Photography Competitions

Photo Competition Tips and Ideas By James D. Humphrey

Admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:17:05 +0000

Most beginners never thought of actually participating in a photo contest, they probably do not even think of it in the first place. Photography contests may seem very intimidating but it can really help newbies gain some experience by competing. You may face professional photographers and other photography adepts but photo contests could be won regardless of your title. There are many cases that popular picture contests were bagged by newbies, people don’t expect it but it can actually happen. So, I encourage you guys to take your chance and go for it. If you want to win a photo competition it is critical for you to have an eye on what the judges expect on a particular subject. This may be difficult but if you read the instructions carefully and use a little imagination, you might be able to nail the first place. So here are some excellent tips to help win photography contests.

Instructions

Reading the rules, criteria and the picture contest instructions should be the first thing you should do. Most of these instructions use photography lingo so you better educate yourself while reading on to grasp it all. Judges look for many other qualities that you must learn. While the instructions might be a bit confusing, it’s best to read them.

Choosing the Subject

I recommend subjects with character such as the streets, wildlife, sunsets etc. Still life photos are classic, most people appreciate the artistic value of this technique in photo competitions. You also have to apply the appropriate techniques when shooting your subject like the rule of thirds, lighting, composition and so on.

Be Spontaneous

The streets is a very good subject for everyday activity and candid shots. Keep your shots spontaneous and do not wait for your subjects to strike a pose. Its better to take their pictures while doing things they love most. For photo competitions, its nice to focus on the subject’s activity, not necessarily the person. Profiles make great pictures, but never take a picture of a person’s back.

Time of the Day

Always consider the time of the day to shoot your winning portraits. An early morning sunrise, a foggy coastline, or a child playing in a sunbeam make for unplanned, beautiful photography.

Artistic Eye

Judges will be digging up entries that exhibits a unique and powerful technique that can dazzle everyone who stares at it. What the judges want to see is how you work with your subjects. Do you pose them or frame them just like any other photographer or do you have your own unique viewpoint?

James D. Humphrey is one of the developers and sales executive of Photo laureates. The site’s photo contest provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. We promote photographers through technical workshops, improvisation sessions as well as photography contests. Its renowned Photography Society identifies, awards and promotes new Photography Talent.

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Click here to find out about the world’s richest photography competitions - including those for amateur photographers all over the world - in The World’s Biggest Book of Photography Competitions, Awards, Grants and Places To Sell Your Photos Online

Photography Competitions By TJ Tierney

Admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:23:59 +0000

Whether you are new to photography or a glowing professional, photography competitions are well worth considering. In order to increase your winning chances, you must first understand that what you consider to be the best image is not always reflected in the final result. This may sound ambiguous to some but certain requirements must be adhered to.

To be successful entering and winning photography competitions one must first understand what the judges and the companies holding these event require. Companies usually have strict guidelines telling photographers what sort of image they are looking for. Most companies will use the winning image as promotional material for their business, so submitting images that don’t meet their guidelines will certainly not be ranked.

Travel companies will be looking for an image that they can use on their brochure - so before you enter in any competition it is well worth while to take a close look at the company and the images they normally use.

Regardless of the type of image entered, photographers must submit images that are technical perfect, with good composition and proper exposure. Submitting poor quality images will waste your time along with the judges.

One of the utmost moments in any photographers career is to see his/her images displayed in the winners section of a website or newspaper or at a prize winners ceremony. This is a moment when a struggling photographer’s business may start to take off or give his studio an extra boost. It is also when the value of a photographer’s images rises.

But to win a photography competition, the right approach is very important.

Your image should hold a theme that will suit the company holding the competition. If the company is travel related they will be looking for an image that has vibrant colours; an image that has life and soul. Energy companies will want an image that will blend their industry and the environment together.

When entering a competition there will be hundreds, if not thousands of photographers with entries. To give yourself the best possible chance of winning, only submit images that you think will have a decent chance. The image that you enter should have impact and must be a photograph that you are proud of - an image that you are constantly showing off to your friends and family.

Prizes on offer vary and can range from cash to equipment. Some of the larger competitions pay out tens of thousands of dollars. Competitions that are free to enter will have smaller prizes but are still worth entering.

