How Bad Do You Want It? Maui Photo Contest

Cold weather, work, responsibility -- how bad do you want to escape? If you're dreaming of relaxing and exploring a true photographer's paradise, five nights in the luxurious Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the Hawaiian island of Maui probably sounds like music to your ears.

The trip, including airfare for two from a North American gateway in the continental U.S., and a rental car to explore black- or white-sand beaches, take the drive to Hana, whale-watch on the Expedition Ferry, climb Haleakala Mountain and/or visit the nearby islands of Lana'i and Moloka'i, could be yours if you win Pop Photo's Maui: How Bad Do You Want It? Photo Contest.

Read more information on popphoto.com.
image © Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

Sony World Photography Awards Competition Ending Soon

The Competition
Throughout the five days and evenings, a series of events will take place amongst over 300 diverse photographs on exhibit, all derived from the three finalists work in each of the 11 professional categories. The exhibition will be open to the public for five days.

On the final evening, (24th April), a spectacular awards ceremony will pay tribute to the photo industry and announce the winners in each professional category as well as the overall amateur winner. One image will be named world photograph of the year and receive the coveted "L’ iris d’Or", including a $25,000 cash prize.

A cocktail reception of 400 VIPs including finalists, Academy Members, photographers, Judges, press and other industry leaders will commence the evening followed by the Awards Ceremony taking place in the Grand Auditorium in front of over 2,000 people.

For Professionals
The Sony World Photography Awards incorporates eleven Professional Award categories with a winner in each category, a Lifetime Achievement Award and proudly presents "L’ iris d’Or" – the Sony World Photography Awards, Photograph of the Year, whose winner claims the $25,000 prize. Three finalists will be nominated in each category with all nominated finalists receiving free accommodation in Cannes along with VIP tickets to the cocktail party, awards ceremony and gala dinner. For further information click on For Professionals.

For Amateurs
The Sony World Photography Awards also recognises amateur photographers and incorporates an Amateur Award, covering eight categories. The winners from each category will be exhibited in Cannes with the overall winner (and guest) being flown to Cannes and put up in a hotel for the Awards presentation. For further information click on For Amateurs.

The deadline is coming up fast - January 31, 2008.

Upcoming Contest Deadlines And Events

Jan. 15:

IPN Go Indie Contest Extended Deadline Entries are being accepted in the second annual GO INDIE contest, sponsored by IPNStock (a partner of PDN within Nielsen Business Media). The contest is open to amateurs and professionals. Details at http://www.goindiecontest.com/.

Jan. 15:

PDN Photo Annual Annual Contest Extended Deadline The PDN Photo Annual Contest is accepting entries through the extended deadline of Jan. 15. Categories include Advertising, Magazine / Editorial, Photo Books, Photojournalism, Corporate Design, Personal, Stock Photography, Web Sites And Student Work. Details are at http://www.pdnphotoannual.com/.

Jan. 18:

Pictures of the Year International Deadline January 18 is the deadline for the University of Missouri School of Journalism's 65th Annual Pictures of the Year International contest. A call for entries will be posted Dec. 10. Details online at poy.org.

Jan. 18:

Art Directors Club Award Deadline The deadline to enter the 87th Annual Art Directors Club Awards is Jan. 18. The awards include a photography division with various editorial and advertising categories. Details on the ADC Web site.

Jan. 18:

Center Project Competition Deadline Center (formerly the Santa Fe Center for Photography) is accepting entries in three competitions, all with a deadline of Jan. 18. Photographers may enter work in the 14th annual Project Competition, which supports long-term documentary projects and fine-art series; The Singular Image, which recognizes individual photos; and Review Santa Fe, a two-day conference for photographers featuring portfolio reviews. Details at visitcenter.org/.

Jan. 20:

Magenta Emerging Photographers Exchange Deadline The Magenta Foundation is accepting entries in its fourth annual Emerging Photographers exchange. The contest is open to photographers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. under the age of 34, with a top prize of $5,000. The deadline is Jan. 20, 2008. Details online here.

