[ABERS]

Making it big in anything, even if you are talented, is very difficult. Most of all you need the will to succeed, but a close second comes luck. I can't imagine any agent or gallery will be knocking on the doors of any of the photographers that have been successful in this year's POTY, as good as some of their images are.

Remember the competition is based on one photograph, not a portfolio, and this is a drawback as far as exploiting the occasion, however one can always use the win to engender interest in the rest of your photographic expertise.

I'm sure there will be a couple of articles in DCM along the line of 'My take on photography' or a succession of winners' portfolios over the next months as is usually the case. Of course you would be limited to that one magazine, for two reasons. One, and I may be wrong in this instance, but if you enter you agree that your images can be used to promote the competition so perhaps no fee will accrue, and two, no other magazine will want to promote the winner of a rival magazine competition.

What you need is a carefully thought out PR/Publicity plan to broadcast your success, beyond the confines of your local paper. Using the success as an intro hawk your portfolio around the galleries then start saving up to put on an exhibition in the one that agrees to promote you and charges 30-40% commission on any sales that you make.

Good luck!