Gloucester Arts and Cultural Council Inc's (GACCI) annual photography competition is back for 2021 and it's looking a little different this year.
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Due to COVID-19, the Pix from the Stix competition was altered to strictly online entries last year which gave the organisers an idea about how to modify the event going forward.
As the online exhibition was very successful, and with the lack of need to print and frame each photograph, the competition saw a rise in entries.
So this year it's a bit of a hybrid version.
The submission process is the same as last year - being digital - but the winners will be announced at the physical opening of the exhibition as it has happened in the past.
According to co-organiser Georgia Britton, the task of printing and displaying the images is being taken on by the competition committee.
"All the photographers need to do is submit a digital photo file," Georgia said. "All the digital photos entered will be collated and displayed online for three weeks prior to being exhibited as prints in Gloucester Gallery."
While the entry and presentation format has changed, the categories remain the same.
"All your favourite categories are there: Absence of Colour; Faces I Have Met, Natural Environment; Man Made; Not Your Normal Photo; Lie of The Land; Junior and, just like last year, Culture (that's defined as 'what we do' if you weren't sure)," Georgia explained.
The motivation to change the format was prompted partly by the desire to increase the number of entries and partly to "level the playing field" by presenting all the photos in the same manner.
"Over the years we have often heard 'Oh Pix from the Stix, I was going to enter an image in that but it was such a hassle to get it printed and framed in time' or 'I didn't know where to get my picture printed and /or framed'," Georgia said.
"Then there was the exhibition itself where you'd see this vast array of different styles or types of printing and framing and we wondered if certain images would stand a better chance if they were displayed in the same way as others.
"We certainly hope that everyone who wants to enter feels like they can," she said.
We certainly hope that everyone who wants to enter feels like they can.
- Georgia Britton
Another aspect of the competition that remains the same is the two-year cycle of the same judge, so returning for 2021 is Lawrence Furzey.
He's a commercial and fine art travel photographer based in Sydney, who has been shooting commercial, travel and lifestyle campaigns for the last 20 years.
"Lawrence really enjoyed being our judge last year and is looking forward to actually visiting Gloucester in person for the opening night in the gallery," Georgia said.
Entries need to be submitted by Friday, June 11 with the exhibition running from Friday, July 16 until Sunday, August 8 in the Gloucester Gallery, 25 Denison Street. For more information or to enter, visit the GACCI website https://gloucester-arts.com.au/pix-from-the-stix.html.