Fall Photo 2023 Key Dates and Details
Teachers,
The 2023 Fall Photo Contest is now open. The deadline for submission is Friday, November 3. Judging will take place through November and results will be published in mid December. We have changed the fee structure and increased the number of entries your students can make in each category. We have also updated the contest rules regarding the use of AI in imagemaking.
Entries, Categories, and Fees: We have the same ten categories as previous years. Students can enter up to three images in a given category, but may enter in as many categories as they like. Student entries must come from their body of work produced in the last year (since the conclusion of the previous Fall Contest). You can review the category list here. The Student contest fee is $3 per entry.
Faculty Contest: We had 101 entries in the faculty division last year and are looking forward to seeing your work again this year! As a reminder, faculty entries are judged together in one pool; there are no individual categories. The faculty contest fee is $2 per entry.
Use of Generative AI and Similar Technologies: The use of artificial intelligence or other generative content tools is only permitted in the Experimental/Enhanced category. All submissions must begin with original work created by the student. The use of generative technology is not permitted in submissions made to any other category. A description of the techniques used must be included in the description field in the image metadata upon submission. Students and teachers will check an acknowledgment of rules box when uploading entries. Images that lack the proper documentation or that are found to violate these rules will be disqualified.
Contest Billing: Once you have submitted all of your entries through the ATPI contest website, you will see an option to download an invoice. Submit your invoice with payment to the TAPPS office.
Contest Entry and Metadata: We are moving back to the ATPI Photo Contest website for entries this year.
Just like previous years, your images will need to be formatted correctly and include metadata in order to be entered into the contest. Including metadata in the photos is both a best practice in photography and invaluable in our judging processes and in constructing the awards program. Proper image formatting helps us save space and bandwidth when processing and storing contest entries.
For a complete breakdown of the submission process along with links to instructional videos on formatting and adding metadata to your submissions, visit the Digital Photo Events page on the TAPPS website or click here.
Submitting Your Entries: You will be able to submit your entries beginning in October. The submission pages will close on November 3. If you ever have trouble getting your images formatted correctly or submitted, please contact us at [email protected].
Awards: We encourage you to review the previous contest winners with your students. You can find PDF versions of the awards programs here. You can see brief notes on judging criteria here. We were unable to print an awards catalog last year because the number of submissions had increased beyond the capacity of our in-house printers. We are working on securing sponsors for a print catalog and will keep you updated. Digital copies will continue to be made available on the TAPPS website.
Other Resources / Contests: We encourage you and your students to submit work to the The Association of Texas Photography Instructors (ATPI) Fall Contest as well. You can find more information about the contest here. The ATPI website has winners galleries going back to 2012 and can be a great source of inspiration for you and your students. Membership in ATPI is $20 per school per year, and membership includes access to curriculum and contest resources. ATPI also offers a Winter Conference for students and a Summer Workshop for teachers. This year’s Winter Conference is March 1-2 in Austin.
Further News and Updates: Keep an eye on the Digital Photo Events page of the TAPPS website for links to everything mentioned above and for awards once they are announced. Follow @TAPPSart on twitter. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected].