Contests and Considerations

As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm entering two competitions every month. There seems to be no shortage of contests - whether it's magazines, online events, or galleries. However, not all are appropriate for me right now. So, here's the criteria I've chosen:

1) Online only - any contests where I have eventually deliver framed prints or anything similar is not going to work right now. It's too big of an investment. Also, online is fast and easy - it suits my traveling lifestyle.

2) Relatively low fees - one contest charged $15 an entry. That adds up! Right now, I'm not going to spend more than $30 a month on entry fees. If I start making progress, I'll adjust accordingly.

3) Direct fit - I always browse the previous winners' work to make sure my work is in line. This is why I rejected the National Geographic contest. My work isn't exactly what they're looking for. I really want to be smart about my submissions, and not just approach this randomly.

So, what did I choose? I entered Smithsonian Magazine's 8th Annual Photo Contest. Here's the picture I chose for The Natural World category:



The next contest (I have promised myself to do two a month, after all) will hopefully be one where I can submit some of my butterfly or floral shots. In my opinion, they're my prettiest, as well as the most difficult to execute from a technical perspective.

Till tomorrow!