Setting a theme for Year 2020 was inspired by Fernando Gros recent article, “Momentum – Yearly Theme For 2020”. Having met Fernando in person, a very talented creative, musician, photographer and writer, I also have his book, “No Missing Tools”, very inspiring, opening a world that I never thought that I ever have inside me, on the subject of creativity. Fernando has been an inspiration for me as a photographer and writer, learning, changing, evolving and adapting in this current modern world filled with so much fast moving information, news, images and videos.

As I decided on a single word to choose my theme for Year 2020, it was a bit of a struggle since this was my maiden attempt. Seeking the advice of my old classmate Michael, from my primary school days (his command of the English language is way better than me), he advised me to find a phrase that would suit me personally, after an interesting discussion and brain storming, this phrase appeared “Striving to Excel”, our primary school motto (and our primary school is no longer around, they have merged with other primary school in my neighourhood).

Therefore, my theme for Year 2020 is “Striving to Excel”, fits in nicely to both my professional/business and personal goals for this year. Another new approach for this year, I am not revealing my business goals and plans for this year, you can still find some bits and pieces in previous articles, if you have been a regular reader on my two websites. Instead, I would be writing on my personal photography and travel goals, I want to return back to my roots, that started my love for photography, travel and story telling.

Theme for Year 2020 – Striving to Excel

Personal Photography Goals for 2020

• To publish my first photo zine
• To publish photo zine on a regular basis (one issue every quarter)
• Explore more of the outdoors and natural areas in Singapore and countries that I visit
• Produce more personalised photography content and stories (from personal projects to documentary)
• Printing photographs, from mini prints to large A2 photo prints
• Continue building up my TGH Photography Explorer Series brand and works

Personal Travel Goals

• Take more short haul trips to nearby countries and explore
• Japan 2020 (Hokkaido, Kansai)
• Climb and conquer another mountain peak
• Produce cinematic travel video stories

Striving to Excel, in both personal and professional capacity, for my Year 2020. Come on board, follow me on my photography and travel exploration stories adventures!

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Reading through the details of New Cosmos of Photography 2019 Global Photography Competition website and looking at the entries from previous years, my feel is that this photography competition is not the “usual style” photography competitions that I have seen around the world.

From the New Cosmos of Photography website About Page:

“The New Cosmos of Photography is Canon’s cultural support project to discover, nurture, and support new photographers pursuing new possibilities in creative photographic expression.”

Source: https://global.canon/en/newcosmos/about/index.html  

Although I am not a new photographer, I am thinking of entering New Cosmos of Photography 2019 Global Photography Competition. I would really like to explore more in-depth of my creative photography expression inside me, whereby I am able to bring it out through my personal photography projects.

Let me share more information and details of the New Cosmos of Photography 2019 Global Photo Contest below:

Canon Inc. will begin accepting entries for its New Cosmos of Photography 2019 (42nd edition) photo competition on 17 April. To promote the competition as a global photo contest, experts from outside Japan have once again been invited to judge this year’s competition. 

Entries for New Cosmos of Photography 2019 will be accepted between 17 April to 12 June 2019, while the Excellence Award Selection Committee will meet in July to choose seven Excellence Award winners and fourteen Honorable Mention Award winners. In November, the Grand Prize selection committee is scheduled to meet to select one Grand Prize winner from among the seven Excellence Award-winning entries. 

The Grand Prize winner of this year’s competition will receive JPY 1 million (approx. SGD 12,170) in prize money and a Canon product. As a bonus, the Grand Prize winner will be granted the right to hold a solo exhibit at the exhibition of winning entries for next year’s New Cosmos of Photography. Additionally, to support the continued pursuit of their creative activities, 2019 Excellence Award and Honorable Mention Award winners will each receive prize money and the right to display their works at this year’s exhibition of winning entries.

The New Cosmos of Photography is Canon’s cultural support project to discover, nurture, and support new photographers who pursue new possibilities in creative photographic expression. Launched in 1991, this year marks the 29th iteration of the annual contest, which, since its 25th iteration in 2015, has expanded to accept digital submissions (stills and video). In line with promoting the competition as a global photo contest that elevates photographers and videographers playing an active role in the current art scene, this year’s seven judges will include San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) Curator Emerita of Photography, Sandra Philips, and Japanese photographer, Mikiya Takimoto. 

The New Cosmos of Photography encourages the creation of original works that push the boundaries of photography’s potential and systematically assists and nurtures award winners through exhibitions and published collections of their winning works as well as through publicity on the New Cosmos of Photography website. To date, the New Cosmos of Photography contest has accepted 29,398 entries from both individuals and groups, and has turned out a great number of outstanding photographers who are enjoying widespread success around the world. As a result, the contest has come to be regarded today as a gateway to success for new photographers. 

Last year, the grand prize winner was from Singapore. Mr. Ang Song-Nian’s work ‘Hanging Heavy on My Eyes’ emerged as the winning entry amidst the 1,992 submissions. 

For additional information about this year’s New Cosmos of Photography competition, visit the New Cosmos of Photography homepage at: global.canon/en/newcosmos  

* Information and picture courtesy of Canon Singapore and Ogilvy *

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