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Is this really the end?
Are the new rules set in - digital - stone yet, or would there still be room to manoeuvre?
POTY always created a lot of interest and lots of acclaim worldwide; the sheer size and the fact it was free to enter undoubtedly played a big part in this.
Now that it is to become one of the many competitions where you have to pay to enter, it will already have lost some kudos. It will lose a lot of entrants too, I think. But this may be one of the reasons for this change; it must have become quite unwieldy to handle and judge so many entries.
The fact that rank amateurs never stood a chance to win, did not seem to matter, the enthusiasm was always plain to see. This made this comp a very special thing.
Is it too late to save at least part of the old competition? Charge entrants for certain categories for instance? Like the Portfolio thing last year? Or demand a fee if someone wants to enter more than five photos per category? (With a set maximum.)
And keeping the pros and the amateurs apart, as has been suggested, might also enhance the chances and, therefore enthusiasm and loyalty, of the many happy snappers who are Future's future.
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