Hey Kids,

Wanted to alert you to a new contest that was brought to my attention.

Before I proceed, I think we have far too many contests in the photo-world today, far too many. A few short years ago there were three or four and now we have literally dozens. So when I see a new contest I search it to the core, to see what is what and whether or not I would consider entering.

So when I got this one, I started looking at what it took to enter, what the prize was and who was actually going to be looking at your work. I think all the ingredients pan out. Now, full disclosure, I’ve taught at Santa Fe and I’m hoping to teach there again in the near future. I like their program, their people and what they have been able to accomplish over the years. And, I’ve personally taken two workshops with them, both of which were extremely beneficial to me, and both connected me with photographers I’m still in contact with today. I consider that value.

The list of judges is solid, meaning you have an editorial person(People), a fine art person(also a photographer) and director of one of the large photo collections in the world(someone I had review my work) and the director of the workshops. This means you are getting a wide range of eyes, essential to a good contest.
Also, you could win a workshop. If you haven’t taken a workshop like Santa Fe then this might need some translation. Taking a workshop in Santa Fe is about everything in life falling away, except for your photography. It is about turning off your life and pouring 100% of your mind into what you are trying to accomplish. It is about the interaction with fellow students, looking at work, spending time together and getting your images reviewed by a top-notch photographer, over an entire week(not a one day or weekend, big difference). In short, a good workshop can change your life.
The rest of the prizes are good too, but I can’t over emphasize the workshop aspect.

What I also like about this contest. The topic. Family.
So many of the contests I see are filled with categories that I’ve either seen too many times, OR they are somewhat aimed at a certain type of photographer. In this case, family seems like a wide open topic and also will allow a range of photographer to enter. Even if you shoot advertising for a living, chances are, if you have a family you are documenting them on the side. Could be interesting. Heck, I even thought about entering.

And finally, I don’t know if this happened to you while you read this, but as soon as I read over the requirements I began to think about my own work. What would I enter? What would make the best single image? The best story? THIS is the aspect of entering a contest that often gets overlooked. It makes us THINK about our work. I can’t stop in fact, which might be a problem later when I try to go to sleep.

You don’t have much time. Deadline is September 15th. Take a look.

CONTEST LINK