photo contest

[vsmith]

Seems to me it shouldnt be too hard to find someone whos a good amatuer photographer to shoot your layout. Its not an uncommon hobby, and most photographers I've known could be bribed with a good bottle of wine to do photos.

[Anonymous]

good point Bob, I've given this issue some though (and yes, those early posts were harsh), and I think it doesn't matter whether your a professional photographer or an amateur (such as me), the thing that really matters is the quality of the model depicted. I have gone through some really painstaking afternoons trying to get a scene to look right, trust me. I'll submit my best slides this year and hopefully they'll be published next March. (in fact, I don't give much importance to getting the big prize, I'll be happy as long as I see my work in MR.)
By the way Bob, when did you win the contest? (your name rings a bell but I can't place it)

[Anonymous]

good point Bob, I've given this issue some though (and yes, those early posts were harsh), and I think it doesn't matter whether your a professional photographer or an amateur (such as me), the thing that really matters is the quality of the model depicted. I have gone through some really painstaking afternoons trying to get a scene to look right, trust me. I'll submit my best slides this year and hopefully they'll be published next March. (in fact, I don't give much importance to getting the big prize, I'll be happy as long as I see my work in MR.)
By the way Bob, when did you win the contest? (your name rings a bell but I can't place it)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by flee307

What's the point, it's geared to the professional photographer or computer graphics illastrator due to the magazine's judges constantly picking photo composition over model quality as winners? When they allowed and encouraged digital images that were manipulated that was the final nail. How can we be sure that the model portrayed in the pictures is a model, or even really exists in this universe? So I no longer waste my time, money, and postage to enter. I can't compete with professionals doing their craft. I don't begrude the professionals their skill, but let's not pretend that it's an open contest. The name should be "MR's Professional Photo and Computer Generated Image Contest". How about contests geared to modelers, like no backgrounds allowed? Model only? That's what the name of the magazine implies, it's MODEL Railroader, not Model Photography Gazette. Maybe it's time for a name change. FRED

I’m curious as to how you know winners in the contest are professional photographers? I don’t think I’ve ever read info on winners that indicated this information.

I’ve had the good fortune in past MR contests to have won each level from First down to Honorable Mention, and I'm not a professional. I am an amateur photographer with many years of experience in many phases of photography, but I did not make my living from photography. I recently retired after 35 years as a federal civil servant here in Canada.

With my experience in photography, good quality photo equipment, and my modeling abilities, I was able to translate my ideas into photos that I submitted in past contests. My hobby pursuits in the past while have resulted in fewer modeling projects, which led to fewer photos, and a lack of suitable entries for MR’s contests. But I’m still thinking about it!

As to the name, it is a contest of model railroad subjects, not a model contest. High quality modeling and scene setting is a major requirement to win in the contest. A very nice model posed on a workbench or a table wouldn’t make much of a contest. How would such a photo be judged anyway?

Bob Boudreau
Canada

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by flee307

What's the point, it's geared to the professional photographer or computer graphics illastrator due to the magazine's judges constantly picking photo composition over model quality as winners? When they allowed and encouraged digital images that were manipulated that was the final nail. How can we be sure that the model portrayed in the pictures is a model, or even really exists in this universe? So I no longer waste my time, money, and postage to enter. I can't compete with professionals doing their craft. I don't begrude the professionals their skill, but let's not pretend that it's an open contest. The name should be "MR's Professional Photo and Computer Generated Image Contest". How about contests geared to modelers, like no backgrounds allowed? Model only? That's what the name of the magazine implies, it's MODEL Railroader, not Model Photography Gazette. Maybe it's time for a name change. FRED

I’m curious as to how you know winners in the contest are professional photographers? I don’t think I’ve ever read info on winners that indicated this information.

I’ve had the good fortune in past MR contests to have won each level from First down to Honorable Mention, and I'm not a professional. I am an amateur photographer with many years of experience in many phases of photography, but I did not make my living from photography. I recently retired after 35 years as a federal civil servant here in Canada.

With my experience in photography, good quality photo equipment, and my modeling abilities, I was able to translate my ideas into photos that I submitted in past contests. My hobby pursuits in the past while have resulted in fewer modeling projects, which led to fewer photos, and a lack of suitable entries for MR’s contests. But I’m still thinking about it!

As to the name, it is a contest of model railroad subjects, not a model contest. High quality modeling and scene setting is a major requirement to win in the contest. A very nice model posed on a workbench or a table wouldn’t make much of a contest. How would such a photo be judged anyway?

