Take a view Landscape Photographer of the year 2016: Post your rejected images here

SFTPhotography

SFTPhotography

Ranger Smith
Suspended / Banned
Messages
20,926
Name
Steve
Edit My Images
Yes
Following on from this thread I thought I would post my panel of rejected images here. There has been some interesting dialogue on the thread below.

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/take-a-view-landscape-photographer-of-the-year.626257/

Reject one

Stobb Dearg by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Reject two

_DSC6555 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Reject three

Lochan Urr by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Reject four

_DSC7012 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Reject five

_DSC7326 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Reject six

_DSC7020 (1) by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Reject seven

_DSC7036 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr
 
MattyW said:
Jeez, you've got the cash to splurge on so many entries. :D
Some really really strong images here. 4 and 6 are particularly great.
Click to expand...

it was only £35 for 25. Per image its better value than £25 for 7....

I'm not sure what sort of thing floats there boat and hearing about other great togs not making the cut next year I wonder about the competition and wonder what it is they want.

I hope some dark depressing lone tree or shot in the woods doesn't make it and a strong winner emerges.
 
Last edited:
ST4 said:
it was only £35 for 25. Per image its better value than £25 for 7....

I'm not sure what sort of thing floats there boat and hearing about other great togs not making the cut next year I wonder about the competition and wonder what it is they want.

I hope some dark depressing lone tree or shot in the woods doesn't make it and a strong winner emerges.
Click to expand...

I couldn't stretch to the extra £10, so just plumped for 7 shots!
It does seem a strange mix of shots that make the grade, seeing some of the rejected images was a shock, as there's some REALLY solid content out there.
It would be nice for the competition to identify some of the lesser known (or lesser shot) areas of the UK as well
 
MattyW said:
I couldn't stretch to the extra £10, so just plumped for 7 shots!
It does seem a strange mix of shots that make the grade, seeing some of the rejected images was a shock, as there's some REALLY solid content out there.
It would be nice for the competition to identify some of the lesser known (or lesser shot) areas of the UK as well
Click to expand...

Did you get any through? I'd have hoped your Trotternish pano and the derwent water B&W would have made the cut.

Is there such a thing as lesser known or lesser shot areas? Its a small, highly populated Island with many togs in it. Unless you start going for the random tree on a lake or shot in the woods type of image, pretty much all the "big views" have been done and done multiple times.
 
ST4 said:
Is there such a thing as lesser known or lesser shot areas? Its a small, highly populated Island with many togs in it. Unless you start going for the random tree on a lake or shot in the woods type of image, pretty much all the "big views" have been done and done multiple times.
Click to expand...

So don't shoot all the obvious places or all the same stuff. Try something different if it's really important to you. Go somewhere new, somewhere that's hard to get to that isn't like a main street in London. It might just pay off.
 
ST4 said:
Did you get any through? I'd have hoped your Trotternish pano and the derwent water B&W would have made the cut.

Is there such a thing as lesser known or lesser shot areas? Its a small, highly populated Island with many togs in it. Unless you start going for the random tree on a lake or shot in the woods type of image, pretty much all the "big views" have been done and done multiple times.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got a couple through, which I was super stoked about, as that was one of my targets for the year, so I can put my feet up now haha!!
Yeah, there are certainly lesser shot areas - There's some lovely views in the Cheviot, that hardly ever get shot, and the same with a lot of Dumfries and Galloway.
Even in the Lakes, there are a huge number of compositions that most people gloss over, in favour of the safer "this one works" stuff.
In essence you're right, but I always value the path less trodden. I view a LOT of images online, and stuff like a dude on here posted a really good set from Assynt a while back - this sort of thing really works for me, and is such a refreshing change from the same locations
 
  • Like
Reactions: ST4
John Soliven said:
You got good images there Steve! I myself did not make to the cut.
Click to expand...


Stu Meech said:
Check out my Flickr stream, it's full of photos that didn't make it this year! :)
Click to expand...

The fact that both of you didn't make it concerns me. Both of you turn out wonderful landscapes time and time again.

