In March, Chuck Veatch, chairman of the Board of Nature's Best Photography magazine and competition judge, led some members of our club on a tour of the Smithsonian exhibit of the winners of the Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition. This annual competition, sponsored by Nature's Best Photography (NBP) magazine, draws thousands of entries in 17 categories. But, alas, there can be only one winner. So, of the 22,000 entries submitted last year, how did the judges pick who would win?

That question was on my mind as I was not able to go on the tour. I thought others might be interested in the answer so I asked Tuan to arrange for me to interview Chuck. Little did I know that a phone call would result in, "I can do the interview now if you have the time." Throwing my lunch to the side and grabbing a notebook, I began the interview. My notes were almost illegible, but I came away with a great understanding of what makes a photo a winner for this competition. What follows are the highlights of our conversation.

Over the years, NBP has seen an increase in the number of entries. Unfortunately, that increase in quantity has not meant an increase in quality. With so many entries, the judges are looking for the photograph that not only is technically correct but also has that unique quality that makes it stand out from the masses. They are looking for art, not merely a snapshot. The best photographs are those that tell a story. In short, the viewer should be able to look at the photograph and know what the photographer is trying to say. 

Chuck emphasized that visual design is very important. Good visual design happens when you slow down and compose well. You must be in the right place at the right time. Ask yourself if the colors are complementary. Do you have a good background that is free of distractions? Keep in mind that if an element doesn't add to the image, it subtracts from the image. The best photographs are those that are simple. Does everything in the image say something about the subject and the story? Try to look beyond the subject and think about line, shape, tone, texture, color and perspective. Compose the image in camera with all of these factors in mind. Do not have the attitude that you can snap away and fix the image in software later. Bottom line -capture the image you want the first time. Yes, there are exceptions to all of these factors but the key is in recognizing those situations when it is best to quickly get the image without consciously considering all of those factors.

Exceptions to composition and to taking a gazillion images to get that one jewel did occur with the winning images. To illustrate, I asked about two images, and Chuck explained why they passed the test. The first was an image of a lion taking down a zebra. In the corner was a distracting clump of leaves. Chuck explained that cropping out the leaves would also involve cropping out the tail and flank of the lion. This was a case when composition had to suffer a bit because of the immediacy of getting the shot. Aside from this technicality, all other aspects of the image were superb. The second image was of a puffin with smelt in its beak. The photographer had taken over 2,000 images to get this winner. In this case, with puffins being fast and hard to capture, the photographer didn't have much choice but to snap away. However, he had planned where to set up in order to get this shot, i.e. the right place at the right time. Moreover his technical skills were on point. The image is sharp down to the eyes of the smelt and set against a perfectly neutral background. 

The world of digital cameras is a lot more approachable than in years past. That said, a lot of people feel that they can rely on luck or on taking a gazillion images with the hope that one will be a winner. It is a false hope. Rather, as Chuck says, "luck is knowledge meeting opportunity." Know the technology of your camera well so that when the opportunity arises you are ready to go. Moreover, don't rely on software to compensate after-the-fact. When the images have reached the final round of judging, NBP requests high resolution files and your RAW file, if available. Any cloning or masking won't make for a good reprint in the magazine, so, it is best if you try to "do it right the first time."

Finally, with 22,000 entries, one has to wonder, do the judges really look at all of those images? Amazingly, they do. The first round of review is done by NBP staff who weed for obvious errors, such as focus and background issues. At this point it is not one person looking at each and every entry. However, there is one person who does review each and every entry including those in the rejected pile. Steve Freligh, NBP Editor, takes the time to look at each and every photo with the sentiment that if someone took the time to send it he should take the time to review it. It is possible that a jewel was overlooked.

So with all of this in mind, the question is, are you ready to be a Nature's Best Photography winner? 

Lesliediana Jones

For more information on Natures Best, see http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/