Tips for Student Awards 2018 Entrants
Student Awards 2018 are now open for entry! Students in years 11 or 12 in Australia are eligible. Entry is via our website and free, all you need to do is upload six images and around 200 words. Enter at this link. But first, here are a few tips!
Photos
1. Awards are judged on the photos you submit. These should be hi-res (2¬5mb) jpegs. If your photos are too lo-res we can’t share them on our Instagram or Facebook pages, and worse still, if you happen to be an award winner, we can’t print them in the magazine! Check your settings before you shoot.
2. Include full view shots. It may sound obvious, but full view means not cutting off an edge or a part of a leg… Try a few different angles too. Include one or two in-progress photos as well.
3. Studio type backgrounds. Steer towards neutral. Brightly coloured backgrounds can distract and be reflected in polished surfaces. Watch out for black backgrounds too as they can sometimes ‘suck’ out the light from the subject.
4. Hazard warning. Thankfully we’re through the era of shagpile carpets, but if you’re shooting your piece on carpet or even outside on grass watch out for it covering part of the base. And please…forget using those rumpled sheets and towels as a background!
5. Styled settings. Photos that show your work in a workshop or even domestic settings can look great. Check for distracting items that can be moved out of the way or avoided. Think twice about bricks, blinds, curtains and windows as your piece might get lost in the image.
6. Light is your friend when taking photos but look out for shadows and reflections on your work. When shooting items made of wood we want to see the colour, grain and figure of the wood as well.
7. Say cheese. Include a photo of yourself with you piece. Don’t be shy…you’ve made something to be proud of and we all like to see photos of other people, especially creative ones. A portrait shot is required.
8. Need we mention focus? Use a tripod if you can get hold of one, or else take a few shots until you get a good result.
Videos
We love sharing your videos on our Facebook, YouTube and Instagram pages. Simply load videos up to Google drive or Dropbox and send a link to editor@woodreview.com.au
Music is great for videos but bear in mind that social media will detect copyrighted tracks and mute the sound. Hyperlapse is great too for keeping things moving.
Words
We need to know the title of the piece and materials used. Include also some background to the brief and the processes used – 200 words or so is all we need. On the online entry form, copy your words into the ‘Entry Description’ field.
Head to this link for more guidelines to entry.
