Abstracts

I have been reviewing the photographs that I made last year, asking myself which images I like best. I've realised that many of my personal favourites have abstract qualities. Such images may warrant , or require, longer viewing times than images with more realist subjects. Abstract images are less likely to do well in an SPF or PAGB competition where an image will get a high score only if it has immediate impact. Photographers often don't know that judges at SPF / PAGB competitions view each image for only 3 to 5 seconds (true!) before giving a score. Any image that demands a longer viewing time is probably doomed in such a competition.

Given the speed of the judging process it is amazing how good a job the SPF / PAGB judges can do - in just a few seconds they will usually pick out any serious technical flaws and make a good assessment of an image's visual impact.  The overall result is that the stronger images succeed. This judging process does however work against some types of images - for success at SPF / PAGB immediate impact is essential.

In a monthly club competition the judge will always spend longer looking at the images, so different types of images can do better that those sent to SPF / PAGB competitions.

The images below, both January 2018, are more-or-less as found on the ground beneath my feet. Adjustments were done in Lightroom, no Photoshop.  The images were originally prepared as prints, with approximately A4 dimensions for the intimate mono "Road marks" image, and A3 for "Cosmic cold".

Road marks 1

Cosmic cold