Jan. 21:

Blue Earth Alliance project submission deadline Blue Earth Alliance is a non-profit organization that sponsors photography projects that educate the public about threatened cultures, endangered environments and other social concerns. (The alliance provides financial and professional support, though the photographer is primarily responsible for developing funding requests for the project.) The next submission deadline is Jan. 21. Submission guidelines and other details are available online here.

Jan. 30:

Overseas Press Club Awards Deadline Entries are being accepted for the Overseas Press Club Awards, including several categories for photographic reporting abroad. OPC awards include the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award (for photography reporting requiring exceptional courage and enterprise), the Oliver Rebbot Award (for magazines and books), the John Faber Award (for newspapers or wire services) and the Feature Photography Award. The entry deadline is Jan. 30. Complete details and an entry form are available online here.

Jan. 31:

Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize Deadline The $20,000 Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University recognizes collaboration between a writer and a photographer on a documentary project. The deadline to enter is Jan. 31, 2008. Details online here.

Feb. 1:

NPPA Best of Photojournalism Deadline The deadline for the National Press Photographers Association Best of Photojournalism 2008 contest is Feb. 1. Entries are now being accepted in categories in four divisions: Still Photography, Photo Editing, Web Sites and (TV) News Video. Details online at bop.nppa.org.

Feb. 15:

Center for Photography at Woodstock Photography Now Deadline Entries are being accepted for the Center for Photography at Woodstock’s annual Photography Now exhibition. The deadline to enter is Feb. 15. Details online at http://www.cpw.org/.

March 15:

The Great Outdoors Photo Contest PDN and National Geographic Traveler co-sponsor The Great Outdoors Photo Contest, which has separate amateur and professional divisions. Entries are being accepted in categories of Scenics of The Natural World, Outdoor Sports And Activities, Parks, Islands and Underwater, and Gardens. The deadline is March 15 with an extended deadline of March 31. Details at http://www.thegreatoutdoorscontest.com/.

Fujifilm Sponsors Rainforest Alliance Photo Contest

National Contest to Build Awareness for Conservation through Photography; Prizes Include Trips to New York City and the Galapagos Islands and Fujifilm Pro Digital Cameras

“Fujifilm believes that sustainable development is the most important issue for our planet, the human race, and all business entities in the 21st century,” said Bert Aerts, president of Fujifilm Hunt Chemicals USA, and a member of the Rainforest Alliance’s board of directors. “Fujifilm’s global Green Policy aims to stay at the forefront of efforts to attain this goal in terms of our company’s impact on the environment -- and we are proud to partner with the Rainforest Alliance in this unique effort.”

US residents are invited to submit photos illustrating sustainable agriculture, forestry and tourism. The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit conservation organization.

To qualify, photos must be submitted to raphotocontest.org by March 15, 2008. The winners will be announced on the Rainforest Alliance’s Web site rainforest-alliance.org on April 18, 2008.

NPPA 2008 Best Of Photojournalism Contest

The National Press Photographers Association's 2008 Best Of Photojournalism contest is now officially open for entries, and some new rules and a few category changes are now posted on NPPA's Web site.

There are no entry fees for NPPA's Best Of Photojournalism competition and the contest is open to all photographers, picture editors, and Web site producers around the world, not just NPPA's members. Helpful "How To Enter" resources are also available online in English, French, German, and Russian.

The online entry mechanism is quick and easy, and NPPA staff in Durham are standing by to help with answers to any of your questions.

All entrants must obtain a Contest Identification Code to enter any division of the contest. Please go to this link to log in, and you will be automatically registered for the contest.

The Best Of Photojournalism contest committee said they made several rule changes this year in an effort to sharpen competition and highlight new stories, as well as to reflect the changing face of photojournalism around the world.

Major changes this year include:

The Still Photography division adds several categories, and eliminates some others.

