Smithsonian Magazine's Sixth Annual Photo Contest Now Open for Submissions

To date, Smithsonian magazine editors have judged a total of 72,000 photographs from more than 90 countries around the globe for their yearly amateur photography contests. With the breadth of experience to determine what sets a Smithsonian winning photo apart from the pack, Smithsonian.com's 6th Annual Photo Contest is now open for submissions at http://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/v6/. Smithsonian magazine judges post the best of the incoming entries online, in a new, ongoing photo gallery feature called "Picture This" (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/picture-this/ ).

"When we see the entrants' skill, passion and vision come together in an image that truly captures a moment, we know we have a winner," said Smithsonian magazine Editor Carey Winfrey. "The new 'Picture This' feature lets us showcase, on a rolling basis, the sheer volume and astounding diversity of photos we receive with top-prize potential."

Contestants can enter photographs in five categories: The Natural World, Americana, Altered Images, Travel and People that represent subjects of special interest to the magazine. Fifty finalists will be selected, ten for each of the five categories. Smithsonian magazine will notify the 50 finalists by February 28, 2009. From these 50 finalists, five category winners and a grand prize winner will be selected. The entries of all finalists will be published on the magazine's Web site on March 2, 2009. At that time, readers can vote online for one readers' choice winner. The winning entries will be published in the print edition of Smithsonian magazine during summer 2009.

World's Richest On-Line Photographic Competition

The International Aperture Awards on-line photography competition is open to ALL professional and aspiring photographers, photographic students and anyone with a hidden gift for capturing a winning photograph. Enter up to four images from the following categories for your chance to win - People and Portrait; Sport; Landscape; Science and Nature; Commercial/Advertising; Abstract/Illustrative; Photojournalism/Press.

Peter Eastway, the editor of Australia's Better Photography magazine and himself an international award winning photographer, believes the International Aperture Awards have an amazing potential to bring together the very best photography from all corners of the globe and showcase it to an international audience.

In addition, there will be a People's Choice Award so everyone can become involved, photographers and viewers alike. The Entry voted the People's Choice will receive USD$10,000 and four (4) Voters in the People's Choice Award, selected at random, will each receive USD$1,000.

A team of a 100 international industry professionals will judge the photos. Along with an overall winner, the top five entries from each category will be selected and the following prizes awarded: USD$6,000 (1st prize), USD$3,000 (2nd prize), USD$1,000 (3rd prize), USD$500 (4th Prize), USD$250 (5th Prize). And for the photographers just outside the winners circle, there are internationally recognized Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze merit awards to be earned for high scoring images.

If you think you have what it takes to capture a winning photograph, get your entries in on-line at www.internationalapertureawards.com from September 1st till October 29th 2008. The entry fee is USD$250 throughout September (the early bird special) and then rises to USD$290 during October.

Polaroid will be a major sponsor of The International Aperture Awards in 2008. You're only a few clicks away from sharing in photography's ultimate prize!

Website: http://www.internationalapertureawards.com/

Final call for entries to archaeological photography competition

Submissions are invited for the Picturing the Past competition ahead of the closing date for entries on 30 September 2008.

Devised by archaeologists at the University of Aberdeen, and funded by a Cultural Engagement Grant from the University, the competition calls for entrants to take inspiration from the range of archaeological sites and monuments located throughout Aberdeenshire.

Applicants are invited to enter images of archaeological sites or monuments from the area, which are older than AD 1500.

Entries are invited under three competition categories: adult monochrome images, adult colour images and children's images ( for those under 16 ). A maximum of two submissions will be accepted from each individual entrant.

Dr Karen Milek, Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Aberdeen said: "The competition is designed to encourage both budding and professional photographers to use the diverse range of visually striking archaeological monuments within the Aberdeenshire region, as the subject of their art.

"From Neolithic and Bronze Age stone circles to Iron Age hillforts and Pictish symbol stones, the competition is calling for photographers of all ages to capture distinctive and evocative images which tell the story of these intriguing sites."

The winners of the competition will be decided by both a panel of judges and members of the public, who will be invited to vote for their favourite image from among thirty finalists in an online picture gallery that will go live in October.

The judging panel will consist of staff from Aberdeen University's Archaeology and Education Departments, Marischal Museum, Aberdeenshire Council, and professional landscape photographer, Sandy Menzies.

An overall adult winner will be chosen from across both the monochrome and colour categories, and will win a cash prize of £1000.

Two cash prizes of £100 will be awarded to the runners up within both the monochrome and colour categories.

A first place prize of £50 and a second place prize of £25 will be awarded in the children's category.

From November, the top ten finalists in each of the three categories will have their work displayed in an exhibition called Picturing the Past: The Archaeology of Aberdeenshire, at the Old Town House, in Old Aberdeen. The competition winners will be announced on January 24 2009.

For more information, and for entry forms, visit http://www.abdn.ac.uk/archaeology/photocompetition

"Global Storytellers" Celebrate the Work of Photographers from Around the Globe

As the pressures of climate change, population, and strains on the world's natural resources become severe, the photographic images of cultures -- often taken on the frontlines of cultures in transition -- become revealing and highly informative.

