Tips on Submitting Winning Photos for the Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar

2018 Calendar Cover Photo (by Joshua Wolfsun)
* This photo met just about every criteria for a featured photo:
- local landmark (the Amherst Common)
- seasonal (snow on the ground, winter feel)   - clouds
- captures a familiar location in a unique way

The response to our call for photos has been growing each year, and it's a thrill to open every email and be treated to such a wealth of beautiful local scenes. We've been told more than once that each year's calendar is even more exquisite than the last!

Although we receive plenty of really imaginative and beautiful submissions, for a variety of reasons many are not quite right for this calendar. So as you are considering what photos to submit, please keep these pointers in mind: 

1. Photos must depict Western Massachusetts, with special consideration given to photos of Amherst and the Pioneer Valley. In recent years, about half of each calendar's photos have shown Amherst locations, with the rest capturing other scenes across Western Mass. This means the odds of your photo being selected are better if it depicts an Amherst scene.
2. Tell it slant. In the context of photography, we refer to this line from a poem by Emily Dickinson, "Tell all the truth, but tell it slant," to describe capturing an image from an unexpected angle or using light and shadow to create visual interest and tell a story. Essentially, we look for photos that add a unique perspective or twist to a shot that makes it more interesting and compelling. For example, to "tell it slant" while doing a landscape of a barn, take a creative approach to framing and composition - experiment with different angles and vantage points to create an unusual or unexpected perspective. Consider how to use clouds as a backdrop for the barn, exaggerating their size or creating a dramatic effect. Alternatively, use the clouds to play with contrast and shadow, creating unique patterns of light and dark across the landscape. 
3. Diversity of scenes. We like to show different aspects of the local area, and this year special consideration will be given to photos that include The Homestead, The Evergreens, Lilacland, or Sweetser Park “A Poetic Dialogue” silhouettes. We receive many more landscapes (farms, ponds, trails, etc.) than photos of tourist destinations, historic landmarks, colleges/universities, etc. Your chances of being included increase if you are able to capture a landmark in a "tell it slant" way.
4. Evoke a season. Every calendar features three photos for each season. Our April and May featured photos will be more springlike, while October will be a fall scene. Because we receive many more fall photos than any other season, your odds of being selected increase if you submit a variety of seasons. Spring and winter are almost always underrepresented. 
5. Weather and clouds are a plus. Even though we are "in the clouds," we do not require all the featured photos to have clouds, and ideally the photo won't be just clouds (though we routinely break this rule for an outstanding or otherworldly cloud photo.)
6. Main subject should be the place. People and pets in the photo are fine as long as they aren't the focus. No portraits, close ups of groups of people, or crowd shots. The main subject needs to be the setting around any people or pets. Since the first calendar ten years ago, less than a handful of photos with people have been featured.
7. Avoid extreme close-ups. While close-ups can be beautiful, they usually don't convey a sense of place. We routinely reject close-ups of flowers, insects, birds, and trees. For example, instead of sending us a close-up of a lilac branch taken at Lilacland (which doesn't say "Amherst" - it could have been taken anywhere), pull back on that shot to show lilac bushes blooming against the hill and the art gallery beyond. 
8. Check out our calendars from past years, and consider ways to vary the subject: 2024 Calendar; 2023 Calendar; 2021 Calendar; 2020 Calendar; 2019 Calendar; 2018 Calendar; 2017 Calendar; 2016 Calendar; 2015 Calendar; 2014 Calendar 
9. Landscape orientation. Due to the layout of the calendar, your photo submissions must be landscape orientation (photo is wider than it is tall). Photos in portrait orientation (photo is taller than it is wide) will not be considered. 
10. Go easy on Photoshop. As you will see when you look through past featured photos, we strongly prefer realistic renderings of nature. By all means, use photo-editing to get the best out of your shot, but please stop before you turn an otherwise good photo into a super-saturated, surreal, color-soaked extra-terrestrial planet. In general, less is more when it comes to color adjusting, exposure, contrast, and saturation. We do know that some phone cameras colorize photos automatically - if that's the case, we can help you undo what's been done. Photos that are AI generated will not be accepted.

In general, every featured photo will have viewers seeing and feeling our local area in the photos. It's not necessary that the places featured be recognizable, but the photos should convey a feel for Amherst and Western Massachusetts, the nature around us, the sky, or those locations anyone passing through might recognize or feel drawn to visit. One of the greatest compliments we get is when former residents tell us this calendar makes them feel like they are home again. 

Can't wait to see what you have. Full guidelines on submitting photos can be found here.