Roadtest #16: Photo Competitions

Are you more snappy than Crackle and Pop's famous buddy? Then you could be snapping up some fantastic prizes.

There's an unmistakable magic to taking photos -- the colours, suspending a moment in time, the exotic locations, gorgeous models, capturing an instant the naked eye would miss... I have always enjoyed browsing other people's pictures and taking my own. I've even dabbled in photography competitions before, but this time I'm scoping out the scene to gauge if it could turn into a more regular gig.


Where to Find Them

Hit the major photography magazines at your local news agency for inspiration, or head online to scour their web sites for contests. My Google search turned up Digital Photo magazine's web site, and right now they have 11 entries under their "Contests" tab. Not all currently open for entries, but still, JACKPOT!

I try my hand at their "Art of Photography" competition. There are four themes:

• Action Storytelling
• Conservation in Focus
• Environmental Portraits
• Light is the Subject

I chose the fourth, register on the site and send in two entries from our honeymoon a couple of weeks ago. The one below I called "Inspiration"

What do you reckon? I've clearly got the makings of a famous paparazzo, no?

Also try travel, caravan and camping magazines, newspapers (you may have to ring them to ask if they hold an annual comp), camera stores, photo sharing sites like Flickr, and Facebook. There was also a contest run by the conservation department of my state's government recently, with entries taken in national parks.

Browsing the Digital Photo galleries, the  pictures are stunning -- there is a stratospheric standard. Choose photos from your collection that make your friends gasp, or go home!


Do You Need an Expensive Camera?

In a word, nope. There are plenty of amateur competitions out there, and as long as you aren't using a pinhole, disposable or mobile phone camera, you should be fine. Actually, scratch that last -- mobile cameras are getting pretty good these days! Our camera cost about 200 Australian bucks just recently.


Do I Need to Know Technical Whosywhatsits?

A working knowledge of uploading pictures to your computer and its photo program for displaying and editing your masterpieces wouldn't go astray. Ditto for knowing a .jpeg from a .gif file format. Apart from that, not so much. I wouldn't know a view finder from my ass/elbow.


Let's Talk Prizes!

Expect assorted photo geek gadgetry and glorious, glorious cash!

Should you do it? I say: definitely worth a shot!