A new Artists' Bill of Rights adopter, The Photo Competition to Brand Brum, awaits your entry!

Gas Street, ©Verity MilliganThis challenge is open for all Midlands amateur and professional photographers to capture Birmingham’s brand, and we are pleased that ORB and Retail Birmingham, sponsors of the competition, adopted and now support the Artists' Bill of Rights principles.

Birmingham branding agency, ORB, presents this competition in partnership with Retail Birmingham for amateur and professional photographers across the Midlands to take up to 10 photos that tell the story of Birmingham and convey what the city means to them.

The competition is part of ORB’s mission to champion Birmingham’s talent and encourage more local business leaders to recruit and invest locally in the city’s creative industries, rather than looking to London or overseas.

Launched on World Photography Day (August 19th), photographers capturing the city, its people and its spirit in their series of pictures can win £1,000 of camera equipment, courtesy of Retail Birmingham and shoppinginbirmingham.com, as well as have the chance to work alongside former Sony World Advertising Photographer of the Year Martin Brent.

Judging the competition alongside Brent will be Chief Executive of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Paul Faulkner; Co-Founder & Director of Impact Hub Birmingham, Immy Kaur; Retail Birmingham BID Manager, Steve Hewlett; Former Editor of the Birmingham Post, Stacey Barnfield; renowned Birmingham photographer, Verity Milligan and Founder of ORB Branding agency, Rob Bloxham.

Renaissance Photography Prize is an international award that showcases outstanding photography from emerging and established photographers while raising funds to support young women with breast cancer. The annual prize discovers talent and celebrates the best in photography, giving image makers access to new opportunities and a world-wide audience for their work.

With judges from Tate Modern, Foam, the Guardian and many more, entering gives photographers the chance to have their work seen by a panel of some of the industry's most influential photography critics. All finalists will be exhibited at Getty Images Gallery in London, UK.

by ABoR guest writer, Elspeth Rushbrook

These prey a little on the hopes of every aspirant who’s not yet found a publishing deal.

Surely a £15-25 entry fee is a snip compared with the prize money and the joy of being published at last, and by a real publisher?

Well, I’m going to argue the reverse. Not that there shouldn’t be competitions, for artists of all kinds can gain recognition and attention and some money through these.

It’s the size of the fee and the terms which I object to. And how they’re choosing.

Sorry these are all British, but I hope that international readers will find the points helpful and maybe someone else can review other countries?

The Daily Mail − beloved British tattling and moral majority rag for over a century − recently closed its 9th annual comp. Did it gain a copy of my forthcoming Parallel Spirals? Nope, and I’ll tell you why.

One, being associated with the Mail is not something I wanted for me and my work. I don’t believe in its editorial policies. I doubt too that many of its readers will be mine.

4th Ozone Zone International Photo Competition Open for Entries

The Ozone Zone International Photo Competition which had its beginnings in Canada, this year is run from Dominica as the host country. The jury consisting of local and foreign artists/photographers will select the winners from many international submissions. This is one of most popular international photo competitions due to significant cash awards, very low entry fees, and high quality of entries.

The competition offers four sections, and runs under RPS, IUP, FIAP and PSA patronage. It puts Dominica on the map of international art and photography events. “We hope to see Dominica as a destination for photographers of the world, expanding tourism and engaging many fine local photographers in workshops, tours, and so on” - says Margaret Gajek, competition's chair person. “This competition makes many photographers interested in our island”.

“We had a really hard task last year to select best images” - says Derek Galon, MA, FRPS, FOPS – head of the jury, a Canadian art photographer now living in Dominica. “ This year, due to extra patronage from Royal Photographic Society (UK) and IUP (union of photographers from Asia) we expect many more fine entries.”