After reading a post about how to win photo contests, I decided to throw in my twenty won on how to do it in Korea. So this post won’t actually help you win anything but I thought that I would do a sort of write up about entering contests. I apologize if the title is a bit misleading. Basically, after judging the Korea Bridge Photo Contest I decided to write out my thoughts.

1. Read the Fine Print

Many contests will have an FAQ section or a terms and conditions section that you should read first before considering entering. Thanks to the power of the internet, all borders are open except when it comes to winning something and that tid-bit might be buried in the fine print like “Contest open to all US citizens and Canada… excluding Quebec” Being as how many of us are in Korea, you might want to check if foreigners can enter.  As many contests in the West are only open to residents, this may apply to the contest that you are entering here in Korea, especially if it is not directed at foreigners. I have been submitting to a lot of local contests around Ulsan these days thanks to Sungjin Kim who keeps me updated!

To my knowledge foreign participants can enter and from the warm response I get at the receptions, our participation is greatly appreciated. I like entering these competitions as I get to interact with local photographers. However, you may need a Korean friend to help with the rules and whatnot. Also, winning prizes may cause a problem with your visa. To my knowledge it is still a grey area but if you are not sure, post a question on the numerous message boards on the topic because the answer may be a a little complex.

Also make sure you find the submission rules. Some contests are thinly veiled marketing schemes to generate ad material for their business and have you pay them to do so. Watch the rights and usage because contests like the KTO Photo contest, will take the rights to the winning entries. If you are not happy with that, don’t enter.

The KTO assumes full ownership of submitted materials upon submission and may use images in any shape or form for promotion, publication, distribution to a third party, etc. Contest entrants waive property rights upon submission.(From the information download via the KTO Website)

I know that may seem harsh but if you have a great photo and it wins and you then hand over the rights to the organization, you can’t really use that photo again because you don’t have the rights to do so any more. Now, I don’t know much about the official laws regarding rights and usage but that is my very basic understanding and I want you all to be aware of it.

2. Acquaint Yourself with the Theme

Unless the contest is for “any photos you think are good”  then I want you all to be picky with your shots. Read the theme, look at the past entries. What does the theme mean to you? Remember, if you have to spend more time explaining how your image of people sitting in a coffee shop fits a theme of “water” than it took you take the photo and process it, then it probably doesn’t fit. People need to “get it” immediately. Don’t just think that the judges being creative people will follow your train of thought. If the theme is water, then include water or something the looks like water.

Sometimes the topic is very specific like “Monochrome Animal Pictures” and by just dumping irrelevant photos into the mix will set you back. Think about not only what the theme is, but what the judges are looking for in that theme. I recently entered a video contest about Korea. Sadly, what I realize now is that the contest clear was about wanting to show the exciting life in Korea and what it has to offer the prospective traveler.  My entry, a time lapse of  Korea does not really scream “Come to Korea!” and that was what the judges were probably looking for.  So, lesson learned.

3. Quality, Quality, Quality!

So you have some shots that are “perfect” for the contest but how good are they? What resolution are they at? What size are they?  Sometimes we can be too easy on ourselves when we think about our own photos. A great way to check your reality is to ask some one else. If they are a photographer, that is great, but anyone will do. A fresh set of eyes will help point out things and give you some insight. Social networking is great for this now.

The main thing that you want to keep in mind is to only submit your best and most recent work (some contest have a rule about old submissions). If you only have one photo to submit then only submit that photo, but make sure it is your best. If you have to go back and reprocess, then do so! Hell, I have even gone back and re-shot some photos because I knew that I could do better.

The thing that you have to realize is just like showing a portfolio, you want to show your best work. So there is no point in submitting something that is mediocre in a vague hope that it will win. Be critical, reprocess or even re-shoot.

Also check the resolution and sizes. Nothing makes a judge wince more than a photo pushed too high for it’s resolution resulting in a pixelated mess. If you have to reprocess do so, just don’t take the lazy way out.

Leave the time stamps off and DO NOT include your watermark or blog title. Nothing detracts from a photo like something that doesn’t belong there. If your photo is good enough to win that will drive traffic to your site. Don’t think that the judges don’t know what you are up to by including your web address in your photo.

4. Be Creative

A lot of the times I see photos that fit the theme but just are not creative. If I said “Korean Temples” How many of you would get that same shot of side-shot Bulguksa in your head? or the colorful corner roof of a temple, looking up? You get what I am saying. The shots that get scored high (in my opinion) are the ones that the photographer managed to perfectly capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment or are just brilliant in the way that the photographer mastered everything to make the photography explode off the frame.

The photographer’s ability to take a seemingly normal subject and make it interesting and awesome is something that is the holy grail of contest submissions. This does not mean using a retro camera or anything to do with cross-processing… put your fedora down and take off those skinny jeans. Judges tend to dislike HDR as well (yup… that includes me…). The reason is that if the subject is overly processed and “fake” looking when it is not meant to be, takes away from the subject. Also poorly composed shots using “retro cameras” where the photographer was hoping to get lucky thinking that by simply shooting with a manual pentax spotmatic F and Fuji’s ISO 50 Velvia film thinking that it would magically give them a great shot… is also not recommended.

5. Know your Audience 

If you enter a tourism contest, use photos that have that tourism feel. This is different than a theme in the way even if the contest is about “the beach” and you have some dark moody shots of a man walking alone on a beach on a rainy day they may not meet the mark for a competition for Busan Tourism where they are looking for shots to show how fun Haeundae is in the summer.

Also get to know the works of the sponsoring organization and even the judges. This will give you a better idea of what they are looking for. Again, companies that sponsor photo events naturally want their products or services included in the shots but also to look good. This also goes for city and national competitions. They generally want the places to look great.

Also think about where you re submitting to. Koreans have a different view of subject matter than people in the West.  Some competitions that are geared towards “foreigners” want to show foreigners having fun more prominently than others. The Korea Tourism Contest almost always favours the typical touristy shots of Korea (wide shots of green landscapes, temples,  foreigners making kimchi, tea fields, etc). SO, gritty and moody images of traffic congestion and downtown partying usually don’t rank that high.

Lastly, the best reason that I feel you need to enter contest is to push yourself and have your results judged. Too often we are looking for a pat on the back when we take a good photo. With the internet, we can somewhat hide ourselves and thus trash other people’s work when they use the words “critique” I find that both of these have negative impacts on the development of our photography. Having your photos judge by a panel of people gives you a clearer indication of what you should improve on.

You may not a get an actual response but that may give you enough to step back and look at the winning results. Why did they win? What did they do differently? How did they achieve that “look”? These are all questions you need to ask yourself every time you see a great photo but for reason after a contest has finished we find ourselves looking for those answers with a little more context. The point I guess that I am making here is that the purpose of the contest goes beyond the aspect of competition and “being better than the other guy” and father than the winning prize can take you.

The purpose is to examine your photos in a more public context. To have people look at your photos with an objective eye and for you to look at the others. Seek the answers and ask the right questions at these events, you will be amazed at what you an find. Use these contests for a learning tool that provides a prize for the best student.

Lastly, do some research and find out what contests are running and what has been submitted. Research what it takes