Which Photo Competitions to enter?

There has been a lot of info here on how to take good images and what photo competitions like to see. But I’ve never seen any info on how to pick which contests to enter. How would you folks rank the different contests in terms of significance or importance? I’ve learned the hard way that some contests are better run than others.

I entered my first contest last year in the Visions in the Sea competition and won the Amateur DSLR category which sounded great at first. But then things started to go south, the winners were posted on facebook instead of on a real website where you could send your friends to see the images. I’ve never received my prize, after so many emails I’ve lost count, and most importantly the organization (Shark Trust) that I wanted to help by entering hasn’t used the image and don’t have any plans to.

The winners were finally posted on the Visions web site 3 months later and honestly they don’t look so good. Mine isn’t even formatted correctly. OK, so the people got to raise some money for the Shark Trust, and everyone had a good time, I can live with that, still glad to have helped. The other shoe drops when I realize that because I’ve won a contest I can’t enter the image in other bigger contests later in the year. And because the prize I won (that I never got) was worth a few hundred dollars I’m not an amateur anymore so I get to compete against Keri (which really sucks). So now I’m learning that there is a strategy to this contest thing.

Does it go something like - save your best images for the best contests? How is one supposed to know the best contests? Need a little help here, how would you folks rank the U/W contests?

Cheers,

Steve Williams

Sorry to hear of your bad experience, Steve.

As a general rule competitions that only allow amateurs have less kudos, but often have better prizes!

This discussion is worth a look:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33557

Alex

Thanks Alex, not sure how I missed that thread. Feel free to stick this one together with it. I'd still like to hear from folks how they would rank the contests mentioned. So far we have;

BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Our World Underwater

Deep Indonesia

Antibes - (What's it called now?)

Fotosub

CMAS World Championship

Natures Best

BSoUP ??

How would you all rank these or others that we need to add?

Steve

Hi Steve,

Well, you forgot one of the oldest underwater photo contests, the Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society's International Underwater Photographic Competition. We're going into our 48th year of offering this international competition. It's been really well run for years and everyone who wins usually gets a great prize like: live-aboard diving, land based dive trips, photo equipment, dive equipment and more.

This year the digital and video entry categories include Macro, Wide Angle, Behavior, Photo Essay (a new category for this year), Green/Cold Water diving in the digital still categories and in video, Raw Video and Edited Video.

Entries are due by September 18, 2010. Professional judging will take place on October 9th and 10th. Winners are usually announced and posted before the New Year. For some reason it takes a while to verify all winners are valid entires and get them posted. Except for the judging, it's all done by volunteers too.

I know all this because A) I'm one of several volunteers on the LAUPS IUPC committee and B) I'm reading from the new flyer for this year.

Visit our website for competition guidelines, rules and entry forms. www.laups.org

Good luck and have fun,

Dave

Thanks Dave,

Great info. I should have remembered. I used to attend the meetings back in the early 90's before moving to the desert. Super bunch of people to dive with too.

Cheers,

Steve

I entered my first contest last year in the Visions in the Sea competition and won the Amateur DSLR category which sounded great at first. But then things started to go south, the winners were posted on facebook instead of on a real website where you could send your friends to see the images. I’ve never received my prize, after so many emails I’ve lost count, and most importantly the organization (Shark Trust) that I wanted to help by entering hasn’t used the image and don’t have any plans to.

Oh man, sorry to hear about this. Try not to let it take too much away from the fact you won.

Oh man, sorry to hear about this. Try not to let it take too much away from the fact you won.

Hey, I've won every competition I've ever entered, can't be too bad. Should be a lesson for those comtemplating putting on a show/contest though. There is a lot more to it than just asking folks to send you their pictures, and getting some great judges.

How would you rank the competitions?

Cheers,

Steve

Hey, I've won every competition I've ever entered, can't be too bad. Should be a lesson for those comtemplating putting on a show/contest though. There is a lot more to it than just asking folks to send you their pictures, and getting some great judges.

 

How would you rank the competitions?

 

Cheers,

Steve

There are just so many things out there to enter that are good, and I just enter a few now and leave it at that. There are some many ways people could rank the contests based on different criteria and I do not enter many of the ones that have been mentioned.

OWU/DEEP are two of them. I find the entry system easy to deal with, the rules straight forward and Eric/Jason are good people. Good communications from them which to me is something I like.

Same goes for Underwater Images. (uwimages.org) Roger Roth, who runs that is another real good straight up guy with good communications and straight forward rules.

Beneath The Sea is the last, which is the major local dive show in my neck of the woods.

In terms of non-prize things, as you know I like the San Diego Underwater Film Exhibition (sdufex.com). I really like the people involved there (Eric, Mary Lynn, Mick, Chuck and all the rest, just a great group) and having videos shown on the big screen is just a blast. Plus I have a buddy from AZ who comes out to hang for it, which is great

When it comes down to it, the contests are great and a good way to get feedback on how things are going. It is nice to get the acknowledgment at least once at some point, not going to deny that at all. But to me, the Fin Foundation makes you a bigger winner in my book than any old contest

Sorry to hear about Your bad experience Steve! Thanks for leting us know about it - I now know another comp wich not to enter.

I have had good experience with Beneath the Sea comp (I would place it in the list to the second part of top ten).

And for European folks there is the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Cheers

Karel

Hi Steve,

 

Well, you forgot one of the oldest underwater photo contests, the Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society's International Underwater Photographic Competition. We're going into our 48th year of offering this international competition. It's been really well run for years and everyone who wins usually gets a great prize like: live-aboard diving, land based dive trips, photo equipment, dive equipment and more.

