Friday, July 31, 2009

Pacifico Beer Launches Epic Adventure Photo Contest

Pacifico beer is asking fans of the authentic pilsner to upload photos of their adventures for the chance to live the Pacifico lifestyle and win an "Epic Adventure" of their own. The contest, which launches July 8, 2009 on www.MexicoViaPacifico.com, enables consumers to submit photos for the opportunity to win a surf trip for four with professional surfer Joel Tudor, along with other great prizes.

Pacifico has always been a beer for the adventurous, fond of off-the-beaten-path destinations, especially given that the beer was originally discovered by west coast surfers on trips to Baja California, Mexico.

Prizes for the Pacifico Epic Adventure Contest include:

One grand prize winner will win a trip for four to the Moana Resort on Waikiki Beach in Oahu for five days and four nights and surf lessons from professional surfer Joel Tudor, considered one of the best longboard surfers in the world
Five first prize winners will receive their choice of a shortboard, longboard or stand-up paddle board from Surftech
50 second prize winners will receive a one-year subscription to Surfer Magazine
To enter, consumers can submit up to three photos of their own epic adventure on www.MexicoViaPacifico.com from July 8 to September 15, 2009. Upon completion of the submission period, the photos will be judged by a panel of experts including a Pacifico representative, professional surfer Joel Tudor and Grant Ellis, photo editor of Surfer Magazine. Photos will be judged on aesthetics as well as the degree of epic-ness of adventure, but Pacifico is leaving it up to consumers to decide what they consider an epic adventure.

"Pacifico drinkers tend to live life to the fullest and find adventure wherever they are," said John Swiatowiec, director of off-premise national accounts retail marketing for Crown Imports, the U.S. importer of Pacifico. "Whether it's a photo of someone scaling a mountain top or celebrating a big night on the town, we're interested in seeing adventures from all fans of Pacifico."

Consumers must be over the age of 21 to enter the contest. Due to legal restrictions, residents of California and Utah are not eligible to participate.

Monday, July 27, 2009

ASMP Receives Funds from Authors Coalition

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has announced that the association has received $263,000 from the Authors Coalition of America (ACA), an organization which distributes money collected for copying non-title-specific works abroad, primarily in Scandinavia and Europe. Non-title-specific works are those that cannot be identified individually or by copyright owner.

Distributions are made periodically by ACA to visual arts organization members on the basis of an established formula, and funds are designated for use solely in industry education and advocacy. ASMP is the premier trade association for photographers who create images primarily for publication, and the association is a leader in providing professional photographers with business education and protecting their rights.

According to ASMP President Richard Kelly, of Pittsburgh-based Richard Kelly Photography, "We are pleased that this distribution enables our association to continue to support the needs of photographers at this pivotal time of change in the profession and the world." ASMP Executive Director Eugene Mopsik added, "This funding allows ASMP to further our educational outreach to the photography community by providing training in vital skills and fostering new ideas for our 7,000 members and many others." ASMP recently announced the development of educational tools for the industry which are available free of charge to all interested photographers at http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/.

DSLR Short Film Contest Seeking Entries

StudioDaily's Dailyfilm.tv has announced the DSLR Short Film Contest, seeking to benchmark the top narrative short, documentary or music video. The winners will be showcased in an online film festival in the fall.

Sponsored by Redrock Micro and presented by StudioDaily, filmmakers will be challenged to create a video using a DSLR camera (such as the Nikon D90, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II or the Panasonic DMC-GH1). Video entries will be judged based on the following criteria: originality, technical ability, creativity, and appeal to worldwide audience. The call for entries deadline is September 18, 2009.

Entries will be judged by a distinguished panel of photographers, cinematographers and filmmakers including Vincent Laforet, Michael Grecco, and Rodney Charters from the Fox television series 24.

All participants can enter online at http://www.dailyfilm.tv/festivals/dailyfilmtv-dslr-short-film-contest

The Dailyfilm.tv competition includes more than $10,000 in prizes - awarded weekly. Prizes are professional accessories for DSLR cameras in each of the three categories (narrative, documentary, music video).

First Place Prize: Redrock Micro eyeSpy Deluxe Bundle DSLR rig (retail $1,445)

Second Place Prize: Redrock Micro Captain Stubling rig (retail $975)

Third Place Prize: Choice of a Redrock Micro microMatteBox Deluxe ($735) or microFollowFocus v2 Indie Bundle ($675).

