from by previous two trips for upcoming salons that I forgot about posting the results. I am also working on trip reports for my blog – also realised that I haven’t done that for more than a year.

So lets get down to business. And the results for the month of July 2015:

Total number of salons entered:

6 (6 international salons & 0 national salons).

Overall outcome:

International: 51 acceptances from 96 photos entered = 51% acceptance rate (decreased from 59% last month)

National: 0

Medals: 2

COMs: 4

Now for the individual salons:

A. International salons

1. Bon Voyage Circuit 2015 (Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria)

This was a 3-salon circuit.

Photos entered: 4 photos each entered in the Nature and Open sections = 24 entries

Acceptance: 11 acceptances (46% acceptance rate)

Comments: I was not very successful in the Open section of this circuit with only 1 acceptance out of 12 entries. The rest of the acceptances were from the Nature section. What does it tell me – I guest I must stay with nature photography. Baby elephant tired received acceptances in all three salons.

Baby elephant tired

Mashatu nature reserve, Botswana

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2. 2^nd DPA Circuit 2015 (Ireland, Serbia, Montenegro)

This was a 3-salon circuit.

Photos entered: 4 photos each entered in Nature, Wildlife and Bird section = 32 entries

Acceptance: 21 acceptance (58% acceptance rate)

Comments: This time around Chameleon moon received acceptances in all three salons. A very interesting multiple exposure image (created in camera and not in Photoshop) taken with the assistance of our guide Albie Venter, fill-in flash and a spot light. It was really difficult to get everything right (exposure and composition) at the end of the day but it was a very “lekker’ experience. Thanks Albie!!! I will surely try it again someday.

Chameleon moon

Mashatu nature reserve, Botswana

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3. Photo Art circuit 2015 (India)

This was a 3-salon circuit.

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature section = 12 entries

Acceptance: 8 acceptances (67%)

Lapwing with butterfly 3 was the image to receive acceptances in all three salons. An old image of mine taken from the specially designed boat of Lou Coetzer on the Chobe River. I’ve used my new workflow on this image and it seems to work for me.

 

Lapwing with butterfly 3

Chobe nature reserve near Kasane, Botswana

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4. 4^th South Devon Salon 2015 (UK)

Photos entered: 4 photos each entered in the Nature section

Acceptance: 3 acceptances (75% acceptance rate)

Comments: Currently I am trying to obtain 3 acceptances per image because it is a requirement for the next star level of the Photography Society of America (PSA). Every image submitted to the PSA for star rating must have three acceptance (images with one or two acceptances are not allowed). And with this salon I’ve received my third salon acceptance for Fox love – now the image “will be placed on the shelve”.

Fox love

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

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5. S4C salon 2015 (USA)

Photos entered: 4 photos each entered in Nature & Wildlife sections = 8 entries

Acceptance: 2 medal, 2COMs & 2 acceptances (75% acceptance rate)

Comments: And this time one of my landscape images did it for me. Quiver tree hill 2 won a medal in the Nature section – totally unexpected as I was just trying to get the required third acceptance for this image.

Quiver tree hill 2

NamibRand nature reserve, Namibia

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6 .     11^th Photolovers circuit 2015 (India)

This was a 3-salon circuit.

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature = 12 entries

Acceptance: 2 COMs & 6 acceptances (67% acceptance rate)

Comments: Mine received two COM and an acceptance in this circuit – the three required acceptances for the PSA star rating in one circuit. This image was taken during my earlier days in photography way back in 2011 (Nikon D700 camera and Nikkor 600mm lens) with our great photography friend Margaret Olivier who introduced us the Giants Castle. Hopefully next year I’ll join Margaret again at Giants Castle – I’ve learned so much from her in my short time as a photographer – thanks again, Ekke!!!

Mine

Giants Castle, Drakensberg, South Africa

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 B. National Salons

No national salons for the month of July – however, I received the good news that myself and a fellow Bloemfonteiner  Geo Jooste (and a old Edenburger like myself) just won the Nature division of the Impala trophy for the past year. A first for me! Both of us accumulated the most number of points (based on the number of medals won as well as COMs and acceptances received) in the Nature divisions of all the national salons for the past year (June 2014-June 2015). Well done, Geo! Geo ended up being fourth and myself being third in the overall Impala trophy (points accumulated in all the different sections of the national salons). Just to show you how “strong” the Bloemfontein camera club is – the only club in South Africa to have 6 members in the top 15 photographers in the Impala trophy with 5 members being in the top 10.

Message to take home:

As I was looking back at the outcome of this month’s salon results, the medal I’ve won with a landscape image stood out for me. Just because I am not really a landscape photography (Hougaard Malan will testified to that). However, I just enjoy nature and being in die veld. So landscape images will eventually become part of my portfolio. If one looks at Hougaard’s images, I am sure everybody who is not a photographer will probably tell you how easy it is to get a decent landscape shoot – just in three steps l. Step one: drive around anytime of the day and find beautiful scenery. Step two: get out of the car, point your camera at it and get as much in the frame as possible. Step three: Pull the trigger and capture the scene.

Surprise, surprise! Nowadays I am of the opinion that it is even harder to get a proper landscape shot than wildlife shots. Like I’ve read somewhere on the Internet: ”Landscape photography is a whole lot more than just hiking to a beautiful spot with your camera bag slung over your shoulder. The reason landscape photography looks so simple is because an excellent landscape photographer makes it look simple. An excellent landscape photographer knows how to take a breathtaking, three-dimensional scene and make it look just as breathtaking on a two dimensional screen or piece of paper.” Interesting concept to think about!

Until next month, keep on shooting