The M9 Contest is heating up…BUT – READ THE RULES!

January 8, 2011 News 55

It’s only been three days since the Leica M9 contest went live and things are heating up. I have received about 20 entries so far but unfortunately only three of them are eligible! The rules were laid out on the contest page HERE but I will list them off again one more  time.

Also, many of you have had issues registering at picortwo.com over the past two days. From what I understand the issues there have been fixed so make sure you head over there and register. You can do so HERE. I just verified it is 100% working.

If you have submitted images that were not taken between Jan 05th – Feb 05th 2011 then you must re-submit. If you have sent only one image, you must re-submit. If you have sent more than two you must re-submit. If the EXIF data is not present (basically the date they were shot) then you must re-submit. Thank you and GOOD LUCK to all!

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THE RULES – Follow them or be disqualified! READ READ READ! IMPORTANT!

  1. You must register at picortwo.com and stevehuffphoto.com to be eligible to enter and win. Again, to be clear – you will only be eligible to win if your name and email address is registered at both websites. See steps 1 & 2 above to do this.
  2. When you submit your images make them no larger than 1300 pixels wide but also no smaller than 680 pixels wide.
  3. You must submit TWO images that form a narrative to enter and win.
  4. Include your name, address, email address, age, and topic title with the submission and a short note about you and your passion for photography.
  5. Photos can be taken with ANY camera – film, digital, or even a cel phone. This is not about the gear you are using to take the photos but more about the photos themselves.
  6. You can submit only ONE SET of images that tell a story – no text explaining what the story it, just a topic title. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON.
  7. Photos for this contest must be taken between the submission dates (1/05/11 – 02/05/11). In other words, they must be taken for this contest. No old photos allowed.
  8. EXIF Data must be present in the photos so I can verify dates. If you do not know what this means then you should be OK. Basically do not strip the EXIF data! If shooting film, just let me know the dates you shot the film.
  9. Contest begins on 1/05/11 and the deadline for your submission will be 2/05/11. Top 10 will be chosen by Steve Huff on 2/15/11 and they will be posted on the site for all to see. The final two winners will be chosen by Heidi Klum and Rankin and announced on March 1st 2011.
  10. The 1st prize is a black Leica M9 signed by Seal and Steve Huff. This was the personal M9 of Seal, so it is used but in great shape. The 2nd place prize will be a new Leica V-Lux 2.
  11. THIS IS A WORLDWIDE CONTEST! No matter where you live, you can enter!
  12. Steve Huff, Seal, and family members are not eligible to enter or win (Damn!)
  13. The decision of all judges is FINAL. No complaining, no whining and no bitching allowed in the comments. Keep it fun and let’s all have a good time.
  14. Finally, your submitted images may be shown on the site if you make the top 10 so you are giving rights for me to show your images here if you make it.

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55 Comments

  4. Steve can you please answer my question
    I am not that familiar with exif data and such, but when I take an image (always Raw) I PP it in photoshop, use layers, and the final image is a flattened jpeg. Can I just send the final jpeg? will that have all the exif data available? cause I don’t know

    • You should be fine. When I do PP and use layers my EXIF data remains. It all depends on how you save it. Do not use the “save for web” feature. Just save it as JPEG. Should be fine. Thanks

  6. I think that the idea of reducing the time when the pictures have to been shots is not right and will reduce the posiblity of seen really good stuff in this contest.
    even if might sound fun and innovating becouse no other contest obbly participans to shots pictures in such a very short time, I think is compitely wrong.
    If I scan today (1-11-2011) a film that I shot 10 years ago you will see the date of the scan. None can prove that I shot the film 10 or 5 or 3 month ago.
    Please don tell me that is metter of been a gentleman.
    anyway my point is that you should anlarge the date of pictures taken for the sumbission at the contest.
    that is it, thank you very much and congratulation anyway for the wonderfull contest and site.
    Lorenzo Moscia
    http://www.moscia.cl

    • Nothing was reduced. These were the rules from day one. The photos have to be shot FOR THE CONTEST, not finding your best old photos as that would not be fair for everyone. To be fair, everyone has the same rules and that is the photos have to be taken within the 30 day contest span. Makes it fair, and challenging. Where is the challenge in finding a couple of old photos to send in?

