8 Reasons To Enter Competitions

Last week the Stony Brook Camera Club (SBCC) meeting included the Image of the Year competition. I was interested to find out what this was about and figured I would be able to at least see some great photos. Since I am a newbie to SBCC, I had no idea how photos were entered for this or how the contest was run. To my surprise I found out that since I “ribboned” in one of the monthly contests I was automatically in the Image of the Year competition. The even bigger surprise was when my photo won Image of the Year in the Color – Open – Digital, Class B category. As a result, it got me thinking about competitions and I’ve compiled eight reasons to enter competitions as a way to grow and learn as a photographer and artist.

Entering competitions can seem daunting and intimidating but there are good reasons to enter competitions. Here’s the list I compiled.

1. It’s Fun!

No one takes up photography because they think it drudgery or boring. Above all, it should be fun. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing; you’re doing something wrong.

Remember when you were a little kid and you played all kinds of games. Winning was nice, but that wasn’t really why you played. You played for the sheer joy of the game. Enter competitions like you were a kid again and enjoy the experience.

2. Competitions Helps Break You Out Of Your Comfort Zone

It’s easy to fall into a routine. In fact, many people suggest you establish a standard workflow for your post-processing. Couple all this with the fact that we tend to stick to subjects and genres we know and like and before you know it, you’re well established in a newly created “comfort zone”. Consequently, getting too comfortable makes it easy to get stuck in a creative rut.

Entering competitions is a good way to make sure you challenge yourself. You can’t settle for the same old. With competitions you need to bring your “A” game.

3. Competitions Are A Good Way To Receive Feedback From An Expert

Getting good feedback is a great way to improve your photography. Fortunately, good competitions have expert judges, people who are known for their expertise and skill. They’re in a position to give you direct, honest feedback on your work. This isn’t your mother saying, “Oh my, that’s a nice photo, dear.” The kind you get from your mother is well, reassuring and comforting but not all the helpful. On the other hand, the kind of feedback you get from competition judges is invaluable. At the SBCC competition, Denise Silva was the judge and did an excellent job. She provided insight into the photos that I couldn’t have imagined.  Thank you, Denise.

Not all competitions have the judge giving feedback on all photos; some do it on all photos, some have it for just those that made the final cut and some don’t give any direct feedback. When you are considering entering a particular contest ask about what kind of feedback will be provided.

4. Success Can Be Motivating

Doing well in a competition can motivate to you to continue to improve your skills and to experiment. The thrill of winning is wonderful. But that great feeling is soon replaced with the concern that you can’t do it again. After all, no one wants to be a one-hit wonder. Satchel Paige famously said, “Don’t look back. Somebody may be gaining on you.” Enjoy the victory for a moment and then get back to work.

5. The Agony Of Defeat Can Be More Motivating Than Success

As nice as winning is, it turns out losing may be more motivational. No matter how great you think your art is, it was found to be lacking. That kind of realization stings; and stings mightily. The way to ease that sting is to work harder, hone your skill, take chances and keep trying. Success isn’t easy. If it was, everyone would have it. Finally, to quote Samuel Smiles:

“We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery”

6. Learn What Success Looks Like

Competitions give you a realistic view of how you compare to others and what your skill level really is. More importantly, it gives you a target to aim for. With a target you now see what it takes to win. There’s the old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” Competitions give you an understanding of what kind of skills you need to develop. It may be difficult but at least you have a target to aim at.

7. Get Inspired

At competitions you’ll see an array of photos. You’ll find subjects, techniques, genres all presented in a wide variety of ways; many that you could not have imagined. The most exciting ones are the entries the have you saying to yourself, “I wonder how they thought of that/did that”. Because of this variety it’s a fantastic way to get fresh ideas and inspiration to apply to your work. Sometimes, creativity just needs a little nudge to get it started. Competitions could be just the nudge you need.

8. Promote Your Art

Even if we aren’t all that interested in selling our work, we want to show it to others and be recognized for the quality of our work. Now that the iPhone has made everyone in the world a photographer it is especially difficult to stand out from the crowd. Participating in competitions is a good way to become known and to get your art out where others will see it.

Two Things To Keep In Mind About Competitions

Hopefully, I’ve provided enough reasons to enter competitions and have convinced you to give it a try. I hope you will. If you do decide to give it a try there are two things to keep in mind.

• Read the rules very carefully

  Every competition sets their own rules about what they will accept. Read the rules very carefully. If any of the rules are not clear or you have a question, contact the competition administrator and get clarification. Don’t assume anything. Otherwise, you might be disqualified for a rules violation. Being disqualified because you didn’t read the rules is even harder to take than not winning. Some common types of rules concern:

  • Presentation – rules on sizes, aspect ratios, matting sizes and colors
  • Genre definitions – what is allowable in a particular genre category. For example, some competitions will allow people and man-made structures in landscapes; others strictly forbid it
  • Technique limitation – what techniques are allowable. For example, sometimes sepia or toned images are allowed in black and white categories, sometimes not.
  • Creative editing – this includes things like adding or removing elements to a photo. Also, multiple exposures and compositing of images may be limited
  • Time limits – some competitions limit entries to work made within a specific time frame

• Read the fine print

  Sadly, some competitions are scams to get the rights to your work without having to pay for it. For instance, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) recently noted that the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW) solicited photos for their photo library through a “Photo Campaign” in a blatant rights grab. Once you give them your photo you no longer have any rights to it including being able to subsequently publish your own photo. The NANPA article provides more information on what to look for in the rules to protect your rights

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