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التصوير الفوتوغرافي الحديث
PHOTO CONTESTS and the PRO
Contests have proven to be a door opener for some top professional photographers - but there are pitfalls that can result in serious losses if you fail to closely study and comply with the rules !
DAVID DOUGLAS DUNCAN was at work in an art class when the news came . was called to the phone in the hall , heard a reporter friend on the local newspaper tell him that he had just won second prize of $ 250 in the Eastman Kodak National
Newspaper Snapshot Awards contest , and yelled out the news to all within earshot .
That did it . When he graduated a few months later from the University of Miami he knew what he wanted to do : " I intend to be a photographer ! "
DRAMATIC action sparks this shot by Neal Boenzi of N.Y. Times . It won N.Y. Press Photographers award .
He tells the story in his autobiographical " Yankee Nomad " ( Holt , Rinehart and Winston ) , in which he narrates the fantastically successful career that has put him right at the top among photojournal ists of all time .
Now , maybe he didn't need a contest prize to start him in photography as a professional , but one can't discount that possibility either . Especially , since the same kind of experience has inspired other con test winners to work toward similar goals . Winning a prize in a photographic contest has been the step ping stone to a career in photography for many another beginner and a lively push along the way for pro's , as well .
A few notable instances come quickly to mind . There is Lawrence Schiller short , chubby , eager and energetic Larry , a top prize - winner in the Schol astic Magazine's contests . In a few short years after being a winner he was doing sports photography for Sports Illustrated and other publications and when still in his 20's was right up there with the top names .
$ 1000 prize was won by Charles Ball , Dallas , Texas with this shot in Kodak's Snapshot Awards .
FINE night snowscape shot captured a $ 250 prize for Robert Strindberg , Weatogue , Conn . in KINSA .
Contest win led to assignments
Farrell Grehan was an impecunious painter with a penchant for photography when he dropped into the New York Times to show some of his grey , snap shot prints . After he learned to print better he sub mitted one of the shots to a Popular Photography contest and won a $ 2000 prize . That took him to Ireland and an assignment from Life magazine that in time was followed by numerous others , plus a book or two along the way .
Roy Pinney was totally unknown some 30 years ago when he submitted a baby picture to Pop Photo's first big contest and won an automobile . The shot of a baby sucking its thumb and grimacing ( because Roy had rubbed some lemon juice on its fingers to get this effect ) , appealed on publication to editors as well as the public and Roy was on his way .
Dennis Stock , of the glamour names in to day's photojournalism , was assistant to Life photo grapher Gjon Mili when he entered Life's search - for talent contest years ago and won such a large prize ( I seem to recall something like $ 25,000 ) , that he quit his job and went off on his own , rolling up renown and rewards with the passing years .
A product of the company personnel photo con test Giorgina Reid , a textile designer , took the top award and this whetted her appetite for higher stakes . She entered the Kodak International News paper Snapshot Awards and won a $ 1,000 top award . Regional fame followed , requests for articles in na tional photography magazines came along , a book contract , speaking engagements and a teaching post became realities .
When Edward Steichen and the writer judged a Sylvania contest and picked Arthur Schatz for top place , we had no idea that soon afterward he would become a professional and , a successful one at that . The prize gave him the initial push and self confidence that he need to push across the line from amateur to pro .
Contestants generally are attracted to enter con tests because of the value of the prizes offered rather than by the prospects of fame and being launched into a professional career . Prizes range widely in value from as little as $ 25 or less in local competitions to thousands of dollars in some national and international contests . The Grand Prize in the 1971 Kodak International Snapshot Awards was a 30 - day around the world safari for two , plus $ 1000 in cash or , $ 5,000 cash .
Life magazine's Bi - Centennial Contest included a substantial prize including a contract to work on the staff for a year . Previous contests sponsored by some of the photo magazines had prizes that were worth $ 4000 $ 5000 for 1st place winners .
Other current contests offer luxurious trips to Europe , Asia , Mexico and elsewhere ; expensive cam eras and automobiles , scholarships to photo schools , and so on .
Of course , the more desirable the list of the prizes announced , the heavier will be the response in entries and , hence , the greater the competition and chal lenge for your entries . Also , the more numerous the prizes offered , the better are your chances of win ning at least some prize and , the more encourag ing the possibilities .
Professional contests in which the competition is for professional recognition through awards of rib bons , plaques , certificates , etc. , are valued for the status they give the winners both among their col leagues and the editors and clients whom they serve . A display of such awards in the studio reception room often helps justify higher prices being charged by the photographer so , while the actual contest prizes may not be in dollars and cents they become translated into financial gain in the long run .
The National Press Photographers Ass'n , in collab oration with the University of Missouri and an ency clopedia publisher , conducts the largest of the pho tojournalism contests annually . There are many other competitions sponsored by city and state press as sociations as well as the World Press Photo competi tion for newspaper and magazine lensmen and ladies .
