One of the most enjoyable aspects of being a member of a photography association is the print competition. Whether you are entering or just watching, those nights are just plain fun.
PPGF has three print competitions each year, and the entries never disappoint the observer. If you are not sure about competition you can do one of two things. Either sit it out and watch silently, trying to guess what score the judges will give each print, or take the plunge and enter. Just take a chance and have some fun.
A Primer
by Bill Hitz
Let's review the steps to enter competition, and talk a little about what happens during the judging.
First, go through your best recent work and find several images that you think really stand out. Impact is the primary criteria that judges consider (but certainly not the only one). You can enter up to four prints into the competition. Then consider the category that each print might go in.
The categories are Portrait, Pictorial Portrait, Pictorial Non-portrait, Social Function, Commercial, Unclassified, Digital, and Storybook (album). Portrait normally refers to in-studio works, but can also include locations such as a client's home. Pictorial Portraitrefers to a portrait that uses the environment as a personality within the work. The obvious example is a family on the beach. Pictorial Non-portrait includes landscapes and other natural scenes without human subjects. Social function is for wedding day images and other such events, but would not include a bridal portrait done in the studio.Commercial is intended for photographs taken for advertising and other non-consumer photography. If you happen to enter a print that also has the ad copy on it, you must supply a sheet showing the final printed ad. You may not create a fake ad as an entry.Unclassified is an everything else category, but a great place to enter journalistic or documentary photographs. The Digital category is intended for prints specifically designed to show off excellence in manipulation with software. The Storybook entry is for albums for weddings and other family stories.
 Some categories can get pretty crowded some nights, while others have little competition. But it's not possible to predict, so a strategy based on how many others may enter is a gamble at best. Entering all of your work into one category leaves you competing with yourself, but may increase your chances to win that category. A better strategy may be to simply enter a strong photograph in each category. Let your images speak for themselves and enter them where appropriate. Then let the chips fall where they will. Keep in mind that the competition committee chair, the moderator or any judge may re-classify your entry if it does not appear to be correctly entered. This can actually be to your benefit sometimes.
Some more "good-to-know" facts and rules:
• No more than one entry of the same subject.
• An image must be between 4x5" and 16x20".
• The mounted print itself must be 16x20". The image must be either mounted on the print or you can create borders with Photoshop or other program.
• The print must be mounted on material not to exceed 1/4". Tip: 3/16" black Foamcore® board is highly recommended - you may lose points using a board with white borders.
• A print may only be entered once, unless it previously received a score of 69 or worse and has been substantially improved.
• A panel of three judges will view each entry under controlled lighting and give each print an averaged score between 0 and 100.
• Varying points will be awarded to you by PPGF for prints scoring between 70 and 100 and applied to the "Photographer of the Year" and other guild awards at the end of the year.
• The case containing your print(s) must be turned into the salon committee no later than a half hour before the beginning of the meeting (normally by 7 PM). However, you don't have to be present to enter. Another member may delivery and turn in your case for you. Just be sure they are early or on time!
Competition is not just about winning first, second or third in a category. It is about learning from the scores and winning ribbons for your entries. It is about listening to judges' critiques about yours and others' prints, and learning what they see. It is about becoming both a better photographer and a better printer. Different scores will win different ribbons, each one a prize for your clients to see, and a reminder to you of competition night, and what you learned about your entries.
You could read much more, but there is nothing better than experiencing competition yourself. Your heart will race when your print is before the judges as you anticipate their scores. Your mind will be totally alert as you try to guess the scores that the judges will give other photographers' prints.
You must be a PPGF member with your dues paid up to enter competition, but we invite all professional photographers in the community to be our guests in the audience and enjoy the event.
Contestants, log in to the website and in the left column select Documents, then click on Competitions, and download the three PDFs, which include Rules, Entry Form and Print Labels for the back of your prints. Remember,you must also bring a CD with low resolution copies of your entries. Finally, your case with entries must be turned in by 7:00 PM.
When: February, July and October
Where: Hollywood Jaycees.
|