• Last year's Humor category has been eliminated.

• The Road to Office documents the essence of the campaign trail and its impact on a candidate for elected office.

• Individual and Team Sports Action have been merged, and a new category, Sporting Field of Play, has been added.

• A new category has been created to recognize Non-traditional Photojournalism Publishing by independent presses, boutique wire services, photojournalism agencies, and the like.

• The Natural Disaster Picture Story and Environmental Picture Story categories have been merged.

• A new Investigative Issue Picture Story category has been created for watchdog reporting and in-depth documentary work.

The Web Site division sees some category changes as well, but there are also more fundamental changes to the site classification system, to recognize great work that has been done in the last year and to level the playing field within each class.

• The size cutoff for Large sites has been moved down to 1 million unique views per month, which will allow several mid-sized sites to compete against the larger sites.

• Bloggers are getting moved up as well, to compete directly against other Independent sites. The blog-only categories no longer exist.

• There are now Web Video categories in the Web Sites division, in addition to those in the Video News Photography division. The categories and judging focus are different in the two divisions, so entrants are encouraged to read the rules carefully in deciding where to enter.

To read all of the rules in detail, please visit bop.nppa.org.

The 2007 Best Of Photojournalism competition drew entries of more than 55,000 still images and layouts, over 1,500 Web sites, and over 900 video entries from more than 50 countries around the world. NPPA contest coordinator Thomas Kenniff said that he expects the rule changes will sharpen competition and highlight emerging trends and stories, and that he expects the 2008 Best Of Photojournalism contest to be the biggest and most exciting year ever in the competition's seven year history.

Kenniff reminds contest participants that the entry period ends February 1, 2008, this time and that this year's entry period is one week shorter than in the past. "While we know photojournalists are deadline-driven, NPPA encourages everyone to get their submissions in as early as possible," Kenniff said. NPPA expects more entries this year than ever before, and with the shorter entry window the contest committee expects that the last-minute crush is likely to be significantly more intense than in previous years.

This year's Best Of Photojournalism competition is sponsored by Canon and The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Judges for the four divisions of competition will be announced at a later date.

For more information on NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism contest please visit bop.nppa.org or contact Kenniff at contests@nppa.org.

The Best Of Photojournalism is sponsored by Canon, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, and the National Press Photographers Association.

Carl Zeiss "Best of 2007" Photo Contest

Now that 2007 is history, a current Carl Zeiss AG contest is seeking your best photos from 2007 using a Zeiss lens.

There are two categories for the contest, which is open only to photographs captured using a Carl Zeiss lens. The first category is specific to photos taken with Logitech webcams, Nokia cell phones, and Sony compact or bridge cameras. The second category is expanded to submissions from SLR, rangefinder or medium format camera users. In both cases, submissions will apparently be judged on creativity and composition.

All submissions must be completed by 7th January 2008, and only one photo submission per photographer is accepted. There are ten prizes in each category, with only the grand prize differing between the two. The winner of the first category will receive a Nokia N95 8GB camera phone, while the winner in the second category will receive any ZM, ZF, ZK or ZS mount Carl Zeiss lens of their choice (excluding the Distagon T* 2.8/15 ZM and Sonnar T* 2/85 ZM). In either category, second place will merit a set of Carl Zeiss Conquest 8x20 binoculars, and third place will receive a Logitech Quickcam Orbit MP webcam. Fourth through tenth places in each category will receive a Carl Zeiss lens cleaning kit and 30 pre-moistened optical cleaning cloths.

For more details, visit the Carl Zeiss website and click on the Conditions or Participation Form links.

