Competition Entry

[Wayno]

Hello,

I'm after some help. I have this photo that was lucky enough to win the Ausphotography photo of the year 2015 award.

I would like to enter it into a print competition, but the entry categories are limited. The one category I was thinking of entering it in is the portrait category. My thinking is that it is an environmental portrait.

The rules state that if an entry doesn't fit into the correct category it will be automatically disqualified.
The photograph is below.

Image 1.jpg

To avoid embarrassment do people think this is a photo that would fit into this category?

Interested in peoples opinions and thoughts.

Cheers,
Wayno.

[ricktas]

If I was judging, I would accept it as a portrait. As you say it is an environmental portrait, it tells me a lot more about the person, than a posed, airbrushed, make-up covered model shot any day.

But I am not a judge, so I cannot advise. Perhaps seek out who the judges are, if you can, and take a look at portrait work they do, to see where their concept of portraiture may lie?

[Wayno]

Good point. Thanks for the advice Rick.

[Mark L]

There's two portraits in that photo.
What are the other possible categories?

[Wayno]

The other categories are: animal portraits, architecture and natural environment.
I gather Mark L you are thinking animal portrait??

[mudman]

i agree with rick
a portrait should say something about the subject, eg hobbies, job etc
this certainly says something about the person.

[farmmax]

I'd put it in an Open, Black and White, or Action section if there were one, but the next choice has to be a portrait. I'm with Rick and would accept it as a portrait. I've put photo's like this into the Portrait section, but suspect some judges may not feel it is the right place. If a judge is in doubt, I would hope they have to experience to look at what the other class options are. If the options you have listed are the only ones, hopefully most judges would feel in this exhibition that your photo would be OK in the portrait section.

It's a pretty good looking photo and should grab the attention no matter which class it is in.

[Cage]

As has been said I guess it will come down to the judges interpretation of a portrait.

I have a feeling that the judge may think that there is too much space on the right to be considered a portrait, great for an action shot but maybe not so much for a portrait.

Try cropping about 1/3 from the RHS and it will give your shot more of a portrait type presentation with the rider getting much more prominence.

[Hamster]

If there's one thing I've spotted, it's that there generally seems to be a lot of latitude in the interpretation of photos that qualify for the various competition categories. More so than if I was gate keeper. For example last years APPAs accepted the interior of a building in the landscape category. I'd say put it in, that one would pass my criteria for a portrait.
Good luck, I really like this shot.

[Mark L]

I gather Mark L you are thinking animal portrait??

Yep.
What have you got to loose? The bull is more important than the bloke I'd think.

[Wayno]

Thanks once again to all that posted in this thread.
I found out yesterday that my shot won the people portrait section of the Royal Melbourne Show.
My shot of a monkey also won the animal portrait section, so its been a fantastic comp for me.
Can't wait to get to the Show and see the shots on the winners wall.