National/International Competition Submission and research journal

The Renaissance Photography Prize raises funds for charity, helping to support women with breast cancer.  The prize is international and showcases photography from established and emerging photographers.  Founder Fiona Gifford, created the prize in 2007 after her breast cancer diagnosis and since then the prize has raised over £250,000 for the Lavender Trust Breast Cancer Care.  Monica Takvam is the new curator and manager of the prize, alongside a team of volunteers.

2016 is the ninth year the prize has been held.

Benefits include offering a worldwide audience for their work and for their work to be seen by some of the most influential people the photography industry has to offer.  The images will also be exhibited in London. The images can be singular or a collection that are entered.

The panel of judges are photographers working within the industry internationally and at the top of their game.

Entry

Entry into the competition is easy. There is three easy steps.

    1: Firstly, online, you need to register your personal details:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• City
• Country

     2: Upload your photographs.

In both the single categories and series you can enter as many images as you like to both.  Files need to be:

• JPEG files
• 5000px max on the longest side
• 5MB in files size max
• Series require between 5-8 images and a project statement of 100-250 words

      3: Pay the entry fee

Payments can be made online via card payments or Paypal.

Single Images

• £18 for 1 Photograph
• £27 up to 3
• £45 up to 6
• £65 up to 10

More than 10 images will be calculated as per above, to the best possible discount.

Series of Images

• £55 per series – 5-8 images and a project statement

This years Categories

SINGLE IMAGE

The single image categories are EARTH, PRIVATE and RELATION

SERIES

Series is an OPEN CATEGORY with no theme.

              The Judges

In researching the Judges I hope to find out what they do and what type of photography they like.  I hope this will give me a good indication if my work will fit in this competition and also what benefits I could have, having these judges look at my work.

                                        Gregory Barker

Gregory Barker is the Commissioning Editor for HOTSHOE Magazine, the UK’s leading photographic magazine in contemporary photography.  He also co-founded STANLEY/BARKER, an independent publishing company. Hotshoe is published four times a years and supports innovative work, often being the first to spot such works.  Their features include powerful visual aesthetics as well as intelligent designs and strong writings.

Having Gregory as a judge on the panel could be beneficial to myself entering this competition, as he would first hand be looking at my work.  If my work is innovating although then this could open further opportunities through Gregory as his position at HOTSHOE could lead to a magazine spread/commissions and possibly on to having something published through his own publishing company.  He is a fantastic Judge to have looking at my work and a great reason to enter this competition.

                                       Emma Bowkett

Emma Bowkett joined the Financial Times in 2009 as Director of Photography. Emma is also a university lecturer and she regularly takes part in international portfolio reviews, festivals, art fairs and awards.  She also co-curated a Financial Times special supplement as part of Photo London which won the UK Press Award 2014. Emma also has a Master’s degree in Image and Communication.

Emma is another Judge that has knowledge and contacts that could help further my career.  Being a lecturer she would have the knowledge of traditional and contemporary works which would mean she would pick up on and understand reference to this within my works. Her Master’s degree means she is well educated within narratives within image making which makes me feel confident that she knows what she is looking for when reading images.  And finally, he contacts within the financial times and history of working with supplements for Photo London could open up opportunities and contacts for networking should I prove successful within this competition.

                                                                                              Louise Clements

Louise is the Artistic Director for QUAD. QUAD is a centre for contemporary film, art and new technologies founded in 2001.  In 2004 she also co-founded FORMAT International Photography Festival to which she is currently the artistic director. She has been a regular guest curator at other festivals, travelling to destinations such as India, China, Netherlands, Paris, Germany and Italy. Louise regularly writes for art books and magazines in contemporary art, her writings can be found in both online media and print. Louise has also co-edited photobooks and is regarded as an international speaker, advisor, juror and reviewer.

Louise’s career gives a confident in her role of judge for this prize.  She has judged competitions worldwide, and given her writing history within the contemporary arts, she appears to be confident in reading imagery and making links between new photographic works with the references of other important works. Louise’s connections with QUAD keep her up to date with new technologies, allowing her an insight into how new equipment can influence the aesthetics of new work. However, I do not think this is something that would interest her particularly in my work, it is interesting to know for future reference.  Lastly, Louise appears to be well accented within the photo festival scene, and would have a wealth of networks to which would be very helpful when trying to build a career.