Bob Boudreau
Canada

[CNJ831]

I think some of the posts above are being a bit harsh on MR. I'll say up front that I'm not entering this year, nor have I the past 2-3 years. However, as someone who had a number of photos published in MR during the 1990's, and who did place in at least one of the annual photo contests, I would urge anyone who feels that they have a really outstanding image to submit it. While not every photo submitted to the contest can be a winner, many do turn up later in the Trackside Photos department and the photographer still collects a nice stipend.

The only problem I've had with MR's photo contests is what I feel is the extreme inconsistency in the judging. You never seem to get any idea from the results as to what the judges feel makes for a winning photo. Several winners in recent years would never have gotten any points from me (and I've judged in some regional photo contests). They were either just plain gimmicky or suffered seriously from soft focus or striking lack of depth-of-field.

I do applaud MR for recently splitting the contest into digtal and film, as the two are totally differing formats and can not be fairly compared. Incidentally, in some area photo contests out my way digital is totally banned.

CNJ831

[CNJ831]

I think some of the posts above are being a bit harsh on MR. I'll say up front that I'm not entering this year, nor have I the past 2-3 years. However, as someone who had a number of photos published in MR during the 1990's, and who did place in at least one of the annual photo contests, I would urge anyone who feels that they have a really outstanding image to submit it. While not every photo submitted to the contest can be a winner, many do turn up later in the Trackside Photos department and the photographer still collects a nice stipend.

The only problem I've had with MR's photo contests is what I feel is the extreme inconsistency in the judging. You never seem to get any idea from the results as to what the judges feel makes for a winning photo. Several winners in recent years would never have gotten any points from me (and I've judged in some regional photo contests). They were either just plain gimmicky or suffered seriously from soft focus or striking lack of depth-of-field.

I do applaud MR for recently splitting the contest into digtal and film, as the two are totally differing formats and can not be fairly compared. Incidentally, in some area photo contests out my way digital is totally banned.

CNJ831

[Anonymous]

oh boy, that means I just wasted lots of cash in those slides (not to mention one painstaking weekend when I went to shoot outdoors... and it rained).

[Anonymous]

oh boy, that means I just wasted lots of cash in those slides (not to mention one painstaking weekend when I went to shoot outdoors... and it rained).

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the heads up guys, I was going to enter my port of Melmatt. Now I'll just save the cash.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the heads up guys, I was going to enter my port of Melmatt. Now I'll just save the cash.

[ndbprr]

It is just a waste of postage sending photos to Kalmbach only to be rebuffed. I quit sending any when I witnessed a train wreck and had 35mm shots of the entire event. When I called immedeiately to see if they were interested I was told they already had them. That is when I figured it out.

[ndbprr]

It is just a waste of postage sending photos to Kalmbach only to be rebuffed. I quit sending any when I witnessed a train wreck and had 35mm shots of the entire event. When I called immedeiately to see if they were interested I was told they already had them. That is when I figured it out.

[Anonymous]

What's the point, it's geared to the professional photographer or computer graphics illastrator due to the magazine's judges constantly picking photo composition over model quality as winners? When they allowed and encouraged digital images that were manipulated that was the final nail. How can we be sure that the model portrayed in the pictures is a model, or even really exists in this universe? So I no longer waste my time, money, and postage to enter. I can't compete with professionals doing their craft. I don't begrude the professionals their skill, but let's not pretend that it's an open contest. The name should be "MR's Professional Photo and Computer Generated Image Contest". How about contests geared to modelers, like no backgrounds allowed? Model only? That's what the name of the magazine implies, it's MODEL Railroader, not Model Photography Gazette. Maybe it's time for a name change. FRED

[Anonymous]

What's the point, it's geared to the professional photographer or computer graphics illastrator due to the magazine's judges constantly picking photo composition over model quality as winners? When they allowed and encouraged digital images that were manipulated that was the final nail. How can we be sure that the model portrayed in the pictures is a model, or even really exists in this universe? So I no longer waste my time, money, and postage to enter. I can't compete with professionals doing their craft. I don't begrude the professionals their skill, but let's not pretend that it's an open contest. The name should be "MR's Professional Photo and Computer Generated Image Contest". How about contests geared to modelers, like no backgrounds allowed? Model only? That's what the name of the magazine implies, it's MODEL Railroader, not Model Photography Gazette. Maybe it's time for a name change. FRED

[Anonymous]

just a little question, Is anyone here sending pictures to the MR photo contest?

[Anonymous]

just a little question, Is anyone here sending pictures to the MR photo contest?