Here's a chance to try your hand at some surreal images!
We at The Surreal Circus are looking for your digitally manipulated surreal images* for our contest that begins today and ends December 1st, 2009.
You may submit up to two images. Entries must be not have been previously published. Authors will retain copyright to their entries, but must grant The Surreal Circus permission to reprint them in articles about the contest.
Surreal images usually include one or more of the following (the most important characteristics are bolded):
A dream-like quality.
Bizarre or illogical juxtaposition of ideas or images in a thought-provoking way.
Breakdown of logical thought.
Symbols or archetypes that speak to our conscious as well as our unconscious minds.
A dark and/or ironic sense of humor.
You may find these articles helpful:
Surrealism: Speaking the Language of Dreams
Lucid Dreaming: Surrealism in the Movies
Contest judges are renowned painter C.C. Miranda, master photographer David S., and Surreal Circus ringmaster Ann M.
Entries will be judged on the following:
1. Surreal quality of image.
2. Evocative nature of image (Ideas and mood conveyed).
3. Accessibility of image. Could the average Gather reader discern your theme, mood, and/or message?
PRIZES:
First Prize: $100 in cash
Second Prize: $50 in cash
Third Prize: $25 in cash
Deadline for entries is December 1, 2009.
Winners will be announced on or about December 15th, 2009.
To enter the contest:
Submit your entry to The Surreal Circus. Entries must be embedded in a post (article) titled "Surreal Circus Photo Contest." We also recommend giving your image a descriptive title. (Also, please make sure your image doesn't pixelate when viewed in a large format).
Good Luck! If you have any questions, please contact Ann M., the contest administrator.
Cheat sheet: Click on any image below for my explanation of how the artist achieved a surreal effect. In most cases, the key is unusual juxtapositon of images.
*Although digital manipulation is the easiest way to produce a surreal image, we are also accepting entries with few or no manipulations, provided they meet the criteria listed above.
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Comments: 93
Congrats on the Judge job.
I hope many of the photography buffs here at Gather will step over the threshold between realism and the surreal with their images.
I've just acquired a camera but don't have photoshop. Might play about though with discovering the surreal in reality; that which can be found with a regular lens set-up.
Looking forward to helping out with this as well. A wonderful challenge Ann, beautifully put together.
You can read it here.
Congratulations!
Where'd your sense of fun and playfulness go?
I'll totally be entering this contest.
Awesome !!
This looks like such an interesting contest. I'll have to think about it and look at my photos.
Keep in mind the other aspects of surrealism:
1. A dream-like quality.
2. Breakdown of logical thought.
3. Symbols or archetypes that speak to our conscious as well as our unconscious minds.
4. A dark and/or ironic sense of humor.
I just wish I were better with a camera and my computer.
And good luck to everyone!
I'm not quite sure how to go about this,
I started this album
http://www.gather.com/viewAlbum.action?albumId=21889
is there something else I need to click?
;-j
I see that you are new to Gather, so I'll go and get your images and add them to the article displaying the entries. I don't think you'll have to do anything else, but I'll let you know if you do.
the contest looks great - I hope it occurs frequently
;-j