  7. I cant register with Picortwo but I was able to get setup (with a confirmation email) to track Seal’s photos… strange that I can get emails as a follower but cant register as a photographer.

    • No one can register as a photographer at picortwo.com. It’s only for following the photographers that are featured on the site. If you are getting emails as a follower than you are registered.

  8. There is something wrong with picortwo. I registered 24 hrs ago and still haven’t received any confirmation.

  9. Steve….this is awesome!! You and Seal absolutely ROCK!

    I am not clear on your use of Photoshop….I know in a previous comment you said Photoshop was fine, but what about manipulations….can we add things to a photo or take things out of a photo using Photoshop?

    I already have my M9, but would love to enter the contest as this is a great challenge…

    Cheers,
    Scotty

    • Photoshop is fine for processing – as heavy as you want. But when things are added to a photo then its manipulation and more digital art IMO. Im all for photoshop but not adding things to an image that were not there. Thx

  10. I’m excited about the M9, but scared of buying lenses for when I win!! 😉 Maybe you can have a second competition after I win the M9 so I can win some lenses? kktyvm… =p

    I took my dad’s Canon AE-1 out yesterday, so I might use that for the comp. Was really fun shooting manual again (it’s been over 10 years!).

  11. I just finished register from picortwo. I haven’t get the email from picortwo. Try to login, it was fail.

  12. I/m still trying to come up with an idea! I guess I am already registered with your site, as I can post this message. Now to try Picortwo.

  13. I do have a question… I am not that familiar with exif data and such, but when I take an image (always Raw) I PP it in photoshop, use layers, and the final image is a flattened jpeg. Can I just send the final jpeg? will that have all the exif data available? cause I don’t know…

    • Hi Pieter….I can answer your question. You can do whatever you like with your file in Photoshop…when you save it as a jpeg, the EXIF data will still be there. The only time the EXIF data is wiped is if you use the “save for web” function in Photoshop. Sometimes, depending on your settings, you can also lose the EXIF data when exporting from LightRoom or some other program, but you will be safe if you resize the photo to Steve’s specs, save it as a jpg in Photoshop, and then send the file to Steve. Hope this helps….

      Scotty

  15. Picortwo registration last week had been succesful. The two pics are on the way…..
    After the two shots the battery was empty……an omen? 😉

  16. I was planning on sending 5 as well, but now that it is two images, I just have to be that much more creative is all. Rules are rules!

  17. Hi Steve, I successfully registered on picortwo, but still no success registering for your site. Suggestions greatly appreciated!

  20. People …read the rules. Give Steve a break.There are 14 rules up there and it should take about 3 minutes to read them. Read them twice to be sure you understand them. (I did…that is my responsibility) What is with the film shooters???? READ THE RULES guys. Then ask questions. They are pretty simple. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….

      • There are a few problems, true… …but this is supposed to be fun. I say get positive and create…and give Steve his time back from the nonsense to create the content we love so much….soooo…READ THE RULES…and stop whining everybody!!!! LOL!

        • Hi everyone,

          I may be missing something here but I think many people ARE trying to follow the rules and are not ‘whining’.

          As I say, I may be wrong but as I understand it, registration to picortwo and this website are a prerequisite however for at least some of us, it isn’t working which has resulted in my post and a few others.

          I’ve tried a few times with a few emails with no joy and would be very upset if a registration issue would preclude me from entering this wonderful and very generous competition.

          Anyway, I hope that this reads in the spirit that it’s meant and hopefully we may be able to resolve any issues for anyone who’d like to enter.

          Thanks guys and good luck to everyone!

