6  BEST MASSKARA FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Lately, I was invited to judge in the 2015 Masskara Festival Photography contest (6 BEST MASSKARA FESTIVAL 2015 PHOTOGRAPHS) sponsored by the Bacolod Kasadya Foundation and The Camera Club of Bacolod City.

I was stunned seeing the number of entries from the various photo enthusiasts who visited Bacolod City last Masskara Festival. It took us a while to choose the winners because all the entries were excellent. We judged on the two categories set by the Bacolod Kasadya Foundation and The Camera Club of Bacolod City: The Street and  Arena Dance Competition and on the side events of the Masskara.

I was happy because we, the judges came to a solid decision when picking out our winners. To make the contest more fun, no members of the camera Club of Bacolod joined the competition. So congratulations to all the winners!

Note: Masskara Festival is a world-renowned festival held every October in Bacolod City, Philippines. The word “Masskara” is a portmanteau, coined by the late artist Ely Santiago from mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word cara (face), thus forming MassKara (a multitude of faces). The word is also a pun on mascara, Filipino for “mask” (itself from Spanish máscara) since a prominent feature of the festival is the masks are worn by participants, which are always adorned with smiling faces.

6 BEST MASSKARA FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS

WINNERS FOR THE STREET AND ARENA DANCE COMPETITION PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

2nd Place: a photograph by Ariel Aying Salupan ,Cebu City

3rd Place: a photograph by  Michol Sanchez, Cebu City

WINNERS FOR MASSKARA SIDE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Second Place: a photograph by Roi Anwar Abarintos, Cebu City

Third Place: a photograph by Jaime Singlador ,Antipolo City

Below are my criteria when selecting the winners:

1) Originality which for me includes the  Style,  Context

Photographic vision,  Empathy

2) Technical Excellence, which provides for proper exposure, shutter speed, white balance and depth of field,

Color and tonal rendition, Contrast, and Lighting.

3) A composition which includes  balance, and the placement  of the subject that conveys the right Information, Emotion, Mood, Feeling, symbolism, metaphor, The moment, Relevance

4) Artistic Merit which includes the Framing and choice of viewpoint, Background

Design elements and principles, Appropriate application of photographic and manipulative techniques, Visual impact

5) Overall Impact for me includes the reaction I get when I saw the photographs such as   Visual, Aesthetic, Intellectual,  Emotional, etc.