SHOULD YOU ENTER PHOTOGRAPHY CONTESTS?
https://tracywhiteside.pixieset.com/fantasyart/
SHOULD YOU ENTER PHOTOGRAPHY CONTESTS?
I've been doing a bit of contemplation about entering photography
contests lately. It's not about a lack of confidence in my skills (most of the
time)—I'm all about that self-love and creative pride. But there's this
lingering question in my mind: are contests really the bee's knees, or is it
just a wild goose chase?
No one was more surprised than I was when I won the
Artistic Category in the 2023 Smithsonian Photography Contest. That was due to
my collaboration with model/makeup artist, Karla Baxa. (See winning image in
this post.) Of course, I was thrilled, honored. There were 36,000 entries
because entry is free. Winners receive cash prizes. Obviously, I split the money
with Karla.
However, I didn’t see any difference in my business-meaning
no increase in followers, sales, inquiries, etc. Although I did receive some congratulatory
messages and phone calls from people I didn’t even know. That was lovely.
Contest entry is typically time consuming. Resizing the
image, writing about it, and each contest has different requirements on sizing
and what to write about. And the file names: last name first or image name
first or don't include your name...etc.
On top of this, most contests are now charging a fee. 2
years ago, I would only pay a fee to a prestigious contest such as The
Lucie Awards or Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. Now, I don't want to pay anyone
a fee. This goes back to, "I won a Smithsonian contest category, and no
one cared except me."
Entering the Smithsonian again is pointless. With 36,000+
entries and the fact that I won once, I doubt I could win again. Sony and Nikon
have free contests, but I shoot Canon. Would they award a photographer using a
competing brand? Other contests offer one entry for free, but do they award
images that are unpaid? Certainly, there are other free contests but not for
the type of photography I create.
Continuing my rant is the AI, artificial intelligence,
issue. Most paying contests do not differentiate AI from actual
photography. I will blather on about that in a different post. This is a
huge issue for me because photography is photography and AI is something
different.
All of this is concerning to me because I have been sporadically
entering contests since 2020. My achievements are on my CV and on my website.
If I stop entering contests, there will be no new successes. Does it look like I
am not progressing? At this point in my career, do I care? I am winding down,
not gearing up. So, at this point, I believe I have answered my own question. Putting
energy into contests is not an effective use of my time. But if you are gearing
up your photography career, I would say you should invest the time and energy.
Set a budget then do your research. Be sure the contests
you enter are legitimate, prestigious, and within your budget. Many contests
are just money-making schemes. Google the contest with the word “scam” after it
and see what you find. Don’t pay for a contest that does not have the potential
for prize money. Don’t pay $75 to submit one image unless you have plenty of
disposable income.
Wishing you success in your adventure.
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