Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009

Nikon has announced the 32nd Nikon Photo Contest International, one of the most renowned photo contests in the world. Running since 1969 by Nikon Corporation, the Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009 will accept entries from September 1 to November 30, 2008. This year's contest has two categories - an open category and a 'My Planet' category for scenes of the people and places in your life. Winner will be announced in July 2009

A contest with an impressive history

The Nikon Photo Contest International has been held by Nikon Corporation since 1969 to provide an opportunity for photographers around the world to communicate and to enrich photographic culture for professionals and amateurs alike. Renowned among photo enthusiasts worldwide, the contest has so far attracted more than 1,270,000 images from a total of 306,000 photographers. In fact, so popular has the contest become among photographers that a total of over 47,000 images were received from more than 16,000 entrants in 135 different countries for the 31st contest alone.

This year's theme: "At the heart of the image"

"At the heart of the image" is not only the brand statement of Nikon Imaging Company, but it is also the theme of the 32nd contest. We have carefully selected categories as stated below and we look forward to receiving images expressing the emotions that are true to your heart.

This year's categories

A Free subject:
Express yourself freely, as it moves you.
B My Planet:
Express your world, whether that involves the environment, scenes from your daily life, or the people and things that stir your passions.

With these categories, Nikon welcomes and embraces photographic creativity and encourages images of human happiness from all over the world.

54 prizes awarded by a panel of international photographers

All works will be judged by professional photographers working internationally and a combined total of 54 prizes will be awarded. The Grand Prize will be awarded for the most outstanding photograph out of all the entries, regardless of category. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be awarded to 16 winners in each category. The Emerging Talent award will recognize 4 winners and 16 runners-up from both categories to commend those aged under 30 for work that possess outstanding expressive power and conveys the energy of youth. Additionally, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the NIKKOR brand of lenses. To properly commemorate this event, a special prize will be awarded to the outstanding work that places second after the Grand Prize winner.

Prize winners are planned to be announced in July 2009.

An open opportunity

A competition that truly traverses borders, the Nikon Photo Contest International embodies an unrivalled opportunity – providing photographers everywhere with a chance to showcase their talents and giving us all a valuable insight into the lives of those around us. An exhibition of the winning photographs is also planned, so please take advantage of this opportunity to submit your work.*

*Details concerning the specific date and location will be announced in the future.

Nikon Photo Contest International: Entry Information

Entrant criteria

The Nikon Photo Contest International is open to all photographers, professional or amateur, from any part of the world.

Entry period

Entries are accepted from September 1st to November 30th, 2008. Entries sent by conventional mail should be received either on or before November 30th, 2008. Entries sent via the Internet will be accepted until 24:00, November 30th, 2008, Japan time. See below for further details regarding entry via conventional mail and the Internet.

How to apply

Entries submitted in print by conventional mail
Entries accepted in print are color or black-and-white photographs taken with 35mm film cameras, Advanced Photo System (APS) film cameras and digital still cameras, not including medium or large format digital cameras. Images that have been digitally edited with software are also accepted. Each entrant can submit up to 2 entries for each category (a total of 4 prints), with print dimensions of 19 x 24cm (8 x 10 inches) to 28 x 36cm (11 x 14 inches).

Please download and print out an official Entry Form, available from July 10th, from the Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009 Web site (http://www.nikon-npci.com), make a photocopy of the official form or contact your nearest Nikon dealer for details on how to obtain an official Entry Form. The official Entry Form is available in 10 languages (Japanese / English / German / French / Spanish / Italian / Portuguese / Korean / Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese) and the rules and process of entry via conventional mail are explained fully within.

Entries submitted as JPEG images via the Internet
Accepted JPEG images are color or black-and-white graphic files taken with digital still cameras (not including medium or large format digital cameras) and scanned data of photographs taken with 35mm film cameras or Advanced Photo System (APS) film cameras. Images that have been digitally edited with software are also accepted. Each entrant can submit two JPEG images for each category (a total of 4 images), with a maximum size for each JPEG image of 10MB. JPEG images exceeding this size must be compressed to a maximum of 10MB prior to submission.

