What do you think of the Photo5 competition finalists?

[neilcreek]

The Photo5 finalists have been announced:
http://neil.creek.name/blog/2008/11/03/photo5-finalists-announced/

What do you think of the 50 photos the judges selected as finalists?

I have my opinions, but I'll wait to hear from a few of you before I discuss them.

[Chrissy]

Interesting selection of finalists. I liked more of the photos in the Amateur section than what was selected as finalists in the Professional group.

I have to say it has boggled me as to what the judges saw in some of them ... I'm sure there would have been many more photos submitted which were more interesting and with more creative compositions than most of the finalists chosen.

I really loved your angel submission and also your candle one 'the dark side' and it's a shame you didn't make the cut. There is always next year though.  I wasn't able to get my entries in this time round so look forward to the next one to enter into myself.

[neilcreek]

I've written up my thoughts on the competition in a blog post that you can read here: http://neil.creek.name/blog/2008/11/12/photo5-results-recognition-and-reflections/

Canon themselves have actually linked to that post, criticism and all, from their photo5 blog! Very encouraging

[UniKoRn]

I felt that a lot of the finalists ideas were kind of bland.

And what's to stop Professionals posing as Amateurs?  (Even though the odds in the Pro section were better)

[neilcreek]

I think the main thing stopping them would be if they are listed as finalists (or maybe only once they got to the winner stage) Canon would ask for evidence of the photographer's professional status. This would perhaps be to show invoices or bank balances proving $20,000 was made from photography.

I get the feeling that this particular rule may be resonsidered next year.