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October 2008
Dear Readers,
We had an outstanding turnout for our 2008 photo contest. This year the judges had over 700 photographs to choose from! (And that’s after the first cut.) Once again voting was difficult but the decisions were finally made and you can find the list of winners in Sarah’s Letter from the Editor. My sincerest thanks to each of you who entered and “Congratulations!” to those of you that won.
I have heard from many of you that you would like to know how to increase your chances of winning or having your photo selected for the cover. I would like to say a little something to that end. The first piece of advice I can give is: Enter the contest. Yes, you “have to be in it to win it” and when I choose the cover and portfolio I only select images from our photo contest. No exceptions. Second, and I can’t stress this enough: Follow the rules. The competition is fierce and if the judges can eliminate someone on a technicality they will. (Be warned, this is true of most contests, not just ours.) Third: Don’t try to guess what the judges want—submit images you love. The judges are a fickle bunch and there is no telling what they might like next week let alone next year. Fourth: Trust your instincts. If you think your photo would look better cropped or without your finger in the shot, then the judges will think so too. Fifth: Avoid murky images. I’m the first to admire a moody photo but be careful. If it’s too dark then it’s not going to print well and I have to pay attention to that when I’m choosing the portfolio and cover. And my last piece of advice is this: Don’t take it personally. If a “sure win” didn’t catch the judges’ eyes don’t second-guess your taste or your creativity. Did I mention the judges are fickle? I hope this advice is useful and I do encourage all of you to enter the 2009 contest. I love seeing your diverse talent and we really can’t do this without you.
—Marci Todd
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