So you're interested in winning a free print? Well you're in the right place.

Background:

I had been trying to come up with a way to use Instagram(1) to interact directly with you as an audience but also to be able to share my work and maybe talk about it too.

So I came up with a concept for posting batch entries on Instagram. I separate all the info/captions/deets on the tops of my posts with a divider line and everything below the divider is something completely unrelated —but also very fun —and sometimes it might also be related to the picture itself.

It has been important to me from the start that my work be both accessible and affordable for people and one of my goals is to keep it that way. It's also important to me to give back to the peeps who show love and support me even if they don’t/can't buy prints/merch.

So as a way to give back I started doing print giveaways to give something unique and tangible back to my supporters. And because I love games I wanted to have multiple ways to earn prints in these giveaways.

So here are the rules and guidelines if you want to win a free print:

DIBS:

1. Legally, I'm obligated to respect "dibs" or "first" OR  "Shotgun" so in any series of posts that I do someone can claim dibs/first/shotgun if they are the first person to comment on a picture.

2. —BUT I also believe that you should read all the rules first so dibs/first/shotgun only counts on either the 6th or the 9th slide of any given batch post (e.g. post labeled 6/21 or 9/21).

3. Each successful d/f/sg counts as one point and after three points you can cash in on any unclaimed print. (19/32)

Growing the audience

1. What if you did something crazy like tagging a friend in the comments of a picture you think they might like and your friend DOES like it and starts following me?!

2. Well if you do some crazy shit like THAT and you're definitely getting a point!

3. Three friends follow me and BOOM you're in FREE PRINT CITY #FPC and can claim any unclaimed print.

4. Feel free to tag three friends (or more) in one comment that is totally cool. If three people follow me because of your comment you just punched your ticket to FPC.

And if you don't know Free Print City… Well… Free Print City is NICE! You could get a print of the photo that you tagged your friend on (if it's still unclaimed!). And if you wanted you could even gift the print to the friend you tagged. OR if you were the one who was tagged but you also tagged (at least) three friends who then became followers so now you're the one getting a free print then YOU can gift the print to the friend who originally tagged you! Or you could keep the print. Really at that point it's yours to do whatever you want with so I don’t know why you're being weird about it.

Caption Contest

1. As a comedian/joke writer I am also legally required to have a caption contest option.

2. Caption 5 photos and you're in Free Print City and can claim any unclaimed print.

Code words

1. For the people who are truly invested in me and subscribe to my monthly newsletter there will be a codeword in each month's newsletter.

2. The first person to type this codeword into the comments of any unclaimed photo on Instagram will receive that print.

Unclaimed Prints:

What's an unclaimed print, you say?

Great Question. I will print a "home print"/"Test print" (a.k.a. "testie") of any given photo only ONE time. These are the prints that will be offered in my giveaways. Once one of these prints is earned, it is formally out of play.

An unclaimed print means one of the photos in my batch postings (which started on 2/6/23) that has not been earned/claimed yet.

If you have earned enough points to claim an unclaimed print you may do so by commenting on the picture you wish to claim. Nothing official needs to be said but something similar to the example below should do:

Example: "I hereby declare, that on this 17th day, of the fourth month, of the year 2023, that this print is now claimed by me, Richard Richard Richards, of house Gryffindor!"

Fine print:

Whichever game(s) you play, you cannot mix and match points.

One person can only win each game, one time.

Players who win a print in all four of the categories above will be sent a very special reward.

Games offered are subject to change and can be cancelled at any time however the intention is for all contests listed above to remain open through 7/31/23.

Alternate ways to win

I almost forgot: Wolfy (foster child) said you can also earn a print by either "picking up 50 pennies [off the street] in one month" or by "doing 15 good deeds in one month."

***I am VERY open to these suggestions, but you must provide proof in either case.

International Disclaimer:

Unfortunately, I've only mapped this out for people living in the continental US right now so my first international winner may be the last (for a while) depending on the costs but we'll just cross that bridge when we get there.

Notes

(1) For the record: I hate the idea of people experiencing my work solely on Instagram. This is because most of my work is landscape 3:2 ratio work and Insta is geared for 4:5 portrait orientation photos (and videos) and that means my pictures on that platform are typically viewed using only 1/3 of an already small cell phone screen, which I don't love. That and the fact that people on Insta only look at posts for half a second before scrolling past (Let's just say I know how this goes from personal experience...). Oh and lastly, because Zuckerberg is a soulless, destructive, sack of shit (#IDontFuckWithBillionaires) and social media in general can blow it out it's whole asshole. Other than that, I have no problems with Instagram.

Also for the record: I am using Insta as a necessary evil until I can either find a better alternative or work out a suitable exit plan.