One thing you should remember is that some companies hold competitions to get free images. Before submitting your pictures, read the guidelines. Make sure that you will be able to sell the image after the competition and that you are not signing away the copyright of your image. If you are unsure about it and the guidelines are not clear, it is best not to enter.

There are thousands of competitions held all over the world each year. To find out which ones suit your photography contact your local camera club, or look up some of the photography directories on the web. Some of the larger competitions that are open to photographers world wide will charge a submission fee, but there are a wide selection of free competitions out there.

If you are new to photography or unsure about your chances of success its best to try a few free ones at the beginning.

Photography competitions can do so much for a photographers career - some say it’s the taking part that counts - but when the winner receives so much free advertising for their business, plus the large amounts of cash on offer; I think they are worth taking seriously.

TJ Tierney is an award winning photographer and a freelance writer. To find out more information visit his free photography and digital photography site. His site also contains a free photography competition.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TJ_Tierney

How to Win Photography Competitions By TJ Tierney

Admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:25:45 +0000

Entering photography competitions are a great way of improving your skills as a photographer. There are also great ways of making more money if you win and will help to build your name as a great photographer. But many images fail to meet the grade because of simple things.

The first and most important tip to follow is understanding the rules. Many photographers enter great images but seldom get placed. All competitions have a theme and the image that you are entering must follow this theme. To win any competition you must try to connect with the judges

The reason that companies hold so many different photo competitions is quite simple; they are looking for images that portray their business. So the first step is to do research on the company holding the competition. Find published material that the organisers are using.

We will all agree that reading material and competition rules will be very boring, but knowing the rules down to the final detail may help you in selecting what images to submit. Also some completions will have small print stating that images cannot be used by other companies. Lots of photographers get caught out and

The second most important item is that your image should be perfectly exposed, with vibrant colours. Lots of photographers submit images that are technical poor. These images have no chance of winning. If your image is poorly focuses or is lacking in colour it won’t be placed.

The third item on the list that should be taken in consideration before you submit is the composition. Make sure every part of the image is perfect. Distractions in the foreground or anywhere else in the image will be ranked poorly.

The forth item and I would think the most important thing to do is to think outside the box. Be creative. Most competitions will get hundreds of well take images. Take a look at previous images that won the same competition as see where you can add an extra bit of something.

Remember that if you image is chosen as the wining shot it will be used by the orginazers for marketing. Your image should be capable of representing the company orginazing the photography competition.

Now you need to find photography competitions that are suited to the type of photography that interests you and start submitting. Photography competitions can do a lot for a photographers career - some say it’s the taking part that counts - but with the large amounts of cash on offer, I think they are worth taking seriously.

TJ Tierney is an award winning photographer and a freelance writer. To find out more information visit his photography site and his photography forum

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TJ_Tierney

Photography Competitions? 5 Huge Mistakes to Avoid

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:42:51 +0000

Click here to find out about the world’s richest photography competitions - including those for amateur photographers all over the world - in The World’s Biggest Book of Photography Competitions, Awards, Grants and Places To Sell Your Photos Online

Avoid these common mistakes in your photography competitions entries and you stand a much better chance of doing well:

Mistake #1. Photographers present tired and predictable subjects and treatments. Hackneyed shots are extremely tedious for everyone concerned. Individuality and originality, however, stand out. Be ruthlessly tough on your material - does it have an immediate impact? Is it original? Compelling? Emotive? If not, then go back to the drawing board.

Mistake #2. Photographers play it too safe and fail to explore extremes in their entries. What is presented is more like a merely accurate representation of something rather than a shot that vividly captures the ‘drama,’ ‘essence’, ‘emotion’ or ‘personality’ of the subject. Shots that do are alive. Those that don’t are flat and are quickly discarded from the judging process.

Mistake #3. Photographers violate the basic principles of composition and framing. By doing this, an ignorance of the fundamentals of photographic aesthetics is immediately apparent. Such entries never win and there is a massive difference between knowing and understanding the rules but then consciously bending or breaking them and, on the other hand, being completely ignorant of the ‘rules’ in the first place. The difference will be very obvious in the images. Aspiring photographers need to educate themselves about the fundamentals of framing and composition or else will be wasting their time in most photography competitions.

