This website is a competition finder in which I have found the three competitions that I am going to enter. I have been put off from entering established competitions because I do not feel my work is up to the standard that the other entries are at and I do not have a chance at winning, yet with some of the more less established contests there is more of a chance I will be placed higher in the running.
I have found some competitions that I can enter which are wildlife based, as I feel that these are my stronger images.
Monochrome
http://monoawards.com/page/terms-conditions/
One competition is the Monochrome awards which there is a range of categories that both professional and amateurs can enter, I am going to enter my work into the amateur category because in their FAQ's it states that professionals are those who make at least half their income through photography and this is not me. I am entering my work in two different categories; one in wildlife and the other in landscapes.
My first image I am thinking of entering is my photograph of a sun bear in Edinburgh zoo, this photograph shows the bear in a silhouette style and I have added in a small amount of vignetting to draw more attention to the bear.
My second photograph I am entering is the coastline of Bo'ness which shows the reflection of light on the water and the clouds, this photograph was taken as the sun was setting and the reflection really caught my eye, I'm glad this photograph turned out like it did as I did only slight retouching to bring out some of the details in the shadows.
When uploading these images I have stuck to their guidelines in file sizing and naming my file (I needed both my first name and second name in the name) as they state that any errors will be disqualified in entry and I wanted to take care that mine were not.
There are many opportunities to win this contest, there is an overall winner for both professional and amateur, with also second and third place. Each category also has a winner in both professional and amateur. Also available is 'Honourable Mention' which are people that have not won but the judges feel that this work is of a very high standing in the competition.
Julian Gardner Awards
http://www.gwct.org.uk/wildlife/the-julian-gardner-awards/
This competition is a yearly competition which wants to see British wildlife and nature subjects. There are two categories; adult and junior of which there is one winner in each. There are specific terms and conditions on the website that state that no entries of captive or domestic animals will be allowed and also farmed botanical subjects will be disqualified.
I have entered my photograph of a sunset that I viewed from outside my house. The colours are highlighted against the silhouette of the trees and street lights and I think that the contrast compliments each other.
I have also chosen to enter a photograph of a bridge that I took in Stockton-On-Tees while on a nature walk. I think that this photograph has a picturesque quality that one would expect to see when viewing landscape photographs.
North East Photography Competition
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/WildlifePhotography
In this competition I can enter up too six images across the six different categories. I have chosen to enter two in the category ' Nature Up Close' which is a new category just introduced, they are looking for images of nature or insects in the north east. Both of my entries for this contest have been taken in the Stockton-On-Tees area while I have been on a nature walk in Wynyard Woodland Park and one in Holy Trinity field.
My first image I have entered is a photograph of some Wheat Stalks using a shallow DoF so that the background is just the green of the grass.
My second entry for this competition is a black and white photograph of some branches against a landscape, I have also used shallow DoF in this photograph and I think that highlights the branches in the foreground and creates an aesthetic nature landscape.
Although I do not have high hopes that my photographs will win, I feel this experience has benefited me as I do now feel more confident about my work and the experience has made me feel like I do not need to be as critical about my own work.
