Expression of Interest for 2026 closes on December 28!
(16 days after the end of the festival)
YOU WILL BE GIVEN DETAILED SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND TRAINING ON THE SXSW DAM SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE START OF SXSW.
(Instructions will not be posted on this site)
Multiples from every item on the shot list for the type of event you covered
Atmosphere shots Singles of each speaker; happy faces, SXSW branded mics
Include audience shots - especially ones where they are interacting with the speaker/band.
Omit blurry images, misfires, under/over exposed images, blank frames.
Eliminate duplicate shots.
Favor horizontal images.
Favor shots that show clear faces.
Favor shots that show emotion or action.
Audience members smiling, laughing
Choose images that have more than one person so the shot looks like it’s about them.
Make sure you can see at least a few rows of people and that most of them are happy, smiling, laughing.
Include some options with SXSW identification somewhere in the shot if you have them.
Adjust for exposure and contrast.
Make noise correction and sharpening adjustments.
Correct color, fix skin tones.
If you crop your image:
crop to the original ratio
always save an uncropped version of your image (we might ask for it later).
You can submit black and white images ONLY if you also include the color image from which the black and white images originated (even if the color image doesn't look as good as the black and white).
You can retouch distractions out of your photos, but don't let it significantly slow your workflow.
NO WATERMARKS WHATSOEVER.
These include the application of required metadata, exporting as a specific file format and at a specific size, adhering to a file naming convention and uploading photos to the correct location on the SXSW DAM
Post-Processing Instructions will be shared with all Crew members before the start of SXSW
Upload to the SXSW DAM system
You will be required to attend a training session on how to use the DAM and upload photos prior to SXSW
Instructions will be shared with you before SXSW starts. They will not be posted here.