PhotoCON (フォトコン, Fotokon) is a Japanese photography magazine that emphasizes the participation of and contests for its readers. Its title alludes to "photo contest".
The magazine has a complex history. Photo Contest (フォトコンテスト, Foto Kontesuto) was a monthly magazine whose first issue was dated September 1956. This turned into the much more ambitious and very different Camera Age (カメラ時代, Kamera Jidai), a monthly magazine that ran from January 1966 till January 1967. The earlier magazine returned as the twice-monthly Junkan Foto Kontesuto (旬刊フォトコンテスト) from May 1967, from January 1968 till October 1973 Gekkan Foto Kontesuto (月刊フォトコンテスト) and from January 1974 until December 2007 Japan Photo Contest Monthly (formally 日本フォトコンテスト, Nihon Foto Kontesuto; normally フォトコンテスト, Foto Kontesuto).
We All Scream For Ice Cream!
This week, our contest theme is on one of our favorite food, ice cream! What is not to like? It is cold, delicious, creamy, yummy, delectable, rich, no calories, not fattening, no sugar...
:)
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
Larger Than A House
The main subject in your photo must be something that is larger than a "typical" house.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not...
Annoyingly Irritating
Do you have something, or have you snapped a photo of something that you find annoying and/or irritating? That's what we want to see!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest...
This Is Where I Live
The theme this week is all about where you live. Your photo may reflect your area, your neighborhood, your village, your city, your state, or the country you live in.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be...
Just Desserts
Food-related themes have always been popular. This time, we will focus on desserts!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if...
A Bird In Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush
This week's contest is all about birds. The birds in your photo must be alive at the moment that photo was taken, so taxidermy/stuffed birds do not qualify.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the...
Water
A very broad theme for this week's contest.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if the picture is suitable, check with me first...
Rest And Relaxation
Photos that convey the feeling and/or idea of Rest and Relaxation.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if the picture...
Hand In Hand
You get to creatively interpret the phrase "Hand in hand" for this week's contest.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if the...
Tablets
OK, let's try this one. For this week's contest, take a creative photo of a tablet device. Do you have an iPad, a Microsoft Suface, a Samsung Galaxy tablet, etc? Let's see how creative you are in taking a photo that involves such devices.
Good luck!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1...
I Only Have Eyes For You
This week's theme is on eyes, the ones we use to see.
These eyes may be human eyes, animal eyes, etc. It cannot, however, be eyes of stuff animals, human dressed as a mascot, etc., i.e. no inanimate objects. It also cannot be analogies of eyes, such as "potato...
Under Construction
The theme this week is about structure or building under construction.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if the picture...
Here Comes The Bride
June! Ah, the popular month for weddings, at least here in the US. So our theme this week is all about weddings.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a...
Military
Those of us in the US are celebrating Memorial Day this weekend, in memory of the men and women who have served our country in the Military. So this week, our theme is on these men and women in the military. Your photo must have military personnel as its main subject.
Zz...
Meat and Potatoes
This week's contest is about food. Your photo must have, as its main subject, food ingredient of either meat, potatoes, or both. While the ingredients need not be already cooked, the "meat" must no longer be a part of the animal (i.e. you cannot show a picture of a cow)...
Snakes And Ladders
Snakes and Ladders is a popular childhood game for many. So this will be out theme for this week's contest. Your photo must have, as its main subject, either snake/s, ladder/s, or both. Easy enough, no?
Have fun!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Still
Spring has sprung, at least for us in the Northern Hemisphere. This week's contest is on Flowers!
Please note that this has to be real flowers, not fake ones, and not drawings/paintings of one.
Good luck!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo...
If You Like It Then You Should Put A Ring On It
{Admin Note: The title is too long to include the date that this contest will run: 4/26-5/3}
Other than being a catchy phrase in a Beyonce song, one can interpret this in a few different ways. You are free to go whichever way you want...
Very Expensive
{Admin note: Please note that this contest will end a day earlier than usual. I will be going out of town next weekend, and would like to start the polling and the new contest on Friday, April 26. So the final day of submission will be Thursday, April 25.}
Last week we had a...
Very Colorful
For this contest, your photos must contain many different colors, as many as you can find!, thus making it very colorful. You may be asked to submit another photo if it isn't obvious that the photo contains enough variety of different colors and not just a variety of different...
Let's Get Down And Dirty!
This is a rather familiar phrase (at least for most of us). So I'll let you interpret this in your photos for this week's contest.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest...
Hey Everyone,
Let's start a photo association game. Very much similar to word association game, we use a photo that have some connecting theme with the previous photo. We should try to carry this for a long as possible. If it comes to a dead end, we can start another stream of association...
The Little Engine That Could
This week, our contest will focus on engines! This can be car engines, heat engines, etc., anything that converts fuel into mechanical work (heat pump, which is a reverse heat engines, also qualifies).
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
Silly
It's time to act silly!
Your photo must capture a scene of something silly, or reflect silliness. This could be a difficult contest, and I may ask to you clarify your photo if it isn't clear that there's anything silly going on.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
Food Preparation
We love food, and we love contests on food. This time, the theme is on food preparation. Your photo must show, as its main subject, something depicting food preparations. This could be food being cooked, food being prepared to be cooked, ingredients being prepared for...
