Smithsonian Magazine has just announced the 50 finalists in their 10th Annual Photo Contest. The contest received over 37,600 entries from photographers in 112 countries. They have narrowed that number down to 50...10 in each category. Categories include: The Natural World, People, Travel, Americana and Altered Images.
Cast your votes to select Readers' Choice. Voting is open until March 29th, 2013.
The Milky Way Galaxy Exploding from Mount Rainier
Photo by David Morrow (Everett, Washington). Photographed at Sunrise Point in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, October 6, 2012
Visiting the Bronx Zoo
Photo by Vanessa Bartlett (New York, New York); October 2012, Bronx Zoo, New York City
An Onlooker Witnesses the Annular Solar Eclipse as the Sun Sets on May 20, 2012
Photo by Colleen Pinski (Peyton, CO). Photographed in Albuquerque, NM, May 2012.
Mummy, I Am Down Here, and Hungry!
Photo by Bjorn Olesen (Singapore). Photographed in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, November, 2010.
Breeding Penguins
Photo by Neal Piper (Washington, DC). Photographed at Damoy Point, Antarctica, January 2012.
A Man-Made Ice Geyser
Photo by Nathan Carlsen (Duluth, Minnesota). Photographed in Duluth, Minnesota, January 2012.
A Pair of Bald Eagles Share a Meal
Photo by Don Holland (Dyer, Tennessee). Photographed in Reelfoot Lake State Park, Tennessee, January 2012.
People Harvesting Salt at Sunset
Photo by Hoang Giang Hai (Hanoi, Vietnam). Photographed in the Ninh Hoa District, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, August 2012.
Rice Terraces Close to Harvest Season
Photo by Vo Anh Kiet (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). Photographed in La Pan Tan, Mu Cang Chay, Yen Bai, Viet Nam, September 2012.
Lone Acacia, Sossusvlei Sand Dunes
Photo by Bob Bush (Altadena, CA). Photographed in Namibia, May 2010.
Musicians Arriving at the Bullring
Photo by Raul Amaru Linares (Bogota, Colombia). Photographed in Quito, Ecuador, October 2011.
River Ferry Operating in the Early Morning in Xiao Donjiang, China
Photo by James Khoo (Shah Alam, Malaysia). Photographed in La Pan Tan, Mu Cang Chay, Yen Bai, Viet Nam, August 2010.
Alternating Rice Plots in the Bacson Valley
Photo by Hai Thinh Hoang (Hanoi, Vietnam). Photographed in Bac Son, Lang Son, Vietnam, July 15, 2012.
A Lone Hiker Viewed the Path Before Him as the Milky Way Rose in the Night Sky
Photo by Jason J. Hatfield (Lakewood, CO). Photographed in Bryce Canyon National Park, UT, May 2012.
A Visit to Bagan, Myanmar
Photo by Han Tha (Yangon, Myanmar). Photographed in Bagan, Myanmar, January 2011.
Policemen Run Across the National Congress in Brasília During a Demonstration Against Corruption
Photo by Olivier Boëls (Brasilia, Brazil). Photographed in Brasilia, Brazil, September 2011.
Christine, 20-years-old, with Her First Child a Few Months Old
Photo by Paolo Patruno (Bologna, Italy). Photographed in Mulungwishi, Democratic Republic of Congo, April 2012.
A Day Laborer Works at a Chemical Drum Recycling Plant
Photo by Raihan Parvez (Dhaka, Bangladesh). Photographed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 2012.
Annual Bucking Horse Sale in Miles City, Montana
Photo by George Burgin (Billings, Montana). Photographed in Miles City, Montana, May 2012
Apple Guy on Location in the Desert
Photo by Ron Henderson (Dallas, Texas). Photographed in the Dumont Dunes, California, May
Blues in the Streets of Chicago
Photo by Javier Arcenillas (Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain); Photographed in Chicago, Illinois, October 2010.
Chasing Shadows
Photo by Violet Kashi (Giv'atayim, Israel). Photographed in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 2011.
Images used with permission.
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Men, all those are very cool
It appears that post-processing was permitted.
Too bad.
If you aren't doing the post processing, your camera is to create e .jpg.. It's an absolute and part of digital photography.
YAY, someone understands:) Post processing haters never seem to know about digital photography.
Have you ever taken a RAW photo and had it look good with no post processing? Interesting thought...
Amen.. I'd like to see them convert a RAW to a jpeg to print without pp..
If you're referring to compositing images, I would agree, on at least the "Chasing Shadows" one.... but DANG, they are all great images!
Can't just let people enjoy a nice image, huh?
yeah.. people are just so uptight.. if you don't like it, skip it..
Generally, and I would have thought anything "Smithsonian" would have been among the "no post processing" that the major photo contests going require. Too bad, but some nice pictures though.
Why do you think post-processing is a bad thing? It is still from the creative mind of the photographer and can make a world of difference when making beautiful photographs. As a photographer, I want to create images that are as beautiful as possible. Isn't that the goal?
post- needs to be looked at as the new process for development. Besides being much easier it's no different from old school dodge/burn and air brushing techniques of the yonder days.
Wow these are some truly amazing photos!
some people go overboard on the post processing. theres a fine line between post processing and editing/altering the image beyond the original view
IAM_THE_KGB I think you just don't get it. RAW files require post processing - JPG files are processed by the camera to a standard that the camera manufacturer has specified. When you talk about other major photo contest rules, that generally pertains to cloning or in some way altering the overall components of a photo. The white balance, saturation, sharping, and contrast that is required to process a RAW file is not contrary to their rules. Photography is an art form and every artist sees a scene differently.
You are absolutely right. Although I think IAM_THE_KGB is referring to the editing of content or components, as you said. It appears that in that last photo, that city doodle is drawn on top of the finished image. Personally, I think even a little content editing is acceptable, so long as it doesn't embellish or betray the reality of the moment. Things like getting rid of trash, or moving small elements to make a cleaner composition are ok in my book--for most applications at least. The distortion of optics, the angle of the lens, the flattened representation of a three-dimensional scene, and the camera's interpretation of colors and tones all change the photograph. Maybe the photographer is more interested in recreating a feeling than a literal interpretation, maybe they just want to make the most compelling image possible. Unless the photographer is blatantly falsifying content and presenting it as truth, then I think they should be free to execute their vision as they see fit.
Do you think Ansel Adams didn't do "post process"? If you've ever worked in a darkroom you know that is where the continuation of the ART process continues. It's more than seeing, or composing a great photo. Much more.
Post processing haters, hate because they can't edit. So
they sit there and complain about those who can. It’s just something else,
someone else is better than them at. The shots a great to begin with and i bet
before the pp these photos are better than anything they can produce. And for
the old film guys who hate on post processing stop saying we are taking away
from photography. Photos have never looked better. Working with film you
manipulate photos as well. Nothing you’ve produced is any less processed.
haha you got it man! Glad you enjoy the photos & see photography for what it has become. Art:) Cheers
less creative maybe but not any less processed