Critique Wanted Seeking Advice for photo selection

pniev

Student for life
I have to send in one photo for a local contest that has no theme other than "self-selected work". The following were preselected by my family. May I ask for your advice? Which one appeals to you most (and why, if you have some time to comment) and which one the least? Feel free to say "don't send in anything. It's all so-so").
Thank you!

#1
p1423941013-5.jpg


#2 - same one in color:
p1423940923-5.jpg


#3
p1422337115-5.jpg


#4
p1422352856-5.jpg


#5
p1422355063-5.jpg


#6
p1422357339-5.jpg


#7
p1422451255-5.jpg


#8
p1422452715-5.jpg


#9
p1423912103-5.jpg


#10
p1423912796-5.jpg


#11
p1423912899-5.jpg


#12
p1423913311-5.jpg


#13
p1422356545-5.jpg
 
1, 5, 7 & 13.

1 tells a story, and has inherent humour. It has less impact in colour...
5 breaks the compositional "rules" and appeals to my inner anarchist...
7 is the one I would print up for my own pleasure (but I worry that the highlights are blown - I'd like to see a more "moody" treatment)...
13 is an excellent portrait with a real empathy with the subject...

Hmm...

Number 1
 
1, 5, 7 & 13.

1 tells a story, and has inherent humour. It has less impact in colour...
5 breaks the compositional "rules" and appeals to my inner anarchist...
7 is the one I would print up for my own pleasure (but I worry that the highlights are blown - I'd like to see a more "moody" treatment)...
13 is an excellent portrait with a real empathy with the subject...

Hmm...

Number 1

Thanks everyone for your opinion! It helps a lot. Wrt 7: You're right. I wish I had a tripod and ideally also a grad ND filter with me when I took. Unfortunately I did not. In hindsight, I could/should have used bracketing.
 
I know you may not want to hear this...

But, from sites like "Viewbug", who has tons of contests... it is very apparent that photos like 10, 11, and 12 win most of the top placement awards.
Or, highly studio taken fake glamour looking images (you know, some overly sexy pose with very suggestive posing)

Since the theme is allows a wide genre of possible entries..... My Q is:
What has these judges liked in the past?
Do they tend to regard some themes over others?
Do they regard a highly manipulated image more than a very well implemented image that is more true to the environment it was taken in?

As one that attempts Street Photography ... I like #1
For overall composition and beauty...#11
As a judge, I would hope to have some areas to judge each image for it's own merits on a 1-10 scale for each area... then add the scores up
 
I know you may not want to hear this...

But, from sites like "Viewbug", who has tons of contests... it is very apparent that photos like 10, 11, and 12 win most of the top placement awards.
Or, highly studio taken fake glamour looking images (you know, some overly sexy pose with very suggestive posing)

Since the theme is allows a wide genre of possible entries..... My Q is:
What has these judges liked in the past?
Do they tend to regard some themes over others?
Do they regard a highly manipulated image more than a very well implemented image that is more true to the environment it was taken in?

As one that attempts Street Photography ... I like #1
For overall composition and beauty...#11
As a judge, I would hope to have some areas to judge each image for it's own merits on a 1-10 scale for each area... then add the scores up

I hear you! Thank you. Good questions but I do not have answers. Btw: all the colors in 10,11,12,13 were there but I also think they're overcooked. Sometimes I get lost in tools. ;-)
 
I hear you! Thank you. Good questions but I do not have answers. Btw: all the colors in 10,11,12,13 were there but I also think they're overcooked. Sometimes I get lost in tools. ;-)
Yes I know your color pictures are natural I have seen some very rich natural sunsets and sunrises in my days living in South Florida so I am fully aware that those are not heavily manipulated at all.

By the way good luck luck with the contest and with your final choice
 
Likes 1, 4, and 7. I think 1 needs a little more something. B&W conversions can be tricky, but I like content. I think the same with 4, I'd like to see some more detail in the shadows. On 7 I think a crop on the bottom, it may be the sky reflected or it may just be dirty water. (and yes I assume reflection but since you can't see the sky....)

Don't like 2, 10, 11, and 12. Colors on 2, the others have an over something look.
No real feelings about 3, 5, 6, 8, 13
 
Yes I know your color pictures are natural I have seen some very rich natural sunsets and sunrises in my days living in South Florida so I am fully aware that those are not heavily manipulated at all.

Only the colors ;-) I used Macphun Intensity to enhance clarity and details and pushed the colors back afterwards. They look too much HDR-postprocessed to my taste.

By the way good luck luck with the contest and with your final choice

Thank you!
 
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