Essex Photography Prize
Now Open for Entries for 2022 Competition
The Essex Photography Prize has launched and is open for entries until the 31st August 2022.
Local Essex based photographers can submit entries for a chance to appear in a major touring exhibition that will visit key towns and cities in the county.
Showcasing Talented Photographers in Essex
We are scouring Essex, looking to the most promising photographers. Whether you're passionate about landscape, fashion or portrait photography we want to give you a platform to showcase your work, for thousands of people to see in our touring exhibition. The lucky finalists will have their images professionally printed, mounted and framed. These images will then be shown at an exhibition and awards ceremony that will tour around Essex! In additional their are some amazing prizes to be won!
Competition Categories
Landscape
The landscapes of the world can be as varied as the people that inhabit them. The images submitted into this category can reflect that. Of course we will accept images showing unspoilt natural vistas, but it doesn't have to stop there. Any landscape in the world; be it natural, man made or where the two meet is all acceptable. Images can be captured using a camera, phone or drone.
Fashion & Commercial
An exceptional fashion or commercial image can set new trends, convey a brands message or spark social change. Images submitted into this category can be taken in either a studio or on location but should have that commercial feel. Submissions can be taken anywhere in the world.
Portraiture & Documentary
It's a cliché but still true. A picture can speak a thousand words. Show us an image which can tell a story. This can be done by intimate close up portraits as well as more documentary style shots showcasing community. Submissions can be taken anywhere in the world. Judges will want to feel something when looking at your image. Be it, sadness, humour, horror, tension, anticipation, love, to name a few.
Wildlife
Wildlife can come in all shapes and sizes and from anywhere in the world. From a snail in your back garden to a pod of orca whales off the coast of Alaska. Images of wild animals should be exactly that; Wild Animals. They should be observed in their natural environment, without damaging their habitat and should not have been trapped in order to capture the image. Images of pets and zoo animals are allowed as long as the animal is not caused any distress to get the photo.
Still Life
Turn the ordinary into the intriguing. Still life photography has to be technically perfect with great consideration for composition and dynamic lighting. Your image can be taken anywhere in the world and practically of any object. This is always a popular category so think creative and give your object personality and interest.
Youth (Under 18s)
Show us why you love your local area. Capture people, places, objects or events that sum up what living in Essex means to you. Entrants will be shortlisted to appear in the travelling exhibition appearing in Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend with more locations being added soon. We therefore will only be able to showcase photos taken in these locations.
Workshops and Talks
Cyanotype Printing
The cyanotype is a slow-reacting, economical photographic printing formulation sensitive to a limited near ultraviolet and blue light spectrum, the range 300nm to 400nm known as UVA radiation. It produces a cyan-blue print used for art as monochrome imagery applicable on a range of supports, and for reprography in the form of blueprints. Participants will go out to find leaves and other natural materials to make their cyanotype silhouettes.
-
Date
18th August (World Photography Day)
-
Time
10:00am till 4pm
-
Where
The Meadows Shopping Centre
-
Price
Free
Youth Analogue Photography Workshops (Ages 14-21)
Analogue photography is making a massive resurgence with young people at the heart of it. It’s the ultimate 90s filter! This workshop will work with groups of young people to use cameras supplied by us to take photographs around the local area. They will have a task sheet to help them explore the different genres of photography, the films will then be processed and scanned. These images can then be exhibited digitally at the final exhibition as a youths view of Chelmsford City.
-
Date
TBC
-
Time
TBC
-
Where
TBC
-
Price
Free
Our Sponsors
Our Colchester
Colchester Business Improvement District (BID), supports this competition. Their aim is to represent local businesses within the town centre, delivering projects and initiatives to ensure that Colchester remains a great place to live and work. Our Colchester has sponsored the awards exhibition and workshops within Colchester City centre.
The Meadows Shopping Centre
The Meadows Shopping Centre based in the heart of Chelmsford has sponsored a host of workshops to inspire the photographers of Essex.
Chelmsford For You
Chelmsford Business Improvement District (BID), supports this competition. Their aim is to represent nearly 500 businesses within the city centre, delivering projects and initiatives to ensure that Chelmsford remains a great place to live and work.
Hahnemühle
Hahnemühle is a name that comes with a industry leading reputation for quality photographic papers. They are the oldest and most respected paper manufacture in the world and Blue Sky Printing are proud to have been awarded their "Certified Seller Status". Hahnemühle have been kind enough to donate paper to support the exhibition. If you haven't seen their papers up close then we have sample packs that can be ordered on our website or viewed in-store.
The Prizes
£250 Blue Sky Printing Voucher
Blue Sky Printing will give the overall winner a voucher to have they're favourite photos printed. They will be able to choose for the many high end products Blue Sky Printing offer.
Images Featured in Essex Life Magazine
Essex Life Magazine are going to run a piece about the competition. It will feature the winners from each category and the overall winner.
Finalists Travelling Exhibition
All finalists will have there work showcased in an exhibition that will tour the three cities of Essex. Last year we had over 5000 visitors to our exhibitions and this year we hope to beat that.
Fill in the the details and upload your image to enter the competition.
Entrants can enter 1 photo into each category.
Please make sure you send the full high resolution version of your images.
By submitting an image to the competition you are agreeing to the terms and conditions found here.