Posted by Jim Bullard on January 24, 2011 at 9:10 PM
Okay, maybe I'm just a techno-Cretan and it's already been discussed and in the archives but I couldn't find it so I'll ask.
A friend loaned me several copies of Nature's Best Photography. I see that they run 'competitions' and they mention 'awards' but as much as I scour the magazine and their website the only 'award' I see is that if your photos are chosen, they will print them in the magazine. It looks a lot like you pay them to decide whether or not to use your photos without paying you. Am I misjudging them? I saw Mike Moats name in one issue and I suspect others from NPN have been published there. What's the scoop?
Posted by Max Waugh on January 25, 2011 at 1:24 AM
Well, they'll also display your photo in the Smithsonian. Not sure what else you get, if anything.
I've always been under the impression that it's one of the most prestigious US-based competitions (due to the Smithsonian tie-in perhaps?), but I could be wrong.
Max
Posted by Howard Cheek on January 25, 2011 at 8:15 AM
The Windland Smith Rice International competition has cash awards for the Grand Prize, and category winners as I remember. They have different competitions during the year like like Ocean Views, Best Backyards, etc.
I've had a few images published there and your right, it most often means that you get published, that's it.
Put they put out a high quality print, and you can't buy better publicity
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 25, 2011 at 9:13 AM
I agree with Howard and Max. I was a semi-finalist this year so I got nothin' but it would be awesome to have your image hanging in the halls of the Smithsonian and I'm sure you get a great sense of pride from placing in such a presitgous competition. However, a lot of people enter the contest and it's extremely stiff competition... unless you think you have the cream of the crop photos you may want to save your money.
Posted by Kah Kit Yoong on January 26, 2011 at 10:49 AM
The Nature's Best competition is one of the more prestigious competitions. I was 'highly honoured' in their Ocean View comp a few years back and only got a free subscription and they published my shot in the mag. To be fair, they did not specifically mention what the prizes would be. In any case, I wasn't satisfied by this and stopped entering Nature's Best comps last year.
Perhaps of some relevance is a bit I did this week on my blog regarding freebies
http://www.magichourunplugged.com/2011/01/25/respect-your-photography/
Posted by David Thomas on January 31, 2011 at 5:29 PM
I volunteer weekly across the Mall from the National Museum of Natural History, and I eagerly await the opening of the annual exhibit (soon, but I don't have the date at my fingertips).
However, the images on display are only a modest fraction of the winners published in the magazine, so you have to be the "cream of the cream" to be shown at the Smithsonian. But the huge, high quality prints are fantastic, and I think they are given to the photographer when the exhibit closes.
Check the exhibit dates on the Internet. If you are in Washington, DC, be sure to go.
If your image won, to me it worth it especially if you put that on your website for years to stay.
Posted by David Bostedo on March 23, 2011 at 8:47 AM
They also are a good competition as far as letting you retain the rights to your image. So while there's no prize, it really is a photo competition, and not an attempt by someone to get free images.
COPYRIGHT: Photographers own their own copyright and enter Nature’s Best Photography Awards competitions of their own free will. As a condition of having a photograph selected as a winning image, photographers agree to a non-exclusive transfer of worldwide rights allowing Nature’s Best Publishing, LLC (NBP) the following uses including, but not limited to: publishing the image(s) in upcoming issues of Nature’s Best Photography magazine; hanging the image(s) in public exhibitions; and displaying the image(s) on the NBP and other websites; and using the image(s) to promote Nature’s Best Photography competitions. ‘Non-exclusive’ allows the photographer to market the image as they choose. NBP does not restrict future sales of the image, rather NBP enhances opportunities to market the photograph as a ‘Winner’ in a very prestigious competition. Many photographers have found their sales to increase based in part on their participation in NBP award competitions.
Discussion
7 repliesA friend loaned me several copies of Nature's Best Photography. I see that they run 'competitions' and they mention 'awards' but as much as I scour the magazine and their website the only 'award' I see is that if your photos are chosen, they will print them in the magazine. It looks a lot like you pay them to decide whether or not to use your photos without paying you. Am I misjudging them? I saw Mike Moats name in one issue and I suspect others from NPN have been published there. What's the scoop?
http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/competition_overview.php
I've always been under the impression that it's one of the most prestigious US-based competitions (due to the Smithsonian tie-in perhaps?), but I could be wrong.
Max
I've had a few images published there and your right, it most often means that you get published, that's it.
Put they put out a high quality print, and you can't buy better publicity
Perhaps of some relevance is a bit I did this week on my blog regarding freebies
http://www.magichourunplugged.com/2011/01/25/respect-your-photography/
However, the images on display are only a modest fraction of the winners published in the magazine, so you have to be the "cream of the cream" to be shown at the Smithsonian. But the huge, high quality prints are fantastic, and I think they are given to the photographer when the exhibit closes.
Check the exhibit dates on the Internet. If you are in Washington, DC, be sure to go.
Dave Thomas, Leesburg, Virginia