Why I Don't Enter Photo Contests: 4-H and Entrepreneurship

I stopped submitting work to entry-fee based photo contests years ago. I just didn't like the thought of putting my money into someone else's pocket. There are other reasons too, and it appears that I'm not alone in thinking about this. I read a popular blog this morning about photo contests. Along with the whole money issue, he and I share other reasons:

1. There are so many people entering, the chances of actually winning are slim. And, there are ringers. Photographers build reputations with their name and branding of their work. Commercially, this isn't a bad thing. While I'm sure there are practices in place for "blind" judging, it's sometimes inevitable that the imagery/photographer is already known.
2. There is usually no feedback on the photos submitted unless you win.  I didn't like the thought of sending in images and off they go without ever hearing anything back. (Ironically, today, this is happening to more and more on-line grant application proposals. No feedback on what I can do to improve the proposal. Very Frustrating).

Oh well.

The first photo contest I entered was through 4-H when I was in high school. They did it right. Your photograph was put up on a wall for judging along with everyone else's images. The judges were usually instructed to say something about each photograph as they were being judged. If you were interested enough (and I was), you could wait patiently until your photograph was judged (oh, the tension!).

This is the photograph that won 1st Place one year at the McLean County 4-H Fair. It felt good to be recognized for my work. In my professional life, years later, I was fortunate enough to win some national awards for commercial and editorial photography. The entry fees weren't too steep and, again, it felt good. It was a great way to gain publicity for my work. But as time passed, the attractiveness of winning awards wore off.

There are many prestigious photo awards that, by winning, bring recognition and valuable contacts. But there are others that, well...rather than being at the mercy of strict rules, regulations and biases, perhaps it might be better to seek alternative methods of publicity and art sales. Perhaps seek alternative exhibits. The more unique the better. You are control of everything. Thinking more like an entrepreneur and less like an artist might be helpful.

Mountains and Valleys

Ever been afraid of an old house? On a recent trip to Alabama, we made a visit to my wife, Cindy's, old neighborhood. She pointed to an old house that terrified her as a little girl. I've never lived in a neighborhood that had a house with such a frightening affect on people, but I can imagine how scared she must have been in walking by. I'm sure it was like trying to climb a mountain –– a lot of effort and obstacles to overcome, just because it's there.

I can relate to this process of climbing mountain obstacles in completing the "Florida Soup: Putting History On the Table." Actually, it's been more like struggling through the valleys in order to reach the mountaintop. We're not at the top yet, but it's within reach. There have been several obstacles to overcome including dealing with negative people saying this would too difficult a project to complete to financial struggles, but, the book is at the designer now and it's been worth the effort. I met some wonderful people with some amazing stories through the project.

There are valleys and mountains in everyone's life. We look to the top, the goal, of the mountain and realize that it's necessary to begin at the bottom. There are problems along the way, but if you're passionate about the journey and willing to take some risks, it can be worth it.

Looking at it now, I can see why Cindy was scared. But, I can also see that with a little work and a little paint, it could be nice country house again.