Additionally, each week accessories from Redrock Micro will be awarded.

Winners will be announced in early October. The winning videos will be hosted in the Winners Circle on Dailyfilm.tv and highlighted on StudioDaily.com, as well as promoted by Redrock Micro. PLUS videos will be featured on CableFAX.com - seen by top executives from all major cable networks.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Last Call for Entries: American Humane Association's Pets & Pals Photo Contest

Time is running out to enter photos in American Humane's 2009 Pets & Pals Photo Contest to compete for two $1,000 grand prizes and four $500 category prizes. This popular annual competition encourages photographers of all skill levels to send in shots of companion animals and farm animals, as well as photos portraying the bond between people and animals. There is no limit on the number of photos each participant may submit, but entries must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2009.

2009 Pets & Pals Photo Contest Categories:

1. Pets -- Whether they're dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds or lizards, they're your pets and you love them!
This category is open to pictures of one or more pets or companion animals of any species.

2. People & Pets -- What are we without our pets, and what are our pets without us? Honor a special human-animal bond.
This category is open to pictures of one or more companion animals with one or more people.

3. Down on the Farm -- Take your pick of the many animals found on a farm and capture a unique shot.

This category is open to pictures of one or more farm or ranch animals.

4. Shelter Life -- At an animal shelter, amazing, devoted people take care of homeless animals waiting to be adopted. Snap a shot honoring both the animals and the professionals.

This category is open to pictures of shelter staff, volunteers, veterinarians, and animal control professionals and/or animals, in shelter settings.

Entries, including Official Application and Release Form, should be sent to American Humane at 63 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, Colorado, 80112. All entries must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2009, and received no later than Aug. 7, 2009. Visit www.americanhumane.org/petsandpals for submission guidelines, the required form, and rules.

Vistek launches "Capture Canada" summer photo contest

As photo contests go, they don't get any bigger than this: Vistek's Capture Canada Contest - the challenge to capture a country as big and as beautiful as Canada.

In this photo shoot that goes on until September 13, photographers are given the whole country to work with and are challenged to digitally capture an image that smacks of Canadiana. And that image can be of a famous landscape, an individual, a scenic site, a city, or a shot of Canadians enjoying summer. The options are wide open.

Vistek's Capture Canada features tons of prizes AND chances to win. In addition to a GRAND PRIZE WINNER there are a total of 16 incredible prize packages - worth over $12,500. Packages include Louis Garneau touring bikes, a Nikon camera, Epson printers, and paper packages from Moab. The contest is open to photographers 18 and over.

Full contest details and rules are available at www.vistek.ca/marketing/contests/photo-contest

Monday, July 13, 2009

Seeking Best Original Pet Photo Book

Bark Avenue Press, the publisher for pet lovers, is launching a Dog Days of Summer promotion, looking for the best original pet photo book designs. Each new photo book entered between June 22 and September 22, 2009, using the free BAP!t software, will be eligible. The Top Dog and two runners up will receive cash prizes, and have an equal amount donated to a pet-related charity.

"Dogs will share the stage as we encourage pet owners of all kinds to participate. We want to show people just how easy and rewarding it is to create a custom, professional quality book. Animals are a special part of the family and photo books make beautiful keepsakes to showcase special occasions, share vacation memories, or just for fun," said Linda Kush, President, Bark Avenue Press. "At the same time, this is a great opportunity to give back to the pet community to help animals in need."

Bark Avenue Press helps pet owners unleash their creativity and design beautiful and unique photo books, pet calendars and other printed products through its easy-to-use BAP!t software. Simply download the free software. Use the templates and backgrounds provided, or create a unique design. Add photos, text, then, when finished, hit the "send it to BAP!t" button. The design is professionally printed and mailed in about five days.

Contestants are not required to purchase a product for the Dog Days of Summer promotion. For any photo books designed and purchased, Bark Avenue Press will donate 25% of the sale price to charity. Complete rules, guidelines and a list of charities are available on the BAP!t site at: http://www.bapit.com/s-29-contest.aspx.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Viewbook PhotoStory Call For Entries

Viewbook PhotoStory, a new contemporary photography contest opened its submissions today, encouraging all documentary and conceptual photographers around the world to submit their most compelling series of photographs; photo stories that are judged by the public and an internationally renowned jury.