Fifth Official Lensbaby Photo Contest Ends Monday 12.17.07

Lensbabies recently launched the Fifth Official Lensbaby Photo Contest. The theme of the competition is Creative Bokeh, and entries must be taken with a Lensbaby lens and a creative aperture. Entrants are encouraged to use the Lensbaby Creative Aperture Kit to cut their own apertures and capture original shapes and effects in blurred specular highlights. The kit works with Lensbaby 2.0 and 3G lenses. Lensbabies recommends that photographers using the Original Lensbaby craft their own aperture discs out of plastic, paper, or cardboard to participate in the contest. Photographs taken with standard round Lensbaby aperture discs are not eligible.

The Lensbabies Web site will accept submissions until noon PDT on December 17, 2007. Lensbabies has invited PopPhoto.com Online Technology Editor Jack Howard to judge the submitted images on the basis of originality, visual impact, technical proficiency, and adherence to the Creative Bokeh theme. The photographer who submits the image he selects will be awarded a Manfrotto 718B tripod and a one-year subscription to Popular Photography & Imaging Magazine.

A Popular Vote Prize will also be awarded to the photographer who captures the image selected by members of the online Lensbabies Friends Forum. The Popular Vote winner will also receive a Manfrotto 718B tripod and a one-year subscription to Popular Photography & Imaging.

Winners will be announced on December 21, 2007: For complete contest rules, go to the Lensbabies Web site.

Photo Assistants Put To The Test

Being a photo assistant is a notoriously grueling job -- and often a thankless one. But for the five members of the winning team at Sunday's Assistant's Hexathlon in New York, all the backbreaking work and sleep-obliterating hours paid off in a very tangible way.

The top team -- Steve Zadrozny, Esteban Aladro, Zach Callahan, Gabriela Herman, and Anthony Cunanan -- won a bag of prizes that included a Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Digital Elph, a Lenbaby 3G, and a $100 Fotocare gift certificate. The second- and third-place teams took home smaller prizes. And, of course, all participants received their very own roll of gaffers tape from Set Shop.

Read more about this interesting contest.

FujiFilm Announces New “Get A Grip” Promotion For FinePix S5 Pro

“With this new promotion, we’re happy to make it easier for those photographers who have been waiting for the opportunity to get the S5 Pro,” says Darin Pepple, consumer and professional marketing manager with Fujifilm’s Electronic Imaging Division. “And the new Power Grip provides a useful, proven tool for the professional photographer.”

Professional photographers can take advantage of this new promotion that enables them to purchase a FinePix S5 Pro camera at the reduced price of $1,699.95 – a $200 savings. In addition, Fujifilm is also offering professional photographers a free Power Grip, plus a Pantone Huey™ Pro* with purchase of the S5 Pro Body Only Kit, a savings of $280 with mail-in rebate.

Available only through authorized Fujifilm dealers, the “Get a Grip” promotion represents a total savings of $480.

For more information on the FinePix S5 Pro, visit Fujifilm USA.
*Pantone Huey standard edition will be mailed out with an option for a FREE upgrade to Huey Pro via online software download from Pantone.

Prestigious International Underwater Photography Competition

Popular websites Wetpixel.com and DivePhotoGuide.com, in association with Our World Underwater, one of the largest consumer dive shows in the US, celebrate the beauty and delicacy of the marine environment with the announcement of the 3rd annual, international underwater photography and video competition. The competition has become the "Superbowl" of international underwater imagery competitions, with world-class prizes, major industry involvement, celebrity judges, and the opportunity to have your images showcased to the world as some of the best. Truly an international competition, last year winners hailed from 17 different countries.

The official competition website has links to entry forms, guidelines prizes and more information: underwatercompetition.com

Photographers will compete in seven still-image categories and two video categories, to win more than $50,000 in prizes including premium dive travel, underwater photo, video and diving equipment and more! Dive packages include trips to some of the top photo destinations in the world, including Socorro, Wakatobi-Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Ambon-Indonesia, the Red Sea, Grand Cayman, the Solomon Islands and Vietnam! Other prizes include housings, strobes, lighting systems, signed books and other valuable items.

