The Auburn Arts Association and the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center will be hosting a juried photography exhibition and competition.
The contest is called Photo XVI, and the Dempsey Center has been holding the show every fall since they opened 16 years ago.
Each photographer can submit three pieces, and all submissions must be turned in by Oct. 9. Chosen photographs will be shown in the from Oct. 15 - Nov. 21. The exhibition is open to all photographers 17 years and older.
There is no defined category for submissions, and usually approximately 100 entries, according to Margaret Gluhman, who runs the gallery.
Two judges, one a professional photographer and one an artist, independently pick the work that will be shown in the gallery, and then judge once more to determine the winners of the competition.
"I usually enter three different categories, because you never know who the judges are and what they like," said John Rhodenizer, photographer and sales manager at Cameragraphics. Rhodenizer also teaches basic photography and Photoshop at Auburn University, and has entered the competition the past nine years.
Much of the work submitted to the previous photo contests are printed at Cameragraphics, and Rhodenizer has seen a vast range of pictures from portraits to macro landscapes.
"The best images are different, interesting subjects that will grab someone's interest," Rhodenizer said. "You are basically at the mercy of the judges."
Although there are a large number of entries, there is a lack of a true photography community in Auburn, said local photographer David Aaron.
"There's such a small saturated market that it's very competitive," Aaron said.
To break through the competition, Aaron suggests submitting pictures different from than the typical butterflies, sunsets and landscapes. He hasn't participated in past competitions, but he is thinking about entering this year.
"I would like to see more street photography and portraits," Aaron said. "People playing with light, contrast and shapes. Photography is all about painting with light."
The subject matter isn't confined to Auburn, but "local people like to keep it local, which is OK with me as long as it's a good show," said Guhlman.
Behind the closed door of the gallery storeroom, Guhlman flips through pictures that were left over from the past. A black and white image of a woman on a Cuban beach, a butterfly and a Star Wars Lego figurine standing on a clear jellyfish paperweight, sit in a pile of matted photographs.
"Most of the people that enter are people that just like to take photos, not necessarily someone who makes their living from photography," Guhlman said.
Auburn University students are encouraged to enter, but there haven't been a large number of students involved in the past, according to Guhlman.
There are cash awards, but the judges don't always pick a definite first place.
The competition is $20 to enter. At the exhibition, sales are encouraged and the Auburn Arts Association will charge no commission. The public is invited for a free reception Oct. 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Rhodenizer has encouraged his students and others at Auburn to enter.
"You don't have to be an exceptional photographer to enter," Rhodenizer said. "You just have to produce a good photo with good composition."
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