How to win a Fashion photography competition

1)     Know the contest – First and foremost,  know the rules and regulations of the contest you are taking part in. Read the brief and know what is expected of you and what the restrictions might be. Certain contests require you to shoot on site at a particular location so make sure you have the clearance to shoot  and do find out what the guidelines are in regards to bulky equipment as they might  not want you to bring along a big crew and affect the day to day running of their businesses. Do also keep in mind whatever formats or restrictions in terms  of photoshop or the maximum / minimum number of images. ( You will not want to screw yourself over by destroying your chances by breaking the rules. ) Work within restrictions and have fun with it.

2)     Concept and Research – Brainstorm for ideas and research past winners and judges. If you know the taste of the judging panel, it might increase the chances of you winning something. Email them if necessary and get to know the inspiration for their work, I am sure they will be more than willing to share their past experiences. Do create mood boards or storyboards as they help everyone visualize better. Doing your “homework” allows everyone to be clear about what you want to achieve.

3)     Be Original – I have to stress while there is a certain formulae for getting recognized in certain aspects of photography, judges will also like to see something original and unique.  Do not follow the trend blindly and always be willing to take risks. While replicating the works of a master might impress some judges, it also shows a distinct lack of creativity. I have seen a shoot of the great bull run done to the death. There is like a couple of hundred of those photos out there winning prizes till it’s starting to get real boring. Be willing to take a risk, you might fail but if you do get recognized , they will love you for being different. Photography in an expression of your views of the world, so make sure you have got something to say.

4)     Gathering a team. While it is advisable to gather a big team of people to help in executing the shoot , it is still best to be able to have complete control over how you would want the shoot to be done. While it is awesome to have feedback and creative input, it’s crazy to have to accommodate to all aspects. Be in control but keep an open mind. A collaboration is supposed to benefit all the parties involved so do try to make sure everyone has something to put into their portfolios. The chemistry between a good team can create sparks to propel you to standout from the rest of the competition.

5)     Booking a model. Always choose someone who can bring out the theme of what you want. They do not need to be pretty in the traditional sense but must be able to pose. Engaging a professional will probably make your job easier but do have a few poses in mind in case you run dry. Also do get a release form ready as it will allow you to enter the photos for contests. You will not want the model or the modeling agency haunting you down for using their photos without permission. If you have an existing working relationship with a modeling agency, the booker might allow you to do testshoots and charge minimal amounts for contests.

6)     Location Scout – It’s probably easier if you can go in advance to recce the place. It will allow you to plan in advance what you want to do and where. It’s challenging to be on site as it might rain or the place might all of a sudden be closed or out of bounds. Do get permission to shoot as you might be prosecuted if you are trespassing. Ask around , I am sure you can find a good place to shoot. Tap into the resources of the people you know. It will aid you in the quest for excellance.

7)     Buying or making props , clothes etc – While it is awesome to have a stylist help you get clothes and accessories , it’s at times not within the budget to engage a professional. You can always buy / rent cheap and just mix and match for the look you desire.

8)     Logistics – Getting transport if you have a big group of people or big props. Vans or lorries are sometimes necessary to help you move equipment so do up a list first and see what kind of transport is necessary.

9)     Assistants – I cannot stress more the importance of getting some assistants. I started off s one and they can make a photographer’s job look so easy. Finding someone who has prior knowledge is beneficial so having a buddy tagteam up as your Photography Assistant will probably boost the quality of the shoot, especially if they know their ways around lighting equipment.

10)  Postprocessing – They say the best photoshop is the photoshop you do not notice so please do not overdo it. Some people tend to add in too many effects and it takes away attention from what it was meant to be about….. the CLOTHES.  Fashion is all about the clothes and in case you do not know what that means….. it’s about displaying the fabric, the detailing and how the designer wants you to perceive the brand, so if the outfits look good, so will you.

Good Luck and most importantly have fun.

The Art of Winning Photography Competitions

The Art of Winning Photography Competitions

Doing this blog entry as a friend of mine told me to share the experience after winning a couple of Photography Awards in Europe.

Personally , I do not feel that I am good enough yet or am I around long enough to comment on this matter…… so this is more like a fun piece that will hopefully improve the chances of the photographers reading this. Entering competitions might seem like trying to win the lottery but the rewards can be far greater than the actual physical prize. Here’s what to look out for:

1)   Knowing the Competition

I am a big supporter of doing research.  It pays to know what the competition is about. Research past winners and judges to know what the contest is about.  Some photographers tend to overdo this and send in replicas of past award winners but do realize that judges tend to be different year to year so that there is no prejudice over a certain style.