I'd be curious to see which images you put forward that didn't make the cut and your selection process.
 
Last edited:
It will be very interesting to see what has made the cut and also the winning pictures. I hope it's not a make or break for the competition, although with a lot of negative stuff on the social medias lets hope it filters through and perhaps someone is listening I'd they believe there's an issue to address.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ST4
ST4 said:
The fact that both of you didn't make it concerns me. Both of you turn out wonderful landscapes time and time again.

I'd be curious to see which images you put forward that didn't make the cut and your selection process.
Click to expand...

See below!
lpoty.jpg
 
ST4 said:
Lovely panel. A better one than mine with a much greater variety of landscapes. A lot of these are better than the "winners" we've had in the past.
Click to expand...
Very kind of you to say Steve. That's the thing about competitions, it's all pot luck! Maybe I'll do better next year.
 
:agree: It makes you wonder what the criteria is they are judging on doesn't it. Looking at the images above they are pretty much top draw.
I guess nowadays it's probably more to do with the number of entries why they get rejected which is an absolute crying shame.
Actually what comes to mind when I look at the above shots is the amount of time and dedication that goes into work like this. This is something I think only landscapers appreciate, because you know what's involved in producing this sort of work. The planning, travel, time, weather, blah blah goes on forever.

Take heart that we all appreciate your work and I for one love viewing it(y) I've always been of the opinion that you can learn a lot by studying others photos and styles.

Anyhow that was all a bit bloody high brow!
I'm hoping if this was your rejected work, you have some 'IN' too! Keep up the great work, You give quite a lot of inspiration to a lot of us(y)
 
Last edited:
A couple of my rejects...can't post them all as then it shows what got through :D I know @ST4 had high expectations for my Elgol shot....I kinda did too....

Elgol by Martin Steele, on Flickr

Bamburgh by Martin Steele, on Flickr
 
I am sure lots of people had great expectations of that Elgol shot. I certainly did. It is so evocative of many a time spent waiting in Elgol for good weather conditions.
 
cuillinade said:
I am sure lots of people had great expectations of that Elgol shot. I certainly did. It is so evocative of many a time spent waiting in Elgol for good weather conditions.
Click to expand...

I guess when they're going through the first selection process, when they just take a quick look through the whole lot (i'm guessing) it doesn't really have that immediate impact, for me, not only could I get lost in the shot, looking at the different elements and layers, it's one to study rather than just take a quick glance at. Horses for courses and all that.
 
There are some amazing shots there, but I guess there are lots of other very high standard photos submitted. Then it comes down to subjective views. Quite often I see the winners of various competitions and prefer the runner-up pictures or simply those that are highly commended, but it's always going to depend on what the judges see.
Even on the critique section here you see someone dislike a shot that others think excellent.
 
ST4 said:
I am shocked the elgol shot didn't go through @Steelo . I know your panel, that was IMHO the best one along with the BEB shot.
Click to expand...

I'm not shocked, but I was a little disappointed as it's one of my favourite images...but hey, what do us mere mortals know? lol
 
Steelo said:
I'm not shocked, but I was a little disappointed as it's one of my favourite images...but hey, what do us mere mortals know? lol
Click to expand...

Perhaps because its such a well shot subject they just bin them, but thats a mistake. If its any consolation my rip off of your shot didn't make it through (rejects 14 and 15) and I had high hopes for them too.
 
Hopefully they might write a bit about their thought process, how they actually check all the pictures, the criteria and time spent looking at each one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ST4
I remember viewing your Elgol shot @Steelo, I generally have a flick through TP at work at lunch. Then note anything I want to look at properly on the monitor at home.
It's top draw as is Bamburgh. Lovely work. I agree with what Giles says....
 
Some very inspirational shots in this thread to a relative newcomer

You're all winners in my book with quality pictures like these.
 
