Competition: Straight from the camera – 16-Mar-2017

This month’s set subject was “Straight from the Camera” and the top print and digital images from the competition have been available on the website for some days. What is significant about the set subject entries, most of those posted on the website, is that they have been subject to absolutely no modification after the shutter button was pushed.

For some time now there have been members in the club who have expressed concern that many images in our competitions have been edited post exposure. Also of concern was that some judges spend a lot of effort describing the various software techniques available for post exposure work that would have improved the images. So with this push to see more images that have not been enhanced post exposure this month’s set subject was included in the programme.

The rules were simple. No alteration to images was allowed post exposure. All images to be printed had to be shot in a printable format, not RAW. Images to be presented monochrome had to be shot that way. All photos had to be displayed full frame, no cropping: nor any changes to exposure, contrast, dodging, burning etc. Sounds like a return to 1970s slide competitions and a very good exercise in getting it right the first time. The only deviation from these rules was that those presenting projected images were allowed to reduce pixel numbers to levels that could be accommodated by the projector.

Judge for yourself – as did our judge for the evening – SAPF Judge Coordinator Keith Seidel.

There are still many photographers who can get it right without the software. Software is not a cheat or a magic wand; it’s just another tool.

Mark Pedlar