2)   Reading the brief and understanding the requirements

There are often many categories or genres in any given competition.

It’s good to know what are the expectations and it would narrow down the scope of how to go about creating your entry. It would be a great pity to see a well taken photo entered in the wrong category.

3)   Creativity

It always helps to have a fresh perception of how things should be done.  Judges tend to favor entries that are different especially from those available in the industry. General attributes of a winning photo are as followed: Ability to create Impact, Technical Ability, good composition , have an interesting subject matter and creating an atmosphere. There is always the argument of Technical Competence Vs Emotional Impact and the judges are normally the ones that decide but if one can marry them both, your chances are considerably higher.

4)   Entry Fees and Rights

The nominal fees of 10 to 20 Pounds per entry are acceptable ….. at least to me. Any more than that shows that the organizers might be more interested in generating revenue than recognizing the works of the photographers. Do read  the fine print and understand how it works in terms of ownership. Some contests will claim all rights to reproduce the work for their benefit, even those that do not win. The photographer should maintain full rights instead .

5)   Your purpose for entering the competition : Prize, Recognition and Publicity

Some contests have wonderful cash or photography related prizes but that should not be what you should look for. Recognition and Publicity is equally important as well. The 2 awards that I have won have exhibited or are published in the UK, Belgium , Italy, Poland , Germany and China. This is an opportunity for you and your work to be seen and should be top priority as it may gain your opportunities to get work overseas in future. Photo contests are an excellent PR and Marketing tool and can be the extra push the client needs to see to give you the job, but at the end of the day, one must still deliver results as the recognition from a top photography organization can only get you so far.

6)   The Mentality of Entering Contests

Do not fall into the habit of entering all the competitions you stumble across. Know your strengths and enter those that you feel you have a good chance of doing well.  I enter to see how I would fare against the people in the industry and use it as a way to push my limits in order to improve.

I understand that there are photographers who are all-rounders but there should be a few specific genres you are better at or more interested in. There are entry fees involved……. And if you are on a budget like me, it’s good to know what to enter.

At the end of the day, you cannot win them all. I have entered in numerous contests of which I did not do well in many …….  It’s good to have people acknowledge your work but it is also possible to feel depressed when you do not do well. Do spring back fast and don’t let it affect you too much.

That’s all for now…… do let me know if you feel there are other components that you feel are crucial . Will be more than happy to add it to the list.

TOUCH – Let’s Walk together ~~~

TOUCH is back !!! The Original Undeniable Charismatic Homme is back with their new Digital Single – Let’s Walk together.

A huge image overhaul from the days of their last album ( Rocking The Club ) where they were darker, edgier and their dance moves slick and explosive. The new TOUCH is perhaps gaining ground with the revamp as their fanbase seem to have exploded overnight.

I was their photographer during its two visits to Singapore in 2011 and I have seen the kind of hardwork the boys put in. They were friendly and fun loving and always trying their best to top themselves. They deserve more recognition and the common vibe online is that they were not getting as much exposure as they deserve. The talent within the group and the excitement they have for performing is contagious. I was about to give up on photography when I saw their passion and it made me rekindle my own fire for photography.

 

The Original group was made up of 7 members – Hanjun, Junyong, YoungHun,SungYong,SunWoong,MinSeok and Dabin. Minseok and Dabin left the group due to creative differences and health issues soon after the release of their debut album. Leader Hanjun left the group in late 2011 after initial promotion of 2nd album Rocking the Club and was replaced by Jae Wok , surprising everyone with the change during their tour of Thailand. Lead Vocalist Junyong and Rapper Younghun left in 2012 due to national service and family issues respectively. Choel Min and Kanghyun than joined the group , taking over the respective roles.

While some fans will have their favourites and be disappointed at the departure at certain group members, there is no denying that the spirit of the group is still there. As hardworking as ever and always trying to break new ground. They have moved from Rookies to Fashion Idols to Dark Biker type and finally to the current cutesy innocent zeal. I will say the new image has a fresh appeal and they are doing a good job marketing them this time round. They are becoming like chameleons , forever changing and morphing….. giving the fans a surprise everytime they release an album. This current image is perhaps closer to their own character and you can see they are rather comfortable with it…. particularly SungYong and SunWoong.

