POTY 2011: First details

[silversnapper1]

I won't be entering if there is a fee. I might as well chuck a tenner down the drain as try to win something like this.

[Cutter]

Originally Posted by silversnapper1

I won't be entering if there is a fee. I might as well chuck a tenner down the drain as try to win something like this.

To be honest I think that what they want no hopers like me to do, so they dont have to sort out the wheat from the chaff.
I must say its a great way of reducing entrants and making meggabucks along the way, Great piece of marketing guys.

[HinFrance]

Because this contest was always open to pros and others with access to loads of kit and photographic opportunity (like photography students, who are basically proto pros) there was never really any realistic chance of a poorly funded UK based amateur photographer ever winning.

Past winners have all had at least one of the following characteristics, and often several:
1) Exotic (and therefore more exciting) non European location
2) Use of specialist equipment (i.e this year's underwater housing)
3) An element of what for want of a better word I will call freakshow in the pictures involving people - see Andreas Dragan's winner for a perfect example
4) Professional or semi professional photographer

They really should have two categories - one for photography students and pros, and one for amateurs. And only students and amateurs should be eligible for a monetary prize of any kind; further that prize should be modest and possibly limited to vouchers for kit or training.

Some years ago I remember seeing the comment that pros regarded the DCM POTY as easy meat. Cost them nothing to have a punt and they could use images rejected by clients - ie ones they had actually already been paid to create.

It'll be interesting to see what unfolds with the new regime. I suspect pros will still blitz the comp, as it is a relatively small outlay and tax deductible; the amateurs, who never really had a prayer, will largely stay away compared to previous years.

[karenoliver]

Originally Posted by HinFrance

Because this contest was always open to pros and others with access to loads of kit and photographic opportunity (like photography students, who are basically proto pros) there was never really any realistic chance of a poorly funded UK based amateur photographer ever winning.

Past winners have all had at least one of the following characteristics, and often several:
1) Exotic (and therefore more exciting) non European location
2) Use of specialist equipment (i.e this year's underwater housing)
3) An element of what for want of a better word I will call freakshow in the pictures involving people - see Andreas Dragan's winner for a perfect example
4) Professional or semi professional photographer

They really should have two categories - one for photography students and pros, and one for amateurs. And only students and amateurs should be eligible for a monetary prize of any kind; further that prize should be modest and possibly limited to vouchers for kit or training.

Some years ago I remember seeing the comment that pros regarded the DCM POTY as easy meat. Cost them nothing to have a punt and they could use images rejected by clients - ie ones they had actually already been paid to create.

It'll be interesting to see what unfolds with the new regime. I suspect pros will still blitz the comp, as it is a relatively small outlay and tax deductible; the amateurs, who never really had a prayer, will largely stay away compared to previous years.

Define photography student :-)

Do you mean every photography student or just those in university? I am doing psychology and law at A level at the moment in college but prior to that I did A level photography and the national diploma in art and design, one was level 2 and the other level 3. A degree is level 4 upwards. In September I will be doing a film production course but that is level 3 and not a degree. The students doing photography with me were mostly aged from 17-20 although there were a couple of older people. We had no access to specialist equipment and the studio was just a cheap background, flash head and softbox put up in a large classroom. None of us were anywhere near pro standard and I can only think of 3 people in the class with me who went on to Uni after the course finished. Most of the reasons were because we are a pretty poor lot in North Wales and we can't afford uni even with the grants you get :-)
What I am trying to say is, there is a huge jump from college education to Uni and it would be wrong to label everyone studying photography a pro.

I actually misread the news link last night, as I was exahausted and thought the first prize was £15,000 not £1500! I suppose I am as surprised as everyone else that the prize for first place has plummeted considering the entry fee but happy to see second place etc... get more recognition.

I suppose we just have to wait and see what the admins come back to us with and the reasoning etc... Maybe everyone who has posted over 500 times and people like chrisp , cutter, silversnapper etc should get free entry as they are the life blood of this forum. Maybe photo of the day winners should get free entry too?

I probably would still enter as I like getting involved in the competition even though I know I will never win in a million years. Its all experience and I was really chuffed last year when I got a commended.

Karen

[mondmagu]

HinFrance, i agree with your point totally.The ordinary 'joe soap' will always have the chips stacked against him/her.Not everyone has the budget for the top notch equipment or as you say 'exotic locations' to plunder a winning shot.
A two tiered system would be a fairer and more balanced system.A least then there is hope for the mere mortals who look at photography not as a profit making enterprise but as a way to enjoy our talent and vision and also to share with others.

Des

I have always had the opinion that you cannot buy kudos, and the winners were chosen for their skill in the art of photography rather than their equipment or location, I can foresee the number of pro entries dropping too.

[Stormsong]

How much is £10 in rupees? Probably six months' or more in wages . . .

The prize money is not a joke, it is INSULTING - from £10,000 to £1500? Oh, I forgot the 'additional kit prize worth £1,000' that the overall winner gets. What exactly can you buy with £1,000?

I also have a problem with the third place prize - a year's subscription to DC magazine and a year's membership to the RPS - what does the latter help if you are not in the UK? Also, for the price it will cost Future to ship their magazines to the third-place winners that live outside of the UK every month, they could rather have converted that into a cash prize to make it plausible.

As for culling 'happy family snaps' from the competition, the 'Family and Friendship' category will probably have more than its fair share for those who a) can afford to enter; b) are inclined to do so in the first place.

My last comment (for now, at least) on this totally idiotic decision is that damage limitation will come too late. In the words of the dragons on the Dragon's Den (a British TV programme that sees entrepreneurs trying to get investment from billionaires to grow their business enterprises, for those who are outside the UK): I'm out.

[HinFrance]

Hey Karen, I meant full time tertiary education students.

It looks like your college must have been pretty grim. One of mates did a photography degree, back in the day, and his course included not only access to stuff like fully equiped darkrooms, large format cameras and a comely student body more than willing to act as models, but also 'field trips' all over the UK and Europe.

Nowadays, at the very least you have access to the model pool and Photoshop at an affordable price, whereas normal amateurs have to beg acquaintances to pose and have to shell out 6 times as much for what is considered to be a basic tool - more than I have lying around, I can tell you.

So not all photography students are created equal, but they are a lot more equal than the rest of us

[karenoliver]

Originally Posted by HinFrance

Hey Karen, I meant full time tertiary education students.

It looks like your college must have been pretty grim. One of mates did a photography degree, back in the day, and his course included not only access to stuff like fully equiped darkrooms, large format cameras and a comely student body more than willing to act as models, but also 'field trips' all over the UK and Europe.

Nowadays, at the very least you have access to the model pool and Photoshop at an affordable price, whereas normal amateurs have to beg acquaintances to pose and have to shell out 6 times as much for what is considered to be a basic tool - more than I have lying around, I can tell you.

So not all photography students are created equal, but they are a lot more equal than the rest of us

No you are right about the uni's they do have access to amazing equipment, have studios and amazing darkrooms, plus top of the range cameras etc... What I was trying to say was I wasnt in uni, I was in college and there is a huge difference. Not all photography students are in Uni, if you see what I mean :-) And I don't know if all photography students will leave uni pro standard either :-)

Karen

[ABERS]

Originally Posted by Stormsong

I also have a problem with the third place prize - a year's subscription to DC magazine and a year's membership to the RPS - what does the latter help if you are not in the UK?

Not too sure what you mean by that. The RPS has 5 times more active members than Pradar with membership that stretches around the globe. If you haven't done you should visit the RPS web site at

http://www.rps.org