If your audience is standing indefinitely motionless, entranced by the possibilities in your work and in devising an infinitude of scenarios and alternate endings, then you’ve made an image that will inspire gallery visitors with the beauty of ambiguity, mystery and perplexity.

Photographers created images that baffled the viewer as early at the 1860s; Henry Peach Robinson was a pioneer of combination printing, creating the illusory photo montage long before there was Photoshop. We want to see your images that lead the imagination to the edge, encouraging the mind to leap. Multiple exposures, constructions, staged, anything goes, just leave us guessing.

DEADLINE June 6th 2012 Midnight EST

Juror: Catherine Edelman

Rules for Photo Submission
Entrants must be 18 years old. If you are younger. you must have a parent or legal guardian make the submission for you.
All submitted photos must have been taken by the photographer making the entry. If you are a parent or legal guardian submitting for a minor, please make it clear and who you are actually submitting for.
All submissions must be made by digital files through:
upload on DarkroomGallery.com or
sent via email to submissions@DarkroomGallery.com along with an application form. There is a $5.00 surcharge for email entries.
Images should be as large as possible but no larger than 1280 pixels on the longest side, type jpg – set to the highest quality. DPI is only relevant for output purposes and does not effect the stored size of the image. It can be set to any number, but if you must specify something go with 72 dpi.
Up to four images may be submitted for a fee of $24 US for on-line submission and $29 for email submission.
Additional images may be submitted for an additional $5 US per image.
Images must be received by midnight EST on the submission closing date for the exhibition you are submitting for
Payment must be received by the close of submissions for the exhibit you are submitting for.

Rights:
Photographers retain all rights to their work, except for submissions accepted for exhibition: artists grant Darkroom Gallery the right to use their images to promote the exhibition and for display on Darkroom Gallery website and for inclusion in an exhibit catalog.

Sales:
For submissions that are selected, photographers may offer their work for sale and establish their own price for framed and unframed prints.

For Darkroom Gallery framed work we retain 66% of the sale price.
For works framed by the artist Darkroom Gallery retains 34%.
For unframed prints Darkroom Gallery retains 25% of the print sale price.
Local sales tax of 6% is collected on all sales at the gallery.

photo: © J. Lawrence Landaw New York, NY USA
website: http://www.darkroomgallery.com/ex30

MISSION Primo Piano Project is a project of the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana which aims to connect images, music and space through the world of work and productivity. Each year’s Project partner, a Swiss entrepreneur, will set a theme upon which participating photographers must develop their own ideas and perspectives. Three Projects will be chosen for a final exhibition at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana. 

WHO IS ELEGIBLE
PPP 2012 is open to all photographers from any part of the world.

THEME 2012
This year’s theme is: The Packaging. Your pictures must capture the meaning/ the essence of packaging according your own point of view.

ENTRY DEADLINE
Friday, August 31st, 2012.

ENTRY FEE
20,00 CHF The entry fee must be paid on-line at: shop.conservatorio.ch

DETAILS ON JPEG IMAGES SUBMITTED
Maximum size per JPEG image: 10MB File format: JPEG only, 72 dpi The photographers selected by the jury may be requested to submit original images with higher resolution for such purposes as the production of publications and exhibitions related to the contest. Submitted images and storage media will not be returned.
HOW TO APPLY
1) Please create a folder named PPP2012_YOURLASTNAME_YOURFIRSTNAME containing:

• completed registration form, available on the web site conservatorio.ch/primopiano
• from 3 up to 10 JPEG images;
• Project presentation text in English, French, Italian or German (2500 strokes minimum, spaces excluded).

2) Please send the zipped folder PPP2012_YOURLASTNAME_YOURFIRSTNAME via online file sharing to primopiano@conservatorio.ch (we recommend “wetransfer.com” online file sharing, no registration is required)
Note:

• Submitted images will not be returned under any circumstances.
• Participants will not be notified of receipt of their entries.
• Entries are accepted only in accordance with the procedures mentioned above.
• All data submitted to the Project via the Internet, including image data and personal information, will be managed by Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in accordance with the directions of the organizer.
• the selection procedure of projects will be anonymous

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SELECTED PROJECTS
The three Projects chosen for the final exhibition will be announced on the PPP 2012 website by the end of September 2012.
JUDGING
The judges will be professional photographers and international experts, appointed by the organizer to select three Projects. Neither the organizer nor the judges will discuss or respond to any inquiries or comments regarding the appointment of judges or the contest results.

