Monthly competitions help students hone skills

Jill Chittum/KSPA President-Elect

Student photographers will now have a chance to enter monthly photo contests via the KSPA.

August 16, 2009
Filed under Uncategorized

KSPA is expanding its traditional “Story of the Month” competition to include monthly photo contests.

The new Photo of the Month contest builds on what was just a single contest to encourage student photojournalists to submit photos every month for judging and recognition.

Story of the Month categories now look like this, with these deadlines:

• Editorial, Sept. 30, 2009
• Feature Story, Oct. 30, 2009
• News, Nov. 30, 2009
• Sports, Jan. 29, 2010
• Column/Review, Feb. 26, 2010
• Page Design (Newspaper or News Magazine), March 31, 2010
• Page Design (Yearbook), April 30, 2010

The rules for the Story of the Month:

• Limit two entries per school per month. (Yearbook copy is acceptable if it falls into category.)
• Fee is $5 per entry. (Send newspaper clip, copy of yearbook page layout or online printout.)
• Schools may pre-pay for two entries each month for the year at $70.
  • You may combine pre-payment with pre-payment for Photo of the Month contest, which is also $70 for the year, for a total of $140.
  • Payment options are on the bottom of the second page.
• All judging will be done by University of Kansas School of Journalism faculty.

The Photo of the Month contest is not delineated by category, but by deadline and month taken. Thus, all September photographs will be of school activities, sports, personalities, etc., from September. Photos need not be published in that month because KSPA understands that many photos will eventually be published in a yearbook. Photos must have been taken in the month of the contest, however.

Here are the Photo of the Month deadlines (postmark deadlines):

• Photo #1, Sept. 30, 2009
• Photo #2, Oct. 30, 2009
• Photo #3, Nov. 30, 2009
• Photo #4, Jan. 29, 2010
• Photo #5, Feb. 26, 2010
• Photo #6, March 31, 2010
• Photo #7, April 30, 2010

Here are the Photo of the Month rules:

• Photo categories are by month, not by subject.
  • Photos may be on any topic, but must have been taken in the month of submission.
  • Photos must have been published or must be intended for future publication (in school newspaper, news magazine, yearbook or online)
• Limit two entries per school per month, one per photographer, per month
• Entry fee $5 per entry.
• Schools may pre-pay for two entries each month for the year at $70.
  • You may also combine pre-payment with pre-payment for Story of the Month contest, which is also $70 for the year, for a total of $140.
  • Payment options at the bottom of this page.
• All judging will be done by University of Kansas School of Journalism faculty.

You may download the entry form here.

All entries must be mailed to:

KSPA Monthly Contests

c/o Jeff Browne, KSPA Director

Stauffer-Flint Hall

1435 Jayhawk Blvd.

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 66045-7575