It’s a Small, Small World Many photography contests are geared towards images of nature, objects, people or events, but the 2010 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is unique because it focuses on the unseen realm of the microscopically tiny.
Nikon’s Small World Contest has been a showcase for the best images produced through the lenses of microscopes from around the world for over three decades.
The competition is open to all photographers and image designers who view the world of the small as fascinating, or even more so, than its life-sized counterpart.
The Contest Nikon is announcing an open call for photographers to enter their best photomicrography for the competition.
If you are a graphic designer whose talents are connected to science or medicine and have a penchant for this interesting field of imaging, send your entries to Nikon.
You may select any subject matter as long as it is done with light microscopy. According to the contest sponsors the following lighting techniques are acceptable for this contest:
Phase Contrast
Polarized Light
Fluorescence
Interference Contrast
Darkfield
Confocal
Deconvolution
Mixed Techniques
. To see examples of some remarkable photomicrography from past competitions, visit the Nikon Gallery website. . The Judging Submissions are judged by a panel of independent experts in the fields of photography and photomicrography. The entries will be evaluated according to their originality, visual impact, technical adeptness, and informational content (clarity/detail).
How and What to Submit Images may be uploaded directly to the contest sponsors or may be sent in as photographic transparencies (slides). You must read the official contest rules prior to entering this contest in order to understand the submission guidelines and parameters.
Enter the contest by filling out the digital entry form (click on blue text). Standard file formats of .jpeg, .tiff, .pict or .psd are acceptable and must be no larger than 10MB in file size. See contest rules for details. Images that have won in any other competition are not eligible for this contest.
Prizes According to the Nikon Contest site:
1st Prize $3,000-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment. In addition, the winner will be invited to attend an awards presentation ceremony as Nikon’s special guest.
2nd Prize $2,000-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment.
3rd Prize $1,000-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment.
4th Prize $800-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment.
5th Prize $600-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment.
6th Prize $400-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment.
7th-10th Prizes $250-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment.
11th-20th $100-toward the purchase of Nikon equipment. Honorable Mentions Commemorative print.
Prize money must be redeemed for Nikon products only, directly from Nikon USA, and cannot be redeemed for cash.
Other Details There are no entry fees for this contest. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2010. Questions about this contest can be mailed to:
Nikon’s Small World Competition Nikon Instruments Inc. 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747-3064 USA
A Contest for Pros and Regular Joes If you are looking for a graphic design contest with a low entry fee, a chance to join a community of fellow graphic designers and artists, and a competition that welcomes professionals and students, look no further than the Creative Quarterly 20 Contest.
This contest is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, instructors, graphic designers, illustrators, art directors, photographers, and those in the fine arts.
Guidelines and Submission Information The contest judges base their decisions for winners on the most interesting, inspirational or innovative submissions. Judging is done on digitally submitted work. According to the contest sponsor:
“We search the web for interesting projects in art and design to share with our readers… Inspiration can come from an innovative chair design … an unusual ring or from an interview with a well-known designer, artist, or something from one’s past. We bring together the creative community like no one else.”
Eligible entries must have been created within the past 12 months. Your artwork should be submitted in 300 dpi, RGB, JPEG. If your entry is in vertical format it must be 8 inches wide. If your submission is in horizontal format, it must be 10 inches wide. Entries are graded on a scale from 0 to 4.
Professionals can upload their artwork by going to the contest website, while students can submit their work through this online link. There is an entry fee of $10 for each submission. There is no limit to the number of pieces you may enter as long as an entry fee accompanies each piece.
The complete submission guidelines can be seen by downloading the PDF document (Click on bold blue text).
For those who want to send their entries via standard mail, burn your images onto a DVD or CD and send to:
CQ Journal Call for Entries 20, 3×3 Publishing, 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite F269, New York NY 10001
For UPS or FedEx deliveries ship to:
CQ Journal Call for Entries 20, c/o HivelyDesigns, 631 Vanderbilt Street, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn NY 11218
Contest Categories and Prizes There are four contest categories: graphic design, illustration, photography, and fine arts. Contestants are subdivided into student and professional classes. Winners will have their work published in the June 2010 newsstand issue of Creative Quarterly and its sister online website.
Other Details The deadline for this contest is April 30, 2010. If you have any questions regarding this competition send them to: info [at] cqjournal.com.
Design City Benches for Athens Athens, Greece is well-renowned for its rich history, cultural heritage and beauty.
To further enhance the city’s picturesque setting the city officials are seeking new concepts from industrial designers for a citywide makeover of its benches. The contest is named Athens Bench Mark.
The citizens of Athens will select the top 100 entries from among all submitted works. From this group of finalists, a jury will select three winning designs. At least one design will be utilized for the production of the city’s new benches.
“bench (a) noun, a simple structure placed in open spaces (parks, bus stops etc.) and used as a seat.”
Contest Details Since winning entries will be used as production plans for benches used throughout Athens, there are specific guidelines and design rules that must be followed to meet the city’s wishes for aesthetic and functional purposes.
According to the contest rules the submitted designs should exhibit:
* Design aesthetics and harmony - the way it is implied …by the central idea of the contest - in the relation of …the relevant proposal with the urban environment. * Object ergonomics to suit not only the average user but as well the elder, disabled people etc. * Quality of materials and functionality * Innovative and sustainable design. * Environmentally friendly and other possible materials and methods …of building the final product inan eco-friendly or energy saving …manneras a “Green product.” * Capability of using the modern present industrial machinery and …realistic, cost efficient, mass production methods… “smart design.” * Compact design, resistance to vandalism, endurance in time under …all environmental conditions, and ease of installation.
N. Kaklamanis, Mayor of Athens, said:
“Athens Bench Mark, is at once, a global call for creativity, an artistic event, a project that contributes to the international promotion of our city and an attempt for Athens to become a modern, high quality tourist destination.”
Photographer T. Karapanagiotis, President of “The World of Athens,” added:
“…By designing, voting, changing benches in Athens, maybe we can put our own personal touch and change our routine a little.
“To get out for lunch instead of eating it at our office, let the light breeze refresh us. To meet a friend at a bench rather than a cafeteria. To read a newspaper on a Sunday and sit at a bench rather than being confined in a house.
“We hope Athenians and others will participate in designing your own bench or vote for one of your favorite benches. Our goal is to involve the citizens in the city they live in.”
“The Athens Bench Mark is here and gives everyone the opportunity to leave their mark in Athens…”
Other Contest Details There will be three cash awards:
* First prize: 5.000€ (6,836 USD) * Second prize: 3.000€ (4,101 USD) * Third prize: 2.000€ (2,734 USD)
The official rules and entry guidelines of the Athens Bench Mark contest can be found by clicking on thislink for the details. For the technical specifications on file format parameters and what is needed in your submission package, go to the official site. Click on “entry form” to access this document.
The Athens Bench Mark contest deadline is April 6, 2010.
All Animators Welcome The 4th Annual Aniboom Awards, sponsored by Sesame Street, is an open international competition that offers animators the opportunity to win development deals and cash for their winning entries.
What the Contest Wants The sponsors are seeking animation content that is geared towards specific categories. According to Sesame Street there are five:
3. Pinball (new animation set to at least 30 seconds of a music soundtrack, you can use the original track or mix it to create a new version) Sample video: Pinball Count Animation Sample soundtrack: Pinball Count soundtrack
4. “Sky’s the Limit” (open category that is up to the animator’s imagination)
5. Community Favorite (chosen using Aniboom’s unique ranking system)
Other Details This contest is offering awards totaling $50,000 in prizes and development deals. There will be five category winners plus one overall Grand Prize winner. For the complete rules and guidelines for this contest, click here.
To submit your entries a free account must be opened at Aniboom. Click here to register.
All entrants must agree to and read the submission agreement. Click here for the complete details. The deadline for this contest is April 26th, 2010.
Calling All Aspiring Graphic Artists and Illustrators There are always graphic design contests and competitions for adults, but this one, to borrow a phrase, is just for kids.
The Doodle 4 Google contest is open to students from the grades of kindergarten to 12th. In order to enter you must do so through an officially registered school. Click here for details and the registration form. The aim of the competition is to select a winning Google homepage logo that reflects the theme of “If I Could Do Anything I Would…”
So what would you do…
Find a cure for cancer? Become an astronaut? Invent a supercomputer?
The ideas for your entry are endless.
Submissions should be drawn on 8.5″x11″ paper and tell a visual story of the vision they have of what they would do if anything were possible. The PDF contest template can be found by clicking here.
The Judging A group of illustrators, cartoonists and animators from Sesame Street Workshop, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates and Peanuts, and Pixar Animation Studios will help select 40 finalists.
