Hot Press HTC Comp. Long List revealled

mehfesto

Hot Press announced their long list for their HTC Comp yesterday. It was whittled down to 125 entries, ranging from the fantastic to the bizzarre. The list will be shortened to 10 and each of the finalists will win a HTC phone. The overall winner gets a slot in HP for the summer months and passes to gigs such as Electric Picnic, Florence & The Machine, Snow Patrol and more!

You can see the lot here. There are some boardies work on there, and they're some of the better ones for sure.

Here's my three anyway. I should hope I make the last 10, but I can't be sure. I tried to pick music-orientated images and hopefully that'll stand to me! I mean there are so far better photos there than mine, but they're a bit abstract or of things that wouldn't normally be seen in HP.


Anyway, who else is in there?

DaireQuinlan

Some nice work there from yourself mehfesto, I really don't think I can stand to scroll through all the other 375 shots of rather dubious merit to pick out the gems though, I'll wait for the winners :-)

PCPhoto

no offence intended to you Sean (Mehfesto) ... Maybe its just me ....but why is it that we never get threads telling us about these competitions until they are closed.

I have quite often seen .... (although not so much these days) ... "hey check out my pic and vote for me so I can win " threads.

Best of luck with it - I would wonder how hotpress can guarantee passes when they are subject to artist's approval/management company approval and promoter approval ....just because they have been given access in the past does not mean they will in the future.

magnumlady

I got in the 'long list' too. I would love to win but there are some brilliant pics in it.

mehfesto

I'm not asking anyone to vote, though, PCP. It's a judging panel thing.
I thought I'd just share the story, given that quite a few boardies are in the running.

The passes are a sure thing though. Not giving one to Hot Press, would like be not allowing a Times journalist into a football match. They're the only print magazine in Ireland that covers music events as a priority. And truth be told passes are not that hard to acquire, if you have the right contacts and a good track record - Sure I wrangled a few for my own blog over the years. And my blog is cack.

PCPhoto

I know you weren't looking for votes - I was just saying that that was the kind of threads we used to see quite a lot of.

from the 150+ images that I managed to scroll through you are one of the top contenders....and the images you've put up on previous occasions show you have a great understanding of difficult lighting situations.

As regards Hotpress not getting access - Hotpress do not have photographers at a lot of music events and rely on agencies to fill their pages - I just think those at Hotpress could/would be upsetting someone by offering a non-professional or "newbie" the opportunity to cover a large number of events, I have been told in the past - sometimes with 30-40mins to go before the big act - that no press photography was allowed - and I was there representing a national broadsheet newspaper, sometimes it comes down to the artist themselves, sometimes its a call by management..... the organisers/artist dont care about the reputation of the paper/magazine, if they do not want press photographers - they wont be allowing anyone....I just think its a bit presumptious by Hotpress.

Eminem in punchestown was another concert that I remember no press photos were allowed - we were told on the day....for many of the other concerts we have been at the sound desk (Springsteen, Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen) ...and shooting from the sound desk is a full length image using a 600mm lens..... and sometimes even if you are allowed access its extremely restricted..... Beyonce allowed press photos for 30seconds of the second song ...after 30seconds were up a huge security guy came running towards the press with his hands in the air - blocking everything and we were all out.

For those that dont know - if you get access to a concert as a press photographer its generally that you are allowed to photo the first three songs and no flash allowed (most of the time)

thatsnotmyname

Number 54
a bathroom basin In the middle of the mountains
WTF

homerun_homer

I hate scanning through the HP website at photos as it takes forever, constantly reloading the page rather than image. I went through the first lot and I have to say it looks like there is a lot of rubbish and snap shots in there but your images are brilliant. Wish you all the best.

thebaz

nice one Sean - particularly like colour one - love the way you foughtback from an early HWCH rejection - rejection and negative feedback hurts like a mother****er , but its also one ****er of a teacher - so well done man !

mehfesto

thebaz wrote: »

nice one Sean - particularly like colour one - love the way you foughtback from an early HWCH rejection - rejection and negative feedback hurts like a mother****er , but its also one ****er of a teacher - so well done man !