Full details regarding entry via the Internet can be found on the online entry form, on the Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009 Web site (http://www.nikon-npci.com/). Please follow the rules and guidelines stated therein to submit your JPEG images.

Judging and announcement of winners

Photographers working internationally will be appointed by Nikon Corporation as judges to undertake selection of the winning photographs. The winners will be announced on the Nikon Photo Contest International Web site and in an official press release by the end of July 2009.

For further details, please access the official Nikon Photo Contest International Web site.

Travel Photographer of the Year Digital Photo Contest

The Travel Photographer of the Year competition for 2008 is now open for entries. Travel photographers can submit their best digital photos in a variety of categories until September 9, 2008. A photo competition run by photographers, the Travel Photographer of the Year competition has been running since 2003 and has attracted entries from 60 countries.

Prizes include vacations to beautiful travel locations and the latest digital photography equipment. The 2008 main prize includes a place on the High & Wild Everest Skydive expedition in 2009. View the Travel Photographer of the Year winning digital photos from previous years here.

Travel Photographer of the Year 2008 Opens for Entries

The 2008 Travel Photographer of the Year competition is now open for entries, giving amateur and professional photographers worldwide the chance to win superb prizes and gain international exposure for their photography.

There are three portfolio categories - Life, Call of the Wild and Joy of Travel - a One Shot category, Destination Anywhere, and Young TPOTY. For the first time, this year TPOTY has introduced a new category, First Shot: Wish You Were Here, for less experienced photographers, and three special £1,000 awards for the Best Single Image in a Portfolio.

This year's prizes include a place on the 2009 High & Wild Everest Skydive Expedition and fascinating Intrepid Travel trips to India and Cuba and to see the mountain gorillas of Uganda. TPOTY 2008 prizes also offer a chance to get into fine art photography with a large format Linhof Technorama panoramic camera, Adobe professional imaging software, Wacom interactive pen displays and pen tablets, photographic and digital imaging tuition from Iridius and PhotoIconic, Lee filters, Lexar Professional CompactFlash cards and Dual-slot USB card readers, and Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio books. And the winners and other highly-ranked photographers will see their images feature in the new Travel Photographer of the Year book, Journey Three.

TPOTY organiser, Chris Coe, said, "Over the last five years TPOTY has established the very highest standards. Whilst maintaining these standards we are also looking to help less experienced photographers, so we’ve introduced First Shot. This is a new single image category for images taken on basic SLRs, compact cameras and mobile phones, with tuition-based prizes designed to encourage these photographers and to help them improve their photography.

“2008 also sees the introduction of awards for the best single images entered in the portfolio categories. Every year we see strong images in the non-winning portfolios, so these awards recognise this and reward great photography whilst still challenging photographers to test their skills at shooting and putting together a portfolio.

“It will surprise many people that we are offering a film camera as part of the top prize. However, we receive about half our entries shot on film, and the Linhof is no ordinary camera, giving photographers the chance to shoot high quality, fine art images in the challenging panoramic format.”

Categories and Prizes in Detail

Overall winner
The photographer with the best entries in two separate portfolio categories will become Travel Photographer of the Year 2008 and win an amazing prize. They will receive a Linhof Technorama panoramic camera and join High & Wild on the Everest Skydive expedition in 2009. They will be part of the ground crew on this unique adventure, as the world's elite skydivers dive amongst some of the world’s highest mountains, giving the award-winning photographer unrivaled opportunities to shoot outstanding and unusual images in the Himalayas with the Linhof. They will also receive Adobe CS3 Web + Lightroom software, a personalised Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio book and £250 worth of Lee Filters, to enable them to take their images to even greater heights.

