Reminder: Enter the Visual Wilderness Canadian Landscape Contest

Hi all, this is a reminder that if you have any photos of Canada to enter the contest over at Visual Wilderness by the end of April, 2011 for a chance at some great prizes! Below are the rules:

• All contest entries must be posted no later than 11:59 PM EST April 30, 2011. One entry per person
• All photographs should meet the theme: The Canadian Landscape. Photographs must have been taken within the country of Canada. You do not need to be a Canadian citizen to enter the contest but the photo must have been taken on Canadian soil.
• The photographer should include a brief explanation of technique, the location and any relevant comments.
• The winning photograph will be featured on the Visual Wilderness blog along with a few words from its maker. Three or four runners-up will also receive mention on the Visual Wilderness blog. Copyright belongs to the photographer but, by entering, the photographer consents to their image being posted on the VW blog if selected as one of the winning images.
• The winner will receive the following prizes: Publication of the winning image in Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine. The winner will be published as a full page feature. A one-year subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine. Free enrollment in Samantha Chrysanthou’s Learning to “Speak” the Language of Visual Expression – a six week on-line photography course beginning September 1, 2011

Also be sure to enter Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine’s Spring Photo Contest as well – deadline May 31, 2011. You could win a new camera, lens and photo bag! Good luck.

©Darwin Wiggett - Digby Gut from Point Prim, Nova Scotia

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February Winter Tour Results – Lynn Smith

Lynn was the winner of a free winter tour from Outdoor Photography Canada magazine. Congratulations Lynn on your win and it was a pleasure having you join us! Below are Lynn’s six favorite images from the February winter tour.

 

©Lynn Smith

©Lynn Smith

©Lynn Smith

©Lynn Smith

©Lynn Smith

©Lynn Smith

The Daily Snap – November 26

 

©Darwin Wiggett

I always get excited when I see a leaf trapped in ice and right away I make a snap shot. I must have dozens of these kinds of photos but I still keep making them. I can’t help myself. Some people collect shoes, some collect dolls; I collect nature’s jewels in ice.

Visual Wilderness

I am happy to announce that today I am a proud co-founder of a new website called Visual Wilderness. Along with photographers Jay Patel, Varina Patel and Samantha Chrysanthou we are happy to create a web environment for  learning about nature and outdoor photography. At Visual Wilderness you can learn by downloading our instructional eBooks, by participating in our seminars, workshops, and webinars, by reading our informative blog and also by interacting on our forum.

As part of our launch we are excited to offer an online photo contest with a great prize, a Sigma 20mm f1.8 EX DG ASP RF lens. The Sigma 20mm is a fast, wide-angle prime designed for full frame and APS-c size sensors. This lens is a unique Sigma offering with an aperture of F1.8 making it the fastest super wide angle lens available from any camera or lens manufacturer. For the scenic or landscape photographer it’s important to have a wide angle lens with excellent optical performance and Sigma’s aspherical lens technology provides high quality images for the serious shooter. Sigma’s 20mm lens has a field of view of 94.5º and yet provides for a close focusing lens-to-subject distance of only 2.6 inches. Such performance parameters provide great creative freedom to the photographer who wishes to exploit its capabilities for juxtaposing very near subjects with the surrounding background. This extreme wide angle view also makes this lens ideal for creating “stitched” panoramic scenes for dramatic effect. The architectural photographer will find this lens attractive for shooting building interiors and the photojournalists will find its fast speed a life saver in low light conditions.This Sigma lens is available in Canon, Nikon, Pentax, or Sony mounts.

We would like to thank Gentec International for supplying us with this great prize. For more information about Sigma lenses, visit www.SigmaCanada.ca. Deadline to enter the contest is October 31, 2010. For complete rules go here.

Finally, for readers of this blog I am offering a 20% discount code on the following two eBooks. We think these two offerings are critical for photographers to master and we have made aperture and shutter speed choice as easy as 1,2, 3! Check these eBooks out; you’ll finally understand how to pick the right aperture and shutter speed for creative photography. The discount code is niwrad (that’s Darwin backwards) and it is valid until 11:59 PM (EST) on September 30th, 2010. Just click on the eBook photos below to learn more. We want to help you become a better photographer and over the course of the next few months we will have lots of new goodies designed to make learning fun and effective. Give us a quick look, drop by and say hi and let us know what you would like to see from us.

Outdoor Photography Canada – Fall/Winter 2010

I was so pleased to see the latest issue of Outdoor Photography Canada because one of my favorite photographers and good buddy, Wayne Simpson has the cover shot (see photo below) and he also a nice big spread in the magazine. Congratulations Wayne!

