Well, competition season is over for me and it’s time to study the results. :)
This year, for the first time, I decided to enter the International Print Competition sponsored by the Professional Photographers of America. I also entered the regional competition and the state competition but it’s the national one that you worry about the most.
The way it works is, you enter up to 4 images. Each image is shown to a panel of judges who then decide if the image deserves a “merit.” Here’s what the judges look for..
I was very fortunate to have all four of my images selected for merits this year. I’m told that’s rare for a first time. Only 17.6% of the people who entered four images were able to merit all four.
Here’s the images I entered:
The Send-off
Lost and Found
Almost Ready
A Deep Breath
Will I enter again next year? I don’t know. It’s fun but also frustrating because you never know who will be judging and what they will think. Art is so subjective. It’s not uncommon to see an image win best in show at one competition and not even merit at another.
I wanted to do it this year just so I could see what it’s like. Time will tell if I continue. :)