2021 Dith Pran Instagram Photo Shootout Competition

Hosted by AAJA’s Photojournalists affinity group

Mengshin Lin’s winning entry for last year’s photo shootout depicting two kids wearing masks in a shopping cart at a Costco store in Taiwan.

Mengshin Lin’s winning entry for last year’s photo shootout depicting two kids wearing masks in a shopping cart at a Costco store in Taiwan.

 
 

2021 Dith Pran Instagram Photo Shootout Competition

AAJA is proud to announce the 2021 Dith Pran Photo Shootout Competition will once again take place in a city near you during #AAJA21, August 24-28. We are still living and working in unprecedented times. We have seen a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and a rise in visibility with our stories being told. We want to highlight the many great things that Asian American and Pacific Islanders have to offer.

This year’s theme is “AAPI Strong” and we are looking for the photograph that best depicts this theme. Show us your community. Show us what makes you proud. What makes the AAPI community unique. We also ask that you follow local safety measures to help slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus and keep yourself and your community safe. Photos can be taken anywhere during the time period specified below. This contest is open to ALL attendees of AAJA21. The winner will be awarded a convention registration for next year’s convention.

Instagram Photo Shootout Rules:

  • Submit photo entries using the Instagram hashtag #AAJAPhoto. Upload your photo submission(s) with caption information using any Instagram App.

  • Contestants can start shooting anytime beginning 12:00 a.m. Saturday, August 21 Eastern Time and must be uploaded by the contest deadline.

  • Deadline: Photo submission(s) must be uploaded on Instagram by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday, August 27, 2021.

  • A professional grade camera is not required. Images submitted from mobile devices (cellphone or tablet) are acceptable.

  • Each entrant can submit up to three (3) images. Judging will be based on a single image and not a series of images.

  • Entries should be based on the theme. Photos will be judged on theme interpretation, artistic style, composition & technical execution. This year’s theme is a suggestion and photographs unrelated to the theme are acceptable.

  • Entrants also need to email aajaphoto@gmail.com with their entrant’s name, Instagram account name, cell phone number, email address and caption information of 100 words or less. Failure to email this information may disqualify an entry.

  • You must be a registered AAJA21 attendee.

  • Only minor burning, dodging and slight color adjustment and cropping are acceptable. NO FILTERS ALLOWED! No special artistic app filters allowed. Any significantly digitally modified or altered photograph will be disqualified and is at the sole discretion of the judges. The only exception is the black and white filter.

  • There is no cost to enter the competition.

Winners will be posted on www.AAJAPhoto.org. The First Place winner will have their name engraved on the Annual Dith Pran Photo Shootout perpetual award. First, second, and third place winners will be notified on Monday, August 30 (or earlier) via email. First place prize is the convention fee for next year’s convention, a $250 value.

For any questions, please contact AAJA photographer James Yee (317-640-1873) or Alex Wong (202-438-7050) or email questions to aajaphoto@gmail.com

About the Dith Pran Photo Shootout Competition
The AAJA Photo Shootout was started in 2000 during the annual AAJA National Convention. The competition name was changed in 2008 to honor New York Times photographer Dith Pran, who risked his life in Cambodia during the genocide by the Khmer Rouge to help journalists tell the story of atrocities in his home country. His story inspired the film, “The Killing Fields.” Pran passed away in 2008.