Call of the Wild Portfolio
The winner of this category will answer the call of the wild as they join Intrepid Travel on a Gorilla Encounter in Uganda and Kenya, seeing the magical mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. They will also receive a Wacom Intuos3 A5 Wide pen tablet, Adobe Photoshop CS3 + Lightroom and a beautiful Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio book. The runner-up wins a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader plus £250 to spend on Lee Filters, while the 3rd and 4th-placed entrants each receive a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader.

Joy of Travel Portfolio
The winner of this category will join Intrepid Travel on a ‘Slowly Down the Ganges’ trip along India's legendary river and receive a Wacom Cintiq 12WX Interactive Pen Display and Adobe Photoshop + Lightroom software. The runner-up wins a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader plus £250 to spend on Lee Filters, while the 3rd and 4th-placed entrants each receive a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader.

Life Portfolio
The winner of this category will join Intrepid Travel on a ‘Rum and Rumba’ trip to discover the best of Cuba and receive a Wacom Cintiq 12WX Interactive Pen Display and Adobe Photoshop + Lightroom software. The runner-up wins a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader plus £250 to spend on Lee Filters, while the 3rd and 4th-placed entrants each receive a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader.

Best Portfolio Image Awards
The photographers with the best individual images in the three portfolio categories (not necessarily the photographers with the winning portfolios) will each win £1,000.

One Shot - Destination Anywhere
A one shot category for those great individual travel shots. The winner of this category receives £1,000, plus Adobe Photoshop CS3 + Lightroom software. The runner-up and the 3rd and 4th-placed entrants each win a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader.

First Shot - Wish You Were Here
A new single image category for less experienced amateur photographers aged 17 and above. Photographers submitting entries for this particular category will, for the first time in the competition's history, be able to submit images taken on a mobile phone. The ten top-scoring entrants in this category will each take part in a PhotoIconic Shoot, Edit, Print three-day photography course, receiving intensive photographic and digital imaging tuition from TPOTY judge and professional photographer, Chris Coe, and Adobe Photoshop expert Terry Steeley of Iridius.

Young TPOTY - Journey
For photographers aged 16 and under. The Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2008 will take part in a PhotoIconic Shoot, Edit, Print three-day photography course, and will receive Photoshop Elements + Premier Elements +Lightroom and a Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium pen tablet. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th-placed Young TPOTY entrants will each win a 4GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CompactFlash card and Dual-slot USB card reader.

Entry Dates and Entry Fees
Further information and entry forms are available from www.tpoty.com. The competition closes on September 9th. Entry costs £10 for a single image category and £15 for a portfolio category, and entry to Young TPOTY is free.

Travel Photographer of the Year Background

Travel Photographer of the Year was launched in 2003, and rapidly became one of the world's most prestigious photographic competitions. Entries are received from amateur and professional photographers in over 60 countries every year. The prize packages always combine imaginative travel and the latest photographic equipment. The overall winner of TPOTY 2007, Cat Vinton, is currently preparing for her High & Wild prize trip to Dharamsala, India, where she will photograph the Dalai Lama.

Photobucket Digital Photo Sharing

CBS News Tech division explores the simple pleasures of the Photobucket digital photo sharing service. Since digital cameras revolutionized photography, people everywhere have wanted to show off their shots to a wide audience on the Internet, and Photobucket is one of the more popular online photo sharing services available due to their integration with various social networking sites. Other online digital photo sharing services include Picasa, Flickr, Snapfish and Shutterfly.

The Wonders of Digital Photo Sharing

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2008 (CBS) At the risk of stating the obvious, digital photography is one of the great revolutions of our time. By eliminating the cost of film and developing, and making cameras cheaper, smaller and more readily available, the technology has sparked a renaissance in photo taking.

Now that most cell phones have built-in cameras, digital cameras are literally everywhere and always with us. Even those of us who don't think to pack our cameras when we leave the house, probably have a camera thanks to cell phones.

One of the biggest changes brought about by digital photography is the way we show off our pictures. Until a few years ago, the only way to share photos was through prints, but most digital pictures taken today are never printed. Many, I suppose, are also never shared, but those that are shared with others are often viewed on a screen rather than on paper.

