April brought another competition for the Saint Paul Camera Club.

Print Competition: Monochrome

I had a horrible time choosing prints for this month’s monochrome competition. Well, that’s not exactly true. I had no trouble choosing prints; it was the printing that gave me problems. Both of the prints I wanted to use looked best with some toning and I haven’t figured out how to get nice, soft yellow tones from my printer when I’m working largely in black and white. Instead of sepia, I get orange. I tried sending them out for printing, but the best sample I got back from my test prints was from a place that had weird software – I couldn’t actually get a final print of the size I needed.

So I pulled out two prints I had prepared months earlier, but didn’t think were good enough for competition.

Given all that, Black and White Asters did better than I expected, scoring just below the awards level.

The judge liked it, but not enough to score an award. He thought it needed something more and suggested Photoshopping an insect in to give it a focal point. Not sure about that, but I’m coming around to the idea if it is an art photo.

The judge liked my Rhino Mother and Child even better.

I was thinking it was too basic an image (not enough drama or activity) to win, but the judge gave it a 10.

I guess it was a good choice for a last minute entry!

Digital: People

I had so many potential images for this category that it was hard to decide what to submit.

Aging Beauty is one of the many pictures I took of the kind and beautiful people of northern Vietnam.

The judge liked it enough to give it a 9.

After the Wedding was taken in Orvieto, Italy, while several of us wandered the city on the afternoon before the official start of a photography class. We came across this bride and groom leaving the church after their wedding and their family and friends on the street made room for us to move in with our cameras.

The judge liked this one too, and it also got a 9.

So, all in all, a good night.