Contest/Showcase Thoughts

["Ken Guin" <kenguin@homemail.com>]

Friends:

I volunteered to help out on this project, so it is sort of hard to sit back
and read all of the posts and not want to add a few tidbits. Just like most
other things in life, I usually agree with the ideas listed in the last post
I read. If you have ever watched a trial in progress, most people,
regardless of preconceptions, have a tendency to say, "Hey, now that made
sense, I have to agree with that." Then, invariably, the opponent presents
the other side and that makes just about as much sense.  Some of the threads
that have developed on this list are having the same impact on me. Heck, I
guess some might say that I am wishy-washy, eh?

As this contest/showcase progresses, it will be interesting to see how many
entries we receive. Does anyone know how many people are on the APD now? I
am sure that, and the rules we develop, will be the biggest impacts on how
many entries we receive. If we have a couple hundred entries (I doubt if it
will begin to reach that mass), and we have a dozen or so volunteers to work
with the entries, I don't think we will have any problems handling it all.
However, if one or two busy people take complete control of what sounds like
a "nice" idea at the moment but falter along the way, we might have a
problem. Hint: let's spread the responsibility around, okay?

Some seem to have a concern that there might be some hocus pocus pulled with
the entries. I would not worry about that so much. Years ago, when I was
entering my share of photo contests, the possibility of altering a 35mm
slide was very remote. Yet, I still had a judges who questioned my
"authenticity". While, that bothered me at first, it wasn't long before I
began to take their doubts as compliments. I mean, if it is good enough to
look fake, it must be pretty darned good. Most of the photos I shot during
those years were of a nature/landscape genre and most of the questions
concerned the possibility that I was taking photos of paintings.  Well okay,
some of them did look almost impossible, but all I had to do was talk to the
doubting judge and it wasn't long before they could tell that I was not
trying to pull something over on them. BTW, the contests I entered had no
monetary rewards - just recognition.

I am aware that with today's Photoshop-type technology, faking something in
a photograph is much easier. However, I would like to think that all of us
would be able to decide its authenticity, or, at least, be able to pickup
that something was not just right. Therefore, when, or if, any "finalist's"
photo looked questionable, I would think that a short conversation with that
person would quickly reveal whether they were legit. I have been
interviewing people for a living for nearly 30 years and believe me, I know
when someone is telling me the truth or not. I may not be able to prove it
beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I do know whether they are being truthful. I
am sure the rest of us have been around long enough to be able to detect if
something is not "just right". If any "judge" has a doubt about a photo's
authenticity, they should be allowed to contact that person and ask a few
questions to assist their decision. I don't see this as being a really big
problem.

I would also like to emphasize that I believe the idea of this
contest/showcase originated when someone (was it you James P?) wondered out
loud about whether an American-style aquarium, as opposed to a Dutch or
Amano style, had evolved over the years.  Although, I think we really do
need to make the contest/showcase international, I sure would like to see us
explore the possibility of whether an "American style" does exist, and, if
so, what it is. Maybe strategic subgroupings in the contest will be able to
bring this out. I think this should be a very important by-product of this
contest/showcase, maybe even its theme.

I mentioned this in an earlier posting to James P., but I am not sure it was
received: I have a scanner that does both 35mm slides and prints. It is a
simple procedure and I would be willing to do as many replications/transfers
as needed.

I look forward to working with the group. I have already learned a lot, and
I am sure this is just the beginning.

Regards,

Ken Guin
Arlington, VA