It is time once again to celebrate the beautiful and amazing work by YOU, the senior photographers who produce inspiring and incredible images.  Seniorologie has hosted image contests since we began in 2011 and even though we have varied the format over the years, The Best of the Year Senior Image Awards is our best image contest!  This contest celebrates the amazing photos that were captured during the year by high school senior photographers!  The Top 50 images of the year will be awarded and this is a list you want to be on!  This contest is open to any photographer who captured senior images and wants to be recognized in the senior photography industry!  It is the “it” list to be on to show your clients you are recognized in your industry!

The DEETS:

The Seniorologie Best of the Year Awards Image Contest will run from January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2020.  Images must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 31, 2020 to be considered.

Image Categories:  The Five top scorers in each category will be awarded.

• Best Black and White Image – image must be submitted in black and white
• Best Off Camera/Studio Lighting Image – image must use artificial light
• Best Senior Girl Image – image must be of a senior girl
• Best Senior Boy Image – image must be of a senior boy
• Best Urban Image – image must be taken in a city, urban environment
• Best Nature Image – image must be taken in an outdoor nature setting such as a field, meadow, park etc.
• Best Concept/Styled Shoot Image – image must showcase a clear concept or theme
• Best Sport/Hobby Image – image must showcase a senior’s favorite sport or hobby with background or use of prop
• Best Group – 2 or more seniors in image
• Best Natural Light – image must be taken using natural light

In addition to the Top 50 Images of the year in the categories above, we will have ONE overall Best Image of the Year, which is the person who scores the most points overall and is awarded the cover spot for our once-a-year inspiration image Lookbook celebrating the winners of the contest.

And new this year, we will have Ten People’s Choice Award Winners (one per category) which will be voted on by the members of The Seniorologie Community, a private Facebook group of like-minded senior photographers who support and help each other.  If you are not a part of The Seniorologie Community, please click HERE to join.

Submission Guidelines:

1. All Images must be high resolution jpeg images
2. Images must be saved as bizabbreviation_category.jpeg – example my business name is Leslie Kerrigan Photography so I would submit a black and white image like this:  lkp_blackandwhite.jpeg
3. All photographers entering contest must fill out entry form – Click HERE for form
4. Images must be placed in a dropbox folder and the link to the dropbox folder must be included in the submission form.
5. Dropbox folder must be named your full business name Seniorologie Contest – example Leslie Kerrigan Photography Seniorologie Contest
6. We will not accept images with watermark or logo.  If you send an image with a watermark or logo, your image will be disqualified and no refund given
7. You must have a signed release for images and must include in the dropbox with images
8. All images must be submitted at same time in one dropbox folder
9. Images must have been taken in 2019 – this means it can be a senior in the class of 2019 or 2020 but the actual photo must have been taken Jan 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019.
10. Images must be original work of photographer submitting them and not images captured at a workshop, shoot out, conference or other event

All Images that do not meet the above criteria will be disqualified, no refunds given for an reason or for disqualified images.  Decisions made by judges and Seniorologie are final.

Judging Criteria:

Judging will be based on the following criteria:

Imapct – sense one gets when viewing an image.  Images that have a very strong impression will get higher scores for this criteria.  Compelling images evoke emotion and tell a story.  Submit images that you think a stranger (not a client who is already attached to the subject) would have an immediate reaction to.

Creativity – The overall creativity of an image.  All the visual elements coming together to express the purpose of the image.  Original, fresh and imagination use in image.

Technical Merit – The quality of the image that includes composition, focus, sharpness, exposure, skin tone and correct color, post processing, etc.

Relativity to the Category – Image must match the category in which it is entered.  If styled/concept, a clear concept must be showcased.  Judges must be able to see what that is in the image.

Each image will receive a 1-10 score per judging criteria.  The total score will determine winners.  The top five with the highest score based on criteria will be winners in each category.  The image with the highest score in any category will be the Best Image of the Year.

Judges:  Our judges this year are an amazingly talented group of senior photographers all of which will be speakers at our educational event, Conference Twelve!

Hope Taylor of Hope Taylor Photography

Renee Bowen of Renee Bowen Photography

Carissa Davis of Imagery by Carissa

Leslie Kerrigan of Leslie Kerrigan Photography and Seniorologie

Winners Receive:  Winners will be featured in Seniorologie’s once-a-year Lookbook magazine that serves as inspiration to photographers throughout the year.  Winners will also receive a badge to display proudly on their website or social media showing that they made the list and in which category or categories they won.  Winners will also receive a print for display as well as a certificate for the category they won to display in their office or studio.  In addition to these things, winners will have bragging rights for the year, professional recognition and a featured blog post on seniorologie.com.

Cost:

1 Image = $5

3 Images = $7

5 Images = $10

10 Images = $15

To ENTER:  

1.  Create your dropbox folder with images and model release so you have the link to enter into the Entry Form.
2. Click HERE to complete the entry form, add link to dropbox folder of images and pay for image submissions

Here is a look at last year’s overall winner – Image of the Year – by Kristin Cook of Kristin Cook Seniors