April 2023 50/50 Match Brief - One for the Wall with Serap Seker

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." 
- Elizabeth Stone, teacher and author


“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” 
- Dr. Seuss, writer and cartoonist



MATCH BRIEF

It’s been said that when it comes to children, the hours are
long but the years are short. Making up those long hours between sleepless nights, diaper changes, tantrums, rebellion, and sass are an endless series of cherished, fleeting moments that are just that - moments. We often make note of firsts, but seldom (if ever) know the last time we will be able to sleep with our child on our chest, soothe them with just a kiss, carry them on our hip, make their lunch for school and hold their hand to cross the street. Preserving the sweetness of these short years by turning the moments into treasured keepsakes is what draws photographers like April 2023’s Guest Judge Serap Seker to the arena of fine art maternity, newborn, and family photography.



Each phase of childhood - newborn, toddler, tween, and teen - comes with its own unique challenges. On top of infants who aren’t able to take direction on when it’s time to be calm and relaxed and children who don’t always respond to whatever secret ninja methods you’ve discovered for getting their attention, you’re usually dealing with parents who are flustered, overwhelmed, tired, and (on a really tough day) camera shy. Added to that are safety issues associated with posing newborns, which can get even trickier if you’re also trying to wrangle siblings that are anything and everything from aggressively affectionate to active and adventurous to awkward, angsty, or all of the above.

Working in this genre, Serap has learned the importance of knowing her camera like the back of her hand, patience, understanding light, patience, post-processing, patience, and - above all - prioritising safety (which, of course, requires patience.) This led her to becoming a mentor and teacher and eventually founding the Babies and Photographers Association, an international network of like-minded creatives who share their knowledge and passion.

For April’s Match Brief, Serap is inviting you to submit One for the Wall. Your image must 1) feature maternity, posed/lifestyle newborn or children, or fine art family portraiture, 2) demonstrate a high level of skill (lighting, (un)posing, DOF, etc.) and 3) include your favourite newborn safety tip, posing/lifestyle prompt, or ninja mind trick for family portraits.


Challengers, you have until 11:59 MST, April 21, 2023 to submit your entry. All are encouraged to get out and create something new, but you are also welcome to dig through your archives and submit any image that fits the Brief. Please read the Notes section for tips and tricks. Visit www.theshootingrange.ca for FAQs and competition guidelines.


OBJECTIVES

Technical: safety, post-processing/composites, lighting

Creative: posing/unposing, natural expression/emotion

EDI: disseminating knowledge, community over competition


SCORING

Images for the Winner and two (2) Runners Up will be selected based on review of both Artist’s Statement and Technical Merit. The top three images will be scored based on Hit Factor (how well the image met the brief) and Power Factor (technical prowess, regardless of the equipment you’re using) and provided with a detailed written or oral (delivered via Zoom or similar platform) Critique from the Guest Judge.



IMAGE CROPPING AND ORIENTATION

Images may be cropped and shot in any size and orientation, but those with a 2:3 or 4:5 Landscape orientation will reproduce best in the Calendar.


NOTES, TIPS, AND RESOURCES

Nudes/implied nudes may require editing by Rare Earth Outreach and The Shooting Range (blurring/blocking/cropping) to meet guidelines or restrictions on sharing “adult content” as defined by various social media platforms in their Community Standards.



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