Red, Red Wine
The contest this week is brought to you by the color RED. Your photo must have, as its main subject, the color red.
While there are many variation to this color (and people's displays can vary quite a bit), the color should clearly be red and not pink or orange or purple...
X Rated
Oh no! This contest did not suddenly turn blue.
This week's contest might be difficult. Your photo must have, as its main subject, something that begins with the letter "X". It could be the name associated with an object, or a printed word that begins with the letter "X".
Good...
I A-Door You
After you finish groaning at the pun, it will be time to find a photo of doors! Yes, doors! The main subject of your photo must be a door or doors.
Good luck!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted...
Peek-A-Boo
This time, we will try something new. Your photo must contain, as its main subject, something that is only partially revealed. The photo should show less than 50% of the subject.
Please note that the subject must be covered by other means and not simply because the frame of your...
At the beginning of February we went to Jastarnia on Hel Peninsula, for just a three days. We hoped for dramatic pictures of a rough sea, but we were 24 hours too late - all we got was a lazy water, some dull light and rain. Nonetheless, we had some good time walking the beach.
Hel (as it...
Bad Photo
This has always been one of our most fun, popular topic. Grab some of the bad photo (technically) that you have and submit it to this contest.
Please note that these bad photos should not be something you did deliberately.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
I Wouldn't Want To Do That!
This week's contest might be a challenge. Your photo must show people at work, or doing something, that you would not want to do. It should depict a job or a task that you do not want to do.
Good luck.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
Cold As Ice
Brrr... it's cold outside (at least around here). So what better topic to have then frozen water? Our theme this week is on ice, frozen H2O. So your photo must have, as it's main subject, ice.
We will count snow and shaved ice in this contest.
Good luck.
Zz.
Contest...
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
This week, it is all about rainbows. Your photo must clearly show this wonderful phenomenon.
Note that your "rainbow" may also be refracted light from prisms, etc., i.e. it need not be only due to a weather/atmospheric effect. However, it cannot be from objects...
Plants
This week, the focus is on the plant world. Photos must have plants as the main subject.
Please note that this is plant in the botanical sense, not "power plant", etc.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted...
{A ton of thanks to Borek for running the contest while I was gone}
A
This week's contest is brought to you by the letter "A".
Your photo must have, as its main subject, either the letter "A", or something that starts with the letter "A". Please note that since this offers a lot of...
50
Today's contest is sponsored by the number 50 - your picture has to be related to the number 50 in this or another way :wink:
Borek
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a...
Christmas Customs and Traditions
It is a Christmas time, so it is hardly surprising that Christmas is a subject of this week contest. There are many local customs and traditions related to Christmas - dishes, ways of decorating Christmas tree, midnight Mass, nativity plays and scenes and so...
The strange animal
I suppose you all had that moment - you saw something strange, you had a camera with you, and you took a picture. Could be it was an elephant with two trunks, could be it was notagoshawk, could be it was something that you have no idea what it was - but it lied on the floor...
She sells sea-shells
Tongue twisters time. Take a picture that will require tongue twisting to describe its content in English. Just in case, post a tongue twister that you refer to too, to not let us waste too much time guessing.
Borek
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or...
The Highest Time
Let's see how creative you can be - take a picture that will show the idea of the highest time!
Borek
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or...
Caption
For this week's contest, your photo must be accompanied by a photo caption. Include a funny, insightful, meaningful, or hilarious caption that fits with your photo. The caption will be included with the photo during the voting period.
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo...
Thanksgiving
This week, those of us in the US will observe and celebrate Thanksgiving, a time where we give thanks for what we have in our lives. Obviously, such appreciation is shared by people throughout the world, whether in holiday observance or not.
So your photo this week must show...
Something Old, Something New
This week, your photo must have, as its main subject, items that can be considered as old AND new. The photo must contain both types.
While "old" and "new" are subjective, it is up to the voters to decide if your photo, and the items that are in your photo, are...
Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
This week's contest might be a challenge. You need to find something in which not everyone will find to be either beautiful, or even "artful". Especially in the world of modern art, there are things that some people find to be beautiful or lovely, but...
Happy Halloween!
It is that time of the year! Let's see your best Halloween photos!
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if the picture is...
Fruits
This week, our focus is on those edible, yummy fruits!
Please make sure that your photo has, as its main subject, fruit/s. Make sure biologically, it is a fruit, and not a vegetable, a nut, a legume, etc...
Zz.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned...
Autumnal
It is that time of the year, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. So your photos must reflect the Autumn season.
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a...
Can You Lend Me A Hand?
This week we focus our attention to an important but often neglected extremities - our hands!
Let's see how creative you are in presenting photos involving hand/s as the main focus.
Have fun!
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo...
Darkness
Our theme this week is on darkness. Your photo must convey the image or sense of darkness. Note that a photo depicting nothing but a solid, black image does not qualify.
Good luck!
Contest Rules:
1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be...