The competition includes a category for images that focus on conservation and the marine environment, and one specifically for entries taken by compact digital cameras. All compact camera entrants will receive one free lesson from TheUnderwaterPhotographer.com

Prestigious judges include leading professional underwater photographers, cinematographers and editors.

Deadline for submissions Jan 13, 2008

Winners will be announced live on stage at the 2008 Our World Underwater film festival in Chicago, Illinois (February 15-17, 2008), and will be published by our supporting media partners worldwide. Winning videos will be broadcast via podcast as episodes of the iTunes-featured DiveFilm Podcast Video and DiveFilm High Definition Podcast Video

As with all UnderwaterCompetition.com events, 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.

For more information, please contact: contest@divephotoguide.com.

Olympus Photo Contest Winners Shoot At US Open

Olympus Imaging America today announced winners of its national sweepstakes, which is sending five lucky tennis fans and their doubles partners on a weekend getaway (August 31- September 2, 2007) in New York City to experience the fast action and excitement of the 2007 US Open Tennis Championships . The winners of this dream trip are: Karen Woodby of Jonesborough , TN ; Alex Dixon of Clatskanie , OR ; Harriet Ahr of Inverness , IL ; Rosemarie Keyser of Naples , FL ; and Mary Walter of Ormond Beach , FL. Winners are receiving hotel, airfare, spending cash and two admission tickets to the world-class tennis tournament, including exclusive access to designated professional photography locations at the event, enabling them to capture the on-court and behind-the-scenes drama .

The winners are shooting with the newly available Olympus E-410 and the E-510 digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras, both of which are highly regarded for the ability to take live action shots . The winners’ access to the tournament begins in the Olympus suite located at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where they are coached by Olympus Visionary Jim Sugar, an award-winning photographer, on best techniques for shooting nonstop tennis action. Access also includes the Olympus Photographers’ Lounge and other elite locations, where capturing great pictures is a snap. The ultimate experience is in the photographers’ pit, where the winners shoot where the professional photographers work, capturing amazing up-close images.

“The sweepstakes is one of the many elements we are implementing as the official camera sponsor of the US Open 2007,” said Mark Huggins, executive director, Brand Marketing, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Each element showcases how consumers can capture amazing photos using Olympus cameras.”

Upcoming Photo Events And Contests

Upcoming Photo Events And Contests provided by National Geographic Traveler, Corbis, Advertising Photographers of America and Travel Photographer of the Year.

Enter Sigma's "Summer Dreams" Photo Contest By September 30th

Sigma has announced its “Summer Dreams” photo contest, the third in a series of four. The contest calls for photos with a summer theme taken with a Sigma lens.

Entires will be accepted through Sept. 30. Three winners will be notified by Oct. 31. First prize is a Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM lens, retailing at $1,050; second prize is a Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DC MACRO, retailing at $590; and third prize is a Sigma MACRO 70mm F2.8 EX DG, retailing at $570.

The photo can contain any subject, although model permission is necessary for use of people. Photos will be judged on composure, image quality, and theme relevance.

After the completion of the “Summer Dreams” contest, a fourth contest will be announced. The final contet will be only be open to the winners and honorable mention photographers from “Summer Dreams” and Sigma’s first two contests, “A Perfect World” and “Faces in Nature.” The contests are open to U.S. residents only.

For more details visit the Sigma website.

New Photo Contest Awards Hybrid SUV

The National Park Foundation and Ford Motor Company are sponsoring a photography contest that will award some extravagant prizes. The 2007 Federal Recreational Lands Share the Experience Photo Contest will give a Ford Escape Hybrid sports utility vehicle, a trip for four to any federal recreation land, a digital camera, and an all-in-one photo printer to the grand prize winner. Second, third, and fourth prizes will include cameras and travel awards, and ten honorable mention winners will receive smaller prizes. The grand-prize-winning photo will be displayed on the 2009 Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

The 2007 Share the Experience Photo Contest will be open for submissions through December 31, 2007. Legal U.S. residents at least 18 years of age can enter by submitting up to three photos taken in one of the Federal Recreation Agency Lands during 2007.

