[Competition] City of Belmont 2006 4th Annual Photographic Awards & Exhibition

The Photographic Awards are an initiative of the City of Belmont, with the aim of encouraging excellence in photography. This year, you can submit entries to two categories:

1. The Open category


2. City of Belmont Focus category

Prints depicting the City of Belmont will be selected for a Sister City Photographic exchange with the city of Adachi in Japan. Selected prints will be exhibited in Adachi and a fee of $50 per print will be awarded to the photographers.

Entries close 4.30pm Friday, 4th August, 2006.

For more information, download the entry form, or contact the City of Belmont Recreation Services on 9477 7208.

[Competition] Red Lens International Photographic Competition

From: http://www.csu.edu.au/student/community-ed/photo/index.htm

Charles Sturt University Community Education’s Red Lens International Photographic Competition has grown remarkably in reputation over the last three years, attracting entrants from all over Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

With over $7500 in prize money to be won in 2006, Red Lens has also extended its prize pool to include publication of the winning photograph in Photo Review Australia magazine and website, and possibly a spread of other prize winners if the standard is of a high quality as in previous years.

For more information about the competition, its terms and conditions, and an entry form, visit the Red Lens International Photographic Competition web site (http://www.csu.edu.au/student/community-ed/photo/index.htm)

The Competition closes on Monday 28th August 2006, at 5pm.

[Competition] City of Stirling Photographic Competition - 'Moments of Stirling Spirit'

The City of Stirling, Perth, organises a photographic competition every two years, attracting over 100 entries and providing an excellent opportunity for photographers to capture the City of Stirling at work and play. Details of the competition and links to entry forms and conditions of entry can be found at the City of Stirling web site.

Entry closes 31 May (not long to go, folks!) and an exhibition of key entries will be held at Westfield Innaloo Shopping Centre, 8th June to 14th June.

Given my previous rent [see previous entry] about insidious and sinister motivations of photographic competition organisers, it's heartening to see that the City of Stirling acknowledges the rights of the photographer to his or her images: "Photographers will retain ownership of the copyright existing for their photographs entered, and the photographer will be given naming credit whenever their photograph is used for promotional purposes."

Good on ya, City of Stirling!

[Rant] Always read the fine print

A recent photography competition organised by Tourism Australia and The Australian newspaper - 'Wish You Were Here: Tourism Australia Photographi Competition' -asks for entries on the theme of "People on holidays" with categories for Nature, Outback, Cities and Beaches. You could win a camera, photographic gear or even holidays. Sounds good! Until you read the fine print in the Conditions of Entry, which states thus:

"Each entrant assigns to the Promoter all copyright and other intellectual property rights in each photo and description sent in as part of an entry in this competition. Each entrant acknowledges that the Promoter, as owner of the copyright in the photographs and descriptions, may reproduce the photographs and descriptions in any media or marketing for any purpose without permission or payment. The entrants agree to waive all their rights, including moral rights, in the photographs entered by the entrants in this competition."

So, for a few thousand dollars in equipment and holidays, the promoters become owners of free stock photographs taken by others - photographs which could essentially make them hundreds of thousands given the demand for quality stock images of Australian scenes for travel brochures, expos etc. Given the enthusiasm in which such competitions are often received, they stand to make a tidy killing from this simple competition.

Lesson here: Read the Conditions of Entry. Find out what you are surrendering before you send in your photograph/s. You could well be signing away your intellectual owenrship of the photograph/s - surrendering your moral right as the photographer and owner of your photographs, no longer being able to use them without seeking permission (and paying) for their use.

Be aware.

World Press Photo 2006 Yearbook available

The World Press Photo Yearbook 2006 is now available for purchase from their website at www.worldpressphoto.nl - select the 'Publishing' link in the 'Activities' section of the homepage. The Yearbook, priced at 21 Euros for the English-language version, features photographs from this year's World Press Photo contents.