Drone & Aerial Photography
Texas Photographic Society (TPS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 that celebrates the photographic arts, inspires creative development, and provides opportunities to engage with the community. TPS is thrilled to launch a new call for entry, Drone & Aerial Photography, juried by Randy Jay Braun, Director of DJI Aerial Photo Academy, who is based in Maui, Hawaii. Sky is the limit with this new call, so start preparing your aerial imagery today!

Calendar of Events
07-17-17  Call for entry announced
09-24-17  Deadline EXTENDED for entry (midnight MST)
10-18-17  Exhibiting artists announced and emails sent to all entrants
11-01-17  Show opens in online gallery
12-31-17  Show concludes

Awards
First Place = $300
Second Place = $200
Third Place = $100
Up to 5 Honorable Mentions may be awarded

Entry Fee
TPS Members pay $25 for 5 images
Non-Members pay $35 for 5 images
Up to 5 additional images (for a total of 10) may be submitted for $5 each
The entry fee can be paid online or by check 

Eligibility
Drone & Aerial Photography is open to artists of all levels internationally and welcomes aerial imagery of all kinds. You do not need to be a member of the Texas Photographic Society to enter this competition. However, current TPS members will receive a discounted entry fee. Current members of the TPS Board of Directors are permitted to enter but are not eligible for awards.

About the Juror
Randy Jay Braun has been a professional photographer for 33 years, starting early on as a medical and corporate photographer in large hospitals and heart centers.

On a creative whim, he took a trip to Maui in 1988 and has never come home to reality. During this extended vacation, Braun opened Maui’s most progressive portrait studio and a chain of photography galleries featuring his own landscape images and hand-painted black & white prints.

In late 2012, the DJI Phantom quadcopter came on to the market and Randy was one of the first photographers to adapt to this new genre of aerial image capture. He began testing consumer drones and cameras for DJI, the world’s largest drone company, and struck up a working relationship. Braun published the first-ever book about the topic, entitled, Aerial Drone Photography.

Braun began working full-time for DJI in 2014. He served as Director of Product Experience and managed the Still Photography Development Team. During this tenure he rose to become a national expert in aerial drone photography, lecturing at every major photography and drone conference. In 2017 he co-founded the DJI Aerial Photo Academy, a traveling workshop series teaching drone photography skills across North America.

Juror's Statement
This is more exciting for me than for you, I am sure. I spend several hours each week evaluating aerial photography captured around the world. I love to absorb, critique, and offer suggestions from my own perspective. But please never, ever have fear to pin your heart on your sleeve and show your work publicly!

As you submit your images to this call, I urge you to have confidence and put your pride on the line. Submit every aerial photograph which you take pride in. Here are a few pointers about my personal taste that will ensure your entry will tug on my heartstrings, if this is your goal:

• I come from old-school black & white darkroom, yet I embrace cutting edge computer processing.

• I appreciate clean images. Clutter is not my friend.

• People tell me I love to over-do color saturation, but I think my colors are natural.

• Post processing turns me on. Adobe applications are my late-night TV show.

• A clear subject matter allows me to enjoy a photograph more.

• I appreciate a difficult-to-get shot. When a photographer steps out of their comfort zone, I applaud.

• An emotional, compelling, story-telling image makes me look at it again and again. The longer I look, the more I like.

• I want you to lead my eye around your photograph with light and color. Don’t allow me to escape.

There you have it! You can ignore my personal tastes and be your own artist if you choose. After all, I am me and you should be you. Have fun!

If Your Work is Accepted
Your image(s) will be displayed on Texas Photographic Society's website (www.texasphoto.org) as part of an online exhibition and highlighted on the homepage during the dates indicated above. Additional venues, to be announced, will also showcase this online gallery of work. And, an exhibition catalog will be created to survey the juror's selections.

Reproduction
Texas Photographic Society retains the right to display, project and reproduce work accepted for this exhibition for publicity and promotional purposes only. Individual photographers retain copyright to his/her own individual images. 

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria