Photographic Contests

Photographic Contests-Are you always carrying a camera, just waiting for that special shot? You graduated from film cameras to a new digital camera. You took some lessons from the local camera club and feel you know your way around your equipment. You have even made a few trips into the field and have made some really great images. Now you are ready to take the next step.

What is that next step? You want to know if your work is as good as you think it is. The best way is to start by entering some local photography contests. That camera club where you took lessons, get an application and join. The cost is not going to break the bank. Once a member, you will be allowed to enter their photo contests.

Entering Photo Contests..

In the beginning the best you can hope for is a ribbon or two, but that will soon get old. There are a lot of photography contests available. Some offer large cash prizes, others nice professional photo equipment, while others offer scholarships to photographic schools. Winning these contests will not only bring nice prizes, but will usually get your work published in national magazines. This will give you publicity, plus portfolio pieces.

You need to select the field of photography you want to enter. There is a contest for nearly every niche you can think of. You will find contests for portraits, landscapes, animals, travel, astronomy, etc. You will have an area that you particularly like, stick with it until you feel you have won as many contest as you can. Next you will need to look for contests outside of your camera club. Google photo contests. You will find them listed throughout the world. Pick a few, and look at their deadline dates. Look at their requirements. Double check all of the rules. By not following the rules to the letter you will get rejected.

Check their fine print... Look for information on who retains the copyright to the image if you win. You want to retain your copyright and not give it away. Look to see what they will do with your image even if you are not the top winner. Some of these groups use the contest as a front to collect images and resell them. Just remember, if you enter the contest you have agreed to all of their terms and conditions. Last, but not least check the fee that is being charged to enter. Some of the contests charge fees that even I refuse to pay.

Photo Tips...

Even though you may be an amateur, you are going to be going up against some of the best in the world. Your work needs to be unique. It needs to be original and it needs to be interesting. There is nothing worse than looking at the same old image over and over. If you like your image don't hesitate to go back and re-photograph it at a different time of day, or different season. Look for different angles. Look for slight changes that you can make to improve your photography.

Also, if you have access to images of past winners, look at them and try and decide what made the judges pick that particular image. Next are the technical aspects of your finished entry. If you are printing and finishing the image yourself, make sure it is the best print you can produce. It has to be clean, no dust spots. It has to be mounted properly, no bubbles or bows in your mount board. If the contest says all images must be mounted on a piece of ¼ inch foam board, that is what they mean.

Lastly, shipping the print. When you are ready to send the print make sure it is packed securely. Make sure all the related paperwork is included, and don't forget the fee. When you ship, ship it by Priority Mail, if you live in the U.S. I have shipped hundreds of prints throughout the world and have never lost a print yet, and can remember only having one damaged slightly. Use click and ship at the U.S. Postal Service. It allows you to print out a shipping label at a discounted price. It also allows you to have the package tracked and you get an email message when the package is delivered.

Now you are not going to win every contest you enter, but you will learn how to make better photographs and get some publicity for your work. Good Luck.