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 Reports from the Competition:
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Today our finalists handed in their final assignments. After a short
session of discussion about the competition and their expectations
there of, we sent them off so our laborious deliberations began. The
whole Pop Photo editorial staff present, no decision was easy. As a
whole, the images taken for the competition far exceeded any
expectation we held at the beginning. Each assignment was judged on its
style, technical quality, and most of all, its strict adherence to the
assignment given. There were many close votes and loud outspoken
defenses, but finally, the winner of Popular Photography's 2005
Photographer of the Year competition is...Michael Soo of Cupertino,
California.
See our October 2005 issue for full details on the winner and his final images.
Related Links:
Win an official Photographer of the Year T-shirt!
Discuss Photographer of the Year Live!
Photographer of the Year 2005: Voting Results
Photographer of the Year 2005 Contest
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Here are more shots of the three finalists hard at work on their assignments.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
This morning our photographers dragged themselves through the door,
assignments in hand, with not one energized face among the bunch. After
two long, grueling days of photographic competition, our finalists are
starting to acknowledge the weighted strain of their camera bags.
But the images they submitted from yesterday's assignments are truly
amazing. The watermelon shots demonstrate their creativity and
photographic talent. And the portraits range from the sublime to the
outrageous. Their works doesn't reveal how tough this shoot-out has
been. While the photographers are dragging, their work is sparkling.
And today, Day 3, will be the most exciting day of all. It's all about location:
Assignment Four: “Diary of…”
Each photographer reaches into the Pop Photo hat, and pulls out a
location to document and depict. Michael Soo received the Belmont Park
horse-racing track, Mike Peters got Coney Island , and Andrei Jackamets
pulled the Broadway hit, “Wicked, The Musical.” They will each have
behind-the-scenes access to each of their venues, and are expected to
capture 12 outstanding documentary-style photographs.
The photographers departed with still-tired eyes but a new found
motivation. Whether this inspiration is a product of anticipation of a
great and exciting assignment, or the anticipation of the end, we still
cannot tell. All that is certain is that we can count on spectacular
images!
Related Links:
Win an official Photographer of the Year T-shirt!
Discuss Photographer of the Year Live!
Photographer of the Year 2005: Voting Results
Photographer of the Year 2005 Contest
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Here are a few supplementary images from the days events to keep you up to speed.
Selected images from Assignment #2: "The Watermelon", and Assignment #3: "Make a Portrait" by Michael Soo
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Selected images from Assignment #2: "The Watermelon", and Assignment #3: "Make a Portrait" by Mike Peters
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Selected images from Assignment #2: "The Watermelon", and Assignment #3: "Make a Portrait" by Andrei Jackamets
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Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Submissions came in at 8:30 this morning. It was at that precise
moment when the judges realized that this was going to be a far closer
photographic battle than we had ever imagined. With their first 8
images under their shutter fingers, our Finalists were now ready for
anything we could dish out (or so they thought). This morning we had
not one assignment, but two:
Assignment Two: “The Watermelon”
This assignment is simple. The competitors are given a watermelon.
They are told “Impress us with an image.” They are allowed to submit up
to three images, so they have three shots to achieve this goal.
Assignment Three: “Make a Portrait”
Each photographer is randomly assigned a two-hour working window in
the day to create the most amazing portrait we have ever seen. For
those two hours, he will have full access to the Pop Photo Lab and
Studio and all of the equipment they contain. A professional model is
provided, but they have to conjure up the rest. This assignment also
has a three-picture limit.
Today's images are due no later than 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Each photographer will surely approach today's challenges with his
own style and flair, but from outside our studio doors their anxious
mutterings all sound the same.
Related Links:
Win an official Photographer of the Year T-shirt!
Discuss Photographer of the Year Live!
Photographer of the Year 2005: Voting Results
Photographer of the Year 2005 Contest
Monday, July 11, 2005
Here are a few supplementary images from the days events to keep you up to speed.
Selected images from Assignment #1
"Eating In Times Square" by Andrei Jackamets
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50-live_files/
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Selected images from Assignment #1
"Eating In Chinatown" by Mike Peters
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Selected images from Assignment #1
"Eating In Wall Street" by Michael Soo
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Monday, July 11, 2005
Bright and early in the Pop Photo offices, the finalists were “handed” their first of four exciting assignments:
Assignment One: “Eating In…”
Each of the three photographers pulls one of three locations (in
Manhattan) out of a hat and is required to shoot an eight-image
travel-magazine-style photo article. Mike Peters pulled Chinatown,
Michael Soo got Wall St., and Andrei Jackamets received the Times
Square location. Each competitor must shoot within a predetermined
boundary and must be able to prove to the judges' satisfaction that
their pictures came from their individual area.
The photographers have one day to complete the assignment, and the
resulting images must be handed in at 8:30 Tuesday morning. They left
our offices soon after, (trailed by a Pop Photo staff member charged
with the documentation of their photographic struggle and success)
minds racing with ideas and possible strategies. Now we can only wait
to see how they fare on their first day of shooting for $5000 and the
title of 2005 Photographer of the Year.
Andrei Jackamets |
Andrei Jackamets
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Michael Soo
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Michael Soo
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Mike Peters |
Mike Peters |
Sunday, July 10, 2005
The 2005 Photographer of the Year Competition began at a small table in one of New York City's finest restaurants Serafina.
Around that table the finalists: Mike Peters (Verona, New Jersey),
Michael Soo (Cupertino, California), and Andrei Jakamets (Howell, New
Jersey) met for the first time. Editor-in-Chief John Owens and few
other representatives from the Popular Photography staff explained the
contest rules and distributed $625 to each of competitors for
day-to-day expenses. Each contestant subtly, or not-so-subtly tried to
sneak small hints or previews from the staff of the assignments to
come, however we remained tight-lipped steadfast. After dinner and
drinks we all retired to our beds to prepare for what will prove to be
an exciting and adventuresome week of images.
Related Links:
Win an official Photographer of the Year T-shirt!
Discuss Photographer of the Year Live!
Photographer of the Year 2005: Voting Results
Photographer of the Year 2005 Contest
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