Calling All Amateur Photographers
Sigma, a manufacturer of photography lenses and accessories and Photographer’s Forum are announcing an open call to all amateur photographers to enter its 30^th Annual Spring Photography Contest.

This contest is open to individuals worldwide. There is no age limit but the contest is strictly for amateurs only. If you are a professional photographer, you may not enter.

Contest Details
The contest is open-themed and there are no specific categories for subject matter. Photographs that are submitted must indicate if they are being entered as a color or black and white entry.

Winning photos will be published in the November 2010 issue of Photographer’s Forum magazine. All contest finalists will be published in the hardcover edition of Best Photography 2010.

This is an entry fee of $3.95 USD per photo. There is no limit to the number of photos you may enter as long as each submission is covered by an entry fee. If you submit your photos by April 19, 2010 the entry fee is $3.95 USD. If you submit your photos after April 19, 2010 the entry fee is $4.95 USD per photo.

To submit your photos online, click here to register and upload your submissions. Online entries must have a long dimension of at least 1000 pixels and no larger than 3000 pixels. Save all work in JPG format at the highest quality setting. Requirements for color space are Adobe1998, sRGB or untagged color space. File size should not exceed 4MB.

To submit your photos or slides via standard mail, the sponsor states:

* Enter black & white or color prints or slides. Do not send disks.
* Prints must be unmounted 9×12 or smaller.
* Label every photo with your name and address, and indicate which edge is the top.
* Make checks payable to Photographer’s Forum.
* All entries MUST include payment, entry form, and photographs.

Prizes
According to the official details for this contest the awards are:

First Place Grand Prize
$2,000 cash award from Photographer’s Forum PLUS Sigma
24-70 mm lens

Second Place
$1,000 cash award from Photographer’s Forum PLUS Sigma
12-24 mm lens

Third Place
$500 cash award from Photographer’s Forum

Fourth Place
Five $100 awards

100 Honorable Mentions
All Honorable Mentions will be listed in the November 2010 issue of Photographer’s Forum magazine and will receive a gold embossed certificate of outstanding merit from Photographer’s Forum.

Other Information
For contest rules click here to download the PDF document. For the contest FAQs and additional guidelines click here. The contest deadline is May 17, 2010. Finalists will be notified by August 2, 2010. Winners will be notified by August 16, 2010.

It’s a Jungle Out There
In today’s economy it can be difficult to land a job but it doesn’t mean that you can’t get the job. The “trick” is to be persistent and have a positive attitude while going on your job hunts.

In this final installment of this series of How to Get Noticed When Applying for Graphic Design Jobs we’ll go into the real nuts and bolts of what it takes to remain focused and determined while looking for a job.

Patience and You
There’s a story of a man who had very little patience with others and inconvenient situations. He realized his predicament and decided to ask God for some help. He prayed, “God, help me to be more patient.”

During the next several days he found himself in traffic jams, delayed airplane schedules, and long lines at the supermarket. He complained to God and said, “I asked for patience and there has been nothing but problems since I asked you for help.” God chuckled and said, “Well, you learned how to deal with traffic jams, late airplane schedules, and long lines. You’ve become a better person and I think your prayer have been answered….”

Job hunting can be frustrating and somewhat discouraging at times but just like the man in the story, a good deal of patience is necessary to deal with adversity and delays.

If you are flustered and negative about how your job search is going you’ll reflect this attitude and mood during your job interviews. Your interviewer will pick up on this and wonder why you are so bothered and will take note of this in the final analysis of you.

Things may get frustrating during your job search, but try to let off some steam before you go job hunting.

Social Networking and You
Never underestimate the power of networking with others. If you are attending graphic design school this is a very crucial time for you to develop contacts in the graphic design industry. Your teachers, the people from the internship you are working at and friends that are already in the industry may be the link for inside information about job opportunities.

If you are already a graphic designer and are seeking new career opportunities, the clients you work with and your fellow co-workers are a good source for job leads. In some cases those company “meet and greet” events are not just about showing your loyalty to the company–they can also be very crucial occasions for you to make important contacts for future use.

Persistence and You
When Thomas Edison was in the process of inventing the light bulb his main obstacle was finding a suitable filament that would burn brightly and not burn out quickly. He tried 1,500 different materials–all of them failures until he happened upon the element tungsten. This metal was exactly what he was looking for in order to make his invention work.

When Edison was asked about all the failures that he experienced while doing research on his inventions he replied, “I haven’t failed, I’ve found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”

Now that’s persistence…and wisdom.

Job hunting can be a very stressful situation. You are faced with uncertainty, doubt, and frustration. But if we may rephrase Thomas Edison’s quote, “I haven’t failed at getting a graphic design job, I’ve found several jobs where I don’t want to work.”

Job Hunting: The Journey and the Process
The job interview is the device that employers use to sift through various applicants in order to select the right person for the job.

