I applied looong time ago to the B&W magazine portfolio contest.
I sent them an e-mail 2 months ago asking for the status and promptly they replied notifying me that there were in the process of sending mail to the non-winners, and that in two weeks the would write to the winners.
I sent them another e-mail last week and I received no reply.
Did they run to Mexico?
Anybody knows anything about the matter?
They've published a whole book of really crummy images, now at my local Barnes and Noble.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
A few years back I entered one of these "contests" or whatever, and had a couple of prints accepted. As I remember,the charge, or ently fee was something like $25.00. They offered to published a small, I think 2X3 print of mine- however I found later they had received many hundreds of entries, at $25 per each. Adding up the numbers revealed they had taken in well over $100,000! Quite a profiable scam. Needless to sayI shun these contests or whatever where fees are charged.
I applied to that contest as well, but I unfortunately didn't make the cut. I did get an email though, and if you're interested, I could forward it to you. lmk
i used to be outraged by entry fees to contests and jurried shows, but it became obvious that they all had them ... scams and legitemate ones alike.
i still won't do the contests, but once in a while i'll submit to a jurried show, if the theme and the jurors seem like an unusually good match for my work. in these cases it's more like playing roulette than like playing the lottery.
I donot publish B&W but the comments about these being scams is unfair. Usually, and I do not know about this specific example, judges are hired, sometimes they have to be brought in, extra help is hired becasue of all the unpackaging and repackaging, return postage may be required, judges mayhave to be given lodging and meals, etc. etc. If a special issue is done then that may require layout and production charges, etc.
There seems to frequently be a rush to judgement about people being taken advantage of on some of these forums. Those who are making such a judgement, give us your experience in these areas so we know that you are fully informed about making these judgements.
steve simmons
steve,
"scam" might be the wrong word even for the shadier contests. a lot of it is perfectly legal, but you don't have to scratch too deep to see that some of these things are designed to pad the organizers' pockets and not to benefit the artists in any way. i'm not talking about the B/W contest--i don't know anything about it. but i get plenty of email notices about obscure jurried shows, with unheard of jurors, out in the middle of farm country somewhere ... the emails promise all kinds of exposure for anyone selected, and the entry fees are often steep. like $30 to $45 for three images. i don't see these things as genuine opportunities; i see them as money making schemes.
worse are the "jurried" books and catalogs, with names like "top 100 famous artists," typically hardbound, and if you buy the ad copy, bound for glory. often these offer digital submissions for free (great!) ... but if you're accepted, and everyone's always accepted, you find out that your share of the publication cost is soemewhere between $500 and $1500. this includes your own copy of the final book. it's pretty clear that the only people who ever look at these books are the people who paid to be included.
these may not be scams, although pay-to-be-published "contests" for poets have come under serious ethical scrutiny in recent years. these are the exact same deal as the art books, and often seriously misleading. unwitting poets often think they've actually won a contest. i believe there was some lawsuit against one of these publishers, filed by the american academy of poets.
from Grump
$100,000! Quite a profiable scam. Needless to sayI shun these contests or whatever where fees are charged.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
So who is Grump and who is he to say this was a scam? How does he know there were not expenses related to putting this event on, etc., etc.? What event was it? He makes a general statement and does not give enough context to know if he is being accurate or fair.
There are people coming on to this and other forums pretending to have knowledge that I do not think they really have. They provide misleading information.
For example, a couple of weeks ago there was a question about a digitally created nergative the person wnated to enlarge but was having trouble with the high values. One responder suggested using Azo paper. Now, in my expereince Azo is not useable for making enlargements. This post was very misleading and I can not figure why anyone would come on and say such a thing. Now, in this case Grump comes on and makes a general statement that probably is not related to the original question. I have not heard of scams in the photo world that are similar to what may or may not be happening in other areas. Yet this over generalization is made and put out as knowledge.
What is the point of making such posts?
steve simmons
Steve, in no way I think this is a scam.
I have partecipated to the B&W image contest last year, in which I won an award, and that's the reason I submitted 2 portfolios for the latest contest.
The fact that I haven't been contacted yet gives me hope to have been one of the lucky ones to have made it, but what makes me a little weary is the organization that B&W magazine shows in this contest and in not notifying the contestants.
They have been overwhelmed by the submissions and I think they are trying to catch up.
I actually had a friendly chat with Mr Rasmussen, the editor, last year discussing the printing quality of the magazine and he sounded very honest about his love for the craft and the respect he has for people like us, who try keep this passion/curse alive.
Next, will be View Camera Magazine, I just need to find the right contact.... :-))
Best regards,
Domenico
www.dfoschisite.com
Domenico
I was not referring to you but to Grump.
Anyway, View Camera is always happy to review submissions.
Our submission guideliens are on our web page
www.viewcamera.com
and go to submissions
steve simmons
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