Straight from the Judge’s cab!
Another great IRWIPI!
Dudes, when it comes to photography, Stovebolters rock! We had 53 submissions this year and the 2008 IRWIPI calendar is gonna kick butt.
Submissions ran the gamut of the usual IRWIPI categories. The “Abandonment Aesthetica,” “Farm Still Life” and “Flora-Trucka” categories rocked this year, accounting for six of the top eight submissions. One submission pretty much defied categorization... but we'll get to that! I was a little disappointed that we didn't get any submissions in my favorite category this year -- "Truck on a Stick." Oh well, maybe next year...
Adding pressure to my job was our completely awesome prize list! Our IRWIPI sponsors keep raising the bar every year by giving us some really cool stuff to give out as prizes. You know, our first year (1999) our "prizes" were some cheesy,I I mean totally rad Certificates, suitable for framing, straight from our printer on fancy paper. Wow, things have changed (no more certificates  but some awesome prizes) -- Thanks guys!!
Remember our categories? Here are the basic IRWIPI categories:
- “Elemental Reversion”
- “Abandonment Aesthetica”
- “Flora-Trucka”
- “Farm Still Life”
- “Truck on a Stick”
- “Cold Storage”
- "Parts is Parts"
- "Junk Yard Dogs"
For complete descriptions, please refer to the 2005 contest page (it's been updated).
So, here are our finalists (in alphabetical order):
Now, let's go see how they did. |
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The Inside Dope on IRWIPI
Just what does it take to catch the judge’s eye and become a finalist or even a winner in IRWIPI? Easy!! … Bribery. Cold cash or cold beer always helps.
But, if you want to take the high road (as everyone always seems to do), here are some tips for doing well in IRWIPI competition:
- Know your camera Sounds silly, but know your tools -- make sure you know how to use the flash (or how to turn it off...), focus, macro/micro focus and all the other features of your camera. Don't ruin a good shot simply because you aren't familiar enough with your camera. These little digital point and shoots have some really great features to help you take great pictures -- learn 'em! Use 'em! Win great prizes!
- Demonstrate some artistic merit Anybody can just point the camera and shoot, but only Joe Rosenthal has ever won a Pulitzer for it... Your best bet for winning IRWIP is to put a little thought into the shot. Simply put, the better the photo, the better the chances of winning. Simple things like composition (Rule of Thirds, Golden Mean, etc.), focus, good use of depth of field, lighting perspective, juxtaposition and other photography skills (including cropping) are always a plus. Is it a good, engaging photo? If so, it'll probably make the first cut.
- Remember the IRWIPI theme Remember why we started this contest – anyone can take pictures of old trucks. We wanted to explore the visuals of “the big lie,” the ad in the local paper that claimed big things but delivered a rusting pile of scrap metal. You’ve seen ‘em:
- “Drive it anywhere” – yeah right! Maybe on the back of a rollback!
- “Just needs some TLC” – If your definition of “TLC” is a complete ground-up restoration!
- “Just surface rust” -- Every surface is rusted all the way through, including the frame!
- “Easy restoration” -- Sure! If you have a battalion of bodymen, as well as $5 million.
- Avoid the easy path get the judge’s attention by doing something different! Although tempting, taking pictures in your driveway or in junk yards just doesn’t elevate you to the winners' circle. Sure, there are some great shots to be had in old junkyards. And some past winners have even come from this genre. But you can do better than that! If you want to win the cool prizes, ya gotta work for 'em!
- The Bottom Line – Once again, this year’s winners found the unusual, in a dramatic setting (or made one through creative composition), to illustrate the Big Lie.
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