Outcome of my photography salon (competition) entries – Month of January 2016

And so another year is almost 1 month “old” and hopefully 2016 will be full of wonderful photographic experience. I just cannot belief 2016 is only my 5^th year being involved in this very exiting hobby – thanks to my wife! In 2010 I did not even know how to switch on a camera let alone using words like shutter speed, ISO, aperture and the word I feared the most at that stage “Photoshop”. And in 2011 I’ve entered my first national salon – our local camera club (Bloemfontein Camera Club with 2 acceptances from 24 entires!) and here I am in in my 4^th year of salon participation

 

Total number of salons entered:

7 (7 international salons & for a second month in a row – 0 national salons).

Overall outcome:

International: 22 acceptances from 44 photos entered = 50% acceptance rate (increased from 43% last month)

National: There were no national salons held in the month of Janaury 2016 – I do hope the PSSA will revisit their decision to limit the number of national salons in South Africa.

Medals: 1

COMs: 0

At least 1 medal on the table – better than last month!

Now for the individual salons:

 

A. INTERNATIONAL SALONS

1. 2^NDMIRACLE IMAGE SALON 2015 (India)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in the Nature section

Acceptance: 4 acceptances (100% acceptance rate)

Comments: It has been a while since I had a 100% acceptance rate in an international salon. No a very successful image but Kalahari pillow received its second acceptance – so just one more acceptance to go before I can put the image away.

Kalahari pillow

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

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2. Light of Oman SALON 2016 (Oman)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature section.

Acceptance: 1 medal & 2 acceptances (75% acceptance rate)

Comments: My first successful participation in Oman and my 46^th successful country. Almost was the image that won the FIAP Gold medal for me (already posted in an earlier post) while Lioness and cubs 4 was also accepted.

Lioness and cubs 4

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

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3. KUPA SALON 2015 (India)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature section

Acceptance: 2 acceptances (50% acceptance rate)

Comment: Once again – birds in flight as one of my favourite topics in wildlife photography did it for me with Pygmy goose take off 1  – it was one of the two images receiving an acceptance. And it was the 3^rd acceptance for this image meaning I can put it away. Very difficult to catch these little birds in flight because they are so quick!

 

Pygmy goose take off 1

Chobe Nature reserve near Kasane, Botswana

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4. MAITLAND SALON 2016 (Australia)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature section

Acceptance: 3 acceptance (75% acceptance rate)

Comments: Leopard mating dance was one of a series of images captured during a mating process between 2 leopards near Londolozi nature reserve. The image was taken in very low light conditions (single spotlight with fill-flash) and I had to increase my ISO to 6400 to get a decent shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second in order to avoid a blurry image.

Leopard mating dance

Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

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5. 3^RD PSSA INTERNATIONAL SALON 2016 (South Africa)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered each in Creative art, & Open Colour, Open Monochrome, Street & Scapes sections = 20 entries

Acceptance: 7 acceptances (35% acceptance rate)

Comments: I was one of the three judges for the Nature section – therefore I was not allowed to enter any images in my favourite section. But it was an experience to be a judge in an International salon – another first for me! We started around 10H00 with judging and finished by 14H00 – 1200 images later. I’ve tried my hand at doing some monochrome images and was awarded with two acceptances with Church BW being one of them. Believe me – it is not an easy job to convert an image into a monochrome image.

Church BW

Near Elliot – Eastern Cape, South Africa

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6. Metropolitan SALON 2016 (USA)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature section

Acceptance: 1 acceptances (25% acceptance rate)

Comments: Weavers fighting as the only image to have received an acceptance in this salon! And its third acceptance and now I can put the image away. Not one of my favourite images because I had to crop the image very tight (too many other birds around) – almost too tight Well, one acceptance closer to my goal of obtaining an EPSA award (700 acceptances) from the Photography Society of America (PSA).

Weavers fighting

My own backyard, Bloemfontein, South Africa

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7. Apricot PHOTO SALON 2016 (Armenia)

Photos entered: 4 photos entered in Nature,

Acceptance: 2 acceptances (50% acceptance rate)

Comments: Yet another first successful participation in my 47^th country worldwide. Meerkat close hug was one of the two images receiving an acceptance.

Meerkat close hug

Tswalu nature reserve, South Africa

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Message to take home:

Some interesting advice I read last week: “Nothing happens when you sit at home.” This is so true when photography is your hobby. It is important to go out and look for some photo opportunities – even if it is just around town or an outing to your local Botanical garden (or even your own garden for that matter – see the second last photo in this post above). Always be ready with your camera – have it with you all times if you do go out. And do not be particular with what you want to shoot – just try and capture anything what look interesting to you. More often you will be surprised with the outcome!

Until next month, keep on shooting