I just became aware that Fujifilm Middle East is currently conducting a photography contest just for straight-out-of-camera pictures! Use either the factory-default film sims or Film Simulation Recipes. No editing allowed, only camera-made JPEGs.
The rules, which can be found on Fujifilm’s website, are simple enough:
- MUST: Shoot RAW + JPEG
- CANT: Post-process outside of camera
- NEED: Finalists to submit RAW to verify
- ALLOWED: Custom Recipes
- COUNTRIES: UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Nigeria and Pakistan
- DEADLINE: 23 September 2023
Third prize is a $500 coupon for Fujifilm gear, second prize is a $1,000 coupon, and first prize is a $2,000 coupon… enough for a Fujifilm X-T5 or X-H2! If you reside in one of those 11 qualifying countries, definitely consider entering this competition.
One of the judges is Fujifilm X-Photographer Bjorn Moerman. If you’ve ever watched any of the SOOC Live YouTube videos, you’ll instantly recognize him, as he regularly tunes-in and participates in the show. You’ve likely seen several of his phenomenal pictures; a few are found in the latest Viewers’ Images slideshow published just today! Many of his amazing photographs are straight-out-of-camera using Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes (including all of those seen in the SOOC Live videos). Sometimes in photography competitions you have to wonder about who the judges are and if they’re actually qualified for that role, but not in this case, especially since Bjorn is one of them.
I love the idea of this competition, and I hope that it catches on. Shooting straight-out-of-camera JPEGs is becoming a more and more popular approach, and Fujifilm photographers are on the leading edge of it. Fujifilm North America should definitely do a SOOC photo contest, too—I think it would be a huge hit, while also spreading the word that Fujifilm cameras are capable of capturing incredible pictures that don’t require editing. For many people, that realization is a game-changer, making photography more enjoyable, more efficient, and more accessible.
You got me all excited until I learned only those residing in the Middle East qualify.
It’s only a handful of countries, but I hope it’s a huge success and that they do this in other regions, too.
And where are such countries as Syria, Israel?
What a miracle Nigeria and Uzbekistan ended up there. If these countries are there, then where are Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Niger???
It smells of some kind of segregation and cheap remuneration.
Fujifilm has many districts and regions. Not every country is in a district, likely because not many cameras are sold there, if any.
https://global.fujifilm.com/en/all-regions
https://www.fujifilm.co.il/
I don’t think there is any conspiracy. No reason to start crap just to start crap.