Are you interested in having your toy photography featured in the high end LEGO magazine Bricks Culture? Are you a fan of Star Wars? Then our latest contest is for you!
With the latest issue of Bricks Culture hitting the news stands, mailboxes and in-boxes this week (Have you ordered yours?), its time to get ready for our next article for this amazing magazine. Our last article was an homage to the robot in all its many LEGO forms and this time around we want to celebrate LEGO’s very first licensed property – Star Wars.
Of course we want to include some kick ass toy photography to go with our words and this contest will help us find it. We want to see your amazing photographs that celebrate the entire Star Wars Universe that we all know and love. These images can recreate scenes from any of Star Wars eight movies, they can also reinterpret a favorite scene, they can be serious or they can be silly. To put it simply your images do not need to reflect the current Star Wars canon (but if they do, that’s ok too!). We want you to have fun!!
You can submit photos that were taken in a studio or outdoors; they can come straight from your camera or they can be edited with PhotoShop. We’re putting no limits on your creativity as long as you play somewhere in the Star Wars universe! We’re looking for high quality images that represent the best of what we as toy photographers can create. We will be looking for images that are creative, original, well executed, utilize excellent photography skills and that represent the variety of Star Wars related imagery that we see daily on every social media platform.
The best of your submissions will be featured in issue #8 of Bricks Culture that will be released in January of 2017. And just like last time, we will feature a few of our favorite submissions in a follow-up article here on the blog.
I hope you will consider joining this fun challenge. The response from the magazine and from our readers to our last article and contest was wonderful. We fully expect this challenge to be even more amazing; you don’t want to be left out.
~ Shelly
The Rules:
- The deadline is Friday, November 25nd, midnight PST.
- The photo needs to include at least one figure from the Star Wars Universe.
- Color or black & white, studio or outdoor photography are all accepted. Editing your work with apps and Photoshop is acceptable.
- We are judging your photography and story telling skills.
- New and old images will be accepted!
- One e-mail submission per person, no more than three images per submission.
- Submissions should be sent to Shelly at co********@gm***.com. Please include your contact information (Full name, email, social media handle) with your submission.
- If your image is selected for inclusion with the article we will contact you for the final file.
- You will receive no payment in exchange for publication of your image. Just bragging rights in the coolest LEGO magazine out there.
- Please do not share your entries on Social Media until after we contact the winners.
- Only submit work that’s your own.
- Please do not submit images that have been edited using Instagram filters.
- Any questions, please leave them below in the comments and I will clarify them as best as I can.
Oooh, I do not envy the judges as StarWars is one of the most favourite themes in Lego- and toyphotography! Looking forward to some great images!
Stefan, I think its pretty fair to say the competition will be fierce. As you have pointed out, it is the MOST beloved of all the Lego lines and the competition will be fierce. I can wait!
Today I was wondering when the Star Wars contest would be announced! I’m so excited! How long can the story be? And are custom parts allowed? Like Brickarms, Arealight customs, custom holder helmets etc? How large will photo be? Can a caption be printed in small letters in one of the bottom corners? So many questions! I so hyped!
Thank you for all your questions! – you know what they say: “A picture is worth a thousand words, so no stories. Your photo should be self explanatory – They aren’t specifically NOT allowed, but knowing the other judges (all LEGO purists) you might want to keep that sort of stuff to a minimum. – We have no say on how large the image will be if you win. The magazine’s designer lays out the spread using what we give them. I will contact the winners to let them know the file size. A phone should be able to do… Read more »
Ohh finaly dear Shelly <3 so awesome contest whit an amaizing them, great idea to put in honor one of the biger inspirational source for all of us, geeks or not…but certenaly SW addicts! May the force stay whit you all toys photographers
George, I hope you will be entering! Feel free to help spread the word to any friends you think might be interested too! Shelly
Just to clarify, the image submitted should not be posted on social media already, or after the submission to you. It must be kept until after the selection process. Is that correct? Or can we submit already posted images?
Blake, Yes any submissions should be NOT be posted to social media. We would like to present to Bricks Culture an exclusive set of images. Of course once the magazine is out, those who had their images chosen, can publish them at will.
Since everyone has three weeks until the deadline, I think thats more than enough time to come up with something new and awesome.
I hope that clarifies your questions! :)
Are there any restrictions on speech bubbles in the photos?
Karl, good question! No, speech bubbles are not allowed. We want your work to be able to speak for itself. :D
Oh man, I’d better get shoppin’!! (no Star Wars Legos )
Yes, you best get right on it! It must be hard discovering the joy of lego photography so late in life!! LOL!!!
This I must do. I have had an idea for an image some time now. This could not have come at a better time :)
But I have to say that I fiert was thinking: “No use entering, everybody is better then me.” But then I thought, why not. So yes, I will do it.
Stefan, yes, yes you should enter! I look forward to seeing what you create!
How customized can the figures be? Most of mine customized to be unique. My favorite has lots of scratches to represent battle damage and injuries. If your curious by what I mean the figure is here https://www.flickr.com/photos/84070766@N07/28965039263/in/dateposted-public/
Nice image! And yes that type of customization is perfectly fine. :)
Nearly forgot about this :( Sorting Minifig’s now and hope it doesn’t rain too much on my day off work on Thursday.
Nick I too hope its not too rainy on Thursday! We would love to see a submission from you! :)
Hey Shelly,
Really interested in this one!
One question, is the contest open to more than just lego? If not I’m good with that. Just wondering
Bennett, This contest is only open to toy photos that feature LEGO. The magazines focus is LEGO and we want to honor that. I hope to see a submission anyway! :D
The deadline is November 22nd, correct? In the article it says “Friday, November 22nd”, but it’s actually a Tuesday. Sorry for the question
Marco – no worries, thanks for clarifying. The deadline is the 22nd (a Tuesday). If you need more time, let me know. :)
I’m from Malaysia, can I join? =)
Of course!!
Shelly, can I put watermark?
Rgrd,
Daniel
Daniel you can put a watermark on your entry, but all the images chosen for publication will need to be watermark free. We will be requesting final files from the ‘winners’, when they are chosen. I hope that helps :)
Wow, it’s really good event !
I have guestions.
1. Can I submit only 3 images? No more?
2. Should I write photo’s story? (Because my English is poor. )
Thank you.
And Is it right e-mail address to submit? co********@gm***.com
I’ve been working on my submission but I thought the deadline was tomorrow, I see some comments saying it is today and also the rules say the deadline is Friday? So I’m a bit confused, heheh. Also does it need to be 3 photos or can it be just 1? :)
James, I will accept photos up until Friday. I won’t leave anyone behind, I promise! But the sooner they are in the better. :) You can submit unto three photos, if you only have one, that’s cool! I look forward to your submission. :)
Dear Shelly, a lot off work on this and off the year, like all of us, But i succeded to take the photos this evening. Unfurtunabely i can post my submission only this friday 25 at french hours midnight and not Pacific time…so on late about 10h the deadline :( in any case i will send you my participation…have a nice day. George
George. Midnight Paris time is before midnight Pacific time. You’re entry will be on time. Please send when you can. All my best to you, Shelly
When will the winners be contacted?