Category Archives: Competitions

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GVACE 2017 – Composition

2017 - post - Composition

The subject of a photograph is usually the most compelling element that defines the image, but in a photograph with a weak composition, it can easily be overlooked for a photograph with a less appealing subject but which was better composed, in photography, as in all other art forms, composition matters.

No matter how interesting your subject, nor how creative you are with the use of colour, a weak composition can make a photograph unappealing.

There is usually a lot of talk about the rules in photography, but the truth is, there are no rules, at least not in how you compose the photograph, there are rules in certain types of photography, such as Journalism where truth is paramount, but as an artistic expression, the world is your muse and your digital or film camera is one of your tools, your canvas is the final medium onto which your print is done.

Now that we’ve established that there are no rules, let’s talk about the Guidelines to a good composition, and the tools you should be using and paying attention to.

This is not a tutorial, so I will only touch on a few things.

The Rule of Thirds

Yes, the first one is actually called a Rule, but don’t let the name fool you.  Once you’ve been in photography long enough, the rule of thirds is something that becomes second nature.  Basically you divide your viewfinder or screen into threes, three vertical columns, three horizontal rows, and you use the lines to place objects of interest, such as horizons, and the main subject.   It is almost instinctive to place the subject dead centre of the frame, this can be used to advantage in certain circumstances, but often as not it leads to a boring image, placing the subject off-centre, using one of the lines in the rule of thirds grid will add a better compositional element to the photograph.

Knowing this rule is also what helps to make even better compositions when you can successfully break the rule, sometimes using a very low horizon to add expanse to a scene, or placing the subject nearer to the edge of the frame to add a feeling of loneliness, or a minimalist feel.

Leading Lines

When we look at an image our eyes naturally follow lines in the image, whether they are the winding lines of a meandering creek, or a road snaking its way across a hilly landscape, or the converging lines of the sides of a bridge leading our eyes to a cyclist in the distance.   Using these lines in a composition to direct the attention to the subject is helpful, but be careful not to just pay attention to the lines and not the subject, lines leading away from the main subject can also weaken the main intent of the image.

Balance, Symmetry and Patterns

Sometimes, using the rule of thirds can leave a photo feeling unbalanced, a mailbox to the left with nothing to the right can feel like that, when there is an opportunity to use two elements to balance the image, it can help, even if, or especially, when the elements are not alike, like a tall tree on the right, and a small dog to the left.   On the other hand symmetrical images have a certain intrinsic appeal to the human brain, and using symmetrical scenes can add a strong compositional element to scenes, especially in architecture.   Similarly with patterns, like repeating clay-bricks or honeycombs in a beehive, the repetitiveness is appealing to the senses and helps to make a nice composition.  One nice trick with symmetrical images or patterns is to include in the composition something that breaks the symmetry or pattern, like a missing clay-brick in the wall, and the space may have a weed growing, or in front of the symmetrical building a person walks past to one side.

Perspective

Its normal for you to take a photo standing up, what’s known as “eye-level”, but that point of view is… well, its normal, and you might want to change that up periodically.  Go down low, or get up high, change the point of view and add interest to a scene.  Instead of from the front, see what the view is like from behind, or the side.  If you normally shoot subjects 10 feet away, change it up, get up close or take it from farther away.

There is much more to be discussed, but stick to the basics, let the strength of the photo come from the subject and the composition, and the rest is icing on the cake.

The best thing about Rules is knowing them so that you can break them effectively, breaking them and leaving the composition feeling off won’t help, but there are times when breaking them leads to a very strong image.

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Michael C. Lam works in Graphic layout for a living, one of his images gained the Bronze medal in the 2012 GVACE, he was shortlisted for the 2014 GVACE, was an exhibiting artist in the Un | Fixed Homeland curated exhibition at Aljira, New Jersey in 2016, and an exhibiting artist at the 2016 VISIONS Curated Exhibition. Some of his work can be seen on his site The Michael Lam Collection

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GVACE 2017 – Choosing an Entry

2017 - post - choosing an entry

I think that taking the photos are easier than choosing ones to enter into competition.