          Paul

          • Perhaps you could just attach a note to your entry explaining that you could not mesh with picortwo. Steve is aware of the problem and he is a reasonable and fair guy based on my experiences here. (solutions).
            Me…I am just going to take my time creating an entry and will enter in a couple of weeks from now. Hopefully that issue will be ironed out.

  21. I’m still not able to retrieve my password or register on the picortwo website. I hope my emails of attempted registration serve as documentation that I at least tried… 15 times.

  22. I tried just now too.. have not received an email from picortwo either. Just letting you know.

    Pauli

  23. “If the EXIF data is not present (basically the date they were shot) then you must re-submit.”

    WHAT? No film in your contest?

  24. Have tried to register twice at pic or two and have still not received my email to confirm.
    Anyway, I am glad you clarified to two pictures, BTW – I believe it is much harder to have 5 photos that are tightly woven and themed than two. But anyway, I will try to register again tomorrow, but will have to rethink my original plan.

    Thanks for the generosity Steve and Seal,
    Jonathan

  25. What if you submit film scans that don’t have EXIF? I am planning on submitting some MF Mamiya and Contax shots and rather certain that the files won’t have exif….

  26. Cool, but I would blog a separate post mentioning the rule change. Clearly a ton of people read your post just after you hit publish. It might reduce your and their frustration 🙂

    Great competition, none-the-less!

    Ray

      • Sure, I guess I was suggesting using the word ‘change’ in your post title, because all the early readers might just ignore this post.

        But on a much much more serious note, how do I add an avatar to my profile I just created?

          • +1 I read the rules when they were posted. When Steve placed a new post about people not following the rules I did not catch the change in the number of photos. I thought that some people ignored the rules by posting older photos, but I did not realize that Steve had changed them. I was still planing on 4-5 for my story. By reading the comments here I suddenly got it. Steve, if you change the rules, make that very clear on your website. Your update doesn’t do that.

            BTW This contast has too many rules. Your site is about simplicity and fun. The whole picortwo thing takes away from that and from my first impression of Seals generosity. It all become just another marketing campaign.

  28. It’s a bit rich complaining of people submitting more than 2 photos when you originally published the rule as: “To enter you must submit 2-5 photos that form a story.”

    I was planning to submit 5, so I was quite surprised by this rule change.

    • The rule correction was made just a couple hours after the announcement. The rules have been posted as they are for 3 days now but I am still getting e-mails with 3-5 images and the biggest issue is from those submitting images that were shot prior to the contest.

      The prize for this contest is amazing and this contest is meant to spark the creativity and passion in you. Two images makes it harder but will also bring out the best in those who choose to enter.

      Also, I am not complaining just letting all of you know that if you do not follow the rules your entries will not be submitted. I was getting so many that were not following the rules that I felt I better post about it so everyone is clear.

      Thanks
      Steve

      • I agree re: the creative process. I agonized over projects until I applied the KISS process and just went out shooting.

        -ABM

  30. Hi Steve,

    Still no joy for me registering with PicorTwo. I input all my details and the site says its sending me an email with further instructions but I haven’t got any email…

    Tried all the usual span filtering and multiple accounts but still no joy. I live in the UK (not that this should matter), I’ll keep you posted if anything changes.

    Regards,

    Paul

    • ***AN INPORTANT UPDATE***

      For any users who have been struggling to register with picortwo, I can confirm that the wesbite has sent me a delayed clickthru which went to my spam box.

      The website is obviously attracting a lot of hits and as such, the emails may not be sent in the usual near-instant timescale that we would wish.

      So check your inboxes again and make sure you check your spam filters too.

      Hope this helps?

      Paul

    • Guys,

      I also had the registering problem, no confirmation email after joining. But try this go to the website don’t log in, just click to follow one of the photographers, after I did this I received a confirmation email that I was following Seal, which is what the contest requires. Alas no daily photo’s in my in-box.

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