Monthly photo contests at Chameleon Forums have been ongoing for over 10 years. During that time the general process has not changed much. We take an initial set of entries, sometimes as many as 100, and reduce them down to a more manageable number for voting. That reduction of photo entries can sometimes be confusing for members and I'm sure people don't always agree with the results. As the person that usually deals with the contests I'm going to use this thread to share how I grade each entry. Hopefully that will add a little transparency and provide some tips for contest participants.
It is important to know that I am not a professional photographer. For that reason this thread will not be a tutorial on photography or an attempt to explain photo composition. This is simply a short list of items that I focus on while grading contest entries. When studying each image I actually look for aspects that I don't like. The more issues I find with an image the lower the grade it receives. While most of the criteria I focus on is subjective, I try to remain as consistent as possible with images from the same month.
Photo Composition
If you don't know much about this and want to improve your photography skills then I suggest googling the term. You will find hundreds of great articles related to the subject. Photo composition encompasses many ideas or rules, but ultimately it's all about how the individual elements within a photo interact to form the whole picture. One of the most well known rules is the Rule of Thirds. Follow the rules until you know when to break them.
Focus & Eyes
The focus should be on the eyes of the subject and include the whole head if possible. Often people will focus on the body instead of the head and that could be penalized. Try to get a photo of the chameleon looking at the camera. An obvious exception to that is when you're working on an action shot like a chameleon feeding.
Background & Content
As a contest we of course want the best photos possible. We also build an annual calendar every year and many of those images come from the photo contests. For those reasons contest entries that show a distracting cage, wires or husbandry equipment will often be penalized. Photos that show hands or fingers are also usually penalized. There are always exceptions, but in general we prefer more natural looking photos. Items like televisions and appliances also have the potential to be penalized.
Lighting
Lighting is very important. Natural sunlight is preferred. If the lighting looks artificial an entry could be penalized. Use of a flash can cause problems such as overexposure and that could be penalized as well. With the right equipment you can produce some great lighting effects indoors, but for most amateur photographers I think they will have better results outdoors.
Pixelation
Pixelated or grainy images will be penalized. If the issue is too severe then an image cannot be used with calendars. A common cause of grainy images is a camera with a high ISO setting. A higher ISO allows for faster shutter speeds at the expense of noise. Reduce that value and your photographs should have less pixelation. This issue is usually more noticeable in shadows.
Note: I will try to improve this post over time.
It is important to know that I am not a professional photographer. For that reason this thread will not be a tutorial on photography or an attempt to explain photo composition. This is simply a short list of items that I focus on while grading contest entries. When studying each image I actually look for aspects that I don't like. The more issues I find with an image the lower the grade it receives. While most of the criteria I focus on is subjective, I try to remain as consistent as possible with images from the same month.
Photo Composition
If you don't know much about this and want to improve your photography skills then I suggest googling the term. You will find hundreds of great articles related to the subject. Photo composition encompasses many ideas or rules, but ultimately it's all about how the individual elements within a photo interact to form the whole picture. One of the most well known rules is the Rule of Thirds. Follow the rules until you know when to break them.
Focus & Eyes
The focus should be on the eyes of the subject and include the whole head if possible. Often people will focus on the body instead of the head and that could be penalized. Try to get a photo of the chameleon looking at the camera. An obvious exception to that is when you're working on an action shot like a chameleon feeding.
Background & Content
As a contest we of course want the best photos possible. We also build an annual calendar every year and many of those images come from the photo contests. For those reasons contest entries that show a distracting cage, wires or husbandry equipment will often be penalized. Photos that show hands or fingers are also usually penalized. There are always exceptions, but in general we prefer more natural looking photos. Items like televisions and appliances also have the potential to be penalized.
Lighting
Lighting is very important. Natural sunlight is preferred. If the lighting looks artificial an entry could be penalized. Use of a flash can cause problems such as overexposure and that could be penalized as well. With the right equipment you can produce some great lighting effects indoors, but for most amateur photographers I think they will have better results outdoors.
Pixelation
Pixelated or grainy images will be penalized. If the issue is too severe then an image cannot be used with calendars. A common cause of grainy images is a camera with a high ISO setting. A higher ISO allows for faster shutter speeds at the expense of noise. Reduce that value and your photographs should have less pixelation. This issue is usually more noticeable in shadows.
Note: I will try to improve this post over time.
