*UPDATE* First Contest Finalists Up

[RafaPolit]

wow canonrumors guy must be blind or just really was overwhelmed with this contest cause let me say the concert stuff i put up is way better then the ones he picked

I must echo what others have already noted:  it was perfectly clear that the first 'narrowing down' process is absolutely at the discretion of CanonRumors.  The images need to appeal to HIS aesthetic and/or content taste, nothing more.  We all entered the contest knowing that and I personally believe that all the picks are incredible pictures in their own accord!  I won't debate if they would have been my exact pick as I was not able to browse through all the pictures, but I can honestly say that all the images so far selected are top notch images, each one worthy of being praised.

In regards of personal taste, I believe a bit more modesty is also a better approach to discussing such things.  For what is worth, I have looked at your 'event' entries and I disagree with you appraisal that your own images are better than the ones picked.  All the picked images appeal more to my own personal likings than the ones you posted.  But those are only personal opinions!  You are certainly entitled to think differently, but claiming that the contest is a joke because YOU don't agree with picks is the actual joke! Sorry but you were completely out of line, IMHO.

Rafa.

[Blaze]

The differences in opinion here are interesting. Personally, I find almost all of the astro and underwater top 10 to be excellent, however only one or two of the event and creative lighting finalists are very captivating to me (some of the event photography selections were outright bad images IMO).

I don't have a horse in the race and I also think there were some amazing concert images that were overlooked (heck, probably not in my top 10, but even whiny mister "real memories" U2 IN MIAMI submission was better than half of the posted top 10 finalists, not that that's saying much). Canon Rumors Guy seems to have a strange weakness for monochrome or overprocessed images.

[Orangutan]

Canon Rumors Guy seems to have a strange weakness for monochrome or overprocessed images.

At least for the events, his "weakness" (or preference) seems to be for images that make you feel like you're right there in it.  There were certainly more beautiful images, or others that I'd have selected, but it's his contest, and it's a legitimate aesthetic.

O

[Mooose]

Rules:
Images must be 700px wide on their longest axis. Larger and smaller are not permitted.

The 1st underwater finalist was originally posted as 1800px by 1200px.

[BBQ]

Hey CR if I read correctly I thought you said that each image had to be 700px on long side, check photo 2 astro photography and a few more in the last group you just put up !!

Just trying to keep it fair ....

Rules:
Images must be 700px wide on their longest axis. Larger and smaller are not permitted.

[obyphotography]

Thank you for chose my photo as a top 10 finalist. I'm really really glad my work has been valued.
Only sorry for my english

[Canon Rumors]

I'll try to cover the points made above.

The 700px thing became unenforceable pretty quickly. The next photo contest, I will have a better image uploader that will resize automatically for users.

Selections in the event photography section. I realized my choices would be polarizing. I have a very specific taste in wedding photography, and it's probably a fault of mine. I should have also separated wedding, concert & other into their own categories. It was a tough category.

The next photo contest I do, I will have another 2 people involved and we'll vote. I'm sure all of our tastes will be different.

I have learned a lot in this contest, and I have a better grasp on how to do the next one better. It really is harder than it looks.

The readers of Canon Rumors will be selecting the best image in each category and then I have a panel of people that will select the winner and runners-up.


Thanks everyone.

[LetTheRightLensIn]

great stuff in the astro finalists section!

[phixional ninja]

First of all, congratulations to those photographers who have been selected thus far.

Second of all, and of equal importance, thank you so much to the CanonRumors guy for putting on this contest, and taking the absurd amount of time necessary to dig through the mountain of entries.  That's just nuts.

I look forward to seeing the finalists from the other categories (fingers crossed that I'll be one of them!)

[T3Heavyshop]

It has to be about the images, it can't be about who took them. I just picked the 10 I felt were the best. I checked names afterwards. There were a few images that it was obvious it was the same person.

I've started with the 4 least populated categories, and 3 of them are pretty specialized. I doubt we're going to see people getting multiple selections in something like Landscape, B&W or People.

It's one of those things that could be argued either way.

I'm not a fan of multiple entries per category.  If the photographer can't decide what his/her best picture is, I see no reason for us to.  Pick one and have faith in it.

On a side note.  Thanks to Canon Rumors for putting this on.  Results aside, I've really enjoyed looking at the entries.

[Mooose]

"The 700px thing became unenforceable pretty quickly."

Seems trivial to enforce: just don't pick any entry who didn't follow the rules.

[Canon Rumors]

I'm not a fan of multiple entries per category.  If the photographer can't decide what his/her best picture is, I see no reason for us to.  Pick one and have faith in it.

On a side note.  Thanks to Canon Rumors for putting this on.  Results aside, I've really enjoyed looking at the entries.

If I didn't allow multiple entries per category, then a few things would have happened.

1) People would sign up multiple accounts

2) People would put a photo up, change their mind and swap it out. So photos would be changing all the time.

This wasn't intended to a pulitzer type of contest, it was more for fun and for people to show their favourite images. It was also a learning experience for me.

[Canon Rumors]

"The 700px thing became unenforceable pretty quickly."

Seems trivial to enforce: just don't pick any entry who didn't follow the rules.

Well, it's for fun. I think the rule stopped me from getting 21mp full sized jpgs uploaded. Bending this rule didn't give anyone an unfair advantage in judging or showcasing their work.

I will auto resize in the future.

[triggermike]

There's nothing wrong with the rules and the finalists thus far have been outstanding!!!!!

Waso - hats off to you! Many fine, outstanding images. (That's what it's all about, isn't it?)

[RafaPolit]

The readers of Canon Rumors will be selecting the best image in each category and then I have a panel of people that will select the winner and runners-up.

CR, many thanks once more for all the time and effort into this contest.  If I may be allowed a plea: please, please, please don't do the 'readers will be voting thing'.  It becomes a popularity contest into which the person able to muster the more friends and family to come in and vote wins... It takes away all of the 'quality' out of the picture!  I much prefer a single objective person, whichever their tastes, to pick the winners rather than have the most popular guy win by a majority that will pick the wrong picture.

That is only my opinion of course, but I have had such experiences on many other type of contests before.  Thanks again,

Rafa.