On Sept. 29, the "Global Storytellers" program will celebrate the work of four widely diverse photographers from around the globe: Khaled Hasan (Bangladesh), Farzana Wahidy (Afghanistan), Alejandro Chaskielberg (Argentina) and Rena Effendi (Azerbaijan). These four photographers, all 2008 All Roads photography awardees, represent the new generation of under-represented global storytellers -- each with their own unique visions and ways of celebrating the story of their culture.

The All Roads Photography Program recognizes and supports talented indigenous and minority-culture photographic storytellers from around the world who are documenting their changing culture and community through photography. The program provides a forum for photographers to showcase their unique perspectives to a global audience through exhibitions and panel discussions and offers awardees workshops and networking possibilities.

"Global Storytellers" is being hosted by a consortium including the National Geographic All Roads Film Project, Adobe, liveBooks, DataColor, FiftyCrows Foundation and the Aurora Forum. The program will be moderated by Mark Gonnerman of Stanford University's Aurora Forum, Chris Rainier from National Geographic and Andy Patrick of liveBooks/FiftyCrows Foundation.

This is event is open to the public and free of charge.


WHEN:
Monday, Sept. 29
Reception: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
(Refreshments & Light Fare)
Lecture: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Adobe Photo Systems
601 Townsend Street @ 7th Street
San Francisco, California

CONTACT:
Andy Patrick, andy@livebooks.com

WeSay Photo Contest Focuses on the Broken, the Weird and the Green

Enter your photos in several interesting categories ranging from the local eyesore in your town to weird pets and win prizes in WeSay.com's Citizen Photojournalism Photo Contest.

WeSay.com is an online news site that focuses on news photos from mainstream media and amateur photographers.

Prizes for the best photos entered in the contest which ends Oct. 17, 2008 are: three Apple iPhones plus gift certificates for $100, $75 and $50 from Photographer's Warehouse and a EuroBook gift certificate from dotPhoto. Honorable Mentions will also be issued for each category.

The channels on the site and contest categories are: News, Politics, Environment, Celebs, Sports, and Far-out.

There are special sub-categories in each area such as: Community Activism, Political Rallies, Who's Going Green?, Summer Sports, Local Musicians and Weird Pets.

There are no fees to enter. Photographers retain the rights to their photographs and photos will not be resold or redistributed.

The contest is open to amateur photographers only. WeSay.com promotes the work of amateur photographers and hopes to launch many into careers as photojournalists.

Website: http://www.wesay.com/contest/

Wanted: Avid Photographers and Nature Lovers

The National Park Foundation and Olympus Imaging America Inc. challenge everyone who can point and click to grab their camera, head to a federal land, and enter the 2008 Share the Experience Photo Contest. This year's official contest is sponsored by the National Park Foundation and Olympus in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

The 2008 Share the Experience Photo Contest will run from August 18, 2008 through December 31, 2008 and showcases the more than 500 million acres of Federal Lands, drawing entries from all across the United States.

All 2008 entrants will have the opportunity to win one of five exciting prize packages with a total of 14 winners. The Grand Prize winner will earn the international honor of having the winning image grace all the 2010 "Federal Recreation Lands Pass," an annual admission that provides access to all participating Federal Land Management Agency sites where an entrance fee is charged. Additionally, the grand prize winner will receive an Olympus E-3 DSLR digital camera kit and a five-day, four-night trip to a Federal Recreation Land of his/her choice.

Citizens and legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age can enter by submitting up to three photo entries online at http://www.sharetheexperience.org/; or via mail in a hand-written, stamped envelope to:

Share the Experience Official Federal Recreation Lands Photo Contest c/o ePrize, LLC PO Box 8070 Royal Oak, MI 48068

All photographs entered must be taken in one of the Federal Recreation Agency Lands between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, must be original creations, and must be submitted by the original photographer. PLEASE SEE OFFICIAL RULES AT http://www.sharetheexperience.org/.

Mail-in entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2008 and received by the close of business on January 8, 2009. Each envelope must include only one entry. All photos will be judged on creativity; photographic quality; visual appeal; appropriateness; ability to show diversity and the richness of the Federal Recreation Lands.

Additionally, the public will be able to view an online photo gallery of 2008 submissions from January 9, 2009 - January 16, 2009 and vote on their favorites from January 17, 2009 - January 31, 2009.

Shutterfly Launches Photo Based Social Network

Shutterfly, Inc. has launched Shutterfly Share Sites, a new service that combines the best of photo sites, blogs, and social networking in a way that allows customers to easily connect and collaborate with friends and family in a safe and secure environment. Share Sites bring a new dimension to story-telling by creating a single destination to solve the challenges of "multiple camera, single event" photo occasions like family reunions, weddings and team sporting events. Customers can create a free Shutterfly Share Site by visiting http://www.shutterfly.com/sharesite.

Also new today, Shutterfly adds the ability for customers to post and share their photo books on their personalized Share Sites. Once a photo book has been added, Share Site members can preview the book, add comments and order their own copy. If customers wish to create their own version of the book, a one-click process allows them to save it to their Shutterfly account and edit accordingly.