World's Worst Photographers Wanted

Southern California photography instructor, and founder of PhotoWalkingTours (www.photowalkingtours.com), Ralph Velasco seeks the World's Worst Photographer and is offering a Grand Prize Photography Learning Package as bait.

Valued at over $1,000, the package consists of two private classes, five One on One PhotoWalkingTours, and much more. People are encouraged to nominate any who they think has most room for improvement and would most likely benefit from his services.

"Do you call your husband 'Henry VIII' because he cuts the heads off of everyone in his pictures? Does your girlfriend insist on taking pictures with telephone poles sprouting from her subjects' ears? If this is a common occurrence in the photographs of someone you know, then surely you're obligated to nominate him or her for my World's Worst Photographer contest," said Velasco.

He has a mission: Rid the world of bad photography, one image at a time. "I'm confident that I can help improve the photography of even the most self loathing 'photographer' out there, so I'm challenging spouses, friends, and all others, to nominate one person that they think could most benefit from one on one time spent with me in my photo classes and on my PhotoWalkingTours, Velasco continues.

"With the explosion in digital photography, there are more and more good people taking bad photographs, and I'd like to be a part of reversing that trend."

Velasco has spent the last 30 years photographing his travels to more than 35 countries on 5 continents, and he currently teaches photography in classrooms from San Diego to Santa Barbara, as well as guides people on a series of what is now 18 unique PhotoWalkingTours that he's developed. Needless to say, he doesn't agree that one must be born with a photographic eye to capture great images, but that it can be learned.

The winning entry will receive the Grand Prize Photography Learning Package valued at over $1,000, which includes participating in any 5 of Velasco's 2-hour One on One PhotoWalkingTours in Orange County; 4 hours of One on One classroom instruction including his "Improve Your Travel Photography" and "Capture the Essence of a Place" private classes; as well as several other prizes to be announced later. In addition, the winner will take home a limited edition, autographed, 16" x 20" gallery wrap of one of Velasco's photographs.

Three runners up will each receive a single 2-hour, small group PhotoWalkingTour in Orange County and participation in both of Velasco's classes with a small group, a package valued at over $135 each.

In order to nominate someone for these prizes, one must explain, in 50 words or less, why the nominee most deserves the Grand Prize Photography Learning Package and include this in the body of an e-mail sent to PhotoWalkingTours at gmail dot com, no attachments will be opened. Deadline for entries is October 31, 2009. Only qualified entries (those of 50 words or less) will be considered and the winner and runners up will be announced by 12/31/09. All entries will be judged by Ralph Velasco and the decision of the judge is final and in his sole discretion.