Shutter Mike Photography

I wrote about the ZeissImages.com Photo Contest being put on by the  infamous lens manufacturer Zeiss back in June.  The theme of the photography contest was “As Seen Through Your Eyes” and Zeiss has recently announced the winners.  The first prize photo won a Zeiss 50mm 1.4 Planar lens and is titled “trainstation.”  It is a very neatly composed black and white of just that, a train station.  You can view the image here.  All the winner’s can be seen on the ZeissImages.com features page.

While you are at the site check out their gallery of photos taken with Zeiss lenses.  There are some great images here.

Give Us Your Best Shot is the theme of warehouse superstore Costco’s 2010 International Photo Contest.  Open to Costco members and employees worldwide, the contest is rather simple.  There are no theme limits or regulations on post-processing your images, but you do have to be a member of Costco.  For the complete rules and legal mumbo-jumbo click here.

To enter online have your membership number ready and go to the Costco International Photo Contest entry page.  For some inspiration take a look at the winners of the 2009 photo contest.

The prizes this year are as follows:

International Grand Prize:

I wrote about the Loews Hotels Dog Days of Summer photo contest a few days ago.   The entry phase is now ended and voting takes place this week.  So if you are on Facebook (required to vote in this particular contest) my dog would be particularly appreciative if you voted for his picture.  You can cast one vote per day here.

Digital Photo, Outdoor Photographer and Sony are teaming up to present The Art Of Photography Photo Contest.  I am a huge (huge) fan of my Sony Alpha 850 DSLR which is one of the prizes.  The contest, as the name implies, celebrates the artist in each photographer which makes it a little more complicated than submitting snapshots.

There are 4 themed categories in which you can submit up to 5 images for each.  Each theme has been linked to a world-renowned photographer who have made tip-filled videos to help you produce your images.  The themes and their associated photographers and prizes are:

Theme: Conservation In Focus
Photographer: Cristina Mittermeier
Prize: Sony A550 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Outdoor Photographer

Theme: Action Storytelling
Photographer: David McLain
Prizes: Sony A850 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 16-24mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Outdoor Photographer

Theme: Environmental Portraits
Photographer: Brian Smith
Prize: Sony A850 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Digital Photo

Theme: Light Is The Subject
Photographer: Andy Katz
Prizes: Sony NEX-5 Kit with 16mm ƒ/2.8 lens and publication in Digital Photo

Read more about the contest and enter your images on The Art Of Photography Photo Contest pages of the Outdoor Photographer or Digital Photo sites.

Tamron, maker of a wide range of SLR and DSLR lenses, has announced a new photography contest.  The third in a series of four contests they are hosting in 2010 this one’s theme i is Summer Rituals.  Photographs for this contest should capture the essence of summer.  If it makes you think of summer it is game – BBQs, fireworks, swimming pools, you get the idea.  The contest runs from July 1, 2010 to September 30, 2010.  The grand prize winner will receive their choice of the following lenses as well as some great exposure through Tamron’s website and Facebook fan page.

AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 VC Di-II
SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 Di-II VC
SP AF10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di-II or
SP AF60mm F/2 Di-II

Twenty finalists will also be featured on Tamron’s website.  Details on how to enter with all the fine print can be found here.

Also, remember today (June 30th) is the last day to enter contest #2 in Tamron’s series, Backyard Wildlife.

Loews Hotels and Resorts in sponsoring a Dog Days of Summer photo contest in celebration of their Dog Days of Summer package.  Submit a photo of your dog enjoying summer through the Loews Facebook page and you could be one of nine lucky winners.  The contest ends on July 11th, so get photographing.  And if you need some tips on photographing your dog you can check out my past pet portrait posts.

First Prize:

One special three night “Dog Days of Summer” package: a three-night stay at any of Loews Hotels 18 participating properties in the U.S. and Canada. Package includes three nights in a luxury room, treats, toys and tips including a special room service meal of veterinarian approved “Scooby BBQ Sliders,” one “Fling Thing” Frisbee from West Paw Design and dog walking tips from “It’s a Dog’s World,” pet expert Wendy Diamond’s new book.

Second Prize:

One one-night “Dog Days of Summer” package: a one-night stay at any of Loews Hotels 18 participating properties in the U.S. and Canada. Package includes one night in a luxury room, treats, toys and tips including a special room service meal of veterinarian approved “Scooby BBQ Sliders,” one “Fling Thing” Frisbee from West Paw Design and dog walking tips from “It’s a Dog’s World,” pet expert Wendy Diamond’s new book.

Third Prize:

• One copy of pet expert, Wendy Diamond’s new book, “It’s a Dog’s World”
• One “Fling Thing” Frisbee from West Paw Design
• $50 food and beverage credit for winner at any of Loews Hotels 18 participating properties in the U.S. and Canada.

The National Park Foundation is sponsoring a photography contest titled Share the Experience from June 1 through December 31.  You can submit up to three photographs that have been taken on any of the lands managed by the five Federal Recreation Agencies.  Those include the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service or the New Melones Reservoir site of the Bureau of Reclamation.  That last one seems like the winner of “which of these things does not belong” and I am not sure why it is the only one that is so specific.  But if you capture a great image at the reservoir submit it.

The prizes for Share the Experience contest include Olympus digital cameras and passes to the National Recreation Lands.  For all the official rules and legal fine print you can click here.

A while back I wrote about the Friends of San Tan Mountain Regional Park and their 4th annual amateur photography contest.  I made a trip down to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park in early April to do some photography.  Although I do not get around to entering all the contests I post about on this blog I ended up with some images from that photo outing that I felt were contest worthy so I submitted them to the contest.  And lo and behold I got an email from Dr. Mimi Robidoux, the Photography Instructor at the park, informing me that I had won the contest.  This is my first contest win with my photography and I am excited.

Zeissimages.com is an online photo gallery dedicated to images taken with Zeiss equipment.  Zeiss lenses are touted as some of the finest quality photography equipment in the world and although I unfortunately cannot speak from first hand experience they are known to capture spectacular images (with the right photographer behind the lens of course).

In celebration of the Zeiss lenses, Zeissimages.com is sponsoring their first annual photo contest.  The theme of the photography contest is “As Seen Through Your Eyes.” Participants can submit up to three images in each of five categories; Landscape, Glamor, People, Nature and City/Architecture.  One caveat however, the images must have been taken with a Zeiss lens, makes sense given it is a site dedicated to Zeiss equipment.

First prize is a Zeiss 50mm Planar in either ZF2, ZE or ZS mount (Note: Although I do not have a Zeiss lens, my 50 mm prime lens is, hands down, my favorite lens to shoot with)

Second place – Lowepro camera bag.

Third place – An 8 gig Compact or SD card.

If you are lucky enough to own a Zeiss lens be sure to get your best images submitted for a chance to win these prizes and check out Zeissimages.com for some spectacular photography.

National Geographic Magazine has teamed up with the Energizer Bunny to present the 2010 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest. You can submit photos in one of six categories: Animals/Wildlife, Nature, People/Cultures, Travel, Weather and Action/Energy.  The grand prize winner determined by judge, award-winning photographer Jim Richardson, is a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to Greece!  In addition the winning photograph will be published in an Energizer ad in the December issue of National Geographic.

The entry deadline is June 30, 2010 and you can get all the details in the contest official rules.  So you have about 2 months to get your best shot together in one of these categories and enter the 2010 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.