Shooting Nature, Competitively

Spreading the word about an event in today’s digital age includes posting the information on websites, writing about it on personal blogs, exhorting other bloggers to blog about it, sending email to lists, listing it on Craigslist and Upcoming … and taping a sheet of paper on the wall where people can see it.

Absent the flyer – complete with tear-off tabs – posted at the Jefferson Market, The Chronicle would have missed the photo contest sponsored by Natural Area Preservation (NAP).

Photos will be judged in two categories: “Nature up Close” and “Spirit of the Seasons.” NAP has recruited judges for the contest who can bring specific expertise to bear on these categories. When it comes to assessing the merits of a detail shot, a professional entomologist and “bug photographer” like David Cappaert should be qualified to judge. And whether a shot adequately captures the mood of a season is a question that Donald Werthmann can answer – he’s a digital photographic artist on the faculty of Washtenaw Community College. Rounding out the panel of judges is Daniel Borneman, who is manager of NAP.

Entry in the Youth Category (K-12) is free, while the Adult Category requires a $10 fee. Photos must have been shot locally. It’s worth pointing out that the rules of submission bridge the divide between the analog and digital world. Entrants must submit digital files on CD or DVD (in CMYK color mode) as well as physical prints (between 5 x 5 and 8 x 10 inches). Contest Submission Form (.pdf file)