Mistake #4. Photographers don’t enter enough shots into a competition. There is always subjectivity involved in the judging of any photography competition so aspiring photographers need to put in more than one entry if they can - especially in the major events.

Mistake #5. Photographers submit their entry at the 11th hour. In any significant photography competition, the vast majority of entries (to call it a tidal wave would not be an understatement in some cases) arrive at the last possible moment before the deadline. Judges are then confronted with the daunting task of wading through the mountains of (e)mail and judging each and every piece of work with equal dispassion. In theory, it should not make any difference when an entry arrives but in practice, judges can give more time and thought to those entries that arrive before King Kong’s mailbag.

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Professional Photography? 10 Character Traits of a True Pro

Admin — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:52:17 +0000

Click here to find out about the world’s richest photography competitions - including those for amateur photographers all over the world - in The World’s Biggest Book of Photography Competitions, Awards, Grants and Places To Sell Your Photos Online

The most professional and very successful photographers that I have worked with during my own twenty-year professional creative career have all shared certain character traits. By developing these traits yourself, you can fast-track your own photography career development.

1. The ideal ‘Perfect Photographer’ needs to have a powerhouse work ethic. They accomplish things in a day that ordinary mortals take weeks to do. They seem unstoppable. They know their time is valuable - irreplaceable actually - and don’t waste it watching TV or on Yahoo Messenger.

2. The Perfect Photographer is very easy to get along with, has great people skills, an excellent sense of humor and people naturally like working with them.

3. The Perfect Photographer is genuinely curious, interested and fascinated by their craft and loves innovation and inspiration from any source - a beginner or otherwise.

4. The Perfect Photographer maintains composure in stressful situations where others flounder and lose control of the situation and possibly themselves. In this sense, the Perfect Photographer inspires trust, confidence and belief because they are unflappable and unfazed by almost anything.

5. The Perfect Photographer is always experimenting with new approaches, new tricks, new lenses, new software etc. In short, they don’t become cynical, bored, lazy or complacent with their skill level and are always enthusiastic and eager to find out cool new stuff.

6. The Perfect Photographer has clarity and knows precisely what they are aiming for at the final stage of output, e.g. a giant billboard poster, at the earliest stages of input e.g. conceptual planning. Small modifications early on in a project can have absolutely massive implications for a project later. The Perfect Photographer is always aware of this and is flexibly adapting, responding and problem-solving at each stage with the optimum later final output always in mind.

7. The Perfect Photographer is completely generous and recognizes the fundamental importance of humbly giving back some of their accumulated wisdom, experience or even money. They are a giver, not a taker.

8. The Perfect Photographer knows how to say ‘no’ politely. It does not matter who the ‘no’ is to, they are excellent at doing it in an inclusive and polite way that actually makes the other party respect her or him more, instead of less.

9. The Perfect Photographer has integrity and can be depended on, no matter what. If the Perfect Photographer says that they will deliver something, they will. If they genuinely cannot due to unforeseen problems, they communicate constantly with the person that they have made the commitment to so that the situation is crystal clear to everyone involved.

10. They are not at all egotistical and are motivated by their humble love of the process, the craft, the art, the science, of what they do. They are not interested in fame (but know how to promote their work to maximum effect) or extravagant wealth (but get paid a fortune) but instead feel like a ’servant’ to the art of photography - if that is not too corny.

Now, which of these qualities do you have and which do you need to develop (a lot?) more.

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Photography Competitions - Are They Worth Bothering With?

Admin — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:52:08 +0000

Why actually go to the bother of spending the time, money, hassle and possible disappointment of losing by entering a photography competition?

You probably won’t win, will you? It would be easier to just watch TV, right? Why bother?

If you think like this about your approach to photography competitions and your photography craft development - admittedly two distinct things - it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to gain any kind of momentum in your creative endeavors.

On the other hand, proactively gearing up for photography competitions and entering them can be beneficial for these 4 reasons:

1. They can help you develop the discipline and focus that being forced to work to a deadline brings. Photography is an art and science that demands discipline and the development of an almost indestructible ability to meet deadlines is a vital attribute for any aspiring professional photographer to develop.

