ShAFF has just launched its annual photography competition - like no other, this high-octane, audience-driven event is compered by comedian, climber and author, the one and only Niall Grimes. Sponsored by outdoor performance clothing manufacturer, Arc-teryx, it's a chance for amateur and professionals to vie with the best adventure photographers in the business.
Last year's winner, amateur photographer & computer science PhD student, Alexandre Buisse (www.alexandrebuisse.org) wowed judge & event organiser, Arc'teryx sponsored mountaineer and professional photographer Ian Parnell. Alex went on to win over the audience and scoop the £500 cash prize and £1,000 worth of Arcteryx clothing.
Alex has since won his first commission to take promotional pictures for adventure travel firm, Jagged Globe. You can see his pictures from their Khumbu Climber Nepal trip on his website.
2010 winner Alex Buisse says: "I love mountaineering & being in the mountains. I wanted to share the climbing experience with people who couldn't come with me. My vision is the drama of it, which is why it fits into the format of the Arcteryx ShAFF competition which is short and fast-paced. The prize was really nice. It gave me contacts and credibility to win a competition against professional photographers."
"It's part of why I was sent by [adventure travel company] Jagged Globe to Nepal last month to use in their brochure to spend a month in the Everest Region on their Khumbu Climber trip. It was an amazing trip and my first commission."
"I've been trying to decide whether to go pro but winning the Arc'teryx ShAFF competition really helps my confidence and helps push me towards doing the scarier, more interesting, more adventurous choice [of going professional]."
His advice for this year's entrants is: "As long as you have photos that show you love adventure then you should give it a try because I wasn't pro when I entered. Try to be fast-paced and don't make it a boring slide show."
Click here to listen to a Heason Events podcast interview with Alex Buisse on the ShAFF website and click here to watch Alex's winning slide show online
How to Enter:
- Simply send us6 photos that you feel represent your portfolio well. Email them to adventureshot@shaff.co.uk
- We will upload the photos to a ShAFF web account where they will be publically viewable.
- Keep the size under 750 pixels so nobody can print from them.
- If you are selected we'll contact you at the start of February. You will need to be able to attend the event which takes place at 21.00 on Sat 5th March at ShAFF at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield. Note that expenses won't be paid.
- You will need to prepare a 5 minute audio visual presentation and present it to the live audience alongside the other four finalists. Note that in 2010 the event was won by(then) amateur photographer Alex Buisse.
Judging Criteria
The judges will assess entries for:
- Consistent high quality across a wide range of images (i.e. not just one standout shot).
- Images that capture the essence of the outdoor adventure experience (i.e. what it feels like to be deep in an adventure, the emotions, the wonder of it all).
- Images that "we" perhaps haven't seen before, or take an unusual or innovative look at our adventure world.
The Quiz
This high energy, audience-driven event will start with a pub-style Quiz with prizes donated by Arc'teryx.
The Shoot-Out
After a pub-style quiz hosted by Niall Grimes, there will be a "shoot out" by five adventure sports photographers vying for cash and a heap of Arc'teryx kit. Each will have 5 minutes in which to showcase their photographs to the audience who will rate their approval vocally.
Four of the five will be invited by the event organiser Arc'teryx sponsored mountaineer and professional photographer Ian Parnell. There will be one climbing photographer, one caving photographer, one biking photographer and one running photographer. The fifth finalist will be a wild card, chosen by Ian and the ShAFF judges, from online entries. It could be you. It's open to anybody.
The 2010 competition report and winner are here.
