Unless you’ve been under a nearby rock recently or taking a break from social media then you will no doubt have seen the Top 50 Wedding Photographers List from Professional Photo magazine. How do people get selected for the list? Well nobody really knows but it has got me to thinking about accolades and awards. Convinced that you haven’t a snowball in Hell’s chance of winning any? Well, how do you know if you have never tried?
When I reached ten years in the industry, I expected to feel a sense of achievement but it sadly failed to arrive. If I had worked in regular employment for that long, I imagine some kind of celebration of my longevity … a bonus, a carriage clock, a cake? But when it’s just you, funnily enough, nobody bothers. So I looked around for awards to enter and by coincidence, the British Journal of Photography had just released its first-ever wedding photographer of the year contest.
I didn’t necessarily think that I would win. I’m pretty sure that I’m not the best wedding photographer of any year but I did think entering would be a good learning experience and it might get me on the right radar. I also approached entering with a certain amount of strategy and as I actually did win, then my tips might be worthwhile if you find yourself thinking of entering any photography competition.
1. ENTER
Someone is going to win, so why not you? If you simply never enter anything then yes you will never win but you could be surprised at how many other people think the same and don’t go in for awards. In the words of the game show hosts, ‘You have to be in it to win it’. Most of the major photography magazines and websites run competitions, they are a great way to engage readers. Not every award is a foregone conclusion and many are designed to seek out undiscovered talent.
2. READ THE RULES
Sounds obvious but you simply will not win if you don’t meet their criteria. Name and size the files exactly as they ask you to. Judges will have to sift through many entries and won’t waste their time on those that didn’t get the fundamentals in place. No matter how ambitious you are, don’t try to bend the rules. How embarrassing would it be to win an award only to have to give it back for slightly tweaking the truth? So don’t enter an image from a styled shoot and try to pass it off as a real situation or put in an image shot outside of the permitted dates. I had to turn down one award as I had been shooting for longer than five years which was their particular restriction. Tempting as it would have been to gloss over this fact, I would never want to be the guy that won by cheating.
3. AIM TO STAND OUT.
Put yourself in the judges’ shoes and think about what they will be looking at. If it’s a competition for a wedding image, then chances are they will be looking through image after image of a girl in a nice white dress or a couple embracing. Take a different approach and give them something unexpected. You could grab their attention with something really simple but full of impact, just don’t go for the obvious. If entering is done via Instagram then don’t only put thought into your image, come up with a killer caption. They’ll be wanting someone who can give a decent soundbite.
4. TELL A STORY.
The greatest photographs should stand in isolation as a story in one frame. If you are only permitted to enter one image, does it invite the viewer into its narrative? Choose an image that intrigues us and makes us stop in our tracks. Awards are about pushing boundaries, not going for the safe bet. If you are required to show a range be careful not to put images in just for the sake of it. Look at each one and ask yourself is this Killer or Filler?
5. GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER.
No matter how killer your photograph is, most judges will then go to your website to ensure that it is not a happy accident and that you have consistency and a decent body of work. They will most likely not be impressed if they hit an out-of-date site or one that isn’t working properly.
6. GET THE FORMAT RIGHT.
This seems to pass most people by but I guess that as I come from an editorial background, this seems obvious to me. If the competition is in association with a magazine then chances are they will favour a portrait image. I was aware that the award I entered would include one full page in a magazine. Of course, an editor is going to prefer an image that sits nicely on a page. If it’s potentially going to make the cover then would any of your shots look good beneath a header? Is the contest mostly for Instagram? Then yes, something that fits well into the grid is going to be the more obvious choice. However, if it is only ever going to appear online then a landscape format may well be favoured. Giving some thought to where the shots are published could well be the thing that gives your entry an edge.
7. IF YOU WIN, SHOUT ABOUT IT.
So maybe you win the award, then what? Well, I don’t think there are any photography awards out there that hand you a press agent along with it so this is your job. Put some thought into how you can maximise the attention from winning. Clients love this kind of thing and so do their families so make sure they all know about it. Do a newsletter to current bookings, put it all over your website and social media, add it to your bio everywhere and add a badge to your email sign off, throw a party to celebrate! And then…. Make sure you put your prices up.
8. IF YOU DON’T WIN, DON’T BE PUT OFF.
Most people who enter anything will not be the winners. However, every single thing that you enter will force you to look closely at your work and to have a curation process. This is such a great experience for any creative. You will learn from every entry and you will be stronger when you enter the next time. You just might get on the right radar with the right people. So this wasn’t quite your time, put it behind you and move on.
Winning the BJP contest completely and utterly changed my career. It opened doors that I never imagined would ever be within my reach. It led to me speaking in New York for B&H Photo and in London for Hasselblad. It is the reason that I started Photography Farm. Being recognised by my peers on lists or with accolades is never something that I take for granted and it’s so much better than a carriage clock!