 

This year the digital and video entry categories include Macro, Wide Angle, Behavior, Photo Essay (a new category for this year), Green/Cold Water diving in the digital still categories and in video, Raw Video and Edited Video.

 

Entries are due by September 18, 2010. Professional judging will take place on October 9th and 10th. Winners are usually announced and posted before the New Year. For some reason it takes a while to verify all winners are valid entires and get them posted. Except for the judging, it's all done by volunteers too.

 

I know all this because A) I'm one of several volunteers on the LAUPS IUPC committee and B) I'm reading from the new flyer for this year.

 

Visit our website for competition guidelines, rules and entry forms. www.laups.org

 

Good luck and have fun,

Dave

Looks like a solid competition.

Might have to enter a few pics.

Looks like a solid competition.

 

Might have to enter a few pics.

Please do. Historically, it is probably the oldest competition in the states, and every first place winner traditionally gets a trip. We have added a new category this year for a group of pics that tell a story. Check it out.

Bill (LAUPS Board Member)

Folks,

Just a note to clear the record for the Visions in the Sea contest. After multiple e-mails and lots of help from my UK wetpixel friends (Thanks Tim!) I contacted the sales manager for Bonica and asked them to provide some adult supervision to their distributor who was supposed to provide the prize. It's clear to me now that the folks at Visions did all they could to help me out so you shouldn't hesitate to support the competition. The core problem seems to rest firmly with the supplier, some outfit called Blandford Sub Aqua in the UK. I feel sorry for the dive shops who have to work with these folks.

So 9 months after winning the prize and 2 days before I fly to Bali I received a note today from Bonica company headquarters.

Dear Steve,

Sorry for the delay of send you the prize! We have a miss-communication problem with our UK agent. Now we got the whole thing clear out.

Will you give me your update address so I can send you the camera?

Fascinatingly, I leave Monday for 3 weeks in Indonesia and I have been telling these bozos this for 9 months. When I called this morning, as soon as I got the note they of course can't get the camera to me in time for the flight, though they wanted to try..

So that's the end of my little saga. It's time now to get my mind right for 3 beautiful weeks in the Flores Sea. The only remaining question which will forever go unanswered is who thought it would be a good idea to have a video camera as a prize in a stills competition.

Have fun guys, I'm going to,

Steve

Have fun guys, I'm going to,

Hey you got the 7D, it shoots video and you are going away to a great place for three weeks. Do not let this detract from the

Amazing story. Too bad Bonica couldn't get it to you in time. Have you tried to see if a U.S. dealer can hook you up somehow and get it to you for Saturday Delivery by working with Bonica (though I would guess the main offices are closed now?)

Amazing story. Too bad Bonica couldn't get it to you in time. Have you tried to see if a U.S. dealer can hook you up somehow and get it to you for Saturday Delivery

The sage continues Drew. Bonica's head office is in BC. They are now going to move heaven and earth to get it to me. Plan is to ship it to the airport Hilton at LAX for me to pick up Monday before the flight. Any bets on that working?

The funniest part is all the packing and work I've done for the camera gear luggage just went right out the window. I don't even know what they're sending me. So much for practising in the pool. You just have to laugh.

Steve

Sorry to hear about your saga, Steve. OTOH, you're headed to one of the most beautiful dive destinations on earth. My experience is that trying to shoot video on a still trip is distracting and not worth the trouble. If it were me, I'd take whatever they ship you in LAX, put a new label on it and ship it home. (But that's just me.) As Drew said, if you get the urge to shoot some video, just use the 7D. That's a fabulous camera, and I have no doubt you will come home with dozens of marvelous shots!

Enjoy yourself, be careful not to eat too much of that greasy, garlicy, spicy food - I've spent several days in bed (and running to the head) on more than one Indonesian trip...

I've been thinking the same thing Bruce. It might be fun to leave the Bonica on the dive deck and let everyone shoot some stuff on the boat just for fun. Underwater I'm going to focus on the 7D. Thanks for the heads up on the food, I've spent a few months over the years in Mexico learning that lesson.

Cheers,

Steve

The sage continues Drew. Bonica's head office is in BC. They are now going to move heaven and earth to get it to me. Plan is to ship it to the airport Hilton at LAX for me to pick up Monday before the flight. Any bets on that working?

Fingers crossed for you on that. Could be fun to have if it makes it, but don't sweat it too much....

The funniest part is all the packing and work I've done for the camera gear luggage just went right out the window. I don't even know what they're sending me. So much for practising in the pool. You just have to laugh.

Steve

Yup, exactly what I was thinking. When the packing is done, sort of becomes like Monty Python's Meaning of Life - One thin wafer mint and Kabloom!!

Guess you saw the Bonica Website. Not sure if you have seen the units in real life at a show, but they are fairly small and portable. I have kicked around the idea of getting one due to its size at various times to have something to shoot.

Just a quick addition to the original topic of this thread: the Northern California Underwater Photography Society runs a yearly contest and it, like LAUPS, is excellent.

I've entered this competition two years in a row and have nothing but good things to say about the people running it, the prizes, and the format of the competition. The contest for those who are looking is SEA 2010. This years contest is not up yet.

www.ncups.org

Just a quick addition to the original topic of this thread: the Northern California Underwater Photography Society runs a yearly contest and it, like LAUPS, is excellent.

 

I've entered this competition two years in a row and have nothing but good things to say about the people running it, the prizes, and the format of the competition. The contest for those who are looking is SEA 2010. This years contest is not up yet.

 

www.ncups.org

I have the exact same good feeling about NCUPS and SEA contest. I won it two years ago and they were extremely helpful with everything.