Cheers Baz. Yeah, I got off to a fairly bad start, but I've done well for myself in some form by this stage. Mad to think it took 5 years though!

artyeva

i think the most salient point here is that there exists people who think they're gonna win a photography competition in a music magazine, where the prize is passes to photograph bands.... by entering a photo of their cat lickin' itself that they've taken surrepticiously through the curtains.

on the other hand... the horse in the bad warhol wig is hilarious :pac:

starr0409

Well done on getting on the list, your photos a great! (also - cool name!)Have to say it, theres a lot of absolute rubbish on there!I wonder what criteria they judged em on.......?

mehfesto

starr0409 wrote: »

Well done on getting on the list, your photos a great! (also - cool name!)Have to say it, theres a lot of absolute rubbish on there!I wonder what criteria they judged em on.......?

As I've been saying to the lads on facebook, I imagine the only reason that list went out is to get more traffic on Hot Press' website. 125 people clicking through 375 pictures - then linking their friends to them would make HP's traffic numbers look lovely and healthy for any advertiser.

On top of that, given that HTC are giving away ten phones worth €500 (pay as you go, anyway), they need to really get as much out of this as they can.

Though, I did find the photographers I liked the most in this comp on Flickr - and have organised some shoots with them out of it already!

starr0409

That makes sense actually yeah. Excellent networking!Best of luck

BigDaddyCan

was lucky enough to make the list!

here are mine

would love to make the top ten but there really are some amazing shots in there!

mehfesto

Nice pics!
Who's your last picture of? And is that Whelans? Great angle if so!

BigDaddyCan

last pic was beardyman in Cyprus avenue in Cork!

lisatiffany

I was just talking with the publishing director of hotpress magazine and he made a great point, as its photojournalism its not just a heavy emphasis on the captured image its on the written word too. He said its all about combining both, that's me out so as writing is a serious weak point.

DarraghCorrigan

My three are here.

I chose them to have a common theme of portraiture aiming to contrast the lives of modern Irish women, I hoped that choosing a themed set would be more photojournalistic, but we'll see.

When you are comparing your own work to others, bear in mind that not everyone has the opportunity to shoot concerts the whole time, either because photographers aren't allowed, or more likely, they don't have the connections.
The photos I imagine will not be judged on whether their content is related to Hotpress common topics or not, but rather on traditional metrics like composition, use of light, good exposure, mood etc.
This might seem unrealistic, but remember that the final 10 will have to compete in the same gig (same lighting, same subjects) with the same HTC phone camera.
So when you are all on a completely level playing field, what matters most will be your ability to take a good photo with what's available to you, not your ability to get into photo pits, or the extent of your back catalogue.

pete4130

DarraghCorrigan wrote: »

My three are here.
The photos I imagine will not be judged on whether their content is related to Hotpress common topics or not, but rather on traditional metrics like composition, use of light, good exposure, mood etc.
This might seem unrealistic, but remember that the final 10 will have to compete in the same gig (same lighting, same subjects) with the same HTC phone camera.
So when you are all on a completely level playing field, what matters most will be your ability to take a good photo with what's available to you, not your ability to get into photo pits, or the extent of your back catalogue.

I totally disagree. It's a music magazine. Hotpress common topics are music, live music and live music photography. They want people who can see, shoot and understand live gigs and the pressure that goes with it and have relevant gig experience...what use would be someone that primarily focuses something like communion photography, still life or macro? They just wou'dnt have a clue. It doesn't make sense for them to have someone who doesn't have ANY real gig experience to win and have them go shoot gigs as a prize!?!?!

Any veteran gig photographers will tell you that there is an element of luck, timing, venue and lighting to get something good from a gig, along with fast glass!

the_doctor199

Shortlist announced..

