Competition entry tips
March 30, 2022This week, I submitted one of my Photographs to the ‘Short
Supply – Made it 2022 Graduate open call’ which accepts one photo from an
undergraduate student to display on billboards around Manchester. I have now entered
various competitions and applied for grants to share and develop my practice
and have gained a few tips from practitioners to help during the application
process.
1.
Look through the competitions previous entries -
Looking at previous winners and runners up gives you an idea of the types of
images that the judging panel are looking for. This will help decide which
images to submit and if they fit with the competitions’ atmosphere.
2.
Look at who the judges are – Being familiar with
who the judges are, what their interests are and having an idea of their
background could help you decide which images to submit, and which may appeal
to certain judges. It might also give you more of an idea about what kinds of
images or subjects they will be looking for.
3.
Keep your statement short and to the point – Don’t
include unnecessary information in your Artist statement. Judges want to know
what your work is about and basic information about yourself such as where you
are based. Let the photographs do the talking and don’t rely on your Artist
statement.
4.
Always be prepared for rejection – Your work won’t
be successful in every competition so always be prepared to accept rejection and
continue trying.
These tips have helped me choose which images to enter into competitions
and have encouraged me to continue entering even if they are not successful.