Also featured in the latest issue is another good friend and co-presenter in the Snap! Photography Seminars, John Marriott with a great piece on The Best Wildlife Locations in Canada that Nobody Knows About.

And a sweet bonus is a lovely shot from a regular reader and participant of this blog Quincey Deters. Quincey won the grand prize in the OPC Spring Photo contest. Be sure to enter the latest photo contest in the magazine to get some fine prizes!

And finally at the Snap! Photography Seminar that was held in April this year, editor Roy Ramsay picked a photo from Corry-Lyn O’Hara as the best photo submitted for critique. You can see her shot on page 9!

©Wayne Simpson

Photographer of the Month – July 2010

I am happy to announce this month I am featuring the amazing work of Wayne Simpson. I first found out about Wayne’s work though his postings on Nature Photographers. I was blown away by his work. He could photograph wildlife, grand scenics and intimate landscapes with equal fortitude. I think Wayne has an amazingly creative eye and his style is strong and personal. Only later after we met and shot together a few times did I find out about his wedding and portrait work. He applies his love of nature photography into his wedding photography and boy does it show! I am not very moved by most wedding photography but Wayne’s is evocative and stirring. Even though Wayne uses flash to give his environmental portraiture some ‘snap’, the flash never overpowers and only only accents the existing natural light. A lot of wedding photographers could really use a lesson from Wayne on the subtle use of flash. For anyone interested in learning how to use flash I highly recommend this e-Book. Maybe one day Wayne will offer up his own e-book on how he does his work!

It’s funny, the most talented photographers I know always seem so humble and they are never afraid to share ‘secrets’. Wayne is no exception, he believes in sharing and he is down-to-earth and modest. What a great guy, easy going, fun to hang with and sensitive and artistic. No wonder he does well with nervous wedding clients. I should point out that on weddings and portraits Wayne often works with his wife Candice and they are a dynamic duo coming up with fresh perspectives and helping each other with the politics of wedding photography (e.g. managing people and expectations). Wedding photography is stressful, personally I could not do it… yikes! But Wayne and Candice make magic happen even with hard to please people. That is why I hired Wayne to do our family portraits. If anyone can get the Wiggett family to look good it is either a plastic surgeon or Wayne Simpson. We chose the latter! Watch for Wayne to be featured in the next issue of Outdoor Photography Canada. Be sure to check out Wayne’s blog to see what he is up to both as a wedding and nature photographer

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

The Daily Snap – July 4

©Darwin Wiggett

This one is a three exposure blend (meter, +2EV, -2EV) using Photomatix’s Exposure Fusion which I think gives a more realistic looking photo than tone-mapping does in Photomatix. To find out more about how I use Exposure Fusion to make ‘natural’ looking HDR’s pick up the latest copy of Outdoor Photography Canada (shameless plug I know, but I think the magazine is really good).

Outdoor Photography Canada – Spring Contest

Hey all, Outdoor Photography Canada magazine has a Spring Photo Contest with great prizes (see below for grand prize list). Deadline is May 31 – contest details are at this link. Because the theme is Human Impact on the Environment there are fewer than normal entries, so here is a contest where odds are definately in your favor if you enter!!

Grand Prize:

• Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM Wide-Angle Lens (Canon, Nikon, Sony or Pentax mount)
• Velbon Sherpa PRO CF-535 Carbon Fibre Tripod and QHD-61Q Magnesium Ball Head
• Niagara School of Imaging tuition to attend Mike Grandmaison’s course on “Making a Living as a Nature Photographer”
• Lowepro Stealth Reporter D200
•  Flight Logistics Photographer’s Sun Position Compass
• One-year subscription to OPC magazine and publication of winning image in OPC

©Darwin Wiggett

The Canadian Landscape Contest – The Winners!

Drum roll please….

And the first place winner of the Canadian Landscape Photo Contest is Stephen Desroches

©Stephen DesRoches

Congratulations to Stephen!

Here are Roy’s comments:

I have to admit the judging process for this contest was more difficult than I had expected. There were many great, if not outstanding, images to select from. This image jumped off the blog right away. The composition is well thought out from the grasses and rocks to the lighthouse and beyond. Stephen has done a great job using lead-in lines that draw you into the photograph. The detail in the sky adds to this coastal image visually as well as enhancing the story of the lighthouse.

