Edit My RAW File [Photo Contest]

January 31, 2013 50 Comments

For the last month or so, I’ve been teasing this contest but today I’m finally ready to release the details.  This contest will test your skill at editing photos in Lightroom, Photoshop, Aperture, or whatever other software you choose.  I took the photo and I’m inviting you to download the photo and edit it however you see fit.

The best editing job will win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and a free online photography class from us.  The second and third place winners will win one free online photography class.

Photo for editing contest

This is the photo you’ll be editing for the contest. It’s sharp, but it has exposure issues, white balance problems, and needs skin smoothing. Plus, you can add in your own special style to design it up.

How to Enter this Contest

  1. Download my RAW file here. Once on that page, click File > Download. You may need to sign in to your Google account.  If you can’t open a RAW file or can’t get Google Drive to work for you, then you can save a large JPEG of the file here.
  2. Edit the photo however you see fit.  No holds barred.  ONE entry per person.
  3. Upload the photo to our NEW Improve Photography Community page on Google+, or you can pin your photo to one of your pinterest boards and write #improvephotography as the pin description.  While you’re at it, you can also follow me on Pinterest here!  Deadline to enter is midnight MST on Tuesday, February 5, 2013.

How We’ll Judge and Announce the Winner

Dustin Olsen and I will judge the photos according to three criteria: (1) Does the editing job make the model look her best? (2) Are there any technical issues with the editing job such as noise, sharpness, etc? and (3) Has the editor taken creative liberty to create something unique?

The winner will be announced on Monday, February 11  by the end of the day on the Improve Photography Google+ page as well as on Facebook.

More Important Rules

  1. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!  Seriously.  I mean it :-)
  2. You’re welcome to composite this photo with any other photo that YOU took and own all rights to.
  3. No holds barred in terms of what you can do in editing.  You’re welcome to go crazy or just do basic simple edits–make the photo look how YOU want it to.
  4. The last time we did a contest like this, someone edited the model to look like a vampire.  That was…. weird.  Maybe no vampire edits this time?  :-)
  5. No entries will be accepted after midnight MST on Tuesday, February 5, 2013.

But What if You Don’t Own Photoshop?

The good news is that you can download a free 30 day trial of Photoshop or Lightroom de graca (I picked that one up in Mexico).  You can also use free photo editing software like GIMP.

The Legal Stuff

Prizes left unclaimed until after February 15, 2013 will be forfeited.  Prizes can be claimed only by sending an email to prize@improvephotography.com.

You’re only licensed to download, edit, and use this photo to enter this contest–the photo is mine.  By entering this contest, you grant Improve Photography LLC and its employees, assigns, licensees, and sublicensees the right to publish your edits to this photo in any way reasonably connected to this contest or this site, including use in a possible webinar discussing the entries.  If you choose to composite the contest photo onto a photo YOU took, you grant Improve Photography LLC and its employees, assigns, licensees, and sublicensees a license to publish your photo as part of the compilation you create in any way reasonably connected to this contest or this site, including use in a possible webinar discussing the entries.

No purchase necessary to enter.  This contest is open to contestants worldwide, but is void where prohibited by law.  You must be 18 years of age to enter.

 

Further Reading:

Post-processing
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About Jim Harmer

Landscape photographer, author of six photography instructional books, writer of daily photography tips at Improve Photography, and all around geek. follow me on Google Plus and check out my About Me page.
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50 Responses to “Edit My RAW File [Photo Contest]”

  1. Gaétan Corneau January 31, 2013 at 9:50 PM

    This is a lot of fun, and quite difficult for a portrait photography newbie like me. Will you post your own edit when the contest is over?

  2. sara January 31, 2013 at 10:06 PM

    This was fun! :)
    http://pinterest.com/pin/139048707217039496/

  3. marti jean January 31, 2013 at 10:32 PM

    ok, well since i got the email, i have kind of stressed as to how to edit. I am just a beginner so i dont think i will win lol but whewwww was that fun! thanks for the opportunity! uploaded to my pintrest page.

    http://pinterest.com/pin/563301865862139797/

  4. Esta Eberhardt January 31, 2013 at 11:22 PM

    WOW! I just added mine to google and it’s crazy to see how NONE of them look alike. too funny.

  5. Sue February 1, 2013 at 1:39 AM

    Would it be ok to use these before and afters in our portfolios?

  6. Ikvin February 1, 2013 at 8:01 AM

    SAD! I am 16!!

  7. Raffa the PUC Photographer February 1, 2013 at 10:06 AM

    If creativity on creating something new are one of the criteria to judge, why not to accept unexpected pictures like a vampire photo treatment?

  8. Lisa Manchester February 1, 2013 at 11:40 AM

    http://pinterest.com/pin/28640147602372771/
    Edit by Lisa Manchester. Thanks!

  9. Beyti February 1, 2013 at 11:44 AM

    Raffa

    Coz it should be photo editing, not photo manupulation :)

  10. Tara February 1, 2013 at 4:06 PM

    http://pinterest.com/pin/8514686767600178/

    thanks for the photo, i do LOVE editing, great practice!
    @TwinLensesPhotography

  11. Sue February 1, 2013 at 4:55 PM

    Can we delete our submission and post an updated image? Thank you.

  12. Brian R February 1, 2013 at 11:54 PM

    http://pinterest.com/pin/468585536199007551/

    Edited with Lightroom 4. I dont know much about pinterest, so hopefully I did it right!

    Thanks for the contest!!

    Brian

  13. Dev February 2, 2013 at 6:42 AM

    Hello Sara.
    Liked your work.
    Could you please describe your process after the contest ends..?
    Thanks. :)

  14. Sarah February 2, 2013 at 12:30 PM

    Great project and loved seeing what everyone did with this shot.

  15. LeannaRuth Jensen February 2, 2013 at 1:51 PM

    [img]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/AngelikaLumiere/JIM3624correctlhj.jpg[/img]

  16. LeannaRuth Jensen February 2, 2013 at 2:01 PM

    http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/AngelikaLumiere/JIM3624correctlhj.jpg
    The previous link might not work, here is the direct link.

  17. isaac February 2, 2013 at 2:07 PM

    So, I am editing this and all but I took a quick look on the google+ page to see what others were doing and I noticed that all of the pictures look pretty low quality(resolution wise).
    Is google the cause for this… is there a maximum file size?
    If this is the case, are those going to be the ones that are getting judged? The poor resolution really is a big issue!
    And as it relates to the first or second comment on here, Is it against the rules to shrink the pic in order to get a higher res.?

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