With a reach that spans the globe, Tampa’s Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA) is again hosting its International Photography Competition. The competition has seven categories and three prizes in each.
The deadline for entry is May 9.
The competition generally gets about 1,000 entries, some from every continent, said Zora Carrier, executive director of FMoPA. “We are a hub for local photographers, but we also strive to outreach much further, reaching out worldwide. This is our 14th year to call for entries.”
Carrier calls the International Photography Competition a service to local photographers. They get to see what other professionals are working on and receive representation in a museum exhibition.
“We have categories for nature, cityscapes, people and activism,” among others. “We were actually debating if we should do something to address the war zone but decided to stay away from that because we believe we will get some anyway and we are happy to give them a prominence.” She was referencing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We do want to make sure we curate and jury the work on more than just scandalous images,” Carrier said.
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There are three winners in each category. The works will be printed in-house, then judged by a panel of photo editors, gallery owners, and teachers from local universities who teach photography. “We change the panel each year, but the structure is to have judges from different industries with different points of view,” Carrier said.
Previous winners
She noted a few past overall winners, including a woman from the Middle East whose photograph of women walking the shoreline in burkas surrounded by thousands of menacing-looking birds.
“The professional route for women in the Middle East is always a little more complicated than anywhere else, so we were pleased we were able to show her work.” Carrier called the woman’s work visually intriguing. “The birds did look a little dangerous.”
Last year’s competition also got many entries from South America, she said. “We had a very interesting series of drone photography, which is more and more established as a professional way to work, especially with landscapes and cityscapes.”
And, she said, she and the judges always love the conceptual and abstract work. “They make us think about the history of photography and how it is making its name in fine art. In fine art, photography started out as a vernacular material, then artists accepted the camera and that is how the magic started. It is always eye candy.”
In the nature category, the museum often gets entries from wildlife sanctuaries in various parts of the world, Carrier said. “Those are always very interesting stories. We did have one winner that did the work in a sanctuary for donkeys. She said if the image gets sold or used for other purposes, she wants all the proceeds to go to the sanctuary. So, it is also activism, by spreading the message.”
What happens after the competition?
FMoPA has an agreement with the photographers about what to do with their work once the competition finishes. Some want their works immediately destroyed, while others agree to get the museum to keep and display them.
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“When we have special events, we either gift them to our patrons or use them for marketing our programming,” Carrier said. “We do not actually sell the work, but use it for development and communication purposes.”
Entering the International Photography Competition
Winners in each category will be notified by June 5 and the top entries will go on display at FMoPA from June 10 to July 17.
Prizes will be awarded in these categories:
- Best in Competition receives $1,000. It will be considered for a public art exhibition on a billboard, for a solo exhibition at FMoPA or be part of a group exhibition at FMoPA.
- First place winners in each category receive goods and services valued at $100. They are considered for display on a billboard or part of a group exhibition at FMoPA.
- Second place winners are considered for a public art display on a billboard and to be part of a group exhibition at FMoPA.
- All third-place winners are considered for billboard display and will be part of a group exhibition at FMoPA.
FMoPA is also inviting photographers of all ages and skill levels to visit the animal shelter at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and photograph animals ready for adoption. Selected photographs from the competition will be displayed at the FMoPA community gallery in May. There is no charge to take part.