ONLINE SOLO COMPETITION

This site is home to the online SOLO competition and gallery of single images. It is a $25,000US search for 5 category winners and Photographer of the Year.

The SOLO competition is open to any photographer in the world. It doesn’t matter whether an artist has hundreds of cover shots or whether they are as yet completely undiscovered – it’s about appreciating great photography. [There are reduced entry fees for artists from developing economies.]

The Open is designed around the artists. It exists to generate exposure, branding and business-building opportunities for photographers by connecting them to a massive global audience of photo lovers and creative professionals.

Entry into the SOLO competition gives each photographer their own Artist’s Page. Photographers upload their bio and contact info, website link, social media links, Flickr and Behance links and other portfolio images into one central place. From the moment an artist enters, they are networked through layers of social media and digital marketing platforms. Each photographer retains complete copyright control over their images.

Aside from drawing significant online traffic, The Open connects to 50,000+ professionals in the creative industry – from art directors to photo editors and publishers to ad agencies around the world.

New submissions are unveiled on the The Open’s home page and the viewing public is invited to click the heart to Like their favourites. The most loved images are continually pushed to the forefront, expanding their visibility. Each artist is encouraged to ignite their own social networks to fuel voting.

Half of the 200 finalists are chosen by public Likes, the other half are chosen by The Open's judging team: this allows The Open to capture those artists who may not necessarily have a developed social media network.

The SOLO competition is open through October 31, 2012. The earlier one enters, the more opportunity there is to accumulate public votes to earn one of the finalist positions. The category winner and Photographer of the Year will be announced on November 15, 2012.