400 State Finalists 40 Regional Finalists from the United States 4 National Finalists 1 National Winner ………. Awards According to Google the prizes for each category are:
National Winner - College Scholarship “The National Winner will win a $15,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of his/her choice, a trip to the Google New York office for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with his/her doodle on it. We’ll also award the winner’s school a $25,000 technology grant towards the establishment/improvement of a computer lab.”
Three National Finalists - Laptop Computers “Each of the other three National Finalists will win a trip to the Google New York office for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.”
40 Regional Finalists - Smithsonian Exhibit and Trip to New York “Each of the other 40 Regional Finalists will win a trip to the Google New York office for an event on May 26, 2010 and a t-shirt printed with their doodles on it. All 40 Regional Finalists will also have their doodle displayed in a public exhibit at the Smithsonian’s, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum for 6 weeks after the announcement event.”
State Finalists - Doodles Published on the Web site “Each of the other 400 State Finalists will receive a “Doodle 4 Google” official winner’s certificate and will be featured on the Doodle 4 Google contest web site.”
Extra Credit - Technology Booster Awards “This year, we are giving out eight (8) Technology Booster awards for schools who submit their doodles by March 10, 2010. The awards consist of 20 netbook computers for public or private schools or 2 netbook computers for homeschools who submit the maximum amount of doodles for their school by March 10, 2010 (doodles must be received by this date).
“Schools who are eligible to win this award are those who submit either six (6) doodles if they are a public or private school or two (2) doodles if they are a homeschool. These schools must also have a student selected as one of the 400 State Finalists. We will also be looking at the highest cumulative quality scores of the State Finalists doodles as part of the awards criteria. Awards will be announced on May 17, 2010 when we post the 400 State Winners.”
Other Contest Details The deadline for schools to register their students in this contest is March 17, 2010. For the complete guidelines for this contest, click here. For an explanation of why this contest is being run, click here.
See the video below for an overview of the Doodle 4 Google Contest:
The Contest The Center for Fine Art Photography is announcing an open call for all photographers to enter its photo contest. The theme of the competition is “Consumption.” According to the sponsor:
“Consumptionis a multifaceted term. While it can signify the influence of advertising and marketing on our pervasive consumer culture, the word also speaks to profound human instincts. To be consumed by something-be it illness, emotions, or beliefs-is to oftentimes confront one’s realities.
“What, why, when, and how we consume determines the ramifications of the choices we make. Additionally, consumption can simply suggest a transformation. The Center is looking for images that visually depict Consumption and what it means to you.”"
Entrants who have their works selected for this contest may have the opportunity to have their photographs displayed at the ClampArt art gallery located in Chelsea, New York. These works will be seen by an international group of art consultants, collectors, and curators interested in fine art photography.
Submission Information * An entry fee of $35 is required for submissions of up to three images. Members of the Center for Fine Art Photography will have an entry fee of $20 for up to three images. Additional images will be accepted at $10 per extra submission above three. Contestants may submit as many entries as they like.
* Entries are to be submitted online at the Center’s website at www.c4fap.org. You will need to create a free account in order to upload your entries. Entry fees are charged via credit card.
* Resolution of uploaded images should be 72 dpi and 1280 pixels on the longest side of the image. Images must be in RGB or grayscale. File format should be in JPG saved with a quality of 8 or medium. The image title is restricted to 40 characters or less. The file name cannot be more than 25 characters long and must not include special characters such as %, #, @ etc. All images must be “flattened” or in other words, multi-layers must be collapsed to one master layer.
Awards * liveBooks Website Award: Valued at $399 each, two artists will receive a 1 year subscription for ..a.website from www.livebooks.com * Juror’s Selection Award: $300 and a Blurb book award from www.Blurb.com * Director’s Selection Award: $200 and a Blurb book award from www.Blurb.com * Honorable Mention Award: $100 * All exhibitors are included in the Center’s online gallery
Other Details Important Milestones: Entries due: April 13, 2010 Notice of acceptance: April 23, 2010 Exhibition dates: July 2 - July 24, 2010 Artists’ and Public Reception: July 2, 2010
Entries that are submitted for exhibition must be framed or mounted professionally. For a complete list of guidelines for this contest, download the PDF document here. For any questions about this contest send your emails to exhibitions [at] c4fap.org.
It’s a Small, Small World
The Contest
The Judging
2nd Prize
Other Details
