Photography Contest... help?

[CaptTreasureTroveTi]

Ahoy, fellow mateys!

I submitted some photos to a few photography contests and was wondering if you thought they might be vote-worthy... ^^
There's some skyscapes, seascapes... cosplay... piratey stuff... books. More to come sometime.

• Shadow Pirate (pirate portrait) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819483_54287009&pid=2001494&scid=387
  
• Stack, Snack, Stare (Death Note) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819468_99742224&pid=2001494&scid=387
  
• To The Edge of The Sky (skyscape) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819515_25033340&pid=2001494&scid=392
  
• The Lady Washington (sea/skyscape) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819500_68589634&pid=2001494&scid=392
  
• In the Dark, Light Shines Most Brightly (skyscape) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819509_20383830&pid=2001494&scid=392
  
• Books Are Magic (Harry Potter) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819519_1629685&pid=2001494&scid=388
  
• Milliner Capt (pirate portrait) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819530_24619460&pid=2001494&scid=388
  
• Swash Swash Buckle Buckle (pirate portrait) http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=819537_91420736&pid=2001494&scid=388
  

Oh! And the Lady Washington... was the ship Interceptor in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie! :D

Or you can try my account page to see the photos if that is easier for you: http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/Comps/CompHome.aspx?profilename=CaptTreasureTroveTi

Thanks, mates! ^^

[PyronIkari]

No offense, but these pictures are horrible.

First off the camera you are using is either not very good, or you don't know how to focus very well. For decently high-res shots, the pictures are fuzzy and grainy. I'm guessing you're using a camera-phone or a really old digi-cam?

Your subject matters are boring. The shot of the boat wouldn't be bad if there was a definite subject and it was actually interesting.

The lighting is horrible in pretty much every single shot.

I guess they're decent photos for fun, and to show friends... but if you're entering a contest these are actually laughable.

[JTchinoy]

aside from the lady washington and in the dark, none of those are remotely vote-worthy.

after that, refer to mikey's post.

[Jun-Watarase]

Yeah, I'd... have to agree. Aside for the terrible quality and lighting, the composition is a bit off. One thing a photographer should learn to naturally have, is how to frame their photos... have "and eye for it", know what to take in your photos, and what to leave out. Sometimes it can't be fixed in photoshop. The photos you had either included too much, left something out, or were unbalanced in general. What you have in your photo, can make or break it, at times-- and you actually had some workable set-ups to an extent, but used them in a way that made them end up boring and uninteresting.

Pursuing photography is pretty tough, though, so it just takes some practice and skill. And maybe some money to expand. At your skill level, and personal standards, it may be early to debut your work in an actual contest.

[XpHoBiaX]

No matter what, don't get discouraged. That's worse then the criticism. Art is tough, and it takes a lot of practice, and a lot of work. It's not a walk in the park. Listen, learn, and apply what you have just been told, and never give up.

[Hakaru_chan]

I liked the boat one  ;D keep trying ok?  :)

[Gatsby]

As Phobia and Hakaru said don't give up and keep trying. The portraits look more like they'd go on MySpace than a contest. I did like the sky one, it had an interesting contrast in my opinion, plus I generally like watching the sky and clouds. Though it may sound harsh, Mikey and Jun both gave pretty good advice. I hope what they said doesn't discourage you, but inspires you to try different things.

[CaptTreasureTroveTi]

Sorry it took me a while to respond ... haven't been on the forums much, but I probably will be around here more often with Fanime coming up. XD

Yes, I see... I take it as good advice. Thank you all for the constructive criticism!
I'll keep trying... and I'll try to get some money for a better camera, too. >_<

[kollunz]

Poor lighting in all your photos.  High ISO noise even the ones with flash on.  Your flash is too harsh, so try to put a little paper over your flash unit to soften the light.  Knowing most point-and-shoot digital cameras, your camera should have P mode, so you should always shoot in that mode to have a little more control over your picture quality.  Lower your ISO to as low as possible!
AND!
Get a DSLR and give your point-and-shot to your mother!  I'd recommend a D40 if you don't have much money.