Photography competitions

Learn the art of winning photography competitions.Whether you are new to photography or a glowing professional, photography competitions are well worth considering. In order to increase your winning chances, you must first understand that what you consider to be the best image is not always reflected in the final result. This may sound ambiguous to some but certain requirements must be adhered to.

To be successful entering and winning photography competitions one must first understand what the judges and the companies holding these event require. Companies usually have strict guidelines telling photographers what sort of image they are looking for. Most companies will use the winning image as promotional material for their business, so submitting images that dont meet their guidelines will certainly not be ranked.

Travel companies will be looking for an image that they can use on their brochure - so before you enter in any competition it is well worth while to take a close look at the company and the images they normally use.

Regardless of the type of image entered, photographers must submit images that are technical perfect, with good composition and proper exposure. Submitting poor quality images will waste your time along with the judges.

One of the utmost moments in any photographers career is to see his/her images displayed in the winners section of a website or newspaper or at a prize winners ceremony. This is a moment when a struggling photographers business may start to take off or give his studio an extra boost. It is also when the value of a photographers images rises.

But to win a photography competition, the right approach is very important.

Your image should hold a theme that will suit the company holding the competition. If the company is travel related they will be looking for an image that has vibrant colours; an image that has life and soul. Energy companies will want an image that will blend their industry and the environment together.

When entering a competition there will be hundreds, if not thousands of photographers with entries. To give yourself the best possible chance of winning, only submit images that you think will have a decent chance. The image that you enter should have impact and must be a photograph that you are proud of - an image that you are constantly showing off to your friends and family.

Prizes on offer vary and can range from cash to equipment. Some of the larger competitions pay out tens of thousands of dollars. Competitions that are free to enter will have smaller prizes but are still worth entering.

One thing you should remember is that some companies hold competitions to get free images. Before submitting your pictures, read the guidelines. Make sure that you will be able to sell the image after the competition and that you are not signing away the copyright of your image. If you are unsure about it and the guidelines are not clear, it is best not to enter.

There are thousands of competitions held all over the world each year. To find out which ones suit your photography contact your local camera club, or look up some of the photography directories on the web. Some of the larger competitions that are open to photographers world wide will charge a submission fee, but there are a wide selection of free competitions out there.

If you are new to photography or unsure about your chances of success its best to try a few free ones at the beginning.

Photography competitions can do so much for a photographers career - some say its the taking part that counts - but when the winner receives so much free advertising for their business, plus the large amounts of cash on offer; I think they are worth taking seriously.
About the author: TJ Tierney is an award winning photographer and a freelance writer.

Some Of the Reasons Why you Should Begin Photoblog Now

Web logs or blogs have quickly become one of the most common forms of self expression. They allow people to post their thoughts on the Internet, to be viewed by the world at large. Usually they are done in text, but now technology has opened a whole new generation of blogs, known as photo blogs.

Remember the old expression, "a picture speaks a thousand words"? Photo blogging is the embodiment of this concept. Instead of people voicing the stories that they want to share by writing them out, they do so using photographs. These pictures can often convey sentiments that are hard to express in words and invoke the emotions of those who view them. Not all of them are dramatic portraits that required years of skill to take. They can be as simple as a mother smiling with tears in her eyes, as she holds a new baby in her arms. A picture like this sends a lot of messages, from the appreciation of new life, to the huge responsibilities that parents hold, as symbolized by the child in the mother's arms.

Many photo bloggers are expert photographers and share their art with the world through their blogs. Many of these photographers have received acclaim for their skills and have been recognized as the true artists that they are. They post pictures that they have taken all over the world, from serene mountain scenes, to violent confrontations. All of their pictures convey certain messages by the images that they contain.

Amateur photographers also use photo blogging as a way to establish themselves as artists. They may not be able to travel the world over to obtain their pictures, but can still take them locally to convey their messages. A picture taken of children at play in a schoolyard can carry invoke all kinds of emotions if taken at the right angle and with varying light. Even a picture as simple as a person deep in thought while walking a dog can convey the message of a how an animal can be happy while attached to a leash, while also showing how humans can suffer although they are free to do what they want.

Photo blogging has become so popular that forums have been created for them. Here people can talk about blogging, get advice on techniques or share their pictures. So much for the old photo albums that you used to pull out when you had a visitor. Now you can share all of your favorite photographs with the millions of people that surf the web just to view them.

If you love to take pictures and are proud of your work, consider starting a photo blog. It may be the most rewarding way for you to enjoy your hobby and display your craft.

Author Resource:-> Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as photo restoration at http://www.photorestorationservices.com
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