The Eclipse for photography

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Oh c'mon...

I'm sorry but I hate this.

Am I the only one?

All those great finishes and lovely stories... champions... and they choose this???

http://drf.com/news/article/109997.html

The horse and jockey look like models from a Breyer Horse set.

[DerbyCat]

From a photographic standpoint, it's cool to be able to capture that kind of action... but why does the selection committee like photos of jockeys falling (wasn't last years a photo of Julien Leparoux almost falling off a horse?) or horses doing something unglamorous (wasn't the winner a few years ago of a horse jumping in the air with all four legs off the ground?). Can anyone post an Eclipse Award winning photo that really captures the thrill and excitement of this sport?

[Merlinsky]

I'm more steamed about the Joe Drape award. He said something about it not being his job to promote horse racing. Nobody said it had to come out in favor of anything, he simply needs to do the most thorough research possible and I do believe that is his job.

As far as photography, just catch a jockey or a horse in midair in an unusual position and they could just mail you the award right then and there. It's the same every year isn't it? Sure seems like it unless I just block out the ones that aren't that way.

[chucklestheclown]

Where is Vic on this? And I thought only nominees were already out and the awards next week.

[docicu3]

Does anyone have the other nominated photos for this?

[PatCummings]

The measuring stick for Eclipse media awards is a complete farce.

This year's photo was a VERY good shot. The typical shot of a horse with rider or two simply isn't that engaging - they are taken every day with very little variety, big race or not. A photographer really needs to have their proverbial ducks in a row to get a shot like the one that won this year, same for the Leparoux incident a few years back.

I still think my favorite Eclipse pic was of Stephen's Angel acting up on the Preakness undercard when she hovered above the track, off all four legs. Cindy Dulay took that shot spur of the moment. http://horseracing.about.com/od/late.../aa010304a.htm

There was one several years back of an incredible close-up of a horse head mid-race with dirt flying. That picture took incredible skill, and of course, some luck.

Consider that last year's picture was a MESS. Dettori dismount from Donativum, with the name of the race incorrectly spelled in the background, and practically the SAME picture having won an Eclipse a decade before. Now THAT was a travesty. The act of the dismount was completely expected, everyone took it, everyone knew it was coming, was completely UNSPONTANEOUS, and how you could judge that particular shot as better than any of the 50 other photogs who took is beyond me. Oh yeah, and the whole "we've done this before" thing wasn't considered, cause the committee probably never knew it.

The unusual almost HAS to reign in the photography category.

As for Drape's jury selecting his piece, according to the release from Bloodhorse, the panel of judges for the "Features/Enterprise Writing category was comprised of Rob Longley of the Toronto Star, Fred Klein, former columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and Neil Milbert, former horse racing writer for the Chicago Tribune."

But after all, considering some of the people who have Eclipse ballots, and their general inability to even comprehend past performances, is ANY of this surprising?

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

The measuring stick for Eclipse media awards is a complete farce.

This year's photo was a VERY good shot. The typical shot of a horse with rider or two simply isn't that engaging - they are taken every day with very little variety, big race or not. A photographer really needs to have their proverbial ducks in a row to get a shot like the one that won this year, same for the Leparoux incident a few years back.

I still think my favorite Eclipse pic was of Stephen's Angel acting up on the Preakness undercard when she hovered above the track, off all four legs. Cindy Dulay took that shot spur of the moment. http://horseracing.about.com/od/late.../aa010304a.htm

There was one several years back of an incredible close-up of a horse head mid-race with dirt flying. That picture took incredible skill, and of course, some luck.

Consider that last year's picture was a MESS. Dettori dismount from Donativum, with the name of the race incorrectly spelled in the background, and practically the SAME picture having won an Eclipse a decade before. Now THAT was a travesty. The act of the dismount was completely expected, everyone took it, everyone knew it was coming, was completely UNSPONTANEOUS, and how you could judge that particular shot as better than any of the 50 other photogs who took is beyond me. Oh yeah, and the whole "we've done this before" thing wasn't considered, cause the committee probably never knew it.

The unusual almost HAS to reign in the photography category.

As for Drape's jury selecting his piece, according to the release from Bloodhorse, the panel of judges for the "Features/Enterprise Writing category was comprised of Rob Longley of the Toronto Star, Fred Klein, former columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and Neil Milbert, former horse racing writer for the Chicago Tribune."

But after all, considering some of the people who have Eclipse ballots, and their general inability to even comprehend past performances, is ANY of this surprising?

