You REALLY need to read the fine print !!

ottor

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I've only entered 2 other Photo contests, but after seeing the one that the City Arts' Commission put on last year, I decided that I need to enter.... Requirements of no more than 11x14, mounted on board, no frames or mat... OK - I just spent $109 on processing to enter a number of photos in different catagories.... I read that it's $10 per submission... OK so far... Now I find out - "Photographs will not be returned" !! I went into this thinking that even if I didnt' do any good in the contest, I'd have some really nice photos to hang on my wall.... PLUS - "By entering the contest, you grant the Arts Council the right to publish and use any submitted photograph in print or electronic form for advertising, promotional, or commercial use without renumeration ..

OK - for those that have done this stuff before - is this a 'normal' practice ? This is our local city's Arts Council, not some ad over the Internet... This is the 8th year they've had this, and I could kick myself for not looking into this more......

r
 
I haven't entered many photo contests, but none of them have charged me and then taken the right to use the photos without renumeration. One did use a photo on a calendar, but at least they sent me a free copy and didn't charge to enter the contest - and I know they didn't make a lot selling the calendars. Often photos aren't returned, but they're unmounted & unframed 5X7s, not something expensive. Returning photos would cost the organization running the contest a lot of time, money, and effort, so I can see why they would rather not have to send them back.

At least you read the fine print in time to save your photographs and $10.00 entry fees, and you still have those really nice photos to hang on your wall.
 
There are quite a few photo contests that do stuff like this. I don't enter those that do. I certainly don't mind a nominal entry fee ($10 isn't bad), but I will never enter a contest that says I give rights away. I especially won't pay to give my rights away. There's a local photo contest where I live that's run by the local photo lab. They only take electronic submissions, or negatives (no prints). They charge $8 per photo to enter, with a maximum of 3 total photos. But, for each entry, they give you a voucher for 20 4x6 prints, and they give you the matted 8x10 of your submission they printed out for judging. They also only ask for the right to display your photo in their store for a maximum of 1 year after the end of submission time (and only winners really have to worry about this) and that is it. They don't use your photos for anything else. I have no problem giving up $24, to keep the rights to my photo to myself, get 60 4x6's and a matted 8x10 of each entry. Oh, and to get the chance to win a (typically) $1200 Nikon DSLR kit. Last year was a D90 with kit lens and the 50mm f/1.4. Not too shabby.

On the other hand, most other contests I've seen are somewhat like the one you mentioned. Alaska Airlines holds an annual photo contest, but they take the rights to your photo for entering. Top prize (out of literally 1000's of entries) is 2 First Class round trip tickets to wherever they fly ($3000 value or so). Not worth it, if you ask me. A local website holds another photo contest that's free to enter, but there are no prizes either. Oh, he takes the rights to your photo to boot. You just have to be careful, and be mindful of the fine print (as you mentioned).
 
MOST photo "contests" are indeed, rights grabs...you enter, or even worse, you are forced to pay to enter, and in doing so, surrender use rights to the bastids running the contest...and the contest promoters suck up loads and loads of good material for their own use, in exchange for awarding a few prizes...what a scam...but that's how the majority of photo contests are set up these days.
 
yeah.... too bad so many of the competitions are out to take advantage of your work
 
Simple fix. Shoot crappy photos so no one wants them. That's my strategy anyway...
 
Simple fix. Shoot crappy photos so no one wants them. That's my strategy anyway...

Wouldn't work .............. those were the kind of shots that won last year...
 
I've only entered 2 other Photo contests, but after seeing the one that the City Arts' Commission put on last year, I decided that I need to enter.... Requirements of no more than 11x14, mounted on board, no frames or mat... OK - I just spent $109 on processing to enter a number of photos in different catagories.... I read that it's $10 per submission... OK so far... Now I find out - "Photographs will not be returned" !! I went into this thinking that even if I didnt' do any good in the contest, I'd have some really nice photos to hang on my wall.... PLUS - "By entering the contest, you grant the Arts Council the right to publish and use any submitted photograph in print or electronic form for advertising, promotional, or commercial use without renumeration ..

OK - for those that have done this stuff before - is this a 'normal' practice ? This is our local city's Arts Council, not some ad over the Internet... This is the 8th year they've had this, and I could kick myself for not looking into this more......

r

eek.gif
 
I'd never enter any photo comp like that.
 
I think that some contest holders put those clauses in, just to completely cover their ass, so they don't get sued by photographers...but yes, there are certainly those who take advantage of the situation just to get free images for themselves.

Another contest scam is the one where they keep telling you (and everyone else) that you've moved onto the next round (winning). Then they tell you that all the 'winning' images will be put into a book, which you can buy, for the low, low price of $125 (or whatever). Turns out that the book is practically as thick as a phone book and the photos are the size of stamps. In other words, everybody gets into the book...so they can sell you a book that 'features' your photo.
 
Another contest scam is the one where they keep telling you (and everyone else) that you've moved onto the next round (winning). Then they tell you that all the 'winning' images will be put into a book, which you can buy, for the low, low price of $125 (or whatever). Turns out that the book is practically as thick as a phone book and the photos are the size of stamps. In other words, everybody gets into the book...so they can sell you a book that 'features' your photo.

Oh man, I think I just realized this happened to me when I was in junior high. Entered a poem into a "contest" and low and behold it was selected as a 'finalist' and put into a big book full of other poems, which of course my parents had to buy because, hey, I was a published poet! That's a pretty slick scheme...
 
Ya, I almost got suckered into that one. I entered a photo and got all these 'finalist' messages and letters. My wife (girlfriend at the time) was super excited but my spidey senses were tingling and I figured it out.

The worst thing is, I don't see that they are actually defrauding people...just praying on their hopes and dreams.
 

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