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Welcome to the first annual
Storms, Transformed
photography art competition!

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Close Encounter, 2021
40×48″ 101x122cm oil on canvas
Based on a photo by Arizona storm chaser Lori Grace Bailey from a supercell in Crawford, Nebraska, USA
in 2020.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION


Like any Girls Who Chase engagement, we don’t follow a well-worn path… we blaze a new one. And Storms, Transformed is no exception. Just as we transform inside, when we learn what we’re truly capable of through storm chasing and weather, so can our beautiful images of storms be transformed into art. This is a storm art competition as much as a photography competition.
 

Submission details:

  • Submissions will be accepted online from September 15 - October 15, 2023. We’ll make an announcement prior to that timeframe with a link provided for submissions. We’re giving you plenty of notice now so you can capture your best photos this season!

  • You must be female/female-identified to enter, and one submission will be accepted per person.

  • Entries are free, and welcome from anywhere in the world.

  • Entrants do not have to have been previously active with GWC.

  • The winning entry will be painted by storm artist Jay Bigam (more info on Jay below), and the original will be auctioned off with a percent of the proceeds benefiting GWC! More detail provided below on the auction process and prizes.

  • Winners will be determined by a voting process using the criteria described below (please read carefully, as this isn’t your ordinary photography competition!). Anyone can vote, but you must register to vote and one vote per person will be accepted. More information on this will be provided closer to submission time.

  • We will award 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners based on the total number of votes received per entry. 


Here’s how to participate, and how to vote for your favorite when it’s time: 

  • This is a photography competition, but it’s equally an art competition. We are looking for photos that capture the feeling of what it’s like to be in front of a storm. Technically correct photos are great, but they’re only part of the equation here.

  • Both camera and cell phone images will be accepted - the priority is the kind of photo, not its resolution. However, if we cannot discern what is in the image because it’s blurry, too dark or just generally difficult to make out, it will be discarded from the voting pool.

  • Here’s how to choose the photo you submit (photos not following this general outline may be discarded from the pool) - and voting criteria will follow this list:

    • Portrait or landscape images in approximately 4:3 format.

    • Images should have good contrast featuring well-defined structure (e.g., a wall cloud, shelf cloud, mammatus, cumulus, etc.)

    • A distinct focus point is a good thing; where are you sending the viewer’s eye in the image?

    • Please avoid buildings or other human construction; those do not work well with the artist’s style. Roads are ok. Images with power lines and fences are ok as they will be ignored in the painting.

    • Images of just a specific part of the storm are not ideal - wider shots showing composition and context are preferable.

    • The more colorful, the better. For example, golden hour images (around sunset) are a good choice.

  • Check out the two sample images and paintings on this page to get a sense of what this might look like.

Heading West Now, 2018
60×44″ 152×112 cm oil On Canvas
Based on a photo by Alberta storm chaser Beth Allan on a supercell near Wimborne, Alberta, Canada in 2017

PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZES

  1. First place: Full size (max 37x44) stretched canvas giclee reproduction of the painting* ($600 value)
    *Please note: If the winner lives outside of the U.S. or Canada, due to international shipping costs of large items, the print will be shipped unstretched in a tube and the winner will need to have it stretched to be hung (approx.. $100)

  2. Second place: $150 ($CDN) credit to use on Jay's website

  3. Third place: $75 ($CDN) credit to use on Jay's website


THE AUCTION

  • The winning submission will be interpreted in oils by Jay Bigam on a canvas up to a maximum size of 37x44.

  • The final painting will be auctioned online from November 15-30, 2023, at a site to be announced. There will be a reserve price for this piece.

  • 50% of proceeds from the auction will benefit Girls Who Chase. 

  • Bids are accepted worldwide.

  • The winning bid will be responsible for shipping, duties or import taxes and crating costs.

  • Further details will be available on the auction site when it goes live. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST, JAY BIGAM


My work is inspired by the landscape, sky, water and ice of a place, and especially of my home, Alberta. I’ve been painting severe weather since 2017 after attending ChaserCon Canada in the fall of 2016. I was told by one of the participants, “You must go on a chase to experience the true impact and raw power of a storm. It will change the way you look at the sky.” And it has. In 2017, I created Turbulent Skies – A Collaborative Art Project Featuring Painting, Photography and Storms! I worked with six regional storm chaser-photographers and accompanied each of them on a storm chase in the summer of 2017, and painted six large images based on photographs from the chases. I have been painting storms ever since. 
 

I am a big believer in the real-world impact of art. I’ve used my work as an opportunity to encourage scientific curiosity, education and awareness and a means to raise funds and awareness for social justice and equality causes. Girls Who Chase is a great example of a project that is doing great work in both these areas. I am thrilled to be part of this project, which will not only raise funds for but help raise awareness of the goals of Girls Who Chase.

 

Find Jay online:
@JayIsPainting on Twitter, Mastodon and Instagram
Earthskyart.ca
TurbulentSkies.ca

Jay
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