How do you see yourself? How do you think of yourself? How do you think other people see you? Are you the fly on the wall or the center of attention? The Idea of Self stretches further than the self portrait, and into the recesses of the mind, spirit and our subconscious. The Idea of Self takes us on a journey of self enlightenment and discovery allowing the photographer to truly bare their soul or to hide it away. This investigation of who we are, or who we think we are, is uniquely represented through the art of photography.

The exhibition for the Center for Fine Art Photography is open to all domestic and international, professional and amateur, photographers working with digital or traditional photography or combinations of both. The Center for Fine Art Photography invites photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate in its exhibitions. Traditional, contemporary, avant-garde, creative and experimental and mixed techniques are welcome.

Deadline is 12 November 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

The Design Green Project is the first of its kind to honor and reward designers’ creativity from around the world for their excellence in designing ‘Green’ for a better planet – in the disciplines of art, branding, environments, fashion, packaging, photography, print, design green, and now interactive.

All designers who participate in this unique competition will be part of the solution to the Global Warming Crisis by replacing one of their old light bulbs with a compact fluorescent light bulb provided by The Design Green Project. Additionally, there will be a tree planted in their name and 50% of all proceeds will be donated to the StopGlobalWarming.org fund, just for entering.

This is an international competition with various caveats to entries, so be sure to visit the site to learn more about the guidelines and the creative categories. Deadline is 15 December 2008.

Photographer’s Forum Magazine and Nikon present the 29th Annual College Photography Contest. The winning photos will be published in the May 2008 issue of Photographer’s Forum, and all contest finalists will be published in the Best of Photography Annual 2009. Additionally, there are over $4,000 in cash grants and two Nikon cameras that will be awarded. Winning photos also will be entered into Nikon’s Emerging Photographers Hall of Fame.

Final deadline is 20 November 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

In recognition and celebration of the many artistic mediums employed by Gordon Parks to critical acclaim, the Delaware Art Museum is partnering with the Christina Cultural Arts Center to launch the “Eye/I Witness Gordon Parks Art Competition.” The competition’s categories are Photography, Poetry, and Film.

Submissions should reflect the significant themes found in the works of Gordon Parks. “Eye/I Witness” is open to all interested participants, and no entry fee is required. Selected works will be recognized at an evening celebration at the Delaware Art Museum on Friday, November 7.

Submission period is September 1 through September 26, 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

It is not always the subject, but the Negative Space around the subject that makes a photograph truly stunning. This exhibition will highlight the compositional element that makes up the space not commonly seen.

This exhibition is open to all domestic and international, professional and amateur, photographers working with digital or traditional photography or combinations of both. The Center for Fine Art Photography invites photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate in its exhibitions. Traditional, contemporary, avant-garde, creative and experimental and mixed techniques are welcome.

Deadline is October 14, 2008. Visit the Center for Fine Art Photography to learn more.

Nature is beauty, majestic and inspiring. The Art of Nature will illustrate all aspects of nature in it’s many tableaus: landscape, seascape, wildlife, floral, water, environment and weather.

This exhibition is open to all domestic and international, professional and amateur, photographers working with digital or traditional photography or combinations of both. The Center for Fine Art Photography invites photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate in its exhibitions. Traditional, contemporary, avant-garde, creative and experimental and mixed techniques are welcome.

Deadline is September 16, 2008. Visit the Center for Fine Art Photography to learn more.

The 11th annual Step inside design competition is now open. All submissions must have been printed or published for the first time between October 1, 2007, and October 1, 2008. There are numerous categories, from illustration to student work. Note that all entries have fees for qualification.

Entries must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2008. Winners will be notified by December 1, 2008. Winning entries will be published in the March/April 2009 STEP inside design 100 Annual. Only 100 entries will be selected for inclusion in the Design 100. Visit the site to learn more.

Our Environment; the Good, Bad and the Ugly, will tell a story of the human foot print left on this earth. This exhibition is for those who consider themselves nature conservationists and just photographers with a conscience. The submissions will be juried by Robert Glenn Ketchum, international recognized photographer and advocate for the environment.

In connection with this show will be a workshop by Robert Glenn Ketchum “Making a Social Impact with Your Photography” on Nov. 7th through the 9th. More information can be found at The Center for Fine Art Photography’s website under workshops.

Deadline August 18, 2008 with $1,300 in Awards. Visit the site to learn more.

An integral part of CCP’s program is to provide opportunities for emerging photo-based artists through education, professional development and exhibition. As part of this commitment, CCP presents a national award for emerging photographers sponsored by Colour Factory.

Awarded to an artist in the first eight years of their practice, the winning artist will be provided with type C exhibition prints (up to 1000 x 760mm), consultation by Colour Factory and a solo exhibition at CCP from 31 October–13 December 2008 as part of CCP’s annual exhibition program.

Registration due 15 August 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

Reel Venus Film Festival is a three-day event, which was created and launched in 2003 to showcase an eclectic body of current alternative and mainstream and established women directors, video and multimedia artists from the U.S. and abroad. The work should push traditional boundaries in storytelling methods that inspire, entertain, excite, inform and provoke its audiences with challenging topics, themes and images.

Reel Venus Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 5th annual showcase which will feature the best work by emerging and established women directors/photographers/multimedia producers.

Final submission deadline is 30 August 2008. Visit the site to learn more.