Slobodan, I think in some cases, maybe many (specially new comers), you are right. But I don't think photography is really a sport...
... I think surely there can be a better image. But what is being measured? Who is measuring it? And out of hundreds of images or thousands, there is no doubt in my mind that there are at least 10 that are just as nice as the other. What is the next level of criteria that makes the selected winner? Is it the marketability of the persons name (I have yet to see a PDN winner with a strange name, I'm not saying they filter it, but I haven't). Is it their location, the themes image they want to use for a cover or promo, or even commercial use? Maybe all these, and if so, isn't it more of a chances game, not really a measure of competing?
Phil,
My reference to competing was not meant just for sports. Humans (and animals) constantly compete: for mating partners, food, territory, survival. Humans also compete for prestige, power, influence, achievement, etc., in many other areas, not just sport: business, academia, science, arts. Certain animosities and aggressive competitiveness among famous artists, scientist, professors, etc. are well documented.
As for how (and by whom) it is measured in photography, the answer is rather simple: with a great dose of subjectivity. And yes, that also means a bigger role of chance that we are ready to admit. Such is life in general. Or, to resort to a sport metaphor again, there are sports with rather objective measurements: speed races for instance, or games with score. However, there are sports where judges' subjectivity plays a significant role: figure skating, gymnastics, synchronized swimming, etc.
As for criteria, you are right, they can vary from marketability to political correctness, with which I have a personal experience (with apologies to older members for reposting the anecdote):
Three years ago, I got an email congratulating me on being shortlisted in the top 10 in the contest for the cover of the Rangefinder magazine. One of the 10 would end up on the cover, but the rest would still be published inside. A day or two later, I got an email retracting the previous one. Not on technical or clerical grounds, but on the grounds of one of the most unbelievable political correctness and affirmative action examples i personally experienced: the organizers complained that there was not a single women photographer among the top ten! Never mind that the jurying was blind (i.e., no name or gender was known to the judges). Never mind that some female contestants protested they feel insulted and patronized that they are not going to win on the strength of their photography, but on their gender. They decided, post-factum, after already announcing the results, to go for a little affirmative action, reshuffled the cards and came back with something like 5/5 or 6/4 ratio. Needless to say, I was among the four or five booted out. This was the photo in question, btw (the theme was "exceptional light" or similar):
The L Train by
Slobodan Blagojevic, on Flickr