Hi @Tobers

I am not a fan of the David Ward style of close up landscape at all. There is very little of his work I actually like. However he has a very unique approach and you can see how thats rubbed off on your series. I remember the series well and when I saw the third shot I thought that was my chances scuppered. I am actually appalled that shot didn't make it through. There is a compositional excellence to it and it captures the majesty of the area terrificly well. It is by far the best Assynt image I have ever seen and the light, conditions just make it one of the best landscapes I have personally ever seen. If it was mine, I would be disgusted that it didn't make it. It has a real atmosphere and soul and I am really sorry for you than it didn't make it. I expected to see it get commended or for you to be £10k richer.
 
It was that set from @Tobers that I was referring to earlier in the thread. Really strong compositionally, which I was impressed with given that snow can often leave a lot of 'dead' space in frame, but had interest right through the frame. I've long wanted to visit Assynt, and this set was the affirmation of that.
Quite shocked that these didn't make the grade in LPOTY. I'd be overjoyed to have the above in my portfolio
 
Just seen this, I entered 15, all rejected but wasn't expecting to get any in! I am really very very surprised that your images were rejected though Steven, I would of thought they were the type of images they usually put through. Personally think it's all very very random, was utterly shocked that a few people I admire greatly didn't get any images through.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ST4
Neil Burnell said:
Just seen this, I entered 15, all rejected but wasn't expecting to get any in! I am really very very surprised that your images were rejected though Steven, I would of thought they were the type of images they usually put through. Personally think it's all very very random, was utterly shocked that a few people I admire greatly didn't get any images through.
Click to expand...

You're not in either with a panel of 15. WTF is this competition all about. At least @Steelo and @MattyW got 2 through. You've had a great year producing some very compelling B&W and seascapes. Mine are maybe too simplistic with centre line reflections for a lot but its just my way...
 
Hey guys, you do this LS thing for the love of LS, right? Hiking to some remote bog on the side of a forgotten lake and then standing for hours in frozen water getting foot rot and being bitten senseless by b*****d midges you can't see... is mere balm to your soul, right?
So screw the judges. Embrace your portfolio of outstanding LS pictures and feel the glow the results give you. Or perhaps more pertinently, your peers here give you. The pictures I've viewed on this thread are all damned lovely. And as a photographer I can and do appreciate the effort, blood sweat and nashing of teeth its taken you to take them. I wouldn't do it. So have a beer! Or a cup of tea if you'd prefer.

I'm guessing the great and the good of the judging community are looking for the next Big Thing pictorially speaking. They must see the photographic genre cycle through its phases regularly and interminably. And photographers are not immune to fashion. So any shot, unless exceptional, that is obviosly derivative or repetitive in recognisable stylistic terms despite being technically otherwise magnificent (and this will be the majority) will be rejected. Cue the picture of a muddy slush filled lane... Of course, I could and most probably am wrong. Who knows what they will choose? But what I'm really saying is, the import bit to remember is don't sweat the rejections. They're only following fashion after all.
 
I agree with you @ST4 fully on @Tobers 3rd Assynt shot, it is a special image.

It's the only competition I enter, I'm not in it for these purposes whatsoever, but it's nice to try your luck against those who are, rightly or wrongly, regarded as 'the best'......however it's all subjective to each and every one of us, I'm all for the larger view over detail, yet there's a growing trend of the more detail shots coming through.....woodland scenes where it's just a mass of branches, leaves and a bit of mist (I know there's been a big uproar about this in the past) thrown in for good measure just do nothing for me whatsoever. All subjective, each to their own and all that.

There are MUCH better images on this thread alone, than some that are in the book over the previous few years. All in my humble opinion of course, but again, what do us mere mortals know.
 
Steelo said:
I agree with you @ST4 fully on @Tobers 3rd Assynt shot, it is a special image.

...yet there's a growing trend of the more detail shots coming through.....woodland scenes where it's just a mass of branches, leaves and a bit of mist (I know there's been a big uproar about this in the past) thrown in for good measure just do nothing for me whatsoever. All subjective, each to their own and all that.
Click to expand...

I don't think your opinion is humble. You produce excellent images that are unmistakably yours time and time again. I totally agree with your comments about these types of images. So, I am light and reflection chasing and be damned with it :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top