Darren Turner
XProPhotographer
stick with this, its a little long winded but all information you need IS here............. personally i really fancy this and i have Booked the weekend off work to attend.
What is it?
Where & When?
The Rules
FAQs
So who fancies and RPF meet & try their hand at the photo Marathon................!!
What is it?
Photomarathons have proved popular across Europe, with regular events in Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, the Czech Republic, France and Russia as well global event in Vancouver, Cape Town and Toronto. The first UK Photomarathon was held in Cardiff in the summer of 2004 when 120 people took up the challenge. In 2010, the event made the switch from film to digital. The event now attracts 400 entrants each year.
At 10am on the day of the Photomarathon, each entrant will have their camera and memory card checked and verified and then will be issued with the first set of 4 topics. They have the next four hours to shoot one image per topic, in the same order as the topics are listed. Four hours later at 2pm the next set of topics are released. Each entrant must personally collect the set of topics from the HQ, and have their entry card stamped to prove attendance. This process is repeated again at 6pm. The HQ will then receive the completed entries – via direct download from your memory card – from 7pm until 10pm.
The topics are kept secret until revealed every four hours. They will offer plenty of room for interpretation and creativity.
After the Photomarathon day, all the images are collated and printed, before our panel of judges meet to decide the winners. All the photos – yes, all of them – then go on show in a free public exhibition. It’s quite a collection.
Where & When?
The 2012 Photomarathon will take place in Cardiff on Saturday June 16th starting at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. You will need to sign up online in advance, and all entrants will meet for registration on the morning of the 11th at WMC from 8.30am onwards. Full information will be provided to entrant prior to the event.
Last year, four hundred photographers took up the Photomarathon challenge and we’re looking forward to another exciting event this year.
An exhibition of all the photographs taken on the day will be held in the first floor exhibition space at the Cardiff Story, in the city’s Old Library on The Hayes in July/August. Full details are available here.
The Rules
Like all competitions, we have to have some rules. Here are the important ones for Photomarathon UK.
1. Photomarathon is an entirely digital event. You can take part with a digital camera or mobile phone. You must provide your own memory card, which must be empty of images at the beginning of the day. This will be checked by a member of the photomarathon team at registration on the day of the event.
2. You must capture 12 images on 12 given topics, in the same order that the topics appear on the list given to you. You can delete a photo on the memory card before you continue to the next topic. Images must be in the order the items are listed in on the topics list. i.e This means that topic 1 is first on the memory card, followed by topic 2, 3, 4 etc.
3. All photographs must be taken on the day of the Photomarathon event between 10am and 10pm.
4. All images must be taken on the same camera.
5. All images must be shot as JPEG files. RAW files will not be accepted.
6. You are free to use flashguns, filters and tripods.
7. You are not permitted to edit the images, use any image-processing programs or use images that are not taken during Photomarathon. You are not permitted to amend the filename or any exif-data related to the images. Any manipulation (or suspected manipulation) of the image or it¹s metadata will cause the entry to be disqualified. This decision will be at the discretion of the judges and/or the organisers of the event and is final.
8. Only memory cards with 12 images on them will be eligible for downloading. You are not permitted to have more than 12 images on your card at the end of the day.
9. You must collect the topics at the allotted times, in person, from the Photomarathon HQ.
10. To qualify for final judging your Passport card has to be stamped by one of the Photomarathon officials upon collection of each new set of topics and on returning your memory card.
11. To cross the finish line and receive your certificate of completion, you must return your memory card for downloading by the 10pm deadline.
12. Photomarathon HQ will be downloading completed entries from 7.00pm until the end of the event at 10.00pm.
Good luck.
FAQs
Here are some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
Can I enter with a digital camera?
Yes. Photomarathon is a fully digital event. The competition is a test of your creative ideas as much as your photographic skills, but the move to digital cameras will open up new possibilities for your creative expression. We¹ll be posting more information about the detail format of the event later, so keep checking back for the latest updates.
Can I still use my film camera?
Unfortunately not. After 6 fantastic years on film (2004 – 2009), we found it increasingly difficult and costly to run the event as a film based event and we converted to digital in 2010.
Why aren’t all the topics released in one batch at the beginning of the day?
The aim of the Photomarathon is to keep you thinking throughout the day, and releasing the topics in batches is therefore part of the Photomarathon challenge. Photomarathon is also a social occasion, and the topic release times are an opportunity for everyone to get back together and discuss their progress to date. Don¹t worry, if you¹ve got a great idea * you can also keep it to yourself!
Do I need to bring my own memory card?
Yes, you will need to bring your own memory card. It will need to be completely blank at the beginning of the Photomarathon, and our team will check this before you start. We will accept all forms of memory cards and will publish a list of the main ones prior to the event. If your is unusual, or if you are shooting on a mobile phone, we would ask that you bring a USB cable for us to download your images at the end of the day.
How will you collect the images?
At the end of the Photomarathon, you will be asked to return to the designated base where we will download your images to our computers. You will keep the memory card.
What format should the images be in?
All images will need to be shot as JPEG files. RAW file will not be accepted.
Will the topics be released online?
No. While we are embracing digital technology for the taking of images, we still like to see you on the day, so topics will still need to be collected in person at the specified times (10am, 2pm and 6pm).
Who owns the copyright in the images taken?
The copyright in the images taken remains with the photographer. In entering the competition the entrant grants Photomarathon the right to use the images in all media to promote Photomarathon. Photomarathon cannot (and will not) pass on or sell any images to any third party.
Is there a special event for children?
No. However, children are welcome to enter the main event and a prize will be awarded for the best set of photos for entrants aged 16 and under.
Will children’s work be judged separately?
No, children’s work will be judged as part of the main event. However, all work by entrants under the age of 16 will be marked with a sticker noting the work as that of a junior entrant.
How does the judging work?
Judges are required to judge two separate categories – overall portfolio winner and individual topic winners. The judging panel, using a system of shortlisting, will choose an overall winner, 2nd and 3rd as well as individual winners in each topic category.
Can I sign up for next year?
The date of Photomarathon 2012 will be confirmed shortly. If you want to keep in touch with Photomarathon please sign up to our mailing list.
Where can we see the pictures taken on the day?
All the images taken on the day will be displayed at the exhibition. A selection of winners and judges favourites will also be on display.
Payment FAQ
What is Paypal?
PayPal is an account-based system that lets anyone with an email address securely send and receive online payments using their credit card or bank account. Most importantly, PayPal is secure.All PayPal transactions are protected with strong encryption that makes it impossible for anyone to intercept your credit card information. (Even Photomarathon never sees your credit card information.)Since PayPal has over 20 million registered users, it means that PayPal transactions are quickly processed and authorized.
Do I need a paypal account to pay this way?
No. Anyone can make a credit/debit card payment via PayPal. When you are taken to the first payment screen, select the ‘Continue’ button in the lower left hand section of the screen where it asks ‘Don’t have a PayPal account?’. It will then ask you for your credit card and address details. Photomarathon will never see your credit card details – the entire payment process is handled securely by PayPal, who then inform us when the payment has been made.
So who fancies and RPF meet & try their hand at the photo Marathon................!!
Last edited:
