Picking Winners

The Guest Judge of our recent "People Working" contest has left the choice of picking the winners (and awarding the substantial $1,600 in prizes) up to me.

Gulp.

It strikes me as more or less an arbitrary choice; none of the six finalists strike me as obviously "better" than the others, in the sense of being clearly more deserving of reward.

Anyway, I've been going around and around. I'll have a decision for you tomorrow.

Mike the Ed.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Michael: "Well, Mike, what the Brits say when they are enjoying Schadenfreude: better you than me, mate! But I can also say that these are absolutely splendid shots and any one of them is an education in itself. So don't worry: we'll just enjoy the result."

Comments

[Howard]

Perhaps a random draw..??

[ben ng]

Mike, you are well respected, any choice you make will be fine. Those who complain will do so anyway. I suspect the guest judge was Peter Turnley. Any prize for this guess?

[Nope, 'cuz it's wrong. (No more guesses, please, everyone--let's respect the Judge's desire to be anonymous.) --Mike]

[Bryce Lee]

In theory no decision is better than any decision
Divide the $1600 by six
and allow each one of the six their portion.

[Q]

$266.67 and change for each of the six finalists?

[Tom Simonsen]

Not an envious position. But I am sure you will pick a worthy winner.

(I do have a favorite, but I am not the judge).

[Bojidar]

Two suggestions:
1. Award each one of the finalists first place and split the award money.
2. Let the TOP readers vote

[Louis]

Dahiana and Turkey are the only two excellent images. Turkey is a very old fashioned style of B/W, good but not of today.

[Phil Maus]

Regardless of how you go about choosing the "winners", I thinks it's only fair to award a first, second and third place, as was originally outlined in the contest charter. I (regrettably) did not enter the contest, but I have no doubt those who did did so with the hope and the aim of winning the grand prize, which has been promised and indeed, specified.

Choose the three winners any way you like, you are under no compulsion to disclose or to justify your choices and I think another commenter had it exactly right: 1. We trust you. 2. There are those who will be dissatisfied and/or disgruntled regardless of what you do and it's neither your fault they feel the way they do, nor your responsibility to placate them.

I'm excited to see who gets the prizes!

[Chris]

Have to say that it's interesting coming back to these photos and letting them grow (or not) on you. Turkey Man is the hit single, with the accompanying surge of excitement when I first saw it, but it hasn't grown on me since my first impression. The drain diggers, on the other hand has been a slow burner. I wasn't that impressed by it to start with, but it's just been getting better and better - it's now the one I'd want for my wall out of all of them. I could look at it every day (which I have been doing) and not get tired of it.
All the best to all the finalists, and good luck choosing the winner Mike, I've chosen mine.

[Andrew Molitor]

If there are any that can be eliminated as definitely "not quite as excellent' eliminate them.

Spend some time away from the pictures, going over what you wrote for the submission guidelines. Then pick the three that best exemplify those guidelines.

That's MY suggestion, anyways! It's basically a way to pick arbitrarily without being arbitrary ;)

[Nigli]

And it's down to the wire for a photo-finish!