Branding agency ORB has launched a competition in partnership with Retail Birmingham for amateur and professional photographers to capture ‘Brand Birmingham’ and win £1,000 of photography equipment.
The competition is part of ORB’s mission to champion Birmingham’s talent and encourage more local business leaders to recruit and invest locally in the city’s creative industries, rather than looking to London or overseas.
To mark World Photography Day on August 19th, photographers capturing the city, its people and its spirit in their series of pictures can win £1,000 of camera equipment, courtesy of Retail Birmingham and shoppinginbirmingham.com, as well as the chance to work alongside former Sony World Advertising Photographer of the Year Martin Brent.
Judging the competition alongside Brent will be Chief Executive of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Paul Faulkner; Co-Founder & Director of Impact Hub Birmingham, Immy Kaur; Retail Birmingham BID Manager, Steve Hewlett; Edwin Ellis Creative Media director, Stacey Barnfield; renowned Birmingham photographer, Verity Milligan and Founder of ORB Branding agency, Rob Bloxham.
Finding a new brand for Birmingham
“Birmingham’s creative scene is booming. Too many businesses look to London or overseas when sourcing talent in the industry, but that needs to change. This competition will showcase the amazing ability that we have on our doorstep and will hopefully encourage more businesses to invest locally. I am also really excited to find a new perspective and identity for the city which goes beyond taking photos of our landmarks, something that has been done so many times before,” said Rob.
As well as the £1,000 of photography equipment vouchers, the winner will be invited to work alongside Martin Brent on a commercial photo shoot, getting the inside track on how to create powerful images for brands that bring their story to life.
Martin Brent said: “Being asked to judge this competition is a great honour. As someone who has championed Brum’s creative talent worldwide, the pressure is now on the entrants to prove me right! While I don’t have a pre-determined vision of what the winning images will be, I’ll be looking for a creative and innovative interpretation of what Birmingham represents in the modern world.’’
Retail Birmingham BID manager Steve Hewlett added: “The BID is keen to celebrate and raise the profile of Birmingham’s creative and independent businesses who really help give the city identity and individuality.
“We are delighted to support this great competition and hope to see a selection of stunning images to make our job as judges really tough!”
To enter, simply upload 10 pictures of Birmingham as well as an explanation of the series in no more than 200 words at www.thisisorb.com/brandbrum. The images can be of people, places, landscapes or buildings, but must be of the city. They can be taken on any device, whether it’s a disposable camera, camera phone or a DSLR, all entries are welcome.
The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers in the West Midlands and closes at midnight on Monday September 25th.
For more details, visit www.thisisorb.com/brandbrum
