2016 NATIONAL PICTURES OF THE YEAR – SUBMISSION ENTRIES COMMENCE JANUARY 1, 2017

[Ali Ledgerwood]

It’s that time again!!! You’ve got one month to get your best images up for the top prizes for photojournalism in Canada. Judging will be held in Toronto in February (date TBD) and will be live-streamed for your agonizing pleasure. 

This year's NPOY has new and improved changes, so please read the instructions carefully. NPAC is constantly trying to strengthen this competition for its members and keep it Canada's premier photojournalism showcase, and we welcome suggestions on how we can make the NPOY bigger and better.  Please feel free to email president@npac.ca and advertising@npac.ca with any comments or questions you may have.

Deadline for all entries, except for Student Photographer of the Year and Student Multimedia, is 11:59PM (Pacific Standard Time) January 31, 2017.  Deadline for Student Photographer of the Year and Student Multimedia entries is 11:59PM (Pacific Standard Time) April 15, 2017.

Rules can be found here:  http://npac.ca/national-pictures-of-the-year-rules-and-submission-guidelines/ and you can purchase your entries here:  http://npac.ca/store/

Best of luck, and all the best for 2017 to you and yours.

NPAC Executive

[Steve Russell]

Wow, This rule change is a big deal,

• NEW – Photojournalist of the Year portfolio may have up to 18 images and it MUST include at least one Picture Story as one of the up-to-18 images.

I'm not really sure that introducing a rule like this at 8:12 pm on December 31, 2016 is fair.
This kind of rule change should be made at 1 am on January 1, 2016.

[Fred Lum]

Absolutely agree.

[Nathan Denette]

Bang on Steve!

[Amber Bracken]

Hi Nathan, Steve and Fred (and others),

There is a typo in the rule posting: it is supposed to read photo story or photo essay. I understand this is short notice but there has to be at least one story you followed closely enough this year? A portrait series? It could be a sports story. With a years notice would you have gone and shot a personal project just for the contest?

The thinking here is that a series of photos is the best way to demonstrate an intentional consistency of vision and yes, it does make the entry more difficult but it should be difficult to be recognized as Photographer of the Year in Canada: we have a lot of talent here.

[Nathan Denette]

Amber,

I have zero problem with the rule change, in fact, I agree with you and NPAC with the change. Change is good and healthy, and I applaud the decision 100%.

However, I do have a problem with in the way the rule change was made.

“I understand this is short notice but there has to be at least one story you followed closely enough this year?”

Short notice is an understatement, don't you think? Making this kind of major rule change and posting it as Steve Russell pointed out at 8:12 p.m. December 31st 2016 (Eastern Time) is not short notice. It’s 3hrs and 42 minutes notice at the end of the 365 day year. I did follow a story closely this year, so this new rule would not affect my eligibility to enter that certain category.

This rule change should have been made at the very start of the 2016 calendar year. In order for a contest and competition to be fair, everyone has to be on the same playing field from start to finish. The basic principles and ethics we all should live and die from as a journalist is being fair and accurate.

“With a years notice would you have gone and shot a personal project just for the contest? “

I can't answer that question, as can anyone, as we weren't given a year’s notice for this rule change. I guess the only way to tell will be in the participation in this year’s Photojournalist of the Year category, which in my opinion now limits many members.

My 2 Cents for what they’re worth

Cheers

[Steve Russell]

I understand this is short notice but there has to be at least one story you followed closely enough this year? A portrait series? It could be a sports story. With a years notice would you have gone and shot a personal project just for the contest?
The thinking here is that a series of photos is the best way to demonstrate an intentional consistency of vision and yes, it does make the entry more difficult but it should be difficult to be recognized as Photographer of the Year in Canada: we have a lot of talent here.

I agree with Nathan, no problem with a rule change, but when the rule change was made is a issue.
The issue I have with the new rule being intoduced less than 4 hours before the end of the calendar year is that now the picture story/photo essay required element.
The contests judges will be told that the picture story/photo essay is a required element for that category.
A quick look at the rules and I see that there are no other required elements.
This gives the picture story/photo essay more weight as part of that entry, putting people that did not know about the rule change at a disadvantage.

Imagine that another component, say Sports Action, was made a required component of the entry four hours before the shooting window closed, would that be fair?

[Andy Clark]

I couldn't agree more with Nathan and Steve. I think changing the rules this late is very questionable. If there had been an announcement maybe in at least September that changes were coming with a couple teasers of those changes would have been the proper thing to do. I don't think a year's notice is necessary at all but waiting to the very last moment is really bad form. I get the feeling this is all being done on the fly and last minute with the possibly there is little room for sober thought. In the past without rule changes I seem to remember the contest was announced and posted by beginning of November..that in this case would have left at least some wiggle room, as it were...

