The club competition and ethics

[ericmark]

19620Camera clubs write rules and this is fair enough. But also taking those rules to the edge can also mean winning. Although one may take rules to the edge there comes a point where even if it complies with the rules one feels it's unethical.

Be it using triptych masks or sun ray brushes or even onone software I wonder how far is this fair? Clearly some people have camera bodies with 160,000 ISO and lenses with 400 mm f2 which is unlikely to be equalled by others in the club. And to expect members should write photoshop before they use it is clearly silly.

We have three open and three subjects over the next season. Monochrome is easy but street photography is something else. 19621https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/s960x960/10636958_10154580172420063_6617475239391047714_o.j pg the facebook image shown looks nothing like the original image it has had all sorts done to it.

It follows the rules but question is does modifying an image to such an extent really follow the ethics? The standard DxO Optics Pro 7 image i.e. automatic rendering would look like this https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t31.0-8/10539185_10154580172260063_2547428950191432355_o.j pg which is very different.

Thoughts please.

It seems an error it shows auto picture first then the modified I am sure one can work out which is standard and which is modified.

[christopher steven b.]

The clouds look masked in (and sloppily so) rather than 'brought back', to be honest. But I don't have a RAW version of the original to verify this speculation. If this is the case, then it's fine for an 'image' competition, but, yes, ethically dubious for a photographic competition, in my opinion. Now if it's simply a whole lot of dodging of the original, then, well, that's tougher.

[Marko]

For me it's a strong image with average postprocessing.
I don't love images of another artist's work in general...It might have taken years to make that sculpture and only 1/125 of a second to photograph it. There better be magic in that frame if it's going to win a competition.
Unless the pool of entries had the bar low, tHis image would not have made it to round two if I were judging it.

But to talk about the ethics of it all....there are no standard ethics anymore in photography.
It varies from job to job, competition to competition and whether you are having the conversation with an 18 year old versus a 40 year old.

[christopher steven b.]

Marko makes a great point about the merit of the photo itself. For me it's not about the time or effort involved in making the photo vs. the original sculpture and more about the photographer not really doing anything photographically and being almost entirely parasitic on the original art piece. For me the cool aspect to the image is the subject itself and not how it was photographed here. I'd rate a photo of a well-photographed unattractive model far higher than a poorly photographed attractive model. But I suppose I digress !

[Iguanasan]

Club competitions are very interesting beasts. The only advice I can say is to have fun with it and try not to take it too seriously. If you get your self worked up for it, you will be disappointed.

[ericmark]

Thank you for replies the clouds as original. The work is chainsaw art so although a lot of skill not sure how long it would have taken. Taking a photo of a painting yes agree your really stealing some one else's work. But a building, bridge, even a garden although some one else's work it is such a different medium.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t31.0-8/10619936_10154593197200063_6607237889577856969_o.j pg
The scene shown here does not exist as such. The church was built by Lady Margaret Beaufort mother of Henry VII of England although I am sure it was not built by her hands I expect there were many evolved in the build she would have just paid for it.

The Market is in the street which leads up to the church but the church would have been out of view to the right. Clearly the market stall holder laid out all the flowers the street was designed late 19th or early 20th century it was originally a back ally but it was converted into main street and original street turned into stables.

I suppose with any work we should in the bibliography acknowledge other peoples work. Simon Hedger (http://www.simonhedger.com/) was the sculptor who carved out the tree Llandudno County Council commissioned the work to commemorate 160th anniversary of the birth of Alice Liddell and the giant oak tree sourced in Berkshire which is in England although carving is in Wales.

Does that make it better now I have written the bibliography? Ups the Town is called Mold or Yr Wyddgrug in Welsh it is the county town of Flintshire and we spell the fungus as mould so we never do get the two mixed up.

[JMM]

The sky is so over exposer that it would be a miracle to bring back the darker part of these cloud like this ....
But hey some guys write a book about somebody walking on water and lots of people belive this too.