Rainbow Slime

I have so much to say, you'd think I'd be better at blogging.  So, now that I have something to write I figure a blog is the best platform for sharing.

I Instagrammed the following on my @premopictures account:

I belong to a photo club @napfs.club We have a monthly competition. Looking back I can see how pushing myself to find things to photo hasn't always been easy. I like to take pictures of people. Not all judges like photos of people. All my more artsy photos don't make the cut. Some are just downright bad. I didn't win often this year, yet I know it's helped me be more critical of the "why" behind a photo. One of my girls said a few months ago (while we were on vacation) "Not everything is a photo mom". 


YES, everything can be a photo.  Now, is it a good photo - debatable. 

I may share some of my "o this is not a good photo" photos, but I want to focus on one specific photo.  

A few months ago I took the following photo. 

These are little balls of slime for lack of better description.  My child made them to sell at our yard sale.  I was like "I could do something cool with them for the competition".  This is where my sort of sick sense of humor comes in.  I knew the judge this month was more about black and white, yet the following month's theme is "Yin and Yang" so why would I submit my black and whites.  I also know that the judges bring rich feed back and sometimes that is not always easy if every photo is one they "love".  To say "O, I love this photo" or "I really like this photo" isn't much of a teaching moment.    With these things in mind I figured I would have some fun with slime balls.  Having my child join in and she even took a few shots herself.  Here is my end (and mind you, I had procrastinated and only had THAT evening to get the shot and submit the photo in time to make the competition).

Here we go - the photo that caused the reaction of "I HATE this photo".  I had a hard time not to laugh out loud.  That month I was the one physically running the competition, so I tried hard to keep it together.  No, it didn't hurt my feeling.  I already knew it wasn't her cup of tea.  I didn't LIKE the photo quality, yet I think the photo concept is fun and just needs a little work.   I just ran out of time and for the sake of learning I went ahead and entered.  By the end of her critique she did say "well, I guess if we want to say it evoked emotion that it did do".  

The only thing I came home and did for this blog to the photo is crop it down.  That was one of the suggestions.  I do like it better this way.  

Some advice to you when it comes to getting your work critiqued.  

Know your judge

If you are in a class with a teacher don't you learn the teacher and submit work that you know they will like?  Well, if you don't then then you get what you get.  I made lots of A's in college NOT because I'm the best at what I do but I am pretty good at producing things that others are looking for.  For the club I belonged to the judge was published and known at least a month in advance.  They are often well known artist who have web sites and Instagram accounts.  Go check there work out.  It doesn't hurt to look. 

Start early  

If you know the theme or if you have a deadline, don't want till the last minute to take the photo.  Lesson learned for sure on this one.  I think I know what I would have done to get a better photo but since the slime balls got sold I may never have the chance (that's being dramatic, it will happen just not for awhile - my child makes slime almost daily if I let her)  If there are themes keep them in mind as you are traveling around.  My camera is sort of my security blanket and I feel lost if I don't have it with me so I try to have it with me.  That's not always the case.  I have phone invy because I've seen some pretty fabulous photos taken with camera phones.     

Know your software

I could never have gotten this photo to even come out this nice if I hadn't known my software.  The original is not good.  As I type it I am shaking my head because I remember almost crying when I pulled it up.  If you don't know your software, check out Youtube or go find a class to take.   This is true also of your camera.  Guess this blog post is figuring you already have a grasp on your camera.  

Do not take personally

THIS is the best lesson I've learned this year as a competition coordinator.  I promise you I know a few people who actually like this photo or at least the concept behind it.  The judge did NOT.  I didn't hate it, just knew it needed to be better.  Right now, with the world of slime (go check it out on Instagram or Youtube>>>hundreds if not thousands of accounts out there from making slime to smushing slime together to eating ice cubes...OK, so that's not slime but I just had to put that out there.  Yes, people are watching others EAT ice!) If you are just IN LOVE with your photo and the judge is not, then go with your gut.  I also do not strive to be like everyone else.  I like to put my own twist to things. 

Make everything a learning experience

Be open to learning.  If you aren't, then I will say getting critiques will not be the thing for you.  

Here is one of my winning photos.  I almost didn't enter this one, glad my daughters talked me into it.  

Light And Dark by Michele Johnson