Brianne Macrunnel's 1st Place Vibe Photo
Photo (c) 2011 Brianne Macrunnel.
Each year at the annual Teva Mountain Games we conduct a photography contest, the Mountain Click Photo Comp. Competitors have four days to shoot their way around the event and then a couple weeks to edit and submit photos in three categories: Performance, Vibe and Mountain Magic.
My history with the Photo Comp goes back to when the Vail Valley Foundation acquired the Teva Mountain Games in 2009. In all honesty we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We do countless athletic or cultural events but had never done something like a photo comp. In year one we quickly realized we had made a mistake. Our judges (many VVF staffers, myself included, and a handful of paid photographers) were not ALL professional photographers. Let it be known that it was the first, last, and only time I will ever judge a photo comp. On paper it sounded fantastic. In actuality I quickly realized that I was not qualified to judge such amazing work. Others the first year were better suited for the task but when the field of judges is not entirely comprised of photographers it leaves room for error. We learned our lesson, caught some flack and worked hard in 2010 to make it better.
2010 marked the first year of real "qualified" judges and a new official judging process. Enter 2011 and photographers like Jack Affleck, Rick Lohre and Connor Walberg. All full time professional photographers we have worked with at the Vail Valley Foundation in various capacities. Their collective professionalism, experience and exceptional skills makes them sought after as both photographers and also personalities. They did a great job and we can not thank them enough for their time and expertise. Like I said... I've been a judge. It's hard.
Back to the Photo Comp...
I still have the pleasure of pulling down all the submissions and then sorting them and tallying them for judging. While the process itself is not all that glamorous, it does give me a chance to relive some of the event from perspectives unknown to me. Each individual photographer brings a unique perspective to the table via their individual perceptions of the event and own personal creativity. Cool stuff. Over the years I've seen some of our competitors return, many of which have very unique styles. Often I can look at their photos and before I check the name on the credit I know who submitted it. Style is obviously subjective, however, with something like the Mountain Click Photo Comp it's refreshing and amazing to witness.
What intrigues me more when I look at these photos are the stories that likely go untold from both behind and in front of the lens. What made the photographer chose this specific photo? What photos did not make the cut? What was that guy thinking when the image was captured? Did he even know he was being shot for a contest? Will he ever even see it? Or my favorite, and one I ask myself often... where in the world did that come from? Being a long time local and someone that has worked this event for many years I always feel like I know all the best places for photos or viewing. Truth be told that after looking at the photo comp entries I always find one or two more angles I never thought about or realized were potential vantage points. Thank you competitors!
Look for our winning clicks from each category in the October issue of Outside Magazine. You can also check out winning photos here or the entire crop of submissions below.
2011 MOUNTAIN CLICK SUBMISSIONS:
- Paul
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