The shortlist has been finalised in the HTC One Hot Press Photojournalism competition. And the good news is that 12 entrants in all have been shortlisted, rather than the ten originally promised!
All of the photographers on the shortlist receive a HTC One handset, and will be invited to strut their photojournalistic stuff at the upcoming HTC "Most Personal Experience" Royseven gig, which takes place at a secret location in Dublin on Wednesday May 16...

"For everyone who was involved in the judging process, this is one of the toughest competitions we've ever run," said Hot Press editor Niall Stokes. "The standard of the entries was extraordinarily high and there was also a great diversity, in terms of style and subject matter. There was a lot of agonising and much debate before the final list was agreed – and so it is important to say that there are really good photographers who have not been shortlisted. But that is in the nature of these things."

There were no age restrictions involved, and so in true democratic Hot Press style, young photographers were pitched against more experienced ones. Overall, there was more than enough quality from some of the younger entrants to confirm that the future of the photographic arts is in good hands.

"The decision, in the end, to shortlist 12 entrants reflects just how good the quality was overall and how difficult the process of elimination became. But HTC have been been brilliant partners throughout and they agreed to provide the extra phones – and so there is a great mix in the dozen contenders that are still in the frame as we go into the final round."

Lisa Duggan of HTC commented, "HTC is delighted to partner Hot Press in this search for journalistic talent as it gives the winners a chance to explore the amazing camera and authentic sound of the HTC One series in an up close and most personal way. We look forward to seeing the video and photos taken at gigs across the summer and in particular at our kick off intimate gig with the brilliant Royseven which takes place on Wednesday 16". Keep an eye on Twitter for @hotpress @ilikeHTCOne and @Royseven mentions or on www.facebook.com/htcie.
Now it's down to what the select crew of 12 can conjure at the HTC Most Personal Experience gig. Either way, with their brilliant new HTC One handsets to play with, they are all winners.

The full shortlist of finalists, in alphabetical order, reads: Sean Conroy, Sophia Harding, Rachel Hegarty, Adrian Heffernan, Eoin Kirwan, Emilia Krysztofiak, Robert Manning, Beatrix Matthews, Tommy McArdle, Martina McDonald, and Ronan Melia.

edanto

Well done shortlisters!

mehfesto

Yay!
I got through! Can't wait to get my hands on that phone. It has a max aperture of f2! :eek:

Here's the other selections from the list!
Sophia Harding
Rachel Hegarty
Adrian Heffernan (My fave of the lot)
Eoin Kirwan
Emily Krysztofiak
Matt Loughrey
Robert Manning
Beatrix Matthews
Tommy McArdle
Martina McDonald
I can seem to find Ronan Melia's ones for whatever reason. But I know the lad through friends on Facebook and can confirm he's a dab hand at the auld gig photography!

sineadw

mehfesto wrote: »

Yay!
I got through! Can't wait to get my hands on that phone. It has a max aperture of f2! :eek:

Here's the other selections from the list!
Sophia Harding
Rachel Hegarty
Adrian Heffernan (My fave of the lot)
Eoin Kirwan
Emily Krysztofiak
Matt Loughrey
Robert Manning
Beatrix Matthews
Tommy McArdle
Martina McDonald
I can seem to find Ronan Melia's ones for whatever reason. But I know the lad through friends on Facebook and can confirm he's a dab hand at the auld gig photography!

Congrats!! Yay!

(just an fyi, in case you didn't realise: the sensor size on the phone will be a lot smaller than an slr, so f2 really won't have a shallow DoF or any other nicenesses you might be expecting. Looks like a decent bit of kit though! Especially when it's free wouldn't mind one!).

melekalikimaka

good friends with Mr. Manning, excellent photographer, I'm suprised he in still in college the amount of time he spends shooting, good luck to all going for this, some beautiful work.

PCPhoto

well done Sean and Magnumlady - and anyone else on boards who was shortlisted.