Saturday, August 1st, marks the opening of the 2021 NANPA Showcase photo competition. The beginning of the Showcase entry period is something I look forward to each year. It gives me an incentive to review my work over the past year and motivates me to get outside and do some photography.
New this year: non-traditional capture
This year’s Showcase sports the same categories as before: conservation, birds, mammals, ‘scapes, altered reality and macro/micro/other. New for 2021 is special recognition for non-traditional captures—images shot with something other than a regular camera. If you use a drone, a phone, a GoPro or a tablet, this is right up your alley!
The oppressive summer heat and humidity reduce my motivation to get out into nature, even though I enjoy it every time I go. With this year’s coronavirus restrictions and precautions, I haven’t traveled beyond my immediate suburban area so there haven’t been any exciting photography trips to exotic locations. I’ve been forced to more closely explore my neighborhood, to be more creative, to see everyday things with new eyes. As a result, my photography has been different this year. Showcase is an opportunity for me to go deeper into my Lightroom catalog and review my images, reflect on what I’ve learned, and take a fresh look at potential keepers I might want to post on my website, print or enter into contests.
Get inspired by past winning images
The beginning of Showcase also makes me want to pick up past issues of NANPA Expressions to revel in the gorgeous photography in those pages. I get inspiration, for sure, but I also get a sense of what a winning image might look like and which of mine might, just might, make the cut. And, in the midst of a pandemic, there’s something to be said for the peace and serenity experienced while spending time with beautiful images of nature.
Showcase facts to keep in mind
So, what have you photographed recently? What’s in your catalog? The competition is just starting, so there’s time to head outside to capture that prize-winning photo. And there’s time to go through your archive and find the gems that are sitting on that hard drive. Showcase entries don’t have to be from this year. They can have been taken any time. You can even enter shots you’re entered before—maybe a different set of judges will score them higher. You can’t, however, enter an image that’s been recognized in a previous Showcase.
Hop on over to the 2021 NANPA Showcase page to get all the details, rules, tips and information about the prizes. Explore a past issue of Expressions. Don’t have a paper copy? Head to the Members Area to view one electronically or order your own copy.
Not a NANPA member? You can access digital or print copies of Expressions from MagCloud.
Then clean off your lenses, charge up your batteries and get shooting! Your prize-winning photo may be just around the next corner.
The 2021 Showcase entry window closes at 11 pm EDT on September 21, 2020.
