PopPhoto Shootout 2007

OK, so I didn’t win, place or show. I didn’t even make the finals in the 2007 Shootout contest sponsored by Popular Photography and Imaging magazine. But I did finish the assignments and had a good time doing it. More importantly I learned a lot and am a better photographer for having participated.

But I sure wish that even one of my shots would have been published. Hmmm, I have this blog and …

This year was the third year for PopPhoto to sponsor their great shootout. Their procedure for the first two years was to select three finalists, bring those photographers to New York and give them three days of tough photographic assignments. This year, the entire contest was conducted over the Internet.

The first phase was to register and submit four photographs: a landscape, an action photo, a portrait and a product photo. I sorted through some of my favorites and quickly entered all four.

Naturally, I first selected one of my favorites, Wallace, which has already been posted here and will be included in my Reify and Redact project as well. The other selections were




It seemed to me that between two and three thousand photographers registered but some entered only one or two photographs. Some entered more than four. At the end of this first phase of the contest, there were nearly seven hundred fully qualified entrants and I was hanging in there.

Next, the assignments ...

Reify and Redact: The First Selections

Having made the decision that my Reify and Redact portfolio would contain only twelve prints, I've begun the selection process. Actually, the first few selections were easy and, in fact, have already been shown and described in this blog.

Hands of the Violin Maker is my first choice and not just a sentimental one.

Wallace is also an easy choice as is George and Greg.

Lake McDonald Sunrise is my first choice for a landscape photograph.

Although Chair, Boots and Pitcher are presented and discussed together, by my rules I must count them separately. In that case, I've decided to include only Chair in the portfolio.

Now the really difficult selection job begins.