Would it be worth suggesting that maybe leave the rules as they are for this year and apply the new ones for next year, that way everybody will know whats coming and even give some extra time to adjust the contest further if its needed....


I also wonder up to 18 images for a photo story? 18 for the overall category sounds reasonable .... but sounds a bit gratuitous and over the top for a photo story. POYi is no more than 12, World Press- 10, NPPA-12, Sony Awards- 10.....

A Photo Editor told me years ago if you can't tell a story with 8-12 images , then maybe you should be shooting movies..    ....  sorry my mistake I mis-read numbers

[Fred Lum]

I won't reiterate what's been posted about the timing of the rule change but I'm also wondering about the same rule change itself.

Do we really need to make it mandatory that a story be part of the POY category ? I'd prefer to see something like ' POY portfolio must be x number of images and one of those images CAN be a story. The option is on the photographer to decide if they want to include a story (which really should have a cap on number of photos).

thoughts and discussion appreciated

[Amber Bracken]

Hi all, it's great to see all the interest in the NPOY, your investment is appreciated and your concerns are being heard. The Executive is meeting today to discuss and an official statement will be issued shortly after: stay tuned!

[Stacey Newman]

Hi all, it's great to see all the interest in the NPOY, your investment is appreciated and your concerns are being heard. The Executive is meeting today to discuss and an official statement will be issued shortly after: stay tuned!

Great, thank you!

[Ali Ledgerwood]

Hey everyone,

The deadline is nigh!  Don't miss out on a huge (yuge?) opportunity to win some serious cash, and even more serious street cred.  Don't forget the nominees and winners for the NPOY are being exhibited at the Capture Photo Festival at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver from March 20 - April 14th, the Contact Photo Festival in First Canada Place in Toronto from May 1st 1 May 12th.  Not to mention the Zoom Photo Festival in Saguenay, Quebec from Oct 18 - Nov 12th.  And hey, the book!  Your work could be permanently immortalized in the 10th Edition of the NPAC POY!  Pretty damn awesome!

I mean, that's a lot of exhibiting of the amazing work on which you have tirelessly laboured on over the course of the last year.  How could you not enter? 

You're saying, oh well, ya know, I never get picked.  Well hell, people.  You don't know until you try, and for the sake of a few bucks and an awesome membership with other wonderful redeeming benefits, you might just be surprised.  Just ask the previous winners!  They'll tell you how worth it is to enter!  So don't wait until the final minutes to midnight on January 31st after a few drinks to decide to enter the country’s largest photojournalism competition.

The judging will be live-streamed out of Toronto (date to be confirmed shortly).

I look forward to seeing you all in Toronto. More exciting announcements will be made about the trade show, conference and NPOY!  Not to mention the fabulous prizes to be giving away. 

Please feel free to contact any of the Execs if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing your amazing work being represented across Canada and beyond!

Nine days and counting....

tick.... tick... tick....

[Warren Toda]

Only a couple days left to enter.

Your chances of winning are better than any lottery and, well let's face it, your pictures are way better than the other photographers'. How often has your mother told you that your pictures are really nice? She wouldn't lie to you.

If you do win, maybe your mom will finally accept that you have a real job and she'll stop bugging you to get a job at your brother's insurance agency – "Michael's business is going really well. He just bought a new Camry! It's got a sunroof, leather seats and everything! Go ask him for a job." –  Or is that just me?

You can't win if you don't enter, you can't enter if you wait much longer, and if you wait much longer you'll disappoint your mother and you'll hear about it yet again next Thanksgiving. Or is that just me?

[Fred Lum]

Well that's one task done. Upload is easy again and painless on Chrome.

Double check all the rules and make sure you don't include your name in the caption field, pics are resized etc.. I know many don't need the reminder but in case your mind is elsewhere when you're prepping your entries, it would be unfortunate if a photo was tossed because of a momentary brain burp.

good luck to everyone and see you at the Bond

[Ali Ledgerwood]

Awesome, thanks Fred! 

Don't forget, live judging on February 11th!  Time to be announced shortly. 

Also, the Contact Photo Festival NPOY nominees exhibit will have the opening night on May 4th at First Canada Place lobby.  You wanna see who wins?  Better book your tix for the NPOY on Saturday, May 6th.  Hell, book the whole conference.  Lots of great stuff going on this year!

See you in Turranna!