If you want to participate in the annual photo essay program, please tell the photo essay committee your tentative topic, so we don’t have duplicate essay themes. You may submit your draft essay or proposals no later than December 31.  Early submissions are encouraged and draft essays are preferred over proposals.

 

You can work together with other members on one essay.  You can submit two essays if you want, although only one will be accepted.  Essays should be approximately four minutes in length.  We will accept essays as video files, thus enabling Mac users to prepare essays using Mac software. 

 

If you have never made a photo essay or wish to improve your skills, you can get one-on-one training from a member of the committee.

 

A panel will provide you with feedback and coaching, if necessary. You will then revise your draft essay, create a final version, and submit it in February.  The submitted final essays are juried and critiqued by the committee and approximately 20 are selected for inclusion in the program. The criteria for selection are image quality and appeal, composition, theme, music and variety in the overall program.

 

Several articles are available describing both the creative aspects of photo essay making and the specific procedures and requirements for participating in the NBCC photo essay programs. Links to these articles are provided below.  You can also read the photo essay article in the September 2020 issue of the Lens and Eye newsletter.