Looking forward to their MB comeback stage performance at 610pm Korean time……

 

Podcast Feature from Professional Photographer Magazine UK

http://www.professionalphotographer.co.uk/Magazine/Podcasts/Professional-Photographer-podcast-22-May

 

The May Issue of Professional Photographer Award UK is now in stores worldwide. You can get a copy from Kinokuniya and other major bookstores in Singapore . The magazine has a special section focusing on the winning images for The Professional Photographer of the Year Awards 2011. There is an electronic interactive version available here as well:  http://www.professionalphotographer.co.uk/News-and-Reviews/2012/4/Check-out-our-PPOTY-Awards-interactive-magazine

Professional Photographer of the Year ( High Fashion ) 2011 and Overall Winner 2011

 

Professional Photographer of the Year Awards 2011 Exhibition in London England

We at Megalomaniac Euphoria will be making our way to London ( pending leave approval ) for the prestigious Professional Photographer of the Year 2011 Exhibition at The Printspace – 74 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DL . The award ceremony will be on 29th March at 7pm. Jericho Soh have been fortunate to gain recognition from the magazine as the winner of the High Fashion Category. To get there, alight from Old Street station, Liverpool Street station or Hoxton station. Do drop by and say hi if you happen to be in the area during this period.

Jericho’s work was also published in the Jan issue of the magazine for the ” In the Studio ” Category. ( 3rd from Left issue ). Looking forward to meeting the many professionals involved.

The People at the magazine are even nice enough to create a video for the Runner-ups. Excited excited ……

Jericho wins Professional Photographer of the Year Awards 2011 ( High Fashion Category )

http://www.professionalphotographer.co.uk/News-and-Reviews/2012/3/Professional-Photographer-of-the-Year-2011-shortlist-announced

We at Megalomaniac Euphoria is glad to announce that our in house photographer has won first prize in the High Fashion Category for the Professional Photographer of the Year ( PPOTY ) Awards 2011.

The PPOTY awards night will be held in London on 29 March 2012 , where a winner and a runner-up of each category will be announced – plus there will be a little surprise award on the night! The event will be held at The Printspace , 74 Kingsland Road, London E28DL from 7 pm – 930pm.

Participants had the option to submit their images to 13 different categories: High Fashion, Street Photography, The Wild World, Commercial Clients, In The Studio, On Location, Sporting Action, Reportage Weddings, Still Life, Student of the Year, Editorial News, Breaking the Mould and The Portfolio Award. The competition is organized by the Professional Photographer Magazine and had more than 6,300 entries entered.

The Professional Photographer of the Year 2011 competition is sponsored by: Sigma, Chaudigital, Amazing Internet, Olympus, Morgan Richardson Insurance, Hasselblad, Lightblue, Fixation, Hahnemuhle and Focal Press.

2011 has been an awesome year for us and we hope everyone will continue to support us thru 2012. Thank you and have an awesome day ahead.

Jericho in Top 10 of Federation of European Photographers European Fine Art Photo of the Year Award 2011

We are proud to announce that our residential photographer Jericho Soh Chee Loon has been credited as one of the top 10 finalists for the FEP ( Federation of European Photographers ) Fine Art Photograph of the Year 2011 Award.

The Prestigious Competition is held annually and is one of the highlight competition for Europe and beyond. Focusing on the fine art aspects of photography instead of the commercial aspects, it seeks to honor the best the world has to offer. Into it’s 3rd year running, it has gained international recognition for high quality works from all its participants.

The award Ceremony to be held in Brussels, Belgium in June 2012 in a yet to be disclosed venue will bring together the most creative minds in the Photographic Art circles all over the world. Jericho is proud that his work is selected and will strive to improve himself to live up to the great expectations and honor that comes with such a big accolade.

Feel free to visit the official site at http://www.europeanphotographers.eu/ or http://www.facebook.com/pages/FEP-Federation-of-European-Photographers/196609550358729?ref=ts  if you are interested to find out more.

Featured on Professional Photographer Magazine Jan 2012

Feature on Professional Photographer Magazine Jan 2012 for Professional Photographer of the Year Award 2011.

‎”Dark, brooding and stylish are all words I’d use to describe this image of Jericho Soh’s from Singapore. The lighting is highly attractive , especially the spotlight on the background, and the styling is rich ad contemporary. A Lovely Creation” Ross Edgar for In the Studio Category

Jericho wins 2nd Prize in Global Photo Awards ( Fashion ) for 2011 ~~~

We at Jericho Photography aka Megalomaniac Euphoria are proud to announce that our in-house photographer Mr Jericho Soh Chee Loon has won 2nd Prize in the Global Photo Awards 2011 ( Fashion Category ) competition .We thank you for your continuous support in 2011 and look forward to working with everyone in 2012 . Let’s Rock this !!!