BENEFITS
EXHIBITION The photographs selected will be exhibited for six months in Lugano at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, from November 2012. Participation in the inauguration will be exclusively by invitation; afterwards the exhibition will be open to the public (open 7/7 days, 12/24 hours). Every first Sunday of the month there will be a “Breakfast at the Conservatorio”: a special opening with a MUSIC INSTALLATION by musicians of the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana. Ad hoc compositions will be performed.
LECTURE The selected photographers will be invited to give lectures about their works at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana and the DACD – Dipartimento di Ambiente, Costruzioni e Design (visual arts) of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland.
PORTFOLIO BOX and CAHIERS DES ARTISTES A limited edition portfolio box of the three selected projects will be published by the organizer. Each of the photographers selected will receive three portfolio boxes. The organizer will be the curator of the Cahiers des Artistes, a catalogue of this edition.
TRAVEL TO LUGANO and HOTEL The organizer will cover travel to Lugano and hotel expenses for the three selected photographers.
PARTICIPANTS’ RIGHTS

• The organizer reserves the permanent nonexclusive right to publish, reproduce, display, distribute, and show on screen any selected photograph on websites, photo exhibitions, tradeshows, or any other media which is under the management of the organizer for the purpose of promoting the Project. In all cases where such photographs are used, the organizer reserves the right to do so without obtaining further permission from the participants and without offering any further compensation in any form.
• A separate agreement will be necessary if the organizer, its subsidiaries or affiliates wish to publish a submitted photograph for purposes other than the promotion of the Project.
• If an entry is found to contravene the entry requirements stated by the organizer, it will be disqualified. Participants will not be notified of such a judgment.
• All terms and conditions regarding participation in the Project shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of Switzerland.
• Should any conflict arise between a participant and the organizer, the case will fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Lugano District Court and will be handled and settled accordingly.
• The organizers reserve the right to cancel the Project in case of insufficient participation. In this case the entrance fees will be reimbursed to the applicants.

Please visit www.conservatorio.ch/primopiano for more details

Backyard Shots is pleased to present our first photo contest for 2012! Submit your best still life image for a chance to win a TAMRON 18-270mm Di II VC PZD LENS!!

Theme: Still Life. Still life images can be created from just about anything that doesn’t move. In the strictest sense, the definition of “still life subjects” refers to an inanimate object. Taking a more lenient stance, we believe there are other life forms that don’t move such as flowers, food, etc. and consider them still life as well. So that’s it in a nutshell. Be creative, think outside the box and most of all have fun!

Eligibility: United States / 18+

Copyright: The photograph remains the copyright protected property of the submitting photographer.

Usage rights: By submitting your photograph, you acknowledge that you are the copyright holder and grant Backyard Shots permission to store and display your photograph on BackyardShots.com, Backyard Shots Facebook, Flickr and/or during photo tours/live chats, for critique and promotional purposes.

Deadline: July 01, 2012

Contest page: http://www.backyardshots.com/index.php/articles/view/27.html

Profotio presents “The Body in Motion”

The human form is an extraordinary creation. It is capable of performing many different and varied physical activities. The camera is the perfect tool for capturing these actions. Whether it is the beautiful and graceful steps of a dancer, the skilled actions of an athlete or the simple and playful activities of a child, the human body is designed for movement. Profotio is seeking those images that best display the body in motion.

Deadline: June 1st, 2012 (11:59PM CST)

Entry Fee:

$15.00 for 4 images
$20.00 for 5 images
$25.00 for 6 images

Prizes:

$300.00 for First Place Winner
$200.00 for Second Place Winner
$100.00 for Third Place Winner

Limit of Entry per person: 6 images

Contest page: http://profotio.com/photocontest.php

Are you back from a classic Easter holiday and your memory card is full of images? Download the best ones then upload them here for your change to win a Canon Powershot S100!

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all residents of Australia

COPYRIGHT: Entrants retain copyright in their photographs.

USAGE RIGHTS: Submission of an entry gives to Ted’s Cameras a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable permission to reproduce entrants’ photographs without fee for the purposes of marketing and promoting for any future Ted’s Cameras activity. This permission extends to publication and reproduction for the above purposes in the media, on catalogues, posters, postcards, in store, publications, on the internet (including on the competition website and the Ted’s Cameras website).

Competition ends on: 06/05/2012

Contest page: http://teds.photophuse.com/

Now Canon India is holding Powershot A to Z contest, just watch the video ad 26 or more time to know the hidden keyword in the advertisement and you will get only three chance to test your luck and performance.

Eligibility India only

Prizes: A powershot compact camera

Limit: 3 chance / per facebook account

Contest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/canonindia/app_326249367434088

This year, ICOM is sponsoring a photo contest, “Me in my Museum”, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of International Museum Day!

Come celebrate IMD’s anniversary with us by taking a picture of yourself, alone or with friends, in your favourite museum, with the official logo created for the event on display!

Museums lovers everywhere are invited to participate and send us their photos before 22 April 2012.
The winner(s) will receive a “surprise bag” full of goodies from museum stores around the world.

Registration Form

Rules

Contest page: http://network.icom.museum/imd2012/imd-2012/me-in-my-museum-photo-contest.html

Theme: Spirit of America

Five winning photos will be featured as part of Boston Pops concerts this season.

To enter the contest, simply email a photo to visions@bso.org with your name, age, location, and a brief caption by June 1st.

Photos will be on display on Facebook and www.bostonpops.org.

You can follow the “What’s your Vision of America?” photo contest on twitter using the hashtag #visionsofamerica. The winning photograph will be selected by a panel including Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart and photo-historian Joseph Sohm.