2. A major award or positive result in a prestigious or high profile competition has the power to, at best, attract the attention of your chosen area of the industry and, at worst, make a noteworthy addition to your CV and portfolio.

3. Having the focus and deadline of a competition forces an individual to determine just how serious she or he is about becoming a professional photographer, if that is the goal. Many an aspiring photographer has simply found it ‘too hard’ to deliver under pressure and they quickly discovered their lack of necessary commitment to the practical demands of professional photography.

4. Losing (i.e. not winning) will either help you to develop the essential stamina that a pro needs or, on the other hand, irreparably crush your artistic ego. If the latter is the case, then perhaps another career is advisable. Remember, you’re in it for the long haul & you’re doing it because you love and enjoy the process of making great images, not just the potential reward, right?

Photography Competitions - 7 Ways To Win With The Wow Factor

Admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:07:35 +0000

1. Capture a ‘reaction’ rather than an action. Photographs of buildings, inanimate objects - even people, all too often have a flat, dull, ’staged’ feeling to them. However, capturing someone or something reacting to an external action offers far more dramatic possibilities e.g. commuters in a hailstorm, a football player being tackled, flags in the wind etc. Imagine how much weaker the above images would be if the element of reaction to something was taken away.

2. One of the most powerful techniques that film-maker Steven Spielberg uses is to direct the camera not at the ‘incredible’ thing happening (shark, UFO, German regiment etc.) but rather on the close-up reactions of individual characters seeing those things. It’s like the earlier tip about photographing a reaction, not an action.Spielberg implies intrigue, excitement, terror or wonder. The audience then imagines the source of those emotions which is infinitely more powerful than any actual visual.Alfred Hitchcock used this technique superbly so you are in good company if you can master it. For example, rather than shooting New Year’s fireworks (ho hum), get a 3 year old girl’s reaction to seeing them - in close-up - now that would be powerful!

3. Do your images have the ‘X-Factor’? We are all fascinated by the extraordinary. Most of us lead relatively predictable lives hence our enjoyment of extremes in our entertainment e.g. how about a movie where a man dresses up as a bat to fight criminals and the police think that’s cool and work with him! Are your images extreme and extraordinary enough?

4. Conceive your image not as a single visual ‘plane’ but rather as a series of overlapping planes or layers that offer interesting ideas in relation to each other.To use a crude example, imagine a photo of the water’s edge on a sandy beach (Layer 1). Add in a dead soldier on the sand in the foreground (Layer 2). Beyond that, add a stripped down soldier with a surfboard running toward the water to surf (Layer 3).What kinds of messages and themes have been added in by the background layers in this hypothetical image? In doing all of this however, make sure that the eye knows where to go in your composition!

5. Challenge stereotypes. It’s great to have some thematic ideas before you start shooting so you know - while allowing for serendipitous ‘magic’ of course - what you are after. Playing around with stereotypes and subverting them can be pretty cool. Some basic examples might be an excessively madeup blond ‘bimbo’ on a train reading The Wall Street Journal, a priest reading The Joy of Sex or a rich and successful celebrity Formula One driver using a bicycle or terrible old wreck of a car to get around etc.

6. The word ‘photo-graph’ literally means “light-image”. The implication therefore is that great photography is not really image or subject-based but rather about the way light hits those images or subjects. There is a huge difference between these two concepts. The former focuses on the ‘thing’ in the picture. The latter recognizes how the light ‘washing over’ that ‘thing’ makes it visually interesting. So whether you are shooting Sting’s sweat or an eagle or a car tire, it is the type and quality of light hitting it that translates into a great photo. This is a major factor that sets great shots apart from the technically competent ones.

7. Enter the competition! This may sound too obvious but you only have a chance of winning those competitions that you enter. Don’t just talk about it. Don’t just think about it. Don’t just dream about it. None of these will actually do any good unless you take the shots and put your entry in. Many competition winners talk about how they almost didn’t enter - don’t let it happen to you.

Click here to find out about the world’s richest photography competitions - including those for amateur photographers all over the world - in The World’s Biggest Book of Photography Competitions, Awards, Grants and Places To Sell Your Photos Online