How to Select the Right Photography Contest for Your Work
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 @ 01:47
As serious photographers, we would all like to gain additional exposure for our work. Whether we do this on a professional basis, or strictly as an amateur, it is certainly fulfilling to gain the respect of our peers for the photos we take.
One way to have our work recognized for what it is worth by our peers is to enter photography contests. These contests not only often provide for cash prizes, but often they can provide valuable equipment as prizes as well. Also, depending on the contest, valuable exposure for our work can be the greatest prize of all, whether that is publication in a national magazine or inclusion in an online portfolio on a high profile, high traffic website.
Of course, the easy answer to the question of how to select the best contests to enter would be simply – enter all of them, but, of course, that is not practical or wise.
First of all, not every contest is going to involve the particular type of genre you enjoy or are even proficient at. It would not make sense to enter a contest you had little chance of winning, especially since most of these photographic contests do involve some sort of entry fee. Also, entering contests randomly could actually detract from your reputation rather than enhance it. Seeing the same person entering contest after unrelated contest may tell the judges that you are not really serious about submitting quality work, just a large quantity of it.
So, select your contests carefully. Select them on the basis of photo category and prize, weighing these items against the entry fee required. If a particular contest has a higher entry fee than you are comfortable with, but the genre is one you are very well suited to, you may wish to consider entering, especially if you honestly feel you have a good chance of making a decent showing with your entries. Also, contests that provide for great exposure for your work can sometimes be better than the ones paying large cash or equipment prizes since by having your work highly publicized can often lead to its own rewards, such as paid shooting assignments or picture sales.
Photo contests are a great way for you to take your passion for photography to a more professional level. By selecting your contests carefully you will maximize your chances of walking away a winner and enhancing your reputation as someone who truly does quality and creative work.
