The IVRPA Annual Panoramic Photography Contest 2010 - RESULTS

The IVRPA Annual Panoramic Photography Contest – 2010 was closed on September 3rd and for our judges it was not easy to score all the entries in each of the four categories.

• Panoramic Print entry
• Gigapixel Panorama entry
• VR Panorama entry
• Interactive Computer Graphics Featuring VR Panoramas entry

It all started with a surprise and it ended with a big surprise. But first things first.

We launched these four categories because these are the major ways how panoramic images are used in these days. And because we wanted the entries of each category to have equal chances to get one of our most interesting and valuable prizes, we decided that the judges would first score the entries in each category to determine which one would get the highest scores and be the winner of that category.

Amongst these four winners the judges should then decide which entry should become the Best of Show to get the first prize, the Seitz VR-Drive. The others would then get the other prizes according to their ranking.

So when we had a first sight at all the images we were surprised that there were only two entries in the Gigapixel category. After all the images were scored the judges decided that they couldn't give a prize to that category and that there would be no winner of that category. First, because amongst two entries there is no real competition and second, because the scores these entries got were far below the top rankings of the other categories. So that was surprise No. 1

And after we had summed and analyzed the scores our judges had sent in independently, we were again surprised that the winning image of the Print category and the winning image of the VR Panorama category were taken at the same location from the same subject - and by the same author.

Scott Highton, one of our judges, explained afterwards why this is well deserved:
The fact that both of these "The Wave" entries are the top choices is a reflection of the strength of the photography and the subject matter combined. The photographer chose a very unique geologic subject (in a location that is difficult to access), and then photographed it in both a visually compelling and technically competent manner. These are elements we look for when judging the quality of a panoramic image -- whether for print or VR. Basically, the photographer did a great job and is well deserving of the top position in both categories his/her subject photographs were entered in.

But our judges also found that the many, many images that were used in the virtual tour of the “Hotel du Palais” in Biarritz are of a very high standard and that in addition the authoring of the entire tour was rather very well done. And so it was exceptinally no surprise, that they rated this winner of the category Interactive Computer Graphics Featuring VR Panoramas as the best of show.

Congratulations to Maurice Rebeix, France who will be the owner of a new Seitz VR Drive! And congratulations to Ludwig Franz, Germany who will get a Nodal Ninja 5 with RD16 rotator plus a license of Kolor Autopano Pro.

Below you will find the complete list of winners and their prizes.

Interactive Computer Graphics Featuring VR Panoramas entry

1. 360HD Virtual Reality Visit
   Prize: Seitz VR Head - Maurice Rebeix, France:
2. Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin
   Prize: Pano Maxx - Scott Witte, US
3. O Bosque Condominium
   Prize: Krpano - Thomas Erh, Brazil
4. St. Mark's Square Shop Association - Square Virtual Tour
   Prize: Q-Top - Hans von Weissenfluh, Italy

Print Category

1. The Wave
   Prize: NN5/RD 16 - Ludwig Franz, Germany
2. Reflected Beauty
   Prize: PTGUI Pro - Chris Gin, New Zealand
3. Western Temple inside
   Prize: Pano2VR - Fish Li, Hong Kong
4. Muriwai Magic
   Prize: Novoflex Survival Kit - Chris Gin, New Zealand

VR category

1. Wave
   Prize: Kolor Autopano - Ludwig Franz, Germany
2. The Hives
   Prize: PTgui Pro - Aldo Hoeben, Netherlands
3. Under the pier at Captain Dons
   Prize: Object2VR - Andre de Molenaar, Netherlands
4. Benneli bike club at classic wheels meeting Barkarby 18 AUg 2009
   Prize: EZ Leveler - Jann Lipka, Sweden
   Corals and Sponges at dive site Cliff
   Prize: Scott Highton's book "Virtual Reality (VR) Photography" - Andre de Molenaar, Netherlands
   Final of Libertadores da América (America's Soccer Cup). Bi-Championship of the Sport Club Internacional.
   Prize: Scott Highton's book "Virtual Reality (VR) Photography" - Thomas Erh, Brazil

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you all very much for participating.