National Geographic can be pretty awesome sometimes (you know, when it's not being racist) and its that time of year for the Nat Geo Annual Photography Contest. This year the winner will receive a whopping $10,000 and have their photo published in the magazine. The deadline is actually Nov 30th... you snap-happy people out there still have a few more days to submit your work! I highly encourage it! There are some fan-fucking-tastic photos in the bunch! Seriously!
But, but, but, butt...
Looking at these photographs, I have one question: who are these photographers?
Right off the bat I assumed these submitted images were taken by the girl next door or my local grocer or my friend's mom---you know, the regulars, like myself. And that assumption filled me with warm and fuzzy feelings because it meant that regular people were secretly artistic geniuses with a brilliant eye for photography when a camera was placed in their hands. I don't know why I'd assume that, but I'm most likely wrong! I mean, my vacation photos do not look like this!
I think most of these photographs are, in fact, taken by photographers who have spent a considerable amount of money on professional equipment and have the skills to pay the bills. "So what", you're probably asking me, "a budding artist gets his or her big break, they deserve it!" Well, of course this is great. But this contest kind of, sort of parades itself around as inclusive and inviting ("Now you can share your vision with the world") when, in fact, it is really only serving a small pool of trained professionals. They should preface this contest with: "You can enter, but you are not going to win!"
Whether you agree with me or now, I think its safe to say that the winning photograph wasn't taken on a dinky point-and-shoot like I have.
Anyway, I'll gladly shut up. And thank you, Chris, for the tip! You da bomb dot com!
Click for some exciting Nat Geo submissions!
Most importantly, which is your favorite?? I love #28, the Lighting Crashes, in Hong Kong.
Wow, these are all really neat. I really like A Wrinkle in Time and Unsafe Journey. Oh and Lighting Strikes NY Harbor...and Lightning Crashes is so cool too....Clearly I can't pick a favorite.
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