(This morning my left brain told me that it wanted to know more about my motives to participate in photo competitions. I agreed to divulge a little information and so they sent an interviewer. He focussed mainly on talking to the right hemisphere but of course I am not entirely sure who he talked to. Have a look at the transcript of this interview.)
So you are participating in a photography competition. Could you explain to me why?
Well, I am actually participating in two competitions. One is a landscape photography competition by Blankwall Gallery in Athens. http://www.blankwallgallery.com
I am participating with a long exposure landscape picture from Invercargill, New Zealand.
The other one is the annual street photography contest at LensCulture, a website that promotes photography by publishing articles about photographers and showing their pictures and books as well as organizing exhibitions and competitions.
https://www.lensculture.com
And here I am participating with a series of five long exposure motion blur street shots.
Ok. Now tell me why!
I think participating in competitions helps me understand a better way where I am at with my photography. Is my work good and interesting enough to compare itself with other photographers' work? Does my work get chosen? Do I have a chance of winning a competitions (which I currently don't believe)?
Ah, you want to win. So you want to become famous then?
Well, if I wan and if I became known in the photographic world I would not mind that....
But my current goal is to compare my work with that of other photographers, to receive input from exposing my pictures to a jury and to learn. The LensCulture competition includes a feedback by a professional photographer about the quality of your work.
Well, if it's about the feedback you could meet some photographers at your place and ask them for feedback. You don't need a competition for that.
OK, yes, I want people to look at my pictures and I want them to tell me that they are interesting. Are you happy now?
Well, as long as you are honest with what you are saying I am happy.
I think that it is a mixture of finding feedback that helps me shooting better pictures and the encouragement that you want and need to carry on and work on the quality of your images.
In the past year I have found that I want to focus on two photographic subjects that I want to expand on. One is working with motion blur and the other one is taking tripod based night pictures of urban environments. It is good to know what I want to do, now I want a feedback about the quality and where I am at with my work.
Sounds honest. Good.
In case I get a "honorable mention" or something it would mean an encouragement and a boost for me.
So you will stop if you fail?
By any means, no! I will carry on shooting and posting and I will show my better work on my website as before. But it would be nice to be recognized, wouldn't it?
Thank you very much for participating in this little interview and for giving mainly honest answers.
(And I really think that this guy from the left side was bloody impertinent and indiscreet with his questions, wasn't he...??)