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APA LA - 2024 Off The Clock - Call for Entries

Call for Entries Now Open. George Kocis, Director and Partner at Staley-Wise Gallery, will be judging this year.

Image of a girl jumping off the bow of a boat into a large body of water

Photographer Diana Feil's image above was a selection in the 2023 Off The Clock Exhibition

APA LA OFF THE CLOCK 2024

CALL FOR ENTRIES OPENS: March 1, 2024

CALL FOR ENTRIES FINAL DEADLINE: March 31, 2024

APA LA is pleased to announce the thirteenth annual OFF THE CLOCK curated photo competition. OFF THE CLOCK is the pre-eminent opportunity to present your inspired personal photography to the world. Each year, APA LA invites a well-respected, influential visionary from the international photo community to contribute their talent towards curating this prestigious exhibition. This year, we are honored that George Kocis, Director and Partner at Staley-Wise Gallery, has accepted our invitation to apply his unique vision in carefully selecting his top one hundred images from all submissions. As an added incentive, Mr. Kocis will also select three images as Best In Show this year!

Exceptional Exposure

Once our curator has chosen his 100 favorite images, the winners' work begins to gain exceptional exposure through our beautifully printed PDF catalog, which will be sent to each winner and key influencers in the advertising, corporate, and fine art sectors. The winners' images will also gain exposure through our online gallery and artist features on our social media and web platforms. Through the APA global network, your finest personal work will be available for viewing by thousands of potential clients, gallerists, and curators worldwide.

PLUS - We will gather for our annual gala opening reception to celebrate all the winners with special invitations sent to top creatives in the Southern California region. Further details to follow.

As for the three Best In Show winners, they will be featured on the APA LA website, as well as featured in our printed and PDF catalog that will be sent to key industry influencers. Best In Show winners will also receive their winning image printed by a premier West Coast fine art print specialist and beautifully custom matted and framed by one of the West Coast's most respected art framers.

In addition, each of the three Best in Show winners will be awarded one twenty-minute portfolio review session at APA LA's virtual Fall Portfolio Review - an invaluable opportunity to meet and discuss your work with a top industry professional, creative director, art director, or art producer. These are professionals on the front lines of hiring photographers.

Show Your Finest Personal Work

OFF THE CLOCK is easy to enter with no confusing categories, image series restrictions, or creation date restrictions. The most important parameter is that your submitted work should be strong, original, creative, and personal. Entries may be black and white, duotone, or color, and should be self-commissioned and must represent what you consider to be your finest personal work. Our easy-to-use online submission interface allows you to enter as many images as you like! What are you waiting for? Give it your best shot. Show the world your vision. The curator will limit the number of selects from any one entrant to a maximum of four.

Entry Fees

  • APA Member Entry Fee: $20 per image
  • Non-Member Entry Fees: $40 per image

Not an APA member? Now is a great time to Join APA and receive up to a 50% discount on each image submission.

Questions? Please email: director@apa-la.com

Submission Guidelines

  1. Only digital images are accepted through our online submission process.
  2. Image size no smaller than 800 pixels on the long side and at most 1280 pixels, 72 dpi, sRGB color profile, with no visible identifying text/symbols
  3. Image files need no unique title by the entrant. Image files are assigned an arbitrary ID for the "blind" judging.
  4. A single entry is one image.
  5. Sorry, no panoramas, diptychs, or triptychs will be accepted.
  6. While there is no limit to the number of single entries submitted, we recommend uploading no more than 10 images at a time (Check out before submitting additional images).
  7. You may not enter an image that has won OFF THE CLOCK in previous years.
  8. You may not enter substantially similar images that have won OFF THE CLOCK in previous years.
  9. There is no restriction on when the entry image is created.
  10. The curator for OFF THE CLOCK may select a maximum of four images by the same artist.
  11. You do not need to be an APA member to enter the contest, but members receive a discount on entry fees.
  12. Anyone claiming APA membership must be current in their dues at the time of entry and when winners are announced.

Please Note: APA cannot accept any submission created in whole or in part using AI technology.

Upload Guidelines

  • All files must be jpegs with a file size limit of 2MB.
  • Simple file naming conventions: please do not use special characters like ©, @, #. The title name is not seen by the judge, so it is ok to use your name in the title.
  • Image size no smaller than 800 pixels on the long side and at most 1280 pixels.
  • The color profile is sRGB; the image resolution is 72ppi.
  • Images should have no visible identifying text/symbols; entries are assigned an arbitrary ID for the "blind" judging.
  • Single image entries only.

