2010 Annual Photography Competition

[Pete Eeles]

Hi all,

The 2010 competition (http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/competit ... o_2010.php) is now open for entries, as mentioned on the UKB home page.

Two changes from previous years:

1. Entries need to be uploaded to the forum gallery album dedicated to the competition (gallery/album.php?album_id=2029). The burden of receiving images by email has now gotten too much and, since the gallery mechanism has proven itself, I've decided that this is an acceptable vehicle for hosting the annual competition. Each album representing a category has been classified as a "Contest" so submissions, while visible, will remain anonymous (I hope!) until the closing date for entries.

2. The winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges - myself, Gary Richardson and Maurice Pugh. Again, the hassle I've had (especially last year) weeding out the skewed voting caused by individuals getting their relatives, dog, cat and gerbils to vote for them (despite the rules that are designed to prevent this) has gotten too much. I would much rather have left the voting to the entire membership but this step has had to be taken because of such individuals.

Anyway - good luck with your entries. There really have been some cracking images posted on the forums this year!

Feel free to post any questions / opinions here.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Goldie M]

Pete, for the overseas section can we put BF like the Red Admiral, Painted Lady etc ?

[Padfield]

Must submitted photographs have been taken

a) during 2010
b) since the closure of the last competition (i.e., since 1st Oct. 2009) so, for example, December egg or hibernating stages can be included
or
c) any year?

Sorry if the answer to that appears on one of the pages - I couldn't find it.

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Pete, for the overseas section can we put BF like the Red Admiral, Painted Lady etc ?

If they were taken overseas, then yes.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pete Eeles]

Must submitted photographs have been taken

a) during 2010
b) since the closure of the last competition (i.e., since 1st Oct. 2009) so, for example, December egg or hibernating stages can be included
or
c) any year?

Sorry if the answer to that appears on one of the pages - I couldn't find it.

Guy

Hi Guy - there are on constraints on the year in which the photo was taken. I'll discuss with Gary if we want to change that for next year.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Ian Pratt]

Just noticed that some photographers have exceeded their 3 entries and others have put the same photos in two classes. Is that right?

[Pete Eeles]

Just noticed that some photographers have exceeded their 3 entries and others have put the same photos in two classes. Is that right?

No it's not and this will be fixed before judging commences!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Roger Gibbons]

I have just noticed that my Adonis Blue photo has been moved from Overseas to the UK section and that my Marsh Fritillary appears in both UK and Overseas. I entered three photos in the Overseas category because that is where I photographed them. Presumably if they were photographed overseas, that is the category they should/must be entered in. Presumably the Adonis Blue should be moved back to Overseas and the Marsh Fritillary deleted from UK, but I leave that to the administrators.

However, I originally put them in a gallery that said “Photo Competitions (Annual)” not realising that you had to click 2010 to get the separate categories, and when I realised this I downloaded them to the right category. My internet access in France is in the dark trying to find the wifi hotspot using an ancient laptop that only has 15 minutes battery life.

Someone, not me, then put the photos from the generic Photo Competitions (Annual) folder into a category into which they had not been entered. My apologies for any confusion inadvertently caused. Maybe other people did the same thing.

Roger

[Pete Eeles]

Presumably the Adonis Blue should be moved back to Overseas and the Marsh Fritillary deleted from UK, but I leave that to the administrators.

Done

Maybe other people did the same thing.

A few!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Ian Pratt]

Just noticed that after the closing date for the competition the names of the photographers appear underneath the photos.
I would have thought that anonymity as in the monthly competitions would have been better for the judges?

[Pete Eeles]

Just noticed that after the closing date for the competition the names of the photographers appear underneath the photos.
I would have thought that anonymity as in the monthly competitions would have been better for the judges?

Yes, it probably would be better. But aside from the fact that the forum mechanism won't allow this (in fact, any moderator can see all of the names anyway in case they need to contact the member, which I have on several occasions - the member that entered 16 photos shall remain nameless!), if I thought for one second that a judge would be influenced by the name of the competitor, then they wouldn't be a judge

Given the initial round of "voting" that Maurice, Gary and I have gone through, I can categorically state that no discrimination (positive or negative) is taking place.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Ian Pratt]

I was sure that was the case and did not wish to impugn the integrity of the judges in any way.

[Jack Harrison]

What a farce that the judges are in a position to know the names of the entrants BEFORE they make their decisions. This has utterly destroyed my faith in the apparent “anonymity” that is so important; I doubt that I would have entered had I realised this.

Jack

[FISHiEE]

I see the gallery has already picked the winners. Damn I should have entered earlier!

[Ian Pratt]

I am confused as to what is happening!

[Pete Eeles]

I see the gallery has already picked the winners. Damn I should have entered earlier!

Ignore the gallery. When there are no votes, it still goes ahead and picks the top 3 based on nothing whatsoever!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pete Eeles]

What a farce that the judges are in a position to know the names of the entrants BEFORE they make their decisions. This has utterly destroyed my faith in the apparent “anonymity” that is so important; I doubt that I would have entered had I realised this.

Jack

Not ideal, I agree, but better than the cheating that went on in previous years.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

I certainly agree that there is little doubting the photographic ability and integrity of the judges.

It's fine for the moderators to know who has submitted what (Pete explains why he might have to know) but a moderator should not also be a judge.

As I had already suggested some while ago, why not approach the likes of Chris Packham. Martin Warren and Matthew Oates and even perhaps John Craven of Countryfile, none of whom as far as I know, ever enters ukb comps, to see if they would be happy to be judges? This would keep it TOTALLY independent.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

... why not approach the likes of Chris Packham. Martin Warren and Matthew Oates and even perhaps John Craven of Countryfile, none of whom as far as I know, ever enters ukb comps, to see if they would be happy to be judges? This would keep it TOTALLY independent.

As far as I know, Chris is the only photographer in that list. Do we want non-photographers judging (this is a genuine question!)? The other factor is time - and whether these esteemed folk are able to give up the amount of time it requires. But we should certainly get someone from BC, I agree! I certainly like the idea.

Regarding the mechanism - I think it's better than previous years, but not ideal. I'll see what I can do before next year's comp.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

Add Ken Wilmott to the list. I remember his Russian Zenit SLR with a stack of close-up lenses that required him to take his pictures from millimetres - yes millimetres. Not sure what Ken's up to nowadays.

No harm in asking Countryfile. Think of the publicity/raised profile if our little comp could be featured on the programme.

jack