Viewbook PhotoStory 2009 challenges documentary and conceptual photographers around the world to create compelling stories with a linear series of photographs in an online gallery. Every professional photographer or emerging talent can easily submit their series free of charge using a 60 day, no obligation, Viewbook Pro account. ’With this competition we aim to inspire each other with photographic creativity and generate international publicity for the most talented entrants.’, says Peter Bas Mensink, publisher of GUP magazine and co-initiator of the competition.

An international jury consisting of Marcel Feil, (curator of FOAM museum) Lauren Heinz (Editor Foto8.com) and Alison Zavos (editor Featureshoot.com) and other industry professionals assess the photo stories on their overall impact and photographic excellence. The first price winners receive international publications & lifelong subscriptions with a value exceeding $12,000. The best photo series get published in the Viewbook PhotoStory 2009 book.

All pre-selected entries appear on the viewbookphotostory.com website, where everyone can view the photographic narratives and vote on their favorites. ’We want this to be an online event that everyone can be part of, says Peter Bas. The public decides which photographers win the special public prices.’

Viewbook PhotoStory is initiated by www.viewbook.com and GUP magazine, backed up by Blurb, Workbook and many supporters. The organization encourages photographers to submit their work as early as possible to get the most out of the public voting. Submissions close on 1 October 2009.

For more information and to submit, please visit http://www.viewbookphotostory.com/

Friday, July 3, 2009

Real Kids Photography Launches New Site with Free Report

Real Kids Photography has launched a new website at http://realkidsphotography.com/ and are offering a free report via an E-book titled, The 6 Essential Tips Everyone Should Know When Photographing Children. The E-book is written by Real Kids, LLC owner and life-long child photographer, Betty A. Muscott.

"We recognize that many parents are not satisfied with the traditional posed studio portraits," said Ms. Muscott. "Instead, more and more parents want to learn about photographing their own children. With today's digital cameras parents can take hundreds of photos of their children and simply choose to keep and print the ones they want."

The free E-book can be obtained by visiting Real Kids Photography and clicking on the appropriate box.

John White, spokesman for Real Kids Photography, notes that "Within minutes parents will have all the information they need to educate themselves on how to improve their photography skills and get the natural expressions they want for quality photos of their children." Totally free, the only thing necessary to receive the E-book is to complete a simple form and press the "Send it Now!" button. Once the request has been confirmed download of the book is immediately available.

"This free E-book provides valuable lessons learned over the years" said Ms. Muscott, who has been taking children's photographs for many years. The oldest of five children growing up on a dairy farm in Michigan, Ms. Muscott earned money babysitting in order to purchase the first thing she ever really wanted in life - a camera. At that very moment, a young aspiring photographer was born. Ms. Muscott has taken thousands of children's photographs since then and has learned something new with each one. Her free E-book will assist parents in doing the same.

Twenty first century technology and digital photography have given Ms. Muscott new avenues to create, educate and share the art of photographing children. Both the free E-book and child photography blog available on the new website are just a couple of those new avenues. Also available is a bi-weekly email feature that will provide photography tips to help increase parent's ability to make better pictures of their children.

"This free E-book will assist people in making quality photographs of their children now, so they can enjoy them in the future," said Ms. Muscott. "Learning how to photograph children is an excellent way to preserve generations of fond memories and family history, and this makes for a great deal of joy."

The new website offers, in addition to the free E-book, information on ways for parents to share, protect and display photos of their kids. Also included is information about free photo contests, ways to use these precious photographs to create personalized gifts, and tips on finding the right digital camera equipment for parents to use in photographing their children.

Ms. Muscott also recommends an excellent digital photography course which can be previewed with a free demonstration of the digital interactive photography course. Mr. White notes that this new website "is a one-stop shopping venue on how to photograph children."

In business since 2005, Real Kids Photography is located in "The Cozy Forest" at 4234 Driftwood Drive, DeWitt, Michigan. To receive the free E-book and learn more about the services Real Kids Photography offers call toll-free 1-866-440-2461or visit their website at Real Kids Photography.