It reminds me to the Dutch grand prix Paul Huf (A Dutch photographer) It was an important photo contest for professional photographers. A few years ago the organisation was taken over by an old advertising agent. He transferred the grand Paul Huf contest into a Facebook contest with ridiculous rankings measured by the amount of likes and manipulated in the most bizarre sub ranking ever seen on this planet and beyond.
Some pro photographers returned their nomination and medals because the contest turned out to be a complete joke.
On one hand, if a contest is curated, peoples get upset because the curator is a so called idiot and don’t know a thing about art.
On the other hand, if the contest is a popularity game, peoples get upset because the contest is a nepotistic endeavour.
Other international photo contest are sick in the same bed. Most of the time it is just a contest organized to collect the subscription money and earn money on the back of naive amateur photographers.
I remember my period at photo.net, I got an envelope at home with a very fancy and expensive looking letter, I was selected and one of my picture would be published in a book. I could already pre order the book for only 75$. There was even a preview included on which page my picture would be published. We also had the unique chance to claim our trophy (Finalist trophy), an etched piece of glass on a ‘real’ Oak pedestal, only for 125$, transport not included.
One of my photo colleagues got the same letter and with exact the same preview, only instead of my picture, his picture was included.
Few weeks later, I got another letter, I was selected as finalist among 100 other. We were invited in San Diego to join the final contest. The cost was only 550$ for accommodation and meals. Travel to San Diego not included.
The winner (10k$) would be selected that day, not based on the selected picture, but every finalist would receive the same camera (And could keep it) and had to go in town to make a picture. The best picture of that photo safari would win the contest. (The camera was a 1.4mp fix focus point and shoot)
You can imagine how eager I was to fly from Europe to San Diego to claim my price