                                                                                                          Tom Hind

Tom has spent the last eight years working at Getty Images within the creative department of which he is a senior Director.  He manages the department in editing and sourcing images for the Getty Images collections.  Previously to this role he worked for Europe’s largest marketing agencies WWAV Rapp Collins, where he was the head of buying Art.

Within Tom’s career he has been constantly looking at imagery and art.  In buying art, editing and sourcing images for Getty, he must understand not only the works and where they fit within the industry, but the clientele that would require the images and the type of imagery that is fashionable.  I would imagine that Tom would be looking for creative images and could look at an image and know how/where/if possible, to make money from it.  I am not entirely convinced he would be the reason that I entre this competition but I am sure he adds a further dimension to the judging panel.

                                                                                              Marloes Krijnen

Marloes is the director and founder of Foam, which she established in 2001.  Foam focuses on publications, exhibitions, discussions and specific projects. Foam enables people to view and buy photography, either in museums, online or in its own magazine which is internationally distributed. The projects she works with explore contemporary themes within photography of which she places an emphasis on up and coming artists. Previously to Foam, Marloes owned Transworld, which was an international photo agency.  More recently Marloes has judged many photographic competitions including the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize.

The fact that Marloes is particularly interested in up and coming photographers makes entering this competition with her on the judging panel very appealing.  This along with her company Foam, where she has the potential to exhibit my images online and internationally within her publication, makes her a great judge to have look at my work and makes this particular competition more attractive to enter.

                                                                                              Chirs Littlewood

Chris works as the Photography Director at a Gallery in London called Flowers.  Flowers main focus is to work with themes of socio-cultured and environment.  Flowers, currently represent ten established photographers and has been dedicated to work with invited artists and curators since 2008.  Chris has also lectured at a number of universities and institutes.

Over the last two years my work has been largely environmental, so having Chris who specialises in that genre of photography could work in my favour if this is the type of photography that appeals to him.  It is also fairly difficult to have a Gallery represent you, however, Flowers work with guests, so there are possibilities of being able to work and create contacts and networks by guesting though this Gallery.  Chris appears to be a great judge to look at my work, which for me, strengthens my application into this competition-if I use environmental images for my submission.

                                                                                                Shoair Mavlian

Shoair works in London as a curator at Tate Modern.  The main focus in within photography. She researches acquisitions for the international collection and curates displays and exhibitions throughout Tate Modern. Shoair is mainly interested in photography themes relating to conflict and memory, Central and Latin American photography.

The main themes that Shoair is interested in does not really relate to any of the themes that I work with, so it is likely that she would not have any connection with my projects or images. Although she would have a wealth of contacts and networks working within the Tate Modern, I do not believe that my work would be to her taste and there, she does not bring any added extra for me to enter with competition.

                                                                                                   Fiona Shields

Fiona is currently working for the Guardian as a Picture Editor and has done over the last eight years.  In total she has over twenty years’ experience of picture editing. Fiona has travelled the world covering stories such as 9/11, conflicts in Iraq, and natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Haiti.

Fionas work, for me is much like Shoair. Our natural interest differ, so she is not the reason that I would choose to join this competition.  However, like the other judges, Fiona sounds like a well-connected individual although it is unlikely that I could use this to my advantage in any way.

Prizes

Renaissance Photography Prize 2016 – Best Single Image

• £1000 Cash Prize
• + £800 Metro Imaging Printing/Framing
• + 3 X 20 min. Portfolio Reviews
• + SELF PUBLISH, BE HAPPY Book Club – 1 Year Membership
• + Mentoring from a top Getty Images Contributor
• + Professional Editing Session with Metro Imaging
• + HOTSHOE Magazine – 1 Year Subscription

Renaissance Photography Prize 2016 – Best Series

• £1000 Cash Prize
• + £800 Metro Imaging Printing/Framing
• + 3 X 20 min. Portfolio Reviews
• + SELF PUBLISH, BE HAPPY – 2 Hour One-to-One Mentoring Session
• + Mentoring from a top Getty Images Contributor
• + Professional Editing Session with Metro Imaging
• + HOTSHOE Magazine – 1 Year Subscription

