LensWork - A call for entries

[Antonio Correia]

I just received a mail with this challenge.
Here in OPF, there are many good artists with capabilities to be published in such a prestigious magazine.

 

[Michael Nagel]

Hi Antonio,

Thanks for posting. I might give it a try. Last spring I posted a series of six images that might fit for this.

Best regards,
Michael

 

[Antonio Correia]

Go ahead Michael !

You do have nice images to show !

 

[Jerome Marot]

"Entry fee is $45"...

 

[Michael Nagel]

"Entry fee is $45"...

...and $25 for every following series.

Yes, I read the terms. Did you think this was not the case?

There is still some time to take a decision, hence the choice of words in my initial reply.

 

[James Lemon]

Thanks for the info Antonio! You better get moving on this one.

 

[Jerome Marot]

...and $25 for every following series.

Yes, I read the terms. Did you think this was not the case?

I did not post for you specifically.

$45 means it is a vanity competition. Just compare the two options:

-you can submit the series for the magazine directly. It costs you nothing. You may at the same time buy the magazine for $39: 6 numbers at 96 pages or 576 pages in total, book-quality prints (their words).

-you can submit the series to the competition. It costs you $45 for a single book. The number of pages in the book is not specified, neither is the number of possible winners.

The "competition" is simply a way to presell the book and have it financed by the participants.

As a general rule, I would advise not to participate to competitions with an entry fee, unless the entry fee is just nominal (e.g. for return postage). They are a waste of time and money. The Internet is full of them, many sites appear to have found this new niche.

Last but not least, in all these competitions there is a suspicion that the list of winners may not be chosen honestly.

You have a good series of pictures? Just submit it to a magazine which publishes pictures in the same style and accepts submissions for free.

 

[Michael Nagel]

I did not post for you specifically.

I noticed, this was just to be sure...

$45 means it is a vanity competition.

I was aware of this and this is why I used subjunctive in my initial answer.
This way you made it clear for everyone who didn't bother to click the link, thanks.

You have a good series of pictures? Just submit it to a magazine which publishes pictures in the same style and accepts submissions for free.

Better read carefully the terms in this case as well - look on the transfer of rights involved. Often you pay in another way.

Magazines are nice, but currently I am more looking for brick and mortar places, but I have to get some good prints first.

 

[James Lemon]

Some very good points brought up here. I have talked to some legitimate galleries about other types of contest terms and they informed me that the conditions were in fact illegal.

I also spoken with an interesting artist selling unique acrylic paintings in a park like setting. She paid $75.00 to the city for a one month permit fee. She said that she did well doing this and had many more sales in this setting compared to her gallery sales.

 

[Antonio Correia]

I did not post for you specifically.

$45 means it is a vanity competition. Just compare the two options:

-you can submit the series for the magazine directly. It costs you nothing. You may at the same time buy the magazine for $39: 6 numbers at 96 pages or 576 pages in total, book-quality prints (their words).

-you can submit the series to the competition. It costs you $45 for a single book. The number of pages in the book is not specified, neither is the number of possible winners.

The "competition" is simply a way to presell the book and have it financed by the participants.

As a general rule, I would advise not to participate to competitions with an entry fee, unless the entry fee is just nominal (e.g. for return postage). They are a waste of time and money. The Internet is full of them, many sites appear to have found this new niche.

Last but not least, in all these competitions there is a suspicion that the list of winners may not be chosen honestly.

You have a good series of pictures? Just submit it to a magazine which publishes pictures in the same style and accepts submissions for free.

Thank you Jerome for stating your point of view.
In some points I do agree... like beeing a vanity competition or a pre-sold book and financed by the participants...
Clever !
However, the relationship I had with the magazine is very honest and I have nothing to complain.

 

[Jerome Marot]

However, the relationship I had with the magazine is very honest and I have nothing to complain.

I am sure the magazine is fine or at least was until they felt they needed to arrange that competition.

 

[Antonio Correia]

I have noticed however, that some photographers are shown twice if not more.

It isn't a bad thing in itself but with so many around the World ...

The last issue has a collection which I think, would not deserve to be published. Nice photographs but too "vulgar". Just a silly thought perhaps...

 

[Jerome Marot]

I have noticed however, that some photographers are shown twice if not more.

It isn't a bad thing in itself but with so many around the World ...

The last issue has a collection which I think, would not deserve to be published. Nice photographs but too "vulgar". Just a silly thought perhaps...

Your post made me check the last issue of Lenswork. It has the following 4 photographers:
-Justin Hayden: Performance Pieces in Water
-Michael Kenna: Forms of Japan
-Frank Lavelle: Eat the Baby
-Cole Thompson: Moai, Sitting for Portrait.

I am not sure which one you find too "vulgar".

But I searched around a bit and I found something interesting: Frank Lavelle and Cole Thomson have the same images online. Michael Kenna, I am not sure, he has hundreds of images online. Apparently he produces Ikea showroom type images by the truckload, he must have found an easy way to do it. Only Justin Hayden I could not find.

Now, if you bear with me, Lenswork publishes a paper magazine but also an electronic edition. I don't think they would have started the electronic edition if the paper would have sold well. But do they sell the electronic edition well if the same images can be seen online for free?

I have a bad feeling about this. Possibly, their finances are not very good and this is the reason why they have this vanity competition.

 

[Michael Nagel]

{...} Only Justin Hayden I could not find. {...}

For the sake of completeness, this is what I could find.

Best regards,
Michael

 

[Antonio Correia]

I made a serious "mistake" which I have now got the perception.

The word vulgar has a complete different meaning in Portuguese and English.
In Portuguese the word vulgar (and I am spelling it correctly in both languages) means trivial, common, it doesn't have a strong pejorative sense. It the attribute to something which is we reserve to something trivial, mediocre.
The antonym is "extraordinary".
In English vulgar is... ordinary. I did not mean to imply so to the photographs or magazine.

Perhaps I should have used trivial instead. But I wrote "vulgar" in ""...

I am referring to the Frank Lavelle images. They are good images not doubt. But not for this magazine !

The same "thing" happened on the previous issue with images of cowboys...

Justin with his great images, is perhaps someone who has not a page on the web...

The Extended magazine includes a bunch of extra images from the authors, a cast every month and interviews with the photographs.
The "philosophy of Brooks is "content, content and content" so I think he tries to get the most of every photographer.

When I was published in issue 100 (not sure if it is 100 or 110 and I can't check it because I am at the hospital - the images were sent to be evaluated by mail. Now things are easier: just jpgs on line. Less work ? Lower demands from the proposals, less rigour ...