Opportunity, Equality and Photography

In the year 1987, Oaxaca was added to the list of World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The incredible art, culture and spirit of the people has inspired writers such as Carlos Castaneda and Malcolm Lowry, artists such as Francisco Toledo and Rufino Tamayo and is even the birth place of the most respected politician in modern Mexican history, Benito Juarez.

Whilst thriving industrial and economic centres in the north provide the driving force behind Mexico’s economy, Oaxaca has always played an important role in epitomising the essence of Mexican culture. Despite this, photography and photographers in the state of Oaxaca haven’t been able to openly compete at the same level as the other more traditional forms of art and there is an urgent need to provide a platform on which photographers can display their obvious talent and be ‘heard.’

OTZoom is a competition set up by the Oaxaca Times in conjunction with the Centro Fotográfico Alvarez Bravo not only to provide this platform, but also to allow its entrants to compete at an international level without discrimination.

OTZoom has abolished any categories or rulings that put competitors into groups. The reason being that setting aside a category for any one discriminated group implicitly implies that that particular group is not good enough to compete in the same category as the rest. It also discriminates against other minorities which might not have been included who feel that hey deserve a category. In OTZoom, even professionals and non-professionals will be judged together.

Also, after much debate OTZoom has decided that it will only accept digital entries. Purists will state that the magic of photography is lost in a digital camera, but OTZoom would remind these sceptics that a lot of the tricks that can be done electronically can also be done in the dark room. OTZoom believes that the computer is just an extension of the camera.

There will be no fee charged for entrance into the OTZoom photography competition.

The winners will be announced in May and the Prizes will be presented in June

OTZoom has the following objectives:

  • To find the best photographs related to Mexico.
  • To provide a platform for photographers to showcase their talent.
  • To allow photographers to be recognised both nationally and internationally.
  • To provide feedback, direction and encouragement to photographers who have the raw talent but not the training.
  • To eliminate boundaries and allow photographers to compete on equal footing both nationally and interna tionally.
  • To encourage the community involvement in photography.
  • To document modern Mexico (especially Oaxaca State) through the lenses of photographers from a diverse range of backgrounds.
  • To promote Mexico (especially Oaxaca State) by developing a series of postcards using the winning photographs from the OTZoom photography competition and provide winners with a source of income.

More information can be found at:
www.oaxacatimes.com or
by contacting OTZoom at OTZoom@gmail.com

The OTZoom website will be launched on the 16th January 2006. Visit www.otzoom.org