In Photography competitions, there are usually themes, and categories, but in the Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition, Photography is part of the Visual Arts, and the entries are judged not simply as Photographs, but as Art.

There are no sub-categories like landscapes, portraits, street, etc., there is simply Photography, so the choice of image is yours.

What is your best, your most impressive?  And then, will it be likeable to the judges?

We can’t know what will be liked or not, but we can choose images geared in a certain direction.   I shall try to touch on a few aspects of the photograph itself in the next few posts, but for this one, its about the choice itself.  After two editions of the GVACE, a shot at VISIONS Exhibition, and six years of my own weekly project The Deck, I can tell you that choosing is hard, but I can also say it can be made easier.

Other than the other aspects which I will try to touch on in subsequent posts, the primary choice is very personal, the image has to be yours, as in, you have to be proud of the image; don’t try to choose things others “might” like, choose one that you like, when you are passionate about a subject it often shows in the resulting image.

Remember that the image represents you, it is an expression of your thoughts, emotions, your artistic sense.

Viewing them digitally is nice, but the true beauty of a photograph is often only revealed in print, one suggestion is to pick about two dozen of what you consider your best images in the last two years (or up to the date specified in the Rules) and print them out at one of those PhotoLabs around town, at standard 6” x 4”, lay them out on a table randomly and leave them there.   Leave the room, go do something else, let time pass, then return to the room, and look at the table from the doorway, or some distance from the table, and the ones that jump out at you, let those be the ones that make it to your shortlist.

Just over a year ago, when I was considering my own choices for the GVACE, I wrote a bit about it on my own blog, its there if you feel like giving it a read, along with some images, it ain’t easy, but in the end, the images you choose are your Choices!  You can read it here – Choices, Choices Choices.

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Michael C. Lam works in Graphic layout for a living, one of his images gained the Bronze medal in the 2012 GVACE, he was shortlisted for the 2014 GVACE, was an exhibiting artist in the Un | Fixed Homeland curated exhibition at Aljira, New Jersey in 2016, and an exhibiting artist at the 2016 VISIONS Curated Exhibition.

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GVACE 2017

Last year’s scheduled Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition (GVACE) was postponed until this year, explanations have not been given, but we are grateful that it is still being considered as part of the Ministry’s programme.

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The competition in its current form is a revamped version of an older competition, one that was ongoing for many years prior to 1992.  Between 1992 and 2012, no such competitions were held.  2012 saw the re-emergence of the competition and much to the joy of many photographers, there was a Photography Category.  This year will mark the third year that Photography is included, and in such a diverse field, with such diverse talents, it is not surprising that no one has medalled twice so far.

Deadline for this year’s entries is May27th.

I had to hunt for the entry forms, brochure and artwork receipt to download, and then I was disappointed in what I found.  However, its the ministry and the GVACE board has limited personnel resources, so I’ll be lenient.

I have edited the Brochure for presentation, the contents remain the same.

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The Registration Form (three pages) and the Receipt for Artwork files, I left them visually as they were, except that I included fillable fields that you can fill in before printing out.  I thought this may help for people like myself who have less than the most legible handwriting (You may need to save the PDF files to your PC before the editable form fields show up).

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I understand completely that in editing, some things may have changed, so you can also see the Ministry’s page on the competition here: GVACE 2017

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Night

Critique of the finalists for “GP Challenge #18 – Night”

by Salim October

We begin with the Honourable Mentions.

Honourable Mention:  The Moon by Marc Kersting

 

The Moon - Marc Kersting

The Moon aptly captures one of the key element to our survival.  There is no doubt that this is a night image at all as it shows the moon in one of its many phases. Its almost central location makes it unexciting to the viewer and, due to the fact that millions of images exist

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People of Guyana

The original idea for this challenge was borrowed from an idea that Nikhil Ramkarran had for a long-term project of a similar title, his idea had more depth, but we were hesitant to add anything else to the challenge in fear that we would daunt some of the photographers.

Although a few sections of society are missing from the ensemble, the variety submitted was intriguing and entertaining, as much as it was enlightening and fulfilling in their photographic diversity.

The winning entry:

Brian Gomes’ “Amerindian Girl”

Brian Gomes Amerindian Girl

 

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