Read Full Article - The Wonders Of Digital Photo Sharing

Kodak Digital Photo Frames Preloaded with Your Photos

Kodak has announced that it will be offering Kodak Digital Photo Frames and Kodak Picture Cards pre-loaded with your favorite photos from the Kodak Gallery. Perfect as gifts for family and friends, you can have the digital photos preloaded and shipped directly from the online Kodak Gallery.

Kodak Digital Picture Frames have been very popular and the Kodak Picture Cards are compatible with various digital photo frames that have memory card slots. For more information, go to the Kodak website.


EMERYVILLE, California, May 13, 2008 - KODAK Gallery, a leading online photo service with 70 million members worldwide, today announced that members can now purchase KODAK Digital Picture Frames preloaded with up to 100 of their favorite Gallery photos. It only takes a few clicks online to choose the frame you want, select your pictures and Gallery will load the pictures on the frame and ship the package directly to you or your friends and family members.

“KODAK Digital Pictures Frames are very popular and we’re thrilled to build on that popularity by offering an easy way for people to share pictures with the people they love, and the best part is that we do the work for you,” said Madhav Mehra, General Manager of KODAK Gallery. “These new preloaded frames make great gifts and with the preloaded KODAK Picture Card, you can continue to send new pictures anytime.”

With pre-loaded KODAK Digital Picture Frames, offered exclusively through KODAK Gallery, anyone can experience the benefits of the latest digital display technology, regardless of technical ability. Whether you are purchasing a frame for yourself or as a gift, it provides an effortless way to enjoy digital pictures.

Details about Preloaded KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Picture Frames and Preloaded KODAK Picture Cards:

• Minutes to Make: simply choose the frame you want and select up to 100 of your favorite KODAK Gallery photos. We’ll ship the package to you or someone else.
• Effortless Operation: We load the pictures for you. Simply plug in your preloaded KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Picture Frame and enjoy the show!
• Sleek, Stylish and Intuitive: KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Picture Frames preloaded with up to 100 of your photos come in a variety of sizes – 7-inch ($144.95 plus shipping), 8-inch ($174.95 plus shipping), and 10-inch ($224.95 plus shipping) standard frames and a 10-inch wi-fi enabled wireless frame ($274.95 plus shipping).
• Unsurpassed Quality: All frames feature KODAK Color Science, delivering vibrant color and crisp detail; a clean, thin design; plug-and-play simplicity; as well as support for both vertical and horizontal photos.
• Music to Your Ears: Play your favorite MP3s on your frame through built-in stereo speakers.
• Room to Grow: KODAK Picture Cards ($19.95 plus shipping) are preloaded with up to 100 of your favorite Gallery photos and are also sold separately so you can always have your latest and greatest memories on display. KODAK Picture Cards are compatible with any brand of digital frame that has a card slot.

Go to Kodak.com to purchase digital photo frames or Kodak Picture Cards preloaded with your favorite digital photos.

'Image Moments 8' Digital Photo Frame

Digital Foci has released its latest digital photo frame, the Image Moments 8, featuring an 8-inch screen and internal memory capable of holding up to 3000 digital photographs. The digital photo frame also features video and music playback as well as capabilities to organize and view photos in specific folders.

Digital Foci's Image Moments 8 also automatically detects orientation and rotates images accordingly. Furthermore, automatic on/off timers allow users to display images at certain times. Digital Foci has released the Image Moments 8 digital photo frame just in time for Mother's Day and is priced at $199.00 on www.digitalfoci.com.
Los Angeles, May 2, 2008 – Digital Foci, Inc. announced today that it’s now shipping the new “Image Moments 8” 8-inch screen digital photo frame, just in time for Mother’s Day. “Image Moments 8” features advanced LED Backlight Technology, 450MB of internal memory, and built-in memory card slots to let you display and share photos in sharp, vibrant color on its high-resolution digital LCD screen.

