Categories

The categories for the Summer 2008 WedComp competition are Getting Ready, Ceremony, Portrait and Reception. Each entry is only $10. One contest credit is good for one entry.

Getting Ready: Funny, intense, touching, joyous. You name it. Some of the strongest images from a wedding come from these preparations. Impress the judges with your ability to pull that definitive moment from the hectic environment that is Getting Ready. This category is for any images leading up to the processional that is not a portrait.

Ceremony: Getting unique images that transcend the formality and rigidity of a wedding ceremony means being on your toes at all times. Great shots present themselves and disappear in an instant. This category is for any images from the processional to recessional that is not a portrait.

Portrait: Rarely is there much time to get amazing portraits on the wedding day. Great wedding day portraits have to happen quickly, and very often, on the fly with changing conditions and unique challenges. The resourceful photographer will get amazing portraits in any situation, and those images should tell the viewer a little something about the couple. Creativity is key. Go crazy. This category is for any images that are portraits, be they a single person all the way through an entire wedding party.

Reception: Receptions can be best described as controlled chaos punctuated with periods of quiet stagnation. You're either in a race against time or you're watching the clock crawl along. A photographer will shine with their ability to make good use of any of these situations and pull amazing images out of those unexpected, uncontrolled moments. This category is for any image from after the recessional to the formal exit so long as the shot is not a portrait.

Incentives

Obtain free entries a couple of different ways.

Blog About It: Varying amounts of free credits are available for blogging about the competition for the months of April, May and June. See the Enter Competition page for details regarding eligibility for these bonus credits.

Buy 10, 20 or 30: Purchase of credits in these multiples automatically earn bonus competition credits. Buy 10, get another 2 free (20% more). Buy 20, get another 5 free (25% more). Buy 30, get 10 free (33% more). Credits may only be used for images by the photographer's name on the purchase form. No grouping of entries from multiple photographers is permitted.

Winners

The top 25 images from each category will be displayed along with the photographer's name, studio name (if applicable) and contact info including a link to their website. The top 10 images will also contain judges' comments for the images. 1st through 3rd placements for each category will also have a bio photo, profile and comments about how the winning image was made. Prizes will be dispensed once winning requirements of supplying a bio and bio image are met. Further information about these winning requirements are addressed on the Rules page.

These results will remain on the site, organized by year and season.

Benefitting a Cause

Judges are not compensated monetarily for jurying the competition. To reward them for their time, WedComp is dedicating a significant portion of the total proceeds to Thirst Relief International in their honor. The amount raised for Thirst Relief will be announced along with the winning images. Click the Thirst Relief International banner to visit their website.

About Thirst Relief International:

We are sickened and called to action knowing that nearly 2 million people die annually (90% of which are children under the age of 5) simply because they lack access to clean drinking water. As a result, we are working to put an end to the worldwide water crisis plaguing 1.1 billion people.

Mission:

Our mission is to overcome death and disease resulting from the consumption of contaminated drinking water by providing pure water to those in need around the world.

Vision:

Our vision is simple yet profound – to save lives and change the world.

Operating Model:

Thirst Relief International utilizes a proven partnership operating model to effectively and efficiently implement our clean drinking water projects. We work in conjunction with a worldwide distribution network of missionaries, churches, and other tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations interested in providing clean drinking water as part of their social assistance programs. These trusted partners are already operating at the point of need, and provide the advantages of language understanding, cultural sensitivity, and established relationships with the beneficiaries. This highly integral distribution network is used to help identify clean drinking water needs, provide input to formulate the best clean water solution, and ultimately assist with the distribution and implementation of the clean water systems.