Scraperboard / Etching effect – trying something different: Camera Club Competition

I entered some of this type of photos to the monthly DPI (Digital Projected Image) competition just to see what the judge thought of it – not a lot. The first images to be shown were the colour images and it was apparent that he didn’t ‘get it’. When he saw the monochrome he did mention an ‘etching effect’ but didn’t like the areas of black or white and certainly didn’t like this in the skies.

The club rules allow unplaced photos to be reworked and entered a second time. The next meeting includes a session where the images are discussed amongst the club members so I will listen to what they say before I rework anything.

Here are my entries:

The sky came in for a lot of criticism
The lines in the tree foliage got criticised
He didn’t like the large blocks of white or black
He liked the building but not the sky and wanted to crop the sides to lose the trees.

What I have found is that camera club judges tend to be very conservative; they don’t like anything beyond their training and experience. This seems to hold until a new technique somehow becomes popular then everyone does it.

As I have written my own image processing program to create this effect, it is unlikely to become popular.

Author: Paul L.G. Morris

I am an amateur photographer whose photography is mostly of gardens, nature and the rural environment. My specialities are close-ups, panoramic views, or a combination of both that I call 'Nearscapes'. I work mostly for my own interest having closed my business PM Studios Ltd.