I have thought long and hard about entering photo contests and posting my work on-line. Every contest from National Geographic down to the Durum Museum has similar wording in the “official rules” (two exceptions would be the contests held by the Bluffs Arts Counsel
http://bluffsarts.org/page26.asp and Prairie Winds Art Center
http://www.prairiewindsart.com/Page32.html, neither of which require/allow electronic submissions). At least when you submit to a contest, the organizers are up front about using the work royalty free. When photos are posted on Flicker, Facebook, or even here, who knows where they will end up!
I can’t resist the fact that I love to enter contests though. About a year ago, a professional photographer asked me why I like them so much. At first I couldn’t think of a good reason other than my own insecurities of wanting to be noticed and simply sharing my work. The more I thought about about it though, the more I felt like I should continue to enter them. I’ve never really felt like I’m simply giving something away. What I get from contests is judgment from the public (and sometimes professionals) of how my stuff compares to other contestants, cheep publicity, and self-gratification/bragging rights. I think the value of being able to say, “Look everybody! The OWH showed my picture!” is a worthwhile marketing tool. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever not sold a photo because a couple hundred thousand people saw it on the Nat Geo web site or tens of thousands of people saw it in the Omaha World Harold. I do know that more than once, I have heard people look at my stuff and say “hey that’s the picture we saw on the news, how much is it?” (ketv ulocal) and then bought it.
I understand the statement that it’s not fair for the park department to hold a contest like this. I agree that there is little to no chance of selling a photo to them now, or a Nebraska photo to the World Harold, they already got them for free. The way I look at it is if I were the type of person who had spent years learning how to mow the best designs in grass, invested thousands of dollars in the best equipment I could get, had thousands of these designs already complete, and the main reason I had all that was just because I loved doing it, I would enter a “who can mow the park the best” contest. My thought process is that if 25% of the people who were at memorial park yesterday were to see that design and said “I sure would like to have this design in my yard” and 25% of those bought the design from me, that would be a worthwhile return on my investment of hitting the “submit” button. Seems like a symbiotic relationship to me.
I don’t understand the statement that holding a contest like this is “cheaper than working for a living”. I’ve never done it, but I don’t imagine these web sites come on-line, contests are judged, and winners posted without work. I’m certain books don’t get published without work. We all know that nothing is free.
I also love being able able to here other photographers opinions and being able to share my own thoughts on this forum so please, keep the posts about contests coming. Just don’t enter them if you don’t find any value in it.
