The First Honest Photography Contest
January 10, 2009
Last year I spent nearly $1000 entering various photo contests, in the hopes of getting free publicity and capturing the attention of art buyers (of all kinds). All I ended up doing was enriching places like Aperture, Communication Arts, and the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Of course those bastards know that the big money in photography comes not from making photos but from taking money from photographers. For example, the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize cost at least $75 per entry, with 1,700 entries — do the math.
I’ve been quietly stewing about wasting my time and money on these stupid contests, growing ever more cynical, when I had a bit of a brain storm…. Why not start my own contest, with me as the judge, and make some money of my own from my fellow photographers? I’m going to call it the First Honest Photography Contest — because I’m admitting up front that I’m biased, subjective, and out to make a buck.
It’s going to start small. Five entries, $20 per, submitted via email and paid via PayPal to yours truly. Make the single images no larger than 1000 pixels tall. Embed your name, contact info, copyright, title, etc. in the image’s metadata (Photoshop → File → File Info). I’ll “judge” the five entries and give the winner $80, keeping $20 for my trouble (minus PayPal fees all around). No, I won’t enter myself, and yes, of course I am subjective and biased but I admit that up front. If I know you, I will try my best to be impartial but nobody will ever really know where my heart lies so why bullshit about it?
The winner gets their photo posted in one of my blog posts. This site gets an average of 1,200 unique, real visits per day, most of whom are other photographers (if you know where the photo buyers are please let me know….) Basically you’ll make a few bucks and get bragging rights. And your odds are really great considering the small number of entries.
If I get five entries in a timely manner, I’ll expand the contest to ten, then twenty-five and so on. If it turns out to be popular I’ll build a dedicated website and talk to lawyers about the legality of all this. Maybe I’ll have to move offshore, who knows? But right now I doubt that Interpol really could give a hoot considering the numbers involved.
Contest ends once I get the first five paid entries. My PayPal ID is my email. If it bombs and I don’t get five entries within a week I’ll refund your entry fee. Initially I am not going to publicize this on the photography websites — I want to learn a little more about my audience first. Oh and no stupid questions or whining — if you find this all too complex or unfair then simply don’t enter.
Reader Comments (add yours)
1. Anonymous — Jan 11 2009 12:25 PM
So basically, you start with the premise that there is no integrity to this contest?
2. Frank P — Jan 11 2009 06:56 PM
I'm just telling you upfront what's what. Nobody is twisting your arm to enter.