Topic: My Fair Entries

[jharr]

So Mrs. jharr has been nagging me kindly encouraging me to enter some photos in the juried photography exhibition at the San Diego County Fair for a few years. Generally, I say something like "Yeah, that's a good idea." and don't give it another thought. But this year, I thought I might give it a shot and see what happens. At worst, I won't make it past tier 1 which is the electronic 'weeding out' of the riff raff. This is truly where I expect to land and so that would actually be good. Then I can go on taking photos for the sheer fun of it and never worry again about 'competing'. But I just thought I would put my entries here. It isn't technically an 'essay', unless I were to title it "The Photos I Submitted To The SD County Fair". Then it's an essay. Anyway here they are. The categories they have set up are strange and confusing. For example there is one category for "Film and Alternative Processes". I didn't submit any of my photos to that category. The there is Black and White, Color and Black and White, and Color. Weird, right? Anyway, I submitted 4. I think all of these have been on the weekend thread at one time or another.


Artyom by James Harr, on Flickr


Woody Reflection by James Harr, on Flickr


FTn-Dacomatic-039 by James Harr, on Flickr


Brownie2a-VericolorIII-004 by James Harr, on Flickr

Sort of an eclectic group. We'll see what happens in a month or so. If any of them make it through tier 1, then I have to have them printed and they go through tier 2 judging. If they make it through there, then they are displayed at the fair and go through final judging.

[Domingo A. Siliceo]

First of all, good luck.

I know you're not asking for points of view, but this is my humble opinion about your pictures. I particularly like photos number 3 and 4 - the third because I think it could be a powerful and beautiful, so an interesting chemical print —don't know if this is your final intention— and the fourth because it hooks me making me feel nostalgia of a long time lost summer, when I was a little boy.

[limr]

Good luck!

I agree with Domingo - that last one is just chock full of mood and atmosphere and feeling. Love it

[Gimenosaiz]

Hi!

Yes, good luck!
I agree with Domingo and limr ... the last one is my preferred !

Cheers!

[Bryan]

Good luck James!  So did you submit one photo per category?  I like how you didn't submit any in the film category, show the digital crowd how it's done.

[jharr]

Here were the categories - subcategories I used.
#1 B & W - People (formal or informal)
#2 Color - Waterscapes, seascapes, waterfalls, water
#3 B & W - Nature (plants, insects & wild animals)
#4 Color - Waterscapes, seascapes, waterfalls, water

Laura thought I should put the last one of the beach in the "alternative process" category, but I wasn't sure expired tungsten balanced film + old box camera + nearly depleted room temperature C-41 chemistry = alt process. I guess it isn't really mainstream either though. That was the hardest one to categorize. I finally decided that no one could really argue with 'seascape'. They might try to get me to admit to digital manipulation, but I can always produce the negative. 

[Indofunk]

Good luck!! If the judges do not choose these photos, then I question their sensibilities 

[jharr]

Thanks for all the votes of confidence. As far as I'm concerned, the judges that matter are voting here.

[jharr]

Just a quick update. I did get one past the judges. It is the one of the peace sign lichen. I didn't get any ribbons, but it is on display at the SD Fair. So there's that. I went to the exhibitor's reception last night and had a look around the gallery. The phone pic section has grown quite a bit and there is a new "selfie" category which is disheartening. Laura commented, and I heard another old timer commenting that there seems to be a pretty heavy handed application of digital processing on most of the photos in the gallery. There were a very few (<10) alt process prints that were good and deserved a more prominent place than they got. So I guess I can take heart in the fact that I got a 35mm Dacomatic/Rodinal photo in there at all. Maybe I'll try a salt print or cyanotype next year.

[Domingo A. Siliceo]

Congratulations. The third and the fourth were my favourites, so I'm half with the judges.

Alternative processes could be a better bid because it contrasts you from the crowd. I think there is an important fair in San Francisco all related to alternive processes every year (I read it in the LFF forum, I guess - correct me if I'm wrong), so maybe people are a bit more sensible and tend to receive positively those performances.

[MacArron]

Last one is my favourite. The second one is also a photo of my fancy, but to my view it could have been improved with the use of a polariser, losing the water reflection but darkening the plain sky. Just my opinion.

With regards the different film categories, I wouldn't know what to submit for 'color and black and white'... For me it's 'color' OR 'black and white' but not both, unless the digital manipulation is in between. Weird.

Good shots and good luck!!

[calbisu]

Last one my fave too! Like that composition and washed color