TEXAS PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY | #NewVisions2021

#NewVisions2021: A Student Exhibition

Read about the #NewVisions2021 Grand Prize Winner Jackelyn Bracamontes HERE.

JUROR'S REMARKS

I applaud all of those that took the time to prepare their work for the TPS #NewVisions2021 exhibition. I asked for you to show me “how 2020 has changed your perception, vision, and conceptual approach to your photographic process. Whether you are using a film/digital camera, making photograms, utilizing an alternative process, creating artist books, or projecting text onto your subject and then burning the final print, I want to see it. The year 2020 has forced all of us to think differently about our lives, careers, relationships, and what photography means to us.”

The selection of images that I have chosen ranged from humorous approaches to 2020, along with many sincere and meaningful records of the year we have all just gone through. I was very pleased to see work that was not solely COVID-19 based but rather the inspiration each of you could pull from this tumultuous time.

Unlike last year's exhibition, which was at the start of the pandemic and displayed how people were learning to deal with the pandemic. All of you have been forced to push yourself further every day to keep your motivation, which widened your sense of awareness. I could see that deeply in all of the work submitted.

The display of your relationship to the subject matter that many of your captured was truly heightened during the pandemic. This sense of enlightenment help to serve as the barometer for my jurying process.

I had to choose 50 images for the exhibition, which was not an easy task. However, the images that I selected are technically, aesthetically, and emotionally provocative. These images serve as a collection of an experience and relationship that we can all relate to, which will be known in the future as “2020.”

A question that I often ask when awards are presented, “how did they choose the award winners?” The awards were presented to individuals with an overall strong body of work rather than a single image or two. The award winners of this exhibition have a series of images ready to be placed into a 2-3 person exhibition or solo exhibition.

I can only hope that viewers of this exhibition will feel the same inspiration and motivation I felt from seeing these individuals' photographs created over the past few months. May they also remind us of the time that has passed, and the time we will have moving forward.

— Eric T. Kunsman

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#NewVisions2021 is made possible through a partnership with Fujifilm.
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Texas Photographic Society is delighted to present our online, open-themed collegiate student photo competition. Submissions from college undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students of all skill levels are encouraged. Students may submit up to 12 images and each image will be judged independently. CASH PRIZES will be awarded!

Exciting new prize! A Fujifilm X-E4 Kit with XF27mm F2.8 R WR lens, courtesy of Fujifilm USA, will also be awarded to the first place winner. See details below.

The exhibition will be juried by Eric T. Kunsman, Lecturer in Visual Communications Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology. For more details, see the Juror's Statement and Bio below.

JUROR'S STATEMENT

For this exhibition, I want to see how 2020 has changed your perception, vision, and conceptual approach to your photographic process. Whether you are using a film/digital camera, making photograms, utilizing an alternative process, creating artist books, or projecting text onto your subject and then burning the final print, I want to see it. The year 2020 has forced all of us to think differently about our lives, careers, relationships, and what photography means to us. I DO NOT want to see strictly COVID-19 experience photography, but rather how you have challenged and grown your visual practice during this time. That leaves the door open for photographs that are personal in nature using traditional, experimental, text and imagery, or historical processes.

I do not want you to feel you need to submit work that is safe or follows the photographs that I produce. When I jury exhibitions, I am often looking to discover work that challenges my aesthetics and conceptual constraints beyond my own practice. I want to be excited like the kid in a candy store, discovering new ideas and concepts as I view your work.

The work must contain a personal connection that brings the viewer into your conceptual ideas with a sense of enlightenment. Often, this is not the work you create for classes but rather for yourself. This past year has provided us the time to create our own photography with plenty of raw personal emotion.

No matter the process that you utilize in your image practice; I want to see work that you are excited to put out into the world. In the end, you need to be excited about the ownership of your submission.

— Eric T. Kunsman

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - Please note new dates!