The Professional Photographers of America , which includes a cross - section of professional photographers in various categories , gives awards coincident with the annual conventions of the organization . The Pho tographic Society of America , which is primarily ama teur - oriented , has some professional aspects that are recognized at the annual association conventions .
Many contests annually
Around the globe there are numerous photo con tests announced each year . Some are one - shot events others repeat annually . Some are for amateurs , some for professionals and others for both .
Whereas it is mainly the idea , the photograph's impact is what counts most with contest juries . Technique and print quality are important . In fact , to win , a picture must have impact , print quality and good photographic technique . It must have forceful content and good craftsmanship to get it across .
Don't count on winning through content alone although the chances are that a good picture will also have sufficient technique to carry it .
Because of the volume of prints submitted to many contests ( many thousands in some of the larger com petitions ) , a screening panel first runs through the entries to sift out those that have obvious faults in both technique and subject matter or , they don't comply with the rules for the contest . Those sorted out for actual judging at least have the virtues of acceptable technique and a glimmer of an idea .
With print quality out of the way , the judges con centrate on looking for pictures that say something worthwhile and , say it interestingly . The photographs that win prizes have to be compellingly attractive , contain an idea of some kind , carry con viction or otherwise get a quick response from the judging jury . It is amazing how often the winning picture is selected by the majority of judges the first time around even though it may take many hours and considerable discussion before the final selections are actually arrived at . " The good ones ' jump right out ' at you " , is the way one judge said it .
Concentration of interest is a prime factor in suc cessful contest entries . This is best achieved in the camera , by selection of subject matter , angle , timing , lighting , action , etc. Sometimes it is accomplished by intelligent cropping although this can be overdone if the final print looks incomplete and weak .
Compliance with the contest rules is a must . They mean exactly what they say . Copies of the rules may be obtained from the sponsor , at clubs , schools , cam era shops and in photo magazines and other publica tions . Be sure to read them and do what they spell out for the sponsor establishes the rules so that the end result of the contest accomplishes the purpose for which it is held .
If the rules stipulate a certain camera must be used , the contest is open only to pictures made with that particular camera or brand of camera . If there is a limitation of the number of prints or transpar encies that may be submitted , do not send more than that limit . If it states that the prints must be 8x10 " , don't submit 11x14's . Any failure of your sub mission to meet the rules will result in its immediate elimination in the first screening round !
التصوير الفوتوغرافي الحديث
PHOTO CONTESTS and the PRO
Contests have proven to be a door opener for some top professional photographers - but there are pitfalls that can result in serious losses if you fail to closely study and comply with the rules !
DAVID DOUGLAS DUNCAN was at work in an art class when the news came . was called to the phone in the hall , heard a reporter friend on the local newspaper tell him that he had just won second prize of $ 250 in the Eastman Kodak National
Newspaper Snapshot Awards contest , and yelled out the news to all within earshot .
That did it . When he graduated a few months later from the University of Miami he knew what he wanted to do : " I intend to be a photographer ! "
DRAMATIC action sparks this shot by Neal Boenzi of N.Y. Times . It won N.Y. Press Photographers award .
He tells the story in his autobiographical " Yankee Nomad " ( Holt , Rinehart and Winston ) , in which he narrates the fantastically successful career that has put him right at the top among photojournal ists of all time .
Now , maybe he didn't need a contest prize to start him in photography as a professional , but one can't discount that possibility either . Especially , since the same kind of experience has inspired other con test winners to work toward similar goals . Winning a prize in a photographic contest has been the step ping stone to a career in photography for many another beginner and a lively push along the way for pro's , as well .
A few notable instances come quickly to mind . There is Lawrence Schiller short , chubby , eager and energetic Larry , a top prize - winner in the Schol astic Magazine's contests . In a few short years after being a winner he was doing sports photography for Sports Illustrated and other publications and when still in his 20's was right up there with the top names .
$ 1000 prize was won by Charles Ball , Dallas , Texas with this shot in Kodak's Snapshot Awards .
FINE night snowscape shot captured a $ 250 prize for Robert Strindberg , Weatogue , Conn . in KINSA .
Contest win led to assignments
Farrell Grehan was an impecunious painter with a penchant for photography when he dropped into the New York Times to show some of his grey , snap shot prints . After he learned to print better he sub mitted one of the shots to a Popular Photography contest and won a $ 2000 prize . That took him to Ireland and an assignment from Life magazine that in time was followed by numerous others , plus a book or two along the way .
Roy Pinney was totally unknown some 30 years ago when he submitted a baby picture to Pop Photo's first big contest and won an automobile . The shot of a baby sucking its thumb and grimacing ( because Roy had rubbed some lemon juice on its fingers to get this effect ) , appealed on publication to editors as well as the public and Roy was on his way .
