 |
|
First Prize – Photographer of the Quarter
- $750 Cash | 1st Pick of Product Prizes
Second Prize
- $500 Cash | 2nd Pick of Product Prizes
Third Prize
- $250 Cash | 3rd Pick of Product Prizes
Fourth Prize
- $150 Cash | 4th Pick of Product Prizes
Fifth Prize
- $100 Cash | 5th Pick of Product Prizes
6th – 15th Prize
- Product Prizes to the Top Finishers
|
 |
|
|
Big Folio Premium Design ($450 value) with 6 months of free hosting ($120 value)
BIG Folio is a web design and hosting company offering sleek, sophisticated site designs especially tailored to suit professional photographers needs. Founded in 2004, our team includes people driven to create great websites and great photography.
More information…
|
 |
ProDPI Photo Lab Gift Certificates ($200, $100, and $50 value)
ProDPI is providing print certificates in the amounts of $200, $100, and $50. Winners can redeem their certificates for any ProDPI product!
More information…
|
|
|
Bebb Studios – Fusion is Now DVD ($250 value)
FUSION: the process of joining two or more things together to form a single entity.
Stephen and Jennifer Bebb, the first wedding photographers in the world to review the Canon 5D MkII, take you on a step-by-step journey to FUSION.
The DVD, Fusion is Now, covers: Adding Fusion to your coverage now | Simple, basic and advanced Fusion techniques | Working with audio on the wedding day and after the fact | non-HDSLR solutions | tips and tricks. Plus a Bonus 45 minute DVD that focuses solely on editing your fusion projects.
More information…
|
|
|
Fundy SOS – Fundy Dollars Gift Certificate ($200 value)
75% of surveyed users say they’ve cut their production time in half (or more) using Fundy SOS Products. The Fundy Dollars may be used on any product or combination of products.
More information…
|
|
|
Think Tank Urban Disguise 30 ($130 value)
This is the perfect size for many photographers who actively shooting, since it holds a 70-200 f2.8 inside, with the hood reversed, a wide angle with the hood, and a pro-size SLR in the front expandable pocket (without a lens attached). A DSLR without a bottom battery grip can be put inside with a lens attached straight down into the bag. The bag also can be attached to a roller.
More information…
|
|
|
Proofmaker by ISPWP Member Mike Dickson ($75 value)
Proofmaker is a Photoshop CS2/CS3 script that will generate bordered proof images with the image name, or copyright information — or both (or neither) — into your photos, in one easy step. Easily turn your photos into bordered, labeled proofs!
More information…
|
|
 |
- Each participant must be an ISPWP member on the date of the contest deadline (March 31, 2010). If you are not an ISPWP member, apply for membership today!
|
 |
- All ISPWP members may submit 2 free images per contest. Additional images are $10 USD each (25 image limit per photographer per contest).
- Contest fees are non-refundable.
- There is no “pre-payment” for credits for contest entries. You will be directed to a payment form after you submit your entry.
|
 |
- SUBMISSION DEADLINE: All payments and images must be submitted by 11:59pm, US Pacific Time, Wednesday, March 31, 2010.
- Images must have been taken within 12 months of the contest deadline and may not have previously placed in an ISPWP photo contest.
- Images must be of actual wedding clients in the context of their wedding, engagement session, bridal session, or portrait session. Images of models posing as brides or images taken at a workshop, seminar, or convention may not be used.
- Judges may change the assigned category of an image if they determine it was entered into the wrong category.
- Each image may be entered into only one category.
- Images will be judged on creativity, originality, technical expertise, artistic merit, and relevance to theme.
- Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your name and photographs to be published on the ISPWP website. Entrants retain ownership and all other usage rights of their photographs.
- By entering, participants warrant that his or her images are original, created by the participant, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party’s property appears in the photograph.
- For studios that have multiple photographers, each photographer must enter the contest individually. Each individual photographer may enter 2 free entries (25 image limit per photographer per contest). Only the highest scoring member of that studio will count towards the studio’s local page ranking points.
- The judges’ decision on all matters relating to the competition is final. The contest judges are ISPWP member volunteers. On occasion, non-member professional wedding photographers may be invited to guest judge.
|
 |
- Image files must be in jpeg format, 720 pixels on the long side, and smaller than 125kb in size.
- NEW! Image filenames may be any unique name. (You no longer have to save each image file with a specific number and text sequence.)
Images should have straight, unmodified borders. No strokes, keylines, frames, borders, torn edges, polaroid edges, or other modifications are allowed except for the “Pure Art” category.
The top of the image must be oriented properly. Images will be judged and displayed in the orientation they are submitted.
Images judged to be pornographic, obscene, or containing graphic violence or any other content deemed inappropriate will be disqualified at the sole discretion of the judges.
|
 |
|
PHOTOJOURNALISM CATEGORIES
These images may not be setup, directed, or prompted by the photographer. Minor Photoshop enhancements such as cropping, levels, curves, white balance adjustments and subtle vignetting are allowed. Color, B/W, and basic/subtle toned images are acceptable.
Judges will be instructed to penalize shots that are obviously setup or directed by the photographer, or that use excessive Photoshop enhancements.