Read Contest Rules

By entering The APA Off The Clock Curated Competition, Entrants:

  1. Warrant to APA LA that they have created and own all rights to the work submitted (including all elements of the work) and that nothing within any work has been copied or added from another person's work.
  2. Warrant that the whole copyright and any other form of intellectual property right in the work is vested in them and does not infringe the rights of any other person.
  3. Warrant that they have not in any way assigned, licensed, disposed of, or otherwise encumbered any of their intellectual property rights, which allow them to deal freely with the work and the copyright therein.
  4. Warrant that they have obtained appropriate model or property releases from any persons and/or property owners requiring such, featured in their submitted photographs, allowing publication in any and all media forms.
  5. Warrant that my submission(s) does (do) not contain significant elements created by AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. 
  6. Acknowledge and agree that APA may exhibit or otherwise display their work during APA-sponsored events, as well as on any APA website, APA social media, and/or on APA promotional materials.
  7. Acknowledge and agree that APA may reproduce and may allow reproduction of winning images in APA approved publications and promotional materials. Credit will be given to the photographer for any image(s) used.
  8. Acknowledge that APA LA relies fully upon the warranties and license given by Entrants when submitting their entries for consideration to The APA LA OFF THE CLOCK competition. Entrants shall indemnify and hold APA harmless from any claims, actions, proceedings, costs, and expenses arising out of or related to any allegation that the relevant Entrant did not own or is not wholly entitled and authorized to allow publication and reproduction of the work by APA LA.
  9. Acknowledge and agree that APA LA reserves the right to disqualify any winner not providing the required personal information, headshot, and/or winning image in the requested file format and size within two weeks of APA's request via the contact information supplied by the entrant. Replacement winners will be selected at the curator's discretion.
  10. Acknowledge that curating is a blind process. Photographer's names will only be disclosed to the curator after the curating process has been completed. The curator's decision on the competition shall be final and binding.
  11. Acknowledge and agree that winning images from past APA OFF THE CLOCK competitions are not eligible for submission and consideration in subsequent APA OFF THE CLOCK competitions.
  12. Acknowledge that entrants retain full copyright to their images and grant no usage to APA other than those granted herein.
  13. APA, APA LA, the Sponsors, or Venues showing an exhibition of winners shall not be liable for any loss or damage of any entry. 
  14. Acknowledge and agree that submitting an entry to the competition automatically constitutes the contestant's acceptance of all terms and conditions set forth in these rules. It also acknowledges and accepts the right of APA to use the photographer's likeness and information, as well as the winning images, in exhibitions and promotions, in any and all forms of print, electronic and digital media, related to APA LA OFF THE CLOCK Curated Exhibit for up to 24 months following the 2023 Competition winners announcement.
  15. Acknowledge that the deadline for entries is MARCH 31, 2024. Entry fees cannot be refunded once submitted.
  16. Acknowledge that winners will be announced on/or about June 2024.
  17. Acknowledge that APA LA will designate which reviewer the Best In Show winner will meet with at the Fall Portfolio Review.  If a Best In Show winner cannot attend the portfolio review, APA LA does not guarantee that the appointment will be rescheduled.
  18. If the designated reviewer cannot attend the portfolio review at the designated scheduled time, APA LA will strive to reschedule the review. However, APA LA shall not be held liable should the designated reviewer cannot reschedule the reviews.

About APA

American Photographic Artists (APA) is celebrating its 43rd year as a leading national trade organization run by and for professional photographers. With a culture that promotes cooperation, sharing, and support, APA offers outstanding benefits, educational programs, and essential business resources to help its members achieve their professional and artistic goals. With chapters in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Charlotte, and Washington, DC, APA strives to improve the environment for photographic artists and clear the pathways to success in the industry. Recognized for its broad industry reach, APA continues to expand benefits for its members and works to champion the rights of photographers and image-makers worldwide.

https://la.apanational.org

About The Curator

Biopic of George Kocis

Image by Ryan Brown.

George Kocis is Director and Partner at staleywise.com">Staley-Wise Gallery. He graduated with a degree in photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia before he joined the gallery in 2005.  He serves on the Board of Directors for The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD).

APA Los Angeles is honored and humbled that George Kocis will join us to curate OFF THE CLOCK 2024.

Questions? Please email director@apa-la.com.

Categories

  • Personal Work

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