Tips for winning the Awards Competition

Photographers from 26 countries entered the 2007 NATURE’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY WINDLAND SMITH RICE INTERNATIONAL AWARDS competition, submitting more than 17,000 images. Our judges were excited to see so many amazing photos taken around the world by talented shooters of all ages, professionals and amateurs alike. As we gear up for next year’s contest, I thought I would pass along a bit of advice on how to increase your chances of winning or placing in our photography competition.

The best way to get a sense of what we look for is to study the current and past winning images of NATURE’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY competitions in our magazines (you can order back issues online at www.NaturesBestMagazine.com) or view the Awards galleries on our Web site’s contest page. You can also visit our exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Ask yourself, what makes them stand out? What do you enjoy about the image? What might you do differently if you were to visit the same place or experience a similar scene?

JUDGING

During the preliminary round, obvious factors will instantly eliminate an image from the competition, such as the main subject being out of focus, blown-out highlights, poor compositions, or bad exposures. In addition, one of the fastest ways to be removed
from consideration is to present images that are just like everyone else’s. We want to see fresh images that reflect the shooter’s talent. When you make your photographs different from anyone else’s, you increase your chances of moving to the next round.

Once a photograph has entered the second round, it has been judged technically sufficient to be published and merits a closer look at the composition, artistry and the uniqueness of the image. The second round is also where images within single categories compete with one another. Several of the categories are obvious favorites; Wildlife certainly tops the list, followed closely by Landscapes. This year 108 images passed on to the second round within the Landscape category alone, while just 17 did so in Zoos and Aquariums category and a mere 15 made it into Environmental Issues. The odds of having your image selected as a winner increase with limited competition, so you may want to submit more images that fit within less popular categories.

During the second round, particularly striking images begin to stand out. Their compositions are well balanced, all of the elements that are in the image add to it, nothing subtracts. No part of the primary subject is tangent to the edge of the frame. Horizons are level. No artificial light has been added unless it is well controlled such as fill flash or bounced natural light that leaves the image looking as it appears in nature. Images that excite our senses and offer new ways of seeing familiar topics quickly rise to the top.

Images that pass the second round reach the final round. Technically these are all fantastic shots, whether razor sharp or blurred by intention. The compositions are strong and dynamic. The images can stand alone and capture the imagination or emotion of the viewer. At this point, each photograph is capable of being selected as a winner.

The final round is our most difficult round. With so many images technically and artistically qualified to win, we must finally chose the winners. At this point we examine each original transparency or high-resolution file in great detail, taking into consideration
which images seem familiar, and which ones seem new, fresh, or different. Ultimately the judges reach agreement and settle on the finalists, including the grand prize winner, category winners and highly honored images. With regret, many excellent images that deserve recognition simply have to be left out due to lack of space in the magazine.

The thrill of possibly having an image selected, published, and displayed in one of the most prestigious museums in the world is motivation enough to enter the NATURE’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY WINDLAND SMITH RICE INTERNATIONAL AWARDS competition for 2008. If you re-read this article carefully and follow these instructions, you will certainly improve your chances of making it to the final round. You may win one of the categories, or perhaps enen the grand prize! Good Luck!

—Bob Tope, Managing Editor, Nature’s Best Photography magazine