Preload mom’s favorite family photos: baby, children, grandchildren, or other photos, on Image Moments to give her the perfect Mother’s Day gift. With the convenient Auto-Start feature, Image Moments will automatically start a photo slideshow. She just needs to turn the frame on to immediately start enjoying and re-living precious photo moments. New photos can easily be added by inserting a memory card into Image Moments, or by transferring from the computer.

Image Moments 8 (Model IMT-083) has an 8-inch high-resolution SVGA (800x600) digital LCD screen with 500:1 contrast ratio and a unique proprietary Adapter Ring design that supports limitless custom framing options -- even your own custom creation. The frame also features an interchangeable mat with 3 color selections; a hinged memory card door to hide the cards from view for an elegant finish; and an easel leg for alternating between landscape and portrait positioning to make changing your home or office décor a snap.

Internal Memory for Over 3,000 Digital Photos!

Supports All Digital Camera Memory Card Formats

Image Moments 8 is now equipped with 450MB of internal memory, so it can store more than 3,000 photos (with image resolution of 1024 x 768). Photos can be copied directly into the internal memory from any memory card you place in its memory card slot, completely eliminating the need for a computer. For additional memory, photos can be viewed from all popular memory cards, including CompactFlash, SD/HC card, MMC, Memory Stick, MS PRO, xD-Picture Card, and even MS Duo/MS PRO Duo, directly without the need of an adapter. For those who wish to transfer photos back and forth from the computer to Image Moments, there’s also a USB slot to support computer connection.

Unique Folder View – Works with Picasa Web Albums

Image Moments lets you search your memory card contents easily in the “Folder View Mode” and browse through photos in “Photo Thumbnail View.” The unique folder view lets you play and organize your photos by folders, so you can playback specific folders as needed. In addition, users can easily download and store Picasa Web Albums to Image Moments and play chosen Web Albums as a photo slideshow. Sophisticated file management features are also available, including copy, rename, delete files, sort files by name or date, and create new folders. You can also create, edit, and sequence multiple playlists on Image Moments and select a specific playlist to playback.

Advanced Playback Options

Image Moments 8’s “Photo Slideshow Mode” automatically displays your photos with options for random photo play, transition effects, and slideshow intervals. You can create unique slideshows by selecting specific photos from multiple memory card sources to view. Play videos or photo slideshows with music from a variety of music file formats to personalize your experience.

Automatically Rotates Digital Photos for Correct Display

Portrait and landscape photos are automatically rotated by reading the photo’s EXIF data to display correctly according to the orientation of the frame through the built-in auto-rotate orientation sensor. Other great new features include an automatic on/off timer with three schedule settings, which can be set to activate or turn off according to your schedule.

Image Moments 8 Digital Photo Frame Features

• 8" SVGA (800x600 pixel) color TFT-LCD screen
• 450 MB built-in internal memory
• Built-in support for SD/HC, CF, MS/Duo, xD
• Interchangeable mat & frame design
• Video and music playback
• Folder structure for playback specific folders
• Playback from one or multiple memory sources
• Random play photo slideshow
• Auto-Start features
• Automatic on/off timer
• Create, edit, sequence playlists
• Auto-rotate orientation sensor

Photos of Cyclone Damage in Myanmar

Washington Post's digital photo gallery showcasing the devastation wreaked by Tropical Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Nargis made landfall near the capital Rangoon and also destroyed the rice producing delta region. The death toll is expected to be well over 100,000.

Online Digital Photo Sharing

Online photo sharing services has cropped up all over the Internet due to the flourishing of the digital photography industry. Although initially online photo sharing services were part of digital photo printing services, there are now numerous options which are not directly connected to digital photo printing.

Online photo sharing services facilitate the publishing of digital photos on the Internet that can then be easily shared with friends and family. Budding photographers also use these services to showcase their work to a wide audience. Some online photo sharing services also provide complete digital photo organization tools to manage users' images and videos.