1. Getting Ready – Images that depict the preparations before the wedding
2. Ceremony Images – Images taken at the ceremony venue
3. First Dance – Images of the first dance at the reception, typically the bride with her father
4. Reception – Images taken at the reception venue
5. Emotional Impact – Images that depict or evoke a strong emotional reaction
6. Humor – Images that make you smile
7. Kids Will Be Kids – Images of the kids acting like kids
8. Family Love – Images that show interaction, love, and togetherness of families
9. The Decisive Moment – Images where timing is everything. One second before or after would have missed the shot.
PORTRAIT CATEGORIES
These image may be setup, directed, or prompted by the photographer. Minor Photoshop enhancements such as skin retouching, cropping, levels, curves, white balance adjustments and subtle vignetting are allowed. Color, B/W, and basic/subtle toned images are acceptable. Judges will be instructed to penalize excessive Photoshop enhancements. Images must be of actual wedding clients in the context of their wedding, engagement session, bridal session, or portrait session. Images of models posing as brides or images taken at a workshop, seminar, or convention may not be used.
10. Bride Portrait
11. Bride and Groom Portrait
12. Bridal Party Portrait
13. Engagement Portrait
ART CATEGORIES
These images have no restrictions on posing, direction, or Photoshop enhancements.
14. Venue/Location – Images showing the environments or buildings used for any part of the wedding day
15. Framing The Subject – Images using creative composition or environmental elements to frame the main subject in the photo
16. Movement and Motion – Images that convey motion with blur, panning, dragging the shutter or other techniques
17. All About Light – Images that are enhanced with outstanding or unique lighting
18. Wedding Details – Images of the cake, flowers, decorations, rings, etc.
19. The Wedding Dress – Images of the wedding gown, either hanging up before the wedding or worn by the bride
20. Pure Art – Images that showcase the artistic ability of the photographer. Creative Photoshop enhancements and experiments are encouraged.
|
 |
High scoring images in each category will earn the photographer ranking points to place their website listing higher on their ISPWP Listing Page.
| Place in Category |
Ranking point award |
| 1st place in category |
10 ranking points |
| 2nd place in category |
7 ranking points |
| 3rd place in category |
5 ranking points |
| 4th place in category |
3 ranking points |
| 5th place in category |
2 ranking points |
| 6th place in category |
1 ranking point |
| 7th place in category |
1 ranking point |
| 8th place in category |
1 ranking point |
| 9th place in category |
1 ranking point |
| 10th place in category |
1 ranking point |
| Each image entry |
.1 ranking point (ex. 1 full point for 10 entries) |
|
 |
 |
Matt McGraw – Matt McGraw Photography, Wilmington, North Carolina
Matt’s natural curiosity for photography started as a child growing up in Indiana. Matt would ask questions while his grandfather took family pictures. He got his first camera at age 14 and took off shooting wherever he could once he got his driver’s license. His curiosity led him to a local newspaper as a teenager where he ended up being mentored by the photo editor there. Matt eventually began shooting sports events on his own while in HS, traveling throughout the Midwest as a Sports Photographer shooting the Cincinnati Reds, the Indiana Pacers, and sports events at Indiana University and Purdue University. Matt eventually diverged from photography, pursuing a few other careers, but his passion for photography never died. That spark was re-lit 8 years ago when a friend of his asked him to shoot her wedding. After that, he was hooked, realizing this was his true calling in life! He discovered he was able to shoot weddings documentary-style, similar to how he would shoot sports. And so, Matt McGraw Photography was born. Matt has traveled all over the country and world as a photographer, documenting weddings. He is known for his unique award-winning Photojournalistic style and is based out of Wilmington, NC.
|
 |
David Wittig – David Wittig Photography, Chicago, Illinois
David Wittig was born and raised in Argentina, lived in Costa Rica, and then moved to Chicago to study Art and Political Science. He’s been photographing weddings worldwide for over 10 years and runs one of the top studios in Chicago with his partner and wife Nancy Beale. Their work has been published widely and won numerous awards. His art work has been exhibited in galleries in Italy, New York, and Chicago. The first monograph of his work Alechmia degli Elementi was published in Rome in 2006. He believes in Beauty.
|
 |
Verna Pitts – Verna Pitts Photography, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Verna Pitts lives in a little house in the woods on a dirt road in the country just outside Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and still considers herself a New Yorker. She began shooting 35mm film in 1982, worked for a local women’s press where she covered a couple of Washington DC marches, the National Women’s Political Caucus and even had the opportunity to interview and shoot Molly Yard, who was the president of the NOW (National Organization for Women). She dipped her toe in the wedding business but took a break as she raised her 4 teenaged sons. When the last one graduated from high school it was the digital age and she began her business anew. Her work has been published in numerous publications; she’s won a respectable number of awards and has a reverential passion for documenting weddings.
|
 |
Joe Appel – Joe Appel Photography, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Joe Appel has been a staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for 16 years. He has also maintained a side business as a freelance photojournalist. His photographs have been published in books, newspapers worldwide, and in magazines from Scholastic to Motorcyclist and Rolling Stone. Joe is entering his 4th full season of photographing weddings professionally. Prior to that weddings were something that he reluctantly did upon the request of friends. Joe says, “It’s sort of like a guy who owns a pickup truck – if a friend is moving you know you’re going to get a call. As a photographer, it always seemed like I would be asked to be the photographer when friends were getting married. It was something I would do but not really enjoy.” That changed several years ago when a friend asked him to cover her wedding like it was a news story. Instead of shooting it as he thought a “wedding photographer” would, he found that he was enjoying the event. A winner of many state and local awards, Joe has found that his news photography has improved as a result of shooting weddings. “Whether photographing news, sports, or weddings it’s all about telling stories. Being invited inside a couple’s circle of family and friends to document their day is truly a joy.”
|
|