According to the Share the Experience rules, submitted photos will be judged on "creativity; photographic quality; visual appeal; appropriateness; ability to show diversity and the richness of the Federal Recreation Lands." Winners will be announced in late May 2008.

Official rules and submission instructions are available on the Share the Experience Web site.

FujiFilm Announces Z-Inspiration Photo Contest.

Grand Prize Winners To Be ‘Hooked Up’ With VIP Trip To New York City - Get into the Z-Inspiration Photo Contest.

In celebration of the recently announced FinePix Z10fd, the brand-new digital camera designed specifically for the social networking lifestyle of today’s digital natives, Fujifilm encourages Generation ‘Z’-ers to unleash their creativity and photographic talents by submitting original photos inspired by the letter “Z”. Four lucky winners will win a VIP trip to New York City to attend the Z10 Launch Party in October.

Starting today, August 1, 2007, photographers of all levels aged 18-25 can upload their entries through August 31, 2007 for the Z-Inspiration Photo Contest via the online form at the new Z10 web site, http://www.offzhook.com/. Four lucky Grand Prize winners will receive a VIP trip for two to New York City from October 23-26, 2007 to attend Fujifilm’s Z10 Launch Party. They’ll be on-hand to serve as correspondents, and deliver first-hand online pictorial accounts of the exciting blow-out at the famous Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, one of New York City’s premier music venues. The trip will include $500 spending money, a NYC Helicopter tour and 2 Fujifilm FinePix Z10fd digital cameras.

Also launching today, http://www.offzhook.com is the official website for the FinePix Z10fd. It is the place to go to find out more about the camera, get ‘Goodeez’ such as downloadable ring tones and wallpapers, and pre-register for another exciting contest with great prizes to be announced next month…plus much more!

Garden Photographer Of The Year 2008 Contest

The Garden Photographer of the Year competition has issued an international call for entries in its 2008 contest. Amateur and professional photographers can submit single images or portfolios to the competition until January 31, 2008. The top 100 images selected by a panel of judges will be exhibited at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, from May to September 2008, alongside the images of established garden and landscape photographers.

Prizes that have not yet been announced will be awarded to a winner and two runners up for both single images and portfolios. A small fee is required to enter, and photographs and portfolios may be submitted in the following categories:

My Garden
Garden Views
Plant Portrait
Life in the Garden
Trees

Photographers under the age of 16 can enter their work for free to compete for the Young Garden Photographer of the Year award. In addition, entries received before July 31, 2007 will be judged in a preliminary competition that will award ten winners a copy of the recently published book The Art of Flower and Garden Photography, by Clive Nichols.

Further details on the Garden Photographer of the Year 2008 contest are available at the competition's Web site.
Provided by Aimee Baldridge of popphoto.com

Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest

Canon USA Photography in the Parks News Release

From the beaches of the eastern seaboard to the Great Plains, and from the wetlands of the south, to the towering sequoias of the west, America and its pristine parks have always been hailed as top destination sites for photography enthusiasts and their families. Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the American Park Network continue to help define the relationship between photography and the great outdoors with the introduction of a free photography workshop program on select dates throughout the summer in Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks. These programs will be artfully hosted and instructed by a select few of the world renowned Canon Explorer of Light photographers including Adam Jones and Lewis Kemper, along with other Canon-selected photographers such as Rob and Ann Simpson. What’s more, the Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest* returns this year to offer photographers the chance to display their work and win prizes in the categories of landscape and wildlife photography in the parks.

“Photography affords an entirely new perspective of the natural world that surrounds us every day, both in our national parks, and in our own backyards,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “As a global organization, Canon understands its responsibility for the impact it makes on society and the environment. Canon is guided by the philosophy of Kyosei – ‘all people regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living together and working into the future.’ Through our involvement in the parks, we hope to strengthen Canon’s commitment to conservation.”

