I listen to a pod cast Street Focus hosted by Valerie Jardin an enjoyable dusciusion type cast about street photography. Just over a month ago a call for entry at the Mpls Photo Center titled Meet Me Downtown was launched on the show. This was to give street photographers from arround the world the opertunity to enter their street photographs for the chance to have them exhibited in their gallery. Valerie Jardin would be the juror tasked with selecting arround 70 photos from all those entered.
Entry cost $35 for 4 photos something that is done to limit entries I suppose but obviously as a way to raise revenue for the centre. I, after a period of indecision, decided to give it a go.
Much to my suprise and I must admit delight I was notified that on of my entries, which you can see here
http://365project.org/barrowlane/365/2016-01-19 Had been selected.
This was good and I was pleased but there is a cautionary tale. As i am in the UK and the exhibition is in Miniapolis USA I wanted to take up the offer by the centre to print and frame my photograph for me to save shipping cost also they wanted a quick turnaround and I didn't want to miss out. There was a form to fill out that included entering your credit card details for payment. Before I go on this is not going to turn out to be a scam although it did worry me a little.
On the podcast they had said there were frames available for over seas entries for around $25 so adding the printing cost I thought that it would not cost too much and was probably worth it. The trouble was there was no box on the form to tick for any frame remotely near $25. So being British I conformed and filled in the form ticking appropriate boxes to get the process going.
I submitted the form and in an accompanying email requesting a $25 frame. I had a reply acknowledging this and asking what size. I replied saying whatever was available to suit my photo.
I head no more until a notification the $160 had been charged to my card. The message about $25 frame and not been passed on and the frame, in my Britishness for form filling, had been used.
So for arround $200 I have won a competition to have my photo on display in a gallery halfway across the world that I will not be attending.
Still pleased to have it selected and there is a chance someone will buy it in which case I might get some money back.
If any one who has read this far and lives or is visiting the area pop in to the centre and take a look at the exhibition. I am sure it will be really good and Valerie has an exhibition of her work running at the same time, and if your feeling generous perhaps you would like to buy my picture!
Well done!