The latest development in online photo sharing involve integration with mobile devices such as camera phones and even WiFi-capable cameras. Some of these services also come with dedicated desktop applications that facilitate the uploading and sharing of digital photographs. Some of the more popular online photo sharing services are described below.

Google Picasa

Google's Picasa is a free service with 1 GB space for uploading most digital photo formats including RAW as well as videos. The standalone Picasa software allow desktop digital photo management as well as seamless uploading to the web albums. Picasa also allows uploading directly to most of the digital photo printing services available. It also has integrated tools for photoblogging and a very clean, fast interface. It is available free from Google.

Flickr

Flickr online photo sharing is owned by Yahoo and is also a free service that allows up to 100 MB digital photo uploads per month. You also have the option to pay for a Pro account that has unlimited uploads and larger file sizes. Flickr features innovative tools to organize and share digital photos and also videos. Digital photos can be uploaded through a browser or the standalone Uploadr application as well as Mac's iPhoto and Aperture softwares. Flickr also allows direct blogging tools to simplify posting photos to a variety of blog services. Flickr seems to be the choice for professional photographers as well as advanced enthusiasts. Flickr is available free at Flickr.

Photobucket

Photobucket online photo sharing is one of the most popular services available. The free service provides 1 GB space, with an optional Pro service that comes with 5 GB storage space. Photobucket also allows sharing of video files and its digital photo hosting services is used by many popular social networking sites. Photobucket claims to have over 5 billion digital photos uploaded to their service. Photobucket allows easy uploading through browsers and has tools to create slideshows and home videos. This service is available at Photobucket.

Kodak Gallery

Kodak Easy Gallery online photo sharing is part of Kodak's online digital photo printing service. This online photo sharing service has basic digital photo management tools as well as integrated photo printing tools. The Kodak Easy Gallery is free but requires at least one digital photo printing order per year to maintain the account. This service is available at Kodak Easy Gallery.

Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest

Canon's third annual Photography in the Parks Digital Photo Contest aims "to inspire Americans to visit their national and state parks and photograph their beauty." Open from April 22nd to September 30, 2008, digital photographers can photos from parks or monuments in America for a chance to win vacations at participating national parks and Canon digital camera gear. This year's theme is "Inspirational Nature Images." Go to the Canon website for more information on the Photography in the Parks Photo Contest.

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 24, 2008 – In a continuing effort to inspire Americans to visit their national and state parks and photograph their beauty, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced a call for entries for the third annual Canon Photography In The Parks Photo Contest*. The contest invites eligible photography enthusiasts, from April 22nd to September 30th, 2008, to enter the contest by submitting images from any park or monument in America. Participants are invited to enter their "Inspirational Nature Images," the theme for this year's contest. Canon is also enhancing the photo contest by extending the age range of eligible participants to non-professional photographers ages 13 and up.

"A picture captures a moment in time, but the right picture triggers an emotional reaction within people. Through our Photography in the Parks Photo Contest, we want people to seek out those inspirational images and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while doing it," stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A. "As an environmentally-conscious organization, we encourage everyone to enjoy the beauty of nature, and also to work to protect it."

The Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest

From late April to the end of September, photographic enthusiasts are encouraged to submit their favorite photographs from an American park to the Canon Digital Learning Center. The winning photographer will receive a trip to a park of their choice, and a full suite of Canon photographic equipment. By logging onto www.usa.canon.com/parks, potential winners will not only have the opportunity to enter their favorite photos, but also forward an e-postcard of their submitted images to friends and family as a fun way to share their photographs. Visitors and Web surfers can also peruse the Canon Digital Learning Center to explore the various educational resources that Canon has to offer for novices and advanced photographers alike. The Canon Digital Learning Center provides a schedule for a wide variety of classes across the country with renowned photographers. The site also features online tutorials for beginners and professionals to learn their way around a digital SLR camera and professional fine art printers so that Canon users can unlock the creative control that photography affords.

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