The Canon Photography in the Parks Photo ContestFrom June 1st to September 29th, photographic enthusiasts are encouraged to submit their favorite photographs from an American park to the Canon Digital Learning Center. Winning photographs in the categories of landscape and wildlife will win a trip to the participating parks of their choice, along with a full suite of Canon photographic equipment. By logging onto the Canon Digital Learning Center at http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc, potential winners will not only have the opportunity to submit their photos, but can also peruse the Web site to explore the various educational resources that Canon has to offer for novices and advanced photographers alike.

Photography in the Parks WorkshopsWith the help of the Canon Explorer of Light program, Canon’s elite roster of the most influential photographers in the world, park visitors will have the opportunity to participate in free daily guided visual photographic journeys. Additionally, Canon will loan participants top-tier digital camera equipment to capture those awe-inspiring sights at no additional cost. Aspiring photographers will learn the tips and tricks to taking great outdoor photos and experience hands-on training using some of the same equipment that professional photographers use. Evening programs are also offered, providing visitors the rare opportunity to spend time with the Explorers of Light, view stunning imagery, ask questions, and receive prints and a CD of their own photos.

“It’s rare that we get the chance to share our passion for photography with people that are so eager to learn,” stated Adam Jones, professional photographer and Canon Explorer of Light. “As far as wildlife and landscape photography goes, these three parks are among the best locations the Earth has to offer. I look forward to teaching the tips and tricks I’ve used that will help to create photographs that can compete in the Canon in the Parks Photo Contest.”

For more information visit the Canon website.

International Photography Competition For Young People

The community development organization Plan International and Shoot Experience, a creative events company, have launched an international photography competition for young people. Shoot Nations 2007 will accept submissions that address the theme of governance between June 15 and July 20, 2007. Entrants must be between 11 and 24 years of age. Winners will be chosen in two age categories, 11 to 16 and 17 to 24.

Young people taking photographs to submit can choose one of two "briefs" on governance to address with three photos. The first asks that the photos address the questions, "What upsets you?" "What could you do about it?" and "Who listens to you?" The second brief proposes the questions, "Who do you look up to?" "Who rules?" and "Where are they?"

In several cities around the world, including London, Berlin, Madrid, Dakar, and Delhi, workshops on photography and governance will be held in conjunction with the competition. Submitted photographs will also be exhibited in the selected cities, with the London exhibition taking place at the Tate Modern gallery. Forty-eight top images selected by a panel of photographers will be presented at the United Nations headquarters in New York for International Youth Day in August 2007, and submitted photos will also be displayed online. Numerous prizes will be awarded for the winning images, including a grand prize of an Olympus digital SLR.

Further information is available on the Shoot Nations Web site.

Westcott Photo Basics Photo Contest

Westcott is offering their Photo Basics by Westcott customers the chance to have their photos published in Popular Photography & Imaging.Contestants must use a Photo Basics lighting kit to create and submit an image for the chance to win one of three prizes.

The grand prize winner will have their photo published in Pop Photo. Second place earns the photographer recognition of their imagery on http://www.photobasics.net/, and all three prize winners will receive a one-year subscription to Popular Photography & Imaging. The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2007. Details are available and submissions can be made on the Photo Basics web site.

Sony And Reuters Launch Photo Contest

Reuters and Sony Electronics have launched the "Take Your Best Shot" citizen photojournalism contest. Open to photographers and videographers in the United States, the contest will accept images of newsworthy events that appeal to a wide audience. Entries may be submitted until July 2, 2007, to the Yahoo!/Reuters You Witness News citizen photojournalism site, and will be evaluated by a panel of judges assembled by Reuters.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a Sony HDR-HC5 High Definition Handycam camcorder and a trip to New York to accompany a Reuters photographer for a day. Two semifinalists will each be awarded a Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K digital SLR.

Official contest rules are available on the Reuters Web site.