Eligibility: Open to all photographers from the US.
Entry fee: Free
Entry deadline: 1 June 2012

Scenes from a picture

Within the frame of the II edition of its DCQ Theatre Festival, the Italian based DoveComeQuando theatre company (DCQ) promotes “Scene da una fotografia” (Scenes from a Picture), a photography contest aiming to bring to light and develop those photo projects (stage pictures, stage portraits, backstage pictures, etc.) marked by a personal approach both to the 2012 theatre festival theme and to the notion of theatre itself which every artist brings with himself/herself.

The theme for the 2012 edition is “Nuda Anima” (Naked Soul).

Eligibility

The contest is open to every artist of any nationality, with the exclusion of the members of DCQ and of the photographers who have already worked with DCQ.

Entry Fee
10 euro

Prizes
Each finalist will have to choose a selection of photos from his/her project. These will be displayed at the foyer of the Teatro dell’Orologio for the whole duration of the II edition of the DCQ Theatre Festival (May 21st – June 3rd 2012).

The winner will be announced on June 3rd 2012, at the end of the final evening of the II edition of the DCQ Theatre Festival.
Prizes include:
- 7 consecutive days of public display (June 16th – 22th) of up to 15 selected photos of the winning project at the prestigious Quasar Design University Institute, via Nizza 152 – 00198 Rome;
- free printing of up to 10 more photos of the winning project, to be displayed at the Quasar Design University Institute.
- full display of the winning project & another project by the same author on the arts portal of the registered online newspaper “Pensieri di cartapesta”, www.pensieridicartapesta.it.

Image Specifications
In order to enter the contest, you have to send an email with attached either a .zip or a .rar compressed file (6 MB max), containing a photographic project consisting of min. 5, max 25 pictures (.jpeg format, 72 dpi, min 800 pixels on shortest side). Each picture must be renamed after the author and the intended order of vision (e.g. Smith_01).

Copyright

The files sent in order to enter the contest will be included in the online picture archive of DoveComeQuando. By entering the contest, the authors authorize DoveComeQuando to use their pictures for cultural and promotional purposes.

Every other right is owned by the author of the pictures or by the rightful owner of the rights.

Deadline : April 20th, 2012

Contest page: http://www.dovecomequando.net/scenedafoto12.htm

It’s competition time! The Shutter Pals April 2012 Photographer Competition is now open for entries, so get out there and start taking some photos!

This Month’s Photographer Competition Theme is Symmetry

Open your eyes and you will see that symmetry is all around you. From man-made objects such as buildings and furniture, to elements of nature such as flowers, trees and insects, symmetry is everywhere.

To many symmetry in photography is a thing of beauty. In fact, scientists have found that symmetry is inherently attractive to the human eye!

To help bring awareness to how symmetry visually dominates our everyday lives Shutter Pals is organizing a photographer competition around this theme. So get out your cameras and start taking photos that showcase symmetry in the world around us!

This competition is open to everyone (see prizes, entry and terms below) and gives you the chance to win a great prizes!

Each person may enter only one photo that showcases symmetry is everywhere. A photo of a symmetrical building, flower petals, a car tire, the face of a tiger, a doorway, etc. are just a few ideas to get you started.

Additional ideas and tips for the competition can be found here Using Symmetry in Photography.

We look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Photographer Competition Prizes, Entry and Terms

Prize Details: One winner. Winner receives a copy of the book The Complete Photographer: A Masterclass in Every Style and Subject by Tom Ang and a DVD copy of Pro Studio Backgrounds and Backdrops by FreeDigitalPhotographyTutorials.com.

Eligibility: Open to all. Must be registered on www.shutterpals.com. It’s free to join. Photo Entry Rules: Only one photo entry per person. Photo entry must come straight out of the camera and not processed in any manner. The only editing allowed is cropping the photo to achieve better balanced symmetry. This photography competition is being judged on your skill as a photographer not post-processing. File upload must be a jpeg and under 2 mb.

How to Enter:

1. Sign into www.shutterpals.com .
2. Upload your photo entry to your personal photo collection.
3. Click on the “New Reply” button below to reply to this thread.
4. Click on the camera icon in the pop up window and choose “Import a Photo.” Select the photo entry you uploaded to your personal photo collection in step 2.
5. Include a title and description below the photo telling us why you think your photo represents best example of symmetry in the world around us.
6. Click the submit button to add your photo entry to the photographer competition.

How Photo Entries Will Be Judged: Shutter Pals will pick the top three finalists. for the photographer competition. A public rating will then be opened for members to vote on their favorite photo out of the three finalists. The photographer’s photo with the most votes will win.

Deadline for Photo Submission: April 30, 2012

Copyright: Copyright of the images will remain the property of the photographer. Usage Rights: Shutter Pals reserves the right to use all photo entries as it wishes for display in all areas of the website and for promotional advertisements for future photography competitions. In all cases where such photos are used, Shutter Pals reserves the right to do so without obtaining the further prior permission of the Participant and without offering any compensation in any form.

We hope you have fun taking photos for the April 2012 Photographer Competition and look forward to seeing all of the photo entries. Please share this competition with your friends by email, facebook, twitter, google+, blogs, websites, etc.