PMA NZ is encouraging members to promote World Photo Day, Monday, August 19, and running its first national ‘My World’ photo competition to mark the event.
Entrants are asked to take photos between August 1 and August 19 ‘that show us your world’. Images are uploaded to the PMA NZ My World gallery and prizes – first prize is a Fujifuilm X-F1 – will be awarded by professional judges for the best three photos. In addition there will be a prize for the Most Popular photo as voted by gallery visitors.
Retailers and staff are being encouraged to enter the competition, in addition to the general public.
‘This year one of the PMA committee members felt that rather than encourage members stores to do their own thing that PMA itself should get behind the event,’ explained Jill Boswell, Snapshot Cameras, Hamilton, and PMA NZ.
Snapshot has supported World Photo Day for the past few years, and last year had an in-store demonstration of daguerrotype print-making.
‘A photo competition was suggested, then we debated whether to make it a one-day event or longer. Because PMA was exhibiting at the NZIPP conference Open Day on August 3 we decided to launch it on August 1 and have it close on August 19. Both events are intended to raise the awareness of the Photographic Marketing Association in New Zealand.
‘We’re promoting this photo competition “on the small of an oily rag” using social media (Facebook and newsletters) – no ads in any printed media. Member stores were also sent posters and files to print their own handouts. I have posted messages on other Facebook pages such as photo groups and D-Photo,’ she said.
Even though the Australian industry has let World Photo Day ‘go through to the ‘keeper’ it was in fact established by young Australian photographer Korske Ara in 2009, with the first global online gallery in 2010.
August 19 has been chosen as a suitable date as it was the day in 1839 that the French Government announced the invention of the Daguerrotype as a gift ‘Free to the World’.
World Photo Day has been growing in stature as a worldwide celebration of photography ever since. The World Photo Day Facebook page has 25,000 ‘Likes’ and the goal is to have 100,000 photographers involved this August 19.
PMA NZ is run on a voluntary basis and in the last month committee members have been involved in running a stand at the NZIPP conference and launching the World Photo Day/My World initiative.
As is noted in the current (and smartly-produced) PMA NZ newsletter: ‘We all run our own businesses so this work has been done in our own time. Please show your appreciation by supporting the photo competition and do your bit for celebrating the birth of photography.’
Jill Boswell added: ‘Unfortunately, entries have been slow and we hope there will be a flurry of last-minute entries. Between August 20 and 30 the public will be invited to vote for their favourite photo and we want a gallery full of photos.’
Full competition details can be found here…http://pmanz.org/photo/
More info about World Photography Day is here…http://www.worldphotoday.org/
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