WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE MISTAKES ENTRANTS TEND TO MAKE?

NOT READING THE CATEGORY BRIEF PROPERLY My heart sinks when I see a great image we reject because it doesn’t fit the category brief, yet it happens numerous times every year.

ENTERING THE SAME IMAGE IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES no matter how strong an image is, the impact of it is lessened when it appears on the judges’ screens numerous times. pick the most appropriate category for the image and don’t be tempted to enter it into another. ENTERING A SERIES OF SIMILAR IMAGES FROM THE SAME

SEQUENCE We all suffer from this dilemma from time to time; you may have captured a great action sequence, for example, and you have a dozen or more images to choose from. Can’t decide which one to enter? Don’t be tempted to enter more than one – if you can’t decide which is best, the judges aren’t going to do your job for you, and you’ll dilute their collective opinion and the impact of the image.

COPYCAT IMAGES I can guarantee that we will see dozens of images each year that try to emulate photographs that have either won or done well in the previous year. As judges, we are looking for something new that excites us; copying subjects, styles and compositions seen previously is not going to turn any of the judges’ heads.

NOT READING THE RULES Competition rules exist for a reason, yet they are seemingly ignored by some entrants every year. read the rules carefully and ensure you abide by them. If they are ignored then be prepared for the competition organisers to disqualify your image, no matter how good it is.