Given the large number of photographers, standing out among the crowd can be difficult, especially in the international space. To shine more spotlight on photos, a tool that can be effective in democratizing access to exposure is ViewBug, which is designed to create a community for those who wish to have their photographs entered into various contests.[sc name=”quote” text=”ViewBug sources and finds contests which photographers can enter in order to win prizes and photography gear.”]
With so many photo contests available globally, locating applicable ones to enter can be difficult. To solve this issue, ViewBug sources and finds contests which photographers can enter in order to win prizes and photography gear. In doing so, photographers spend less time searching through the various ones that are available and instead focus on their passion of capturing specific events and moments. Even beyond finding contests which can be entered, a clear disadvantage exists in terms of exposure as more notable photographers tend to have their photographs gain favorable attention, leaving those who are new or are still amateur to obtain limited awareness.
To democratize this process, the platform and contests are open to anyone with over 20 contests available per month. Furthermore, the judging process is designed to be unbiased as the mechanism of voting enables judges to see the most popular photos. Through having a voting system in order to evaluate the submissions, the biases of a single judge are removed as results are derived from the collective preferences of those within the community expressed through he votes.
Given that real prizes and equipment can be won in the contests with ViewBug, an aspect that may hinder participation on the app involves the costs that are involved which favor those who subscribe to more expensive plans. For example, while the Lite subscription is free, users are only allowed to upload a maximum of 10 photos per week and only 1 per contest. This is contrast to the Premium subscription which enables subscribers to access more contests, have up to 2 submissions per contest, and unlimited photo uploads. The most expensive subscription plan, Pro, gives the photographers up to 5 submissions per contest. Hence through this pricing strategy, those who subscribe to Pro are 5 times more likely to win than those who are the Lite plan. However, even in having the Pro subscriber be able to give more submissions, the quality of the photographs are ultimately determined by the voters and judges to ensure that it is quality that is evaluated as opposed to purely quantity.
For photographers who are looking to enhance their reputation and enter international photo contests, ViewBug provides a community where both amateur and professional photographers can win prizes and equipment. Given the ability to view, submit, and vote for photos within the app, it is a must have for being more involved within the realm of photography.