Renaissance Photography Prize 2016 – Single Image Category Winner x 3

• £500 Cash Prize
• + 1 X 20 min. Portfolio Review

Renaissance Photography Prize 2016 – Best Series Runner Up

• £500 Cash Prize
• + 1 X 20 min. Portfolio Review

All Exhibited Photographers

• Exhibition Catalogue
• Complimentary ticket to Awards Ceremony

Special feature open to all selected photographers 2016

As an added extra this year the Renaissance Photography Prize has partnered with HOTSHOE.  One of the short lists from this year will be featured in HOTSHOE as an online portfolio.  Judge and Commissioning Editor Gregory Barker will announce the winner at the awards ceremony.

OPENING AND CLOSING DATES

The Competition will open for entrie at 16.00 GMT on 18 March 2016 and will close at 23.59 GMT on 14 June 2016. Entries received after the competition has closed will not be accepted.

Renaissance Photography Prize Best Series 2015

Conor Clarke (Germany) with Scenic Potential









Where is the winner now? What comes after the initial win?

Selected works from Scenic Potential will be shown in billboard form outside Te Tuhi. Opens: March 12th, 4 - 6pm (gallery open until 8pm). Exhibition runs March 12 - May 29, 2016
BILLBOARD PROJECT: http://tetuhi.org.nz/exhibitions/exhibitiondetails.php?id=172
THE HIVE HUMS WITH MANY MINDS (in the gallery): http://tetuhi.org.nz/exhibitions/exhibitiondetails.php?id=168
FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1233648093331905/
*There is a free bus departing from Artspace @ 3:30pm and returning at 6pm, info here: http://www.tetuhi.org.nz/events/

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Radio interview

Had a little chat with Justin Gregory from Radio New Zealand about my latest project, and my residency experience at Waitawa Regional Park.
Podcast here

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Renaissance Photography Prize 2015: awarded Best Series for Scenic Potential

http://renaissancephotography.org/

SOLO + DUO EXHIBITIONS

2017 (upcoming - Feb) A Warm Welcoming Feeling @ Papakura Art Gallery, Auckland
2016 (upcoming - June) A Warm Welcoming Feeling @ Two Rooms, Auckland
2016 (upcoming - May) In Pursuit of the Object @ BERLIN-WEEKLY, Berlin
2016 (12.03 - 29.05) Scenic Potential - Billboard Project @ Te Tuhi, Auckland
2015 Scenic Potential @ Two Rooms, Auckland
2015 Himmel und Erde - Beatrix Reinhardt + Conor Clarke @ Pavlov’s Dog, Berlin

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016 (upcoming - June) Beyond Identities: Thoughts on Paper, Berlin
2015 Renaissance Photography Prize exhibition @ Getty Images Gallery, London




My Entry..

This series of seven images focuses on the iconic tower block Arlington House, located on Margate seafront. Built in the brutalist style of the 1960s, the reputation of Arlington House has suffered from being negatively portrayed with stereotypical reputations of violence and drug users within tower blocks.

However, the reality within Arlington House is that the building offers security and a real sense of kinship to the residents that occupy it.  

Like any structure of its time, it is worn and tired, but nonetheless cherished and loved by the occupants within. This series looks at the issues within the building such as the decaying structure, lack of space and insulation, but also offers an optimistic view into the domestic sphere and the sense of community within the building.

The above images are the images I am submitting for the renaissance prize. Having researched the judges, judges such as Marloes Krijen and Gregory Barker look for up and coming talent so they will be keen to look for new names that entrée the competition like myself. Also, Chris Littlewood, the Photography Director at Flowers Gallery is interested in socio-cultural, my series may interest him looking at how people live and work as communities within tower blocks. He is also interested in environmental works which again, would fit within my series theme.

As per the competition advise, the images are requested to be converted to sRGB profile and 8bit 

The images are to be no more 5000px on the longest side and under 5MB in file size. In order to have the image under the 5MB I have had to size the longest side at 2000px.

Once there is nothing further to do on the images, I have sharpened them so they are ready to enter.

As the image names will be viewed, I have saved them in the numerical order that I want them to be shown and have used my name as a reference for each image.