This was the second year the club participated in a 3-way challenge with Musselburgh and Beeslack Camera Clubs and this year was our turn to host. SPF judge Hunter Kennedy awarded points out of 20 for each of 15 images entered by each club, with the club amassing the highest number of points being declared the winner...which was Beeslack, by 1 point with 257, after Hunter was coerced into a tie breaker. Musselburgh came second on 256 with Haddington 3rd on 246.
The Haddington Camera Club part of the process was that forty-nine images were submitted for the 3 way interclub competition. Three committee members plus one co-opted member chose their 15 favourites separately and then we met on Zoom to compare our choices. Most of the final 15 images we selected had been chosen by either all 4 or by 3 of the selection panel. In 2020 the results were: Musselburgh 252, Beeslack 243, Haddington 234 compared to Beeslack 256, Musselburgh 256, Haddington 246 in 2021, so we have not only improved our score but narrowed the gap between us and the highest scoring club. Detailed scores are at the bottom of this post.
One comment we heard mentioned often tonight was the Wow! factor. I suppose we all know it when we see it, but knowing how to achieve it is altogether trickier. Brightness levels were one factor Hunter stressed. The brightest part of a competition image should be the area of interest , so a bird should be brighter than the branch it sits on, or the sky it flies in.
Hunter said an image needs a point for the eye to rest. In a shot with many people, a time exposure can blur moving people , in the same way it does with moving water, while freezing stationary ones to give that focal point. Tripods are often banned in buildings, but a similar effect is possible by averaging a series of fast images, if the camera can at least be rested on something for a few seconds, so they can be aligned in software.
Hunter mentioned editing a lot. Sharpness and detail are critical , bird feathers should "feel" feathery for example; and to a considerable degree edits can make the difference between a good photo and a great one- one with Wow!
Levels adjustment layers should be used to "lift" shadows where necessary and lower brightness where it needs to be. This is where subjectivity enters the frame of course- one person's "bright" may seem strident to another, but objective relative brightness should be manageable. The secret to post editing is maybe to use it lightly. IWhile he sang the paise of levels adjustment layers, Hunter was rather negative about overuse of photo filter "effects"- and again, there is a subjective element here; some judges may love it. Some folk love HDR.
Another point Hunter raised was the use of editing separate colour channels in an RGB image before desaturating it to create a monochrome image, which may then be contrast enhanced. Mono perhaps relies more than colour on contrast edits. A topic for next session?
The possibility of doing more online editing tutorials will be raised at the AGM.
A lot of valuable comments , as always, from one of the SPF's top people and one of its most experienced judges. Next year, we hope, we will all be able to attend at Beeslack in person- and maybe squeak a couple of twenties?