01-19-21 Call for entry opens
04-26-21 Deadline for entry (11:59 pm MST)
05-14-21 Exhibiting artists announced and online gallery opens

AWARDS

Grand Prize = X-E4 camera kit with XF27mm F2.8 R WR lens (courtesy of FujifilmUSA, see details below)
First Prize = $300
Second Prize = $200
Third Prize = $100
Up to 5 Honorable Mentions may be awarded

The juror will select 50 images for the online exhibition. The selected images and student artists will be showcased on our website gallery and promoted to our extended TPS community including members and photo/social media contacts.

ENTRY FEE

The entry fee for Current TPS Student Members is $25 for 5 images, plus $6 for each additional image. The Non-Member entry fee is $30 for 5 images, plus $6 for each additional image. You may enter up to 12 images. You do not have to be a member of TPS to enter. However, you may enter the competition, join TPS or renew as a member at the same time and pay the Current TPS Student Member entry fee of $25.

TPS Student Member Benefits - Annual $20 Student Memberships include Member feature opportunities via our Members' Gallery, Member Spotlight, Members' News, Members' Instagram Takeover, social media accounts and E-Zine, entry fee discounts to all competitions and discounts to programs and services offered through our partnerships.

All entry and membership fees are nonrefundable. Note: as this is an online show, you will not incur any additional expenses for printing, framing or shipping.

ELIGIBILITY

#NewVisions2021: A Student Show is open to college students at least 18 years old who are enrolled in a college credit course (both undergraduate and graduate) or continuing education/noncredit course. All skill levels are encouraged to apply. Any photographic-based work is welcome including digital, silver, alternative processes, mixed media incorporating photography, collage and book arts. Works exhibited previously in a TPS exhibition are not eligible.

IMAGE REQUIREMENTS

All entries must be submitted via CaFÉ. Need help resizing images? Go here.

Please submit JPG files only, minimum of 1200 pixels on the longest side and 5 MB maximum. For each image you will need to provide the image title and the process used (Archival Digital Print, Silver Gelatin Print, Platinum/Palladium Print, Wet Plate Collodian, etc.)

ABOUT THE JUROR

Eric T. Kunsman was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While in high school, he was heavily influenced by the death of the steel industry and its place in American history. The exposure to the work of Walker Evans during this time hooked Eric onto photography. Eric had the privilege to study under Lou Draper, who became Eric’s most formative mentor. He credits Lou with influencing his approach as an educator, photographer, and contributing human being.

Eric holds his MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and holds an MS in Electronic Publishing/Graphic Arts Media, BS in Biomedical Photography, BFA in Fine Art photography all from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.

Currently, he is a photographer and book artist based out of Rochester, New York. Eric works at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as a Lecturer for the Visual Communications Studies Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and is an adjunct professor for the School of Photographic Arts & Sciences.

TPS TERMS AND AGREEMENT

You retain all rights to your images. If your image is selected for the exhibition, you grant Texas Photographic Society (TPS) the right, in perpetuity, to use and display your image, image title and process, your name, city, state and country of residence, and school name for TPS publicity and promotion. Permissible use includes the display, reproduction and distribution of said information on the TPS website, in TPS exhibitions, presentations, program promotions, artist features, fundraising initiatives and publications, and on social media networks, without further contact from TPS. Please note that we may have to crop images to meet space/proportion requirements for promotional platforms. You understand that TPS will not be held responsible for loss, theft or other damage, whether caused by the negligence of its officers, members or others. All entry and membership fees are non-refundable. Submission entry and payment signifies understanding and agreement to all of the above terms and conditions.

ABOUT THE FUJIFILM X-E4 CAMERA -

X-E4 brings the best of the legendary X Series products together into one camera that is the perfect storytelling tool for everyday photographers, videographers, and content creators who want results to be proud of. This lightweight, compact camera features the same 26.1-megapixel, X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, 0.02 sec autofocus, and fantastic color science that can be found in the professional X Series cameras, but makes these features easily accessible to everyone. Outstanding image quality, wide dynamic range, and superb low-light performance combined with simple controls, advanced Face and Eye Detection, and a 180° forward-tilting LCD touchscreen make this camera a joy to use. So, whether you’re making professional-quality photos, 4K/30p video or super-slow motion, Full HD/240p footage, you can be sure the process will be quick, easy, and most of all, fun.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions, please contact TPS Executive Director Ann Shaw at ann@texasphoto.org.