Dennis Stock , of the glamour names in to day's photojournalism , was assistant to Life photo grapher Gjon Mili when he entered Life's search - for talent contest years ago and won such a large prize ( I seem to recall something like $ 25,000 ) , that he quit his job and went off on his own , rolling up renown and rewards with the passing years .
A product of the company personnel photo con test Giorgina Reid , a textile designer , took the top award and this whetted her appetite for higher stakes . She entered the Kodak International News paper Snapshot Awards and won a $ 1,000 top award . Regional fame followed , requests for articles in na tional photography magazines came along , a book contract , speaking engagements and a teaching post became realities .
When Edward Steichen and the writer judged a Sylvania contest and picked Arthur Schatz for top place , we had no idea that soon afterward he would become a professional and , a successful one at that . The prize gave him the initial push and self confidence that he need to push across the line from amateur to pro .
Contestants generally are attracted to enter con tests because of the value of the prizes offered rather than by the prospects of fame and being launched into a professional career . Prizes range widely in value from as little as $ 25 or less in local competitions to thousands of dollars in some national and international contests . The Grand Prize in the 1971 Kodak International Snapshot Awards was a 30 - day around the world safari for two , plus $ 1000 in cash or , $ 5,000 cash .
Life magazine's Bi - Centennial Contest included a substantial prize including a contract to work on the staff for a year . Previous contests sponsored by some of the photo magazines had prizes that were worth $ 4000 $ 5000 for 1st place winners .
Other current contests offer luxurious trips to Europe , Asia , Mexico and elsewhere ; expensive cam eras and automobiles , scholarships to photo schools , and so on .
Of course , the more desirable the list of the prizes announced , the heavier will be the response in entries and , hence , the greater the competition and chal lenge for your entries . Also , the more numerous the prizes offered , the better are your chances of win ning at least some prize and , the more encourag ing the possibilities .
Professional contests in which the competition is for professional recognition through awards of rib bons , plaques , certificates , etc. , are valued for the status they give the winners both among their col leagues and the editors and clients whom they serve . A display of such awards in the studio reception room often helps justify higher prices being charged by the photographer so , while the actual contest prizes may not be in dollars and cents they become translated into financial gain in the long run .
The National Press Photographers Ass'n , in collab oration with the University of Missouri and an ency clopedia publisher , conducts the largest of the pho tojournalism contests annually . There are many other competitions sponsored by city and state press as sociations as well as the World Press Photo competi tion for newspaper and magazine lensmen and ladies .
The Professional Photographers of America , which includes a cross - section of professional photographers in various categories , gives awards coincident with the annual conventions of the organization . The Pho tographic Society of America , which is primarily ama teur - oriented , has some professional aspects that are recognized at the annual association conventions .
Many contests annually
Around the globe there are numerous photo con tests announced each year . Some are one - shot events others repeat annually . Some are for amateurs , some for professionals and others for both .
Whereas it is mainly the idea , the photograph's impact is what counts most with contest juries . Technique and print quality are important . In fact , to win , a picture must have impact , print quality and good photographic technique . It must have forceful content and good craftsmanship to get it across .
Don't count on winning through content alone although the chances are that a good picture will also have sufficient technique to carry it .
Because of the volume of prints submitted to many contests ( many thousands in some of the larger com petitions ) , a screening panel first runs through the entries to sift out those that have obvious faults in both technique and subject matter or , they don't comply with the rules for the contest . Those sorted out for actual judging at least have the virtues of acceptable technique and a glimmer of an idea .
With print quality out of the way , the judges con centrate on looking for pictures that say something worthwhile and , say it interestingly . The photographs that win prizes have to be compellingly attractive , contain an idea of some kind , carry con viction or otherwise get a quick response from the judging jury . It is amazing how often the winning picture is selected by the majority of judges the first time around even though it may take many hours and considerable discussion before the final selections are actually arrived at . " The good ones ' jump right out ' at you " , is the way one judge said it .
Concentration of interest is a prime factor in suc cessful contest entries . This is best achieved in the camera , by selection of subject matter , angle , timing , lighting , action , etc. Sometimes it is accomplished by intelligent cropping although this can be overdone if the final print looks incomplete and weak .
Compliance with the contest rules is a must . They mean exactly what they say . Copies of the rules may be obtained from the sponsor , at clubs , schools , cam era shops and in photo magazines and other publica tions . Be sure to read them and do what they spell out for the sponsor establishes the rules so that the end result of the contest accomplishes the purpose for which it is held .
If the rules stipulate a certain camera must be used , the contest is open only to pictures made with that particular camera or brand of camera . If there is a limitation of the number of prints or transpar encies that may be submitted , do not send more than that limit . If it states that the prints must be 8x10 " , don't submit 11x14's . Any failure of your sub mission to meet the rules will result in its immediate elimination in the first screening round !
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