Travel & Landscape Photo Predjudice: I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and...

Booker

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

I don't care to take pictures of people. Usually if there a people in my photographs they are incidental to the photograph, and not the subject.

TheDman Loc: USA

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

Heh, try getting past art show juries. They absolutely hate landscape photography. You would do well there with your street photography.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

There must be a "competition" that favors any style and genre you choose! Just avoid those you are not interested in.

As for Street Photography and portraits you may be interested in what UHH has to offer. At the bottom of every forum page is a button labeled "All Forums" which provides access to both subscribed and unsubscribed forums. There are several sections (forums) that cater to people or portrait photography and at least three that mention Street Photography in the section description.

For Street I would highly recommend the Street Photography Section as the most active and interesting.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-121-1.html

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Apaflo wrote:

... At the bottom of every forum page is a button labeled "All Forums" which provides access to both subscribed and unsubscribed forums. ...

Actually that button is labeled "All Sections". Sorry.

Booker

Actually, my concern is not with finding appropriate competitions. It is with the preoccupation with travel and wildlife biases in photography - at least in my experience.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Each to their own...
I can't take images of nudes - my wife objects!
I can't take images of people in general - I make them look ugly!
I can't take pictures of birds alone - too much like collecting stamps!
That leaves landscapes and buildings, boats and harbours, flowers and fungi, woodlands and wetlands, seascapes and mountains etc etc
This is what interests me. Probably why I am getting better at it too.

Go with what you are good at.

Booker

G Brown wrote:

Each to their own...
I can't take images of nudes - my wife objects!
I can't take images of people in general - I make them look ugly!
I can't take pictures of birds alone - too much like collecting stamps!
That leaves landscapes and buildings, boats and harbours, flowers and fungi, woodlands and wetlands, seascapes and mountains etc etc
This is what interests me. Probably why I am getting better at it too.

Go with what you are good at.

I do, of course stick with what I like. My comment is about what I perceive as a prejudice of many photographers.

By the way, I've been asked, "can you tell me how to do street photography." The only answer I can give is take your camera and walk around. I guess you have to have an eye for it which is true for whatever your photo specialization is

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

You are not alone. Most landscape work is derivative at best. Regardless of how beautiful a landscape may look, there are very few that have any true uniqueness to them. I myself have produced a few that I feel are quite pleasing, but at the end of the day there are 10,000 others just like them. Most travel photos are also incredibly repetitive unless you are able to capture a different slant on your subject. But the same could be said for almost every area of photography. While I would love to capture the image of a bald eagle, it's been done so many times before that its unlikely that I would be able to add value by creating another one. That's why I'm more interested in street photography, abstracts, and black and white.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Read a bunch of posts here. I guarantee you will encounter "Ansel Adams" more often than all the news and "street" photographers combined.

repleo Loc: Boston

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

You think Landscape photos are repetitive? What about birding photos! It seems like 98% of the birding photos I see here on UHH are shot dead center with all the creativity of a passport photo.
Sorry - I know this will be blasphemy to a lot of people, but I just don't 'get' the attraction towards bird photography. Is it about the birds or about the photography? I don't open any post that even remotely sounds like a bird photo.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

One of the great street photographers on the Hog, Graham Smith, is also a great landscape photographer. I don't care what genre he would enter in a contest, he would win. I think it has to do more with the photographer than the genre.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

No, you are not alone. A lot of people don’t understand why everyone else doesn’t think the way they do.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Booker wrote:

I have found that among photographers in general, and among judges of competitions, there is a strong predjudice toward travel photography and Landscape Photos. A large portion of my photography is Street Photoraphy and portraits. In fact, I find landscape work to be a bit repetitive - it becomes kind of boring. To, me, this is too bad, since I personally find that people are endlessly interesting. I wonder if I am alone in this.

You can't be more wrong about judges of competitions. Sounds like sour grapes to me. I have found the opposite with judges.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Booker, if God created us all the same, it would be very boring. Variety is what makes the world interesting. People pics are for those who like them (like you). Travel/scenic pics are for those who like them (like me). I don't try to change you or "put down" your passion. Just do your thing ... others like it, too.