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LPOTY 2022
- Thread starter Peter123
- Start date
- Messages
- 209
- Name
- Andrew
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Surely the images are judged on their merits, at least in round one, rather than "well I've seen this before" ?
- Messages
- 450
- Edit My Images
- Yes
And that's the crux of the problem.
At the very least those making the final selection or even Charlie should stop and say "Hang on lads... I've just realised this exact composition and feeling has already been successful 5 times over the past 10 years...."
At the very least those making the final selection or even Charlie should stop and say "Hang on lads... I've just realised this exact composition and feeling has already been successful 5 times over the past 10 years...."
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- Messages
- 3,399
- Name
- Tom
- Edit My Images
- Yes
And then you remind yourself, it’s all about the money, so in reality, they aren’t really that bothered.
I entered and won a Forestry Commission magazine competition many years ago (picture of a tree obviously). I never received the bottle of whisky which was the prize for the winner, and the FC never responded to my email gently reminding them about it. I haven't bothered entering a competition since!
- Messages
- 1,896
- Name
- Joel
- Edit My Images
- No
I dont really get the same composition argument. Does that mean everyone should stop going to 'the boulder' at Elgol... you know.. the one Joe Cornish made famous... I know when I'll be going there for the first time sometime, hopefully soon, I'll be taking a photo of it.... and does everyone stop going to the Old Man of Storr, the coastline along the Isle of Skye, the lone tree at Llyn Padarn, the ship wreck at Fort William or the shoreline opposite the pine trees at Buttermere...
Take the "top UK Landscape Photographers" and show me their best images and I bet in most instances it's easy to find someone who shot that composition before them. Good Landscape Photography for me, is about emotive quality and depth more than any technicalities, and the fascinating thing about it is that no two photographs can ever be the same, even if they were taken from the same tripod holes as another photographer.
Take the "top UK Landscape Photographers" and show me their best images and I bet in most instances it's easy to find someone who shot that composition before them. Good Landscape Photography for me, is about emotive quality and depth more than any technicalities, and the fascinating thing about it is that no two photographs can ever be the same, even if they were taken from the same tripod holes as another photographer.
- Messages
- 795
- Edit My Images
- No
I entirely get where you’re coming from and the classic tripod holes are a great way to learn the craft. I do believe, however, as you progress you need to try and seek out your own compositions and grow your own creativity rather than simply plagiarising others work. I’m as guilty as anyone of taking the honeypot shots (they’re popular for a reason)but can also see the argument as to why competition judges possibly are called out for picking the obvious shots
- Messages
- 1,505
- Name
- Stuart McGlennon
- Edit My Images
- No
It’s a valid argument if the same compositions year after year makes the book despite those shots being taken in neither amazing conditions or from a unique angle/perspective as per those chrome hill shots from years past, it’s just lazy judging. Thats certainly been the case from what I’ve observed over the time I’ve been entering it.
The shooting honeypots is a different discussion - nobody is saying don’t shoot them, of course all the top photographers have shot them, as everyone else has. But, rightly, the expectation in the context of a competition (lpoty regards itself as the most prestigious one in the UK) is the more a place is photographed, the bar for what constitutes a good shot from there should rise accordingly. It’s blatantly obvious this isn’t the case now with lpoty - which goes back to my point about mismatched expectations.
It feels like lpoty is going backwards in terms of the quality of images succeeding, but then a gradual lowering of the bar (which encourages more entries), no cap on the amount of images you can enter (again encourages more entries and thus poorer judging) and a prize fund which has barely moved since 2007 would suggest that *maybe*, just maybe, commercial interest is the top priority…..
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- Messages
- 972
- Name
- Justin
- Edit My Images
- No
Add to that the change of exhibition venue from the National Theatre, where every image in the book was printed and exhibited, to a busy station concourse where only a small fraction are on show and it is clear that the photography isn't top priority.
- Messages
- 1,337
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
For me the competition is all too random, a few judges sifting through 1,000's of images. They have seconds to press the yes or no buzzer and as much as they are supposed to be impartial I'm sure you cannot be if you see a certain image or style. For me the competition would be better if the winner was based on say a 3 image portfolio instead of a single image. The competition title is Landscape Photographer of the Year, not Landscape Photo of the Year.
- Messages
- 1,130
- Name
- James
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Would need to limit it to the portfolio only rather than multiple submissions. Or run both with photographer being a portfolio and the more prestigious and photograph being a single image but 1 per person to limit entries and allow someone who has managed to get that once in a lifetime image a chance who may not have a portfolio to back it up. I haven’t followed it in any detail and may have it wrong but hasn’t Nigel Danson been involved with WorldLPOY which just seems like the same competition with a different title
- Messages
- 1,505
- Name
- Stuart McGlennon
- Edit My Images
- No
I was a judge on this competition last year, no it’s an entirely different thing, his is a charity based competition in its second or third year.
- Messages
- 49
- Name
- Mark Walker
- Edit My Images
- No
Totally agree with Stuart... I asked for the book for Christmas, more out of habit as I have them all, And I have to say what a disappointment.
Congratulations to all who made the publication, nothing personal, but the judging has gone backwards, for example, the shots that made the front and rear covers made sense at all...
Subjective I guess - may be now marketed at general public and not landscape photographers, will I buy again.. probably not, but I could do with an alternative!