David Rathbone
@david_rathbone_photo1d
Street photography competitions good or bad
I have mixed feelings about the number of online street photography competitions out there. I occasionally enter one, but if I’m honest, I don’t really have a strategy or even a clear reason for entering. I’m a happy amateur with no plans for a career, I’m quite happy just taking photographs, if I get any recognition that’s a bonus My feeling is that many of these competitions are essentially cash making schemes for the organisers, You pay an entry fee, there’s a relatively small prize, and perhaps your photograph appears in an online gallery, but beyond that, there doesn’t seem to be much to gain I have absolutely no problem with organisers making money running these things takes time, effort and resources, and they deserve to be rewarded for that. For me, it’s more about what I’m actually supporting when I hand over the entry fee The competitions I’m more inclined to enter are those attached to street photography festivals Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Street Badass, etc, In those cases, I feel there is something more meaningful behind the entry fee. The money is helping to fund an actual festival, with physical print exhibitions, talks, workshops, meet ups and opportunities to engage with other photographers and the wider street photography community So, for me, the question has increasingly become is this competition contributing something to the street photography community, or is it primarily a way of generating income for the organisers? I’d be interested to hear what others think, Do you enter competitions, and if so, what makes you decide that one is worth entering?
I tend not to enter "competitions" that ask for a fee unless they have a panel of experts who will review the work submitted.
I think your logic of entering photos into competitions that are linked to a street photo festival also makes sense. As you say, you can at least see where the money is going in that instance.
That’s really what I’m looking for with competitions some sense that there’s a purpose behind them beyond generating entry fees. The festival-linked ones feel different to me because, as you say, you can see where the money is going and what it’s helping to create within the street photography community.
I suppose, ultimately, I’m happy to pay an entry fee if I feel I’m getting something worthwhile in return, or helping to support something I believe in.
I’ve personally never entered one as I’ve never been into the idea of street photography being a ‘competition’ . For me the idea of it being competitive takes away a lot of the joy of why I do it on the first place
I think that’s probably why I’ve never really taken competitions too seriously either. For me, street photography is primarily about enjoying the process, being out there and seeing interesting things
I agree that if the competitive element starts becoming the focus, it can easily take away from what makes street photography enjoyable in the first place.
Amateur photographers like us (aka enthusiasts) are obviously biased when it comes to our own pictures. Competitions give us a chance to get some independent feedback and criticism.
Obviously, it’s important that the judges know what they’re doing and judge the images objectively. So I do think there’s some value in it, even if, ultimately, it probably doesn’t matter all that much. Not to mention that an entire industry has grown around the whole thing by now.
I can understand that view. I think I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t really see photography as a competition either, but I don’t necessarily have a problem with photographs being judged, provided there’s a good reason for it and the judging is done thoughtfully.
But if it brings photographers together, supports exhibitions, festivals, talks and workshops, or gives people an opportunity to have their work seen and discussed, then I can see a value in it.
Ultimately, though, I think the enjoyment of taking photographs should come first.
If it costs money to enter then it's a scam in my opinion, like workshops that costs upwards of £3000, for what? Especially the ones that take place in poorer countries, seems exploitative of everyone who isn't the one walking away with the money. What a way to make something that is supposed to be accessible and democratic extremely elitist and essential behind a very high pay wall. Rant over. Sorry.
I’m probably a little less cynical about entry fees for competitions. I don’t automatically see them as a scam, particularly when the money is helping to fund a festival, exhibition or wider photography community. Organisers have costs and, like anyone else, should be able to make a profit.
For me, it comes down to transparency and value. If I can see where my money is going and feel that I’m contributing to something worthwhile, I’m much more comfortable paying. If it’s essentially pay-to-enter with a small prize and little else in return, I’ll probably give it a miss.
Yeah I would agree with that, I tend to speak in broad strokes lol. They aren't all created equal but I have definitely seen some that are quite pricey to enter especially if you want to submit multiple images, then at the end of the day only photographers with a certain level of recognition already tend to win, maybe because those photographs will promote the completion to a bigger audience, therefore driving more entries? That's me still being cynical haha
Yes it can quickly become expensive with multiple entries, I enter maybe two comps a year and with just a single entry, not sure I will Enter any next year, I’ve sort of grown out of comps, I’m more interested in spending my money on seeing my work in print, which I can do myself
Replying to David Rathbone
Yeah I've seen a service that can make one off photo books, I'd rather do one of those every year for myself and show it to family and friends
edited
If I were a young photographer looking to break into the professional side of photography, I’d consider, with great care and evaluation, entering precisely selected competitions. “Street Photography” is not a profession.
Even camera club competitions tend to be consistently judged by a handful of people along with occasional guest judges, coming from a variety of photography genres, often having difficulty evaluating street photography. Street photographers as a whole argue the defining characteristics of their own genre. “Is this really street photography?”
As street photographers we cast a very wide net. It’s for this reason I’m happy to be a part of FRAMELINES. Our assignments are challenges designed to promote going out and shooting with a purpose. The result is our contribution to community and personal progress assisted be honest supportive criticism, all without an entry fee.
Yes we pay a membership, but this is our dues to the community as a whole, not an entrance fee.
I agree that judging street photography is particularly difficult. Even among street photographers there’s so much disagreement about what actually constitutes street photography, let alone asking someone from another genre to make that judgement.
For me, that’s where the community aspect of the festival becomes much more valuable than the competition itself.