You may have been to dozens of job interviews and the whole process may have worn you down around the edges, but it is imperative to always show up to your interviews fresh and expectant.

When you don’t land the job you want, try to turn this into a positive and see it as a momentary delay in finding the right job. Job hunting is a process and if you understand this, you’ll be better adapted to take on the pressures that go along with looking for a job.

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 12^th.  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.

There will be four entry age brackets:

* Grades K - 3
* Grades 4 - 6
* Grades 7 - 9
* Grades 10 - 12

The judging process will select:

400 State Finalists
40 Regional Finalists from the United States
4 National Finalists
1 National Winner
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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:

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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:

“Consumption is 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.

Take the Open Door
In last week’s article we presented various tips and advice on how to prepare for a job as a graphic designer.

There were three things that were identified as being important for qualifying for a graphic design job—education through a qualified graphic design school, a good portfolio of your work and a variety of work/intern job experience.

In part two of How to Get Noticed When Applying for Graphic Design Jobs, we’ll go over some practical advice on how to handle a job interview.

Simple Rules for Your Job Interview
Hiring managers see many individuals for job interviews. After a time applicants start to all look the same. This is not a good thing if you are one of the many who are applying for that specific graphic design position.

Here are a few tips on how to stand out and prepare for your job interview:

* Do Something Memorable - Since there are a good number of people applying for the same position you are applying for, it is a good idea to do something that will make your interview memorable for the hiring manager. At the conclusion of your interview you can give the interviewer your business card or something that you designed, a pen or pencil with some graphics you created for the barrels for instance, as an attention getter.
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* Groom Properly - This should be a given but not everyone takes this advice to heart. When you show up for a job interview be certain to dress properly. Each firm will have its own style or dress code but take the safe route and don’t dress too informally. When in doubt, dress neatly.
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* Be Prepared - In virtually every interview you will be asked the question, “Why do you want to work for this company?” The reason that you do not want to give is, “I need to find a job.” What you can do is to emphasize what you can do for the company–how you would be an asset to the overall operation, how you can contribute, and what you want to accomplish while working there.
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* Be Yourself - An old-school comedian once said, “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.” Although the statement was made cynically, the truth of the matter is that being sincere and being yourself is better than trying to be overly confident or aggressive. Many job interviewers are highly tuned to the situation that job applicants often “embellish” upon their accomplishments. Be straightforward about your abilities and talent. If you have limited work experience emphasize what you have learned while going to graphic design college.
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* Communicate Freely - Be sure to answer all questions in a thorough and concise manner. If there are periods of silence during the interview while you struggle to answer questions, this is a red flag to the interviewer that you may not be able to work in a team situation where lots of communication between co-workers is needed.

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Next Time
In the conclusion to this series we’ll delve into what sort of mindset you should have while seeking employment such as how to handle discouragement and maintain a positive attitude. Until next time, take care.

The Theme of the Contest
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is an agency of the United Nations whose mission is to advance “the defenses of peace in the minds of men.”

According to Design21 the theme of its poster contest is based upon UNESCO’s mission of embracing diversity and the appreciation of different cultures. The contest theme is about:

“…the vision and understanding of the “Rapprochement of Cultures” by designing posters that creatively emphasizes the importance of exchange and dialogue among and between cultures in ensuring social cohesion and harmonious coexistence.

For a full explanation of what the International Year of Rapprochement of Cultures is, go to the UNESCO website by clicking here.

The Contest Details
Design a poster that celebrates “2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.”

The poster design should be “international” in nature and not be specific to a country’s origin, culture, religion or region. The design may be created in more than one language but ideally be created with the language the graphic artist is most fluent in.

For a guide to the proper spelling of the included text for your poster and a placeholder graphic for positioning the official logos, click here.

The contest guidelines state:

* The final printed poster will be A1-sized (59.4 x 84.1 cm or 23.4 × 33.1 in). Although the online entry provisions do not allow for the full A1 dimensions, your entry must include at least one image showing the entire poster design scaled to A1 proportions.

* You must not include any logos on your design but instead use a placeholder. The final printed posters will include the UNESCO/UN logos + the official Logo of “2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures”.

* The placeholder should be scaled to 9cm x 9cm relative to an A1 poster, and be positioned in the upper left hand corner of your poster.

For a full list of details regarding this contest, click here. For a full disclosure of the rules of this contest, click here.

The Awards
Thirty posters will be selected for printing and showcasing at UNESCO Headquarters during the International Festival of Cultural Diversity in May 2010.

An Overall Winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize plus an all expenses paid trip to attend the UNESCO poster exhibition in Paris.

Two Judge’s Pick winners will receive $500 each.

Judges will be basing their selections for winners according to the designer’s “…ability to graphically and visually communicate the message of Rapprochement of Cultures in a compelling and easy-to-understand way.”

Other Details
The deadline for this contest is March 9, 2010. The results will be announced on April 5, 2010. To enter this contest a free account must be opened at Design21. Click here to open your account.