largest photography festival in Latin America

In its ninth edition, Brasília Photo Show rewards Brazilian and international photographers. Registration is now open and includes several thematic categories

Entries for the 9th Brasília Photo Show International Photography Festival are already in full swing. Since the last day 31, the public can register through the festival's website to compete for awards in various thematic categories. Professionals and amateurs compete equally in all modules.

With the evolution of photography devices and technology, it has never been so easy to record moments and immortalize them through this art. For some, photography is a profession and the livelihood of a home. For others, from a selfie on a social network to recording the birth of a child, it's just an amateur way of capturing a special moment. With that in mind, the Brasília Photo Show International Photography Festival - considered the largest in Latin America - equally includes amateur and professional audiences in search of a festival award.

“With smartphones and compact cameras, it is now easier to purchase cameras and equipment. But just having good equipment is not enough. To be a good photographer, the reflective act must still be placed first. It's important to enjoy observing the world around you and having a different look when capturing a moment”, comments Edu Vergara, photographer from Brasilia and festival curator.

Anyone - residing in Brazil or not, professionals or amateurs - can participate in the four main categories (types of equipment) and the 20 thematic subcategories. Participants can submit their images in the thematic subcategories, which include themes such as nature, pet, agribusiness, architecture, sport, documentary, artificial intelligence, selfie, sensual, portrait, gastronomy, among others.
In all, there will be 400 winning photos that will be screened by curators and gallerists of the festival's technical staff to qualify the thousands of entries. The winning photographs will be awarded medals, statuettes and special prizes, such as the photo on the cover of the book, in addition to being published in this year's book.

Rating criteria

Upon receipt of entries, the photo curation process begins. A judging commission - formed by relevant professionals in the area - will select the best works and the disclosure will be made in early December. To qualify among the thousands of entries, the image must comply with the basic principles of the regulation. For example, the photo cannot have any kind of signature or watermark. An analysis is also made of whether the photo violates basic principles of good social relationships and issues of the first phase, which are well defined in the regulation.
The second phase takes into account aspects such as impact, beauty, history, technique and set to sort around 2,000 photos for deeper analysis. The third phase defines the 400 best photos, their medals, statuettes and special prizes, such as the photo on the cover of the book.

A curiosity of the process of curating and evaluating works is that most of the curators and gallerists have their names kept confidential so that they can be spared from inopportune harassment and any external manipulation. Among the professionals who sign part of the curatorship, in addition to Vergara, are Cleber Medeiros and Ricardo Polesso. The others remain anonymous and spontaneously collaborate with the festival, pointing out in the final phase the potential of each finalist photograph.

SERVICE:

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL - BPS

Date: From July 31 to September 10, 2023

Website: www.brasiliaphotoshow.com.br

How much: photographers who register up to 2 (two) photos are exempt from paying the registration fee. From the third photo registered, there is a charge of BRL 25 per image.

Public opinion and technical curation: until October 15

Awards event: November 2023