OK, that is it. Milbert may know something about racing, but the Tribune only let him rewrite what the AP posted on Yahoo.

[gamblin4ever]

QUOTE=PatCummings]The measuring stick for Eclipse media awards is a complete farce.

This year's photo was a VERY good shot. The typical shot of a horse with rider or two simply isn't that engaging - they are taken every day with very little variety, big race or not. A photographer really needs to have their proverbial ducks in a row to get a shot like the one that won this year, same for the Leparoux incident a few years back.

I still think my favorite Eclipse pic was of Stephen's Angel acting up on the Preakness undercard when she hovered above the track, off all four legs. Cindy Dulay took that shot spur of the moment. http://horseracing.about.com/od/late.../aa010304a.htm

There was one several years back of an incredible close-up of a horse head mid-race with dirt flying. That picture took incredible skill, and of course, some luck.

Consider that last year's picture was a MESS. Dettori dismount from Donativum, with the name of the race incorrectly spelled in the background, and practically the SAME picture having won an Eclipse a decade before. Now THAT was a travesty. The act of the dismount was completely expected, everyone took it, everyone knew it was coming, was completely UNSPONTANEOUS, and how you could judge that particular shot as better than any of the 50 other photogs who took is beyond me. Oh yeah, and the whole "we've done this before" thing wasn't considered, cause the committee probably never knew it.

The unusual almost HAS to reign in the photography category.

As for Drape's jury selecting his piece, according to the release from Bloodhorse, the panel of judges for the "Features/Enterprise Writing category was comprised of Rob Longley of the Toronto Star, Fred Klein, former columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and Neil Milbert, former horse racing writer for the Chicago Tribune."

But after all, considering some of the people who have Eclipse ballots, and their general inability to even comprehend past performances, is ANY of this surprising?[/quote]


I agree with you on the picture, it takes a keen eye and quick reflex to get a picture like this one. The pic itself represents something bad, but not many photographers are ready for a shot when this happens. He deserves the award IMO.

[saratoga guy]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

Consider that last year's picture was a MESS. Dettori dismount from Donativum, with the name of the race incorrectly spelled in the background, and practically the SAME picture having won an Eclipse a decade before.

Pop on over to www.equidaily.com [frontpage] for a comparison of this year's winner and the winner of -- not a decade ago, but -- just two years back...

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

The typical shot of a horse with rider or two simply isn't that engaging - they are taken every day with very little variety, big race or not. surprising?

I respectfully disagree and would argue that that's precisely what separates a good photographer from a great one. It's like the photos with gimmicks have some unfair advantage.

... and again I have to disagree... I hated that shot of Stephen's Angel. It took zero talent... anyone could have taken it. It said nothing, it provoked nothing. It was emotionless.

A moody shot of an early morning workout (I've seen tons of these, many of them very very good), somethng like this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alydar_...n/photostream/

(and for anyone who would argue I'm being a hypocrite and it is gimmicky well it's exciting anyway!)... a huge upset shot (Revidere showed me his of Interpatation beating Gio Ponti... that kinda thing), even the usual shots of a jock with an arm up in the air crossing the finish... some of them are lovely, powerful, amazing. There can be so much emotion in something that happens every day, over and over, race after race and track after track. It's never the same though, is it? The light is different, different horses and riders, backgroundss, weather... some of these every day shots are stunning.

There's beauty every damned day in this sport that we love. Excitement, intensity, amazing things... horses and jockeys who - love them or hate them - have the only job in the world where an ambulance follows them all day and there wasn't a better shot???. Exurbance, collective joy, victory, defeat, crowds, angle after angle of facial expressions and the muscles these creatures have, nostrils and tails, silks and movement and this is the best of the year?

It's sad because the photo of the year? I think it's something we should all be proud of. I think it represents us... or it could.

A 5 year old with a throwaway camera (if they still make those) could have taken this picture.

I'm disgusted.

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

Where is Vic on this? And I thought only nominees were already out and the awards next week.

I think it's reprehensible. The fact that the horse was unhurt means nothing. Photos, TV, radio, print and are designed to illicit a response. This picture did for me. Saddness. All the glory we have out there to rejoice in and we're subjected to seeing these two brave athletes in a terror filled, vulnerable moment.

Just terrible.

[DaTruth]

One of my favorite equine photos is of the stretch drive in the 1997 Preakness. Free House has his eyes turned toward Silver Charm to his outside, and Free House looks enraged that Silver Charm is beating him. I believe the photo appeared on the cover of Blood Horse.