Stephen wins: Publication of the winning image in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine, a one year subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada magazine, a free pass to SNAP! Mastering Digital Nature Photography from Capture to Commerce with  John Marriott, Samantha Chrysanthou, and me to be held on April 24 and 25, 2010 in Canmore, Alberta and An autographed copy of Daryl Benson’s Canada book – the best coffee table photo book on Canada ever produced (in my opinion).

Second Place goes Eva McDermott

©Eva McDermott

Roy commented:

This is a great split image of land and sea. Colour and clarity help to bring this scene into focus and help portray the mood. The softness of the water juxtaposed against the seemingly immovable rocks of the shore is terrific. Eva has composed this image well with the right amount of each land, sea and sky.

Eva wins: autographed copies of John Marriott’s best-selling books: The Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper and Beyond (regular edition) and Banff and Lake Louise: Images of Banff National Park. These books are outstanding and are my favorites among the plethora of books on the Canadian Rockies.

Third Place goes to Robert Servranckx

©Robert Servranckx

Roy commented:

I love situations like this one. Changing landscapes due to weather offer amazing opportunities. Robert’s ability to control the foreground to background exposure is a key ingredient to the success of this image. The colours from the sweeping grass to the water and sky create a beautiful image worthy of printing. I wonder if he got his feet wet?

Robert wins: two signed 8×12 inch prints one each from Samantha Chrysanthou and Darwin. 

The Canadian Landscape Photo Contest

Jan – March 2010 LLTL Photo Contest 

Theme – The Canadian Landscape 

For the first LLTL photo contest of 2010 the theme is The Canadian Landscape. Anyone can enter the contest but the image entered must have Canadian geographical content (natural landscapes, cityscapes, intimate landscapes, or rural landscapes from Canada). The reason for the restriction is because the winning image will be published in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine which only features images from Canada. So if you live in Canada or have visited and have an image you’d like showcased enter now! 

Judge – Roy Ramsay – Editor and Publisher of Outdoor Photography Canada magazine 

Roy Ramsay, editor and publisher of Outdoor Photography Canada magazine, will judge this competition and pick a first, second and third place image. The winning image will be published in Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine. Get your photos in front of the eyes of an editor by entering this contest! 

Deadline 

Entries will be accepted from January 20 to March 31, 2010 at midnight MST. 

Prizes 

Winning Image 

1. Publication of the winning image in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine – great exposure! 

2. A one year subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada magazine. 

OPC magazine

3. A free pass to SNAP! Mastering Digital Nature Photography from Capture to Commerce with  John Marriott, Samantha Chrysanthou, and me to be held on April 24 and 25, 2010 in Canmore, Alberta. Pass does not include airfare, accommodations or transportation to Canmore. If the winner is already registered for SNAP! no refunds or cash value will be assigned. The winner, if already registered in SNAP!, can choose to transfer their winning pass to another person. 

SNAP! Photo Seminars

4. An autographed copy of Daryl Benson’s Canada book – the best coffee table photo book on Canada ever produced (in my opinion). 

©Daryl Benson

Second Place 

The winner of second place will receive autographed copies of John Marriott’s best-selling books: The Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper and Beyond (regular edition) and Banff and Lake Louise: Images of Banff National Park. These books are outstanding and are my favorites among the plethora of books on the Canadian Rockies.

©John Marriott

©John Marriott

Third Place 

The winner of third place will receive two signed 8×12 inch prints (below) one each from Samantha Chrysanthou and Darwin. 

©Samantha Chrysanthou

©Darwin Wiggett

 

How to Enter 

This contest is free to enter. Send me a JPEG no larger than 400 pixels wide in the horizontal axis and set your colour space to sRGB. Please include a link to your website and a direct link  to a larger version of the photo if you have one. Also you need to include a short paragraph about the photo either about how you took the image, or why the image resonates with you, or what you are trying to express to the viewer. Also please include the location of where in Canada the image was shot. It does no matter when you took the image, with what media, only that you are the artist who took the photo and that the photo is from Canada. This contest is open to any one, anywhere in the world of any nationality, the only requirement is that the photo is a picture of a Canadian Landscape.

Send entries to wiggett@telusplanet.net – please only one entry per person. The photo will be displayed on this blog with appropriate credit and a link back to each artist’s website (be sure to include your website info!). No other use of the image will be made without the artist’s prior permission.  The winner will be responsible for getting a high res version of the first place winning image to Roy for publication in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine. 

This ain’t no rights grabbing photo contest, I’ll just display your photo here as outlined above.

But I do reserve the right to cancel the contest and/or prizes without prior notice (what if someone dies and can’t provide their prize or I get abducted by bald-guy loving aliens?).

Good luck!