The quality of work from the IPPA

Mister Vain

I've just seen some of the winners at the recent IPPA awards and I must say I was very underwhelmed. Some of the portraits look like they were badly edited in Portrait Professional with very plastic looking skin. I'm no expert but I know a good portrait when I see one. I'm not saying its all bad and I realise photography is subjective, but a lot of what I'm seeing from award winning photographers is nothing to shout about. Anyone else feel this way?

CabanSail

Care to share the link?

My search found this, but I think that's a bit different.

Tiriel

I've just seen this link - http://ippaconference.com/2015/03/09/irish-professional-photographer-of-the-year-awards-2015-the-winners/

pullandbang

The HDR stuff was awful! Nicely composed etc. but the garish colouring would burn your eyes. I've also seen some far better wedding shots than a lot of those winning ones. One Dublin wedding tog in particular springs to mind. He posted his submissions on bookface and I thought they were better than the winning shots.

DaireQuinlan

A lot of the more garish stuff seems to be commercial architecture and property stuff though. It's probably par for the course. Also, feckin' Antelope canyon ? I'll add that to the list of places I want never ever to see another picture of ever again. Along with Horseshoe bend, that Carton boathouse, and most of Iceland.

Also, they're processed practically to unreality, but rather perversely I really liked Michael McLaughlin's winning set

magicbastarder

the one of the guy throwing the card looks like a well-executed pisstake.

DaireQuinlan

magicbastarder wrote: »

the one of the guy throwing the card looks like a well-executed pisstake.

A bit of googling and it's apparently a picture of one Jack Wise, a magician by trade, so it's not a bad PR shot IMO.

Mister Vain

Yeah its mainly the processing I don't like. The lighting and composition are fine, but I've seen far better stuff posted on some of the photography groups on facebook.

Lyaiera

The IPPA seems like some back-slapping association. "Wahey! We're all pros." Even the one that won for creativity and overall isn't even a particularly good example of that style. (Not that you can tell much from the way they're presented on that site.) The people I talk to are putting out images in all those fields, consistently at a far higher level.

CabanSail

To be fair I think that some of those images would look a lot better as prints rather than small web files.

I agree about Antelope Canyon as everyone who shoots that place comes away with very similar images, at least Horseshoe Bend has some variety.

intolerant

Calling the IPPA a back slapping organisation seems a little unfair, maybe there should be a professional body to encourage industry standards and continuity.

In relation to the images themselves they are all open to criticism and compliments however as this is a subjective medium it's important to remember that not every photograph is liked by every person.

I've looked through many LIPF, AIPF panels and some have been woeful but that's just my opinion, some have been amazing.

If you can't beat them maybe consider joining them, and no I'm not a member.

DaireQuinlan

intolerant wrote: »

Calling the IPPA a back slapping organisation seems a little unfair, maybe there should be a professional body to encourage industry standards and continuity.

In relation to the images themselves they are all open to criticism and compliments however as this is a subjective medium it's important to remember that not every photograph is liked by every person.

I've looked through many LIPF, AIPF panels and some have been woeful but that's just my opinion, some have been amazing.

If you can't beat them maybe consider joining them, and no I'm not a member.

Most. Inappropriate. Username. Ever

Trizo

The Best Wildlife Image certainly reminds me of a Mike Brown picture !

http://www.mikebrownphotography.com/irish-wildlife-photography/birds/gannet-protecting-nest.html

Mister Vain

Lyaiera wrote: »

The IPPA seems like some back-slapping association. "Wahey! We're all pros."

I don't know if I'd go that far, but yeah its kind of similar to vanity publishing in a way. With so many online magazines popping up lately, more and more photographers are "published." Some of these magazines will take anything. Granted I have seen some great stuff on them too.

eoglyn

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

, feckin' Antelope canyon ? I'll add that to the list of places I want never ever to see another picture of ever again. Along with Horseshoe bend, that Carton boathouse, and most of Iceland.

Rant of the week, poor Iceland, Sounds like you are not looking forward to the direct flights, daire. :pac:

Agreed though re what you are saying about antelope canyon. "Wow you made it to a very special place and had your camera with you... Slow hand clap... Have an award" you'd wonder how the judges have never seen the same photos from the same place by 1000 other photographers

Mister Vain

Antelope Canyon would be a great place for an art nude shoot, just sayin.

LeoB

magicbastarder wrote: »

the one of the guy throwing the card looks like a well-executed pisstake.

Magician and comedian Jack Wyse it is. This is a good pr shot for his facebook or web page.

I see people producing far better images than the ones that appear to be winning awards. The club challenge they run can be good and having seen the entries for the last 2 years could not understand the marking system. While photography is very subjective there appeared very little consistency in the markings. One judge gives a shot 18-20 marks the other 10-12. Such a gap is very hard to fathom and looking a few particular prints some that were not very good outscored poorly framed and poorly printed images by more than 10 points. Just found it strange having looked closely at the panels.

The J Stands for Jay

Mister Vain wrote: »

Antelope Canyon would be a great place for an art nude shoot, just sayin.

It's been done.

intolerant

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Most. Inappropriate. Username. Ever

It stems from my angrier 20's and footballing years, I've tried changing it to 'thethreekidshavemebeatendowntoashadowofmyformerself' but boards wont accept it.... :mad:

Silva360

pullandbang wrote: »

The HDR stuff was awful! Nicely composed etc. but the garish colouring would burn your eyes.

Nail on head. I don't get it. No attempt to pull the photos back to reality.

Nice winning set. Peter Gordon and Philip Smyth's photos are also great....

Silva360

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

and most of Iceland.

It is a tad overdone, but then comes along work by Hans Strand and Theo Bosboom and Iceland can be appreciated once again.

Effects

McGaggs wrote: »

It's been done.

Not in HDR though!

Deadlie

This is just a club thing, yes? Lots of name seem to be popping up several times throughout.

Without mention of Alex Sheridan, Cait McBride, Ramsey Cardy, German Collins, Barry McCall, etc., the list and it does look like a group of a club, rather than an all encompassing view of Pro Photographers in Ireland.

Mister Vain

McGaggs wrote: »

It's been done.

Ohh I'm sure it has, as have most things at this stage. I'm planning to do a shoot with a nude model riding a horse through a field being chased by a load of angry farmers. I'm not sure if it was done before but I don't care.

The J Stands for Jay

Mister Vain wrote: »

Ohh I'm sure it has, as have most things at this stage. I'm planning to do a shoot with a nude model riding a horse through a field being chased by a load of angry farmers. I'm not sure if it was done before but I don't care.

Let me know when you do, I think a print would look good on my my wall.

challengemaster

I've seen much better images posted on here than the majority of those winning images.

Effects

challengemaster wrote: »

I've seen much better images posted on here than the majority of those winning images.

If you aren't eligible/don't enter then you can't win.