Once again this year, Vistek is a proud sponsor of EXPOSURE – the Calgary, Banff and Canmore Photography Festival – a month long celebration of photographic excellence. A perk of being a sponsor is being called on to support photography events during the festival, including the EXPOSURE Vistek Emerging Photographer Showcase.

The finals take place Friday, February 25, 7-9 pm at the Art Gallery of Calgary. It’s a free vote. So if you’re in the area, drop by, enjoy the amazing photographs, and cast a vote for your favourite.

Vistek congratulates the top ten finalists: Logan Facette, Jeremy Fokkens, Ryan Hellard, Ryan Kostel, Opal Retzer, Rajvinder Sandhu, Amy Victoria Wakefield, Kyle Whitehead, Jennifer Tellier and Jamie Tilston. Below, a few samples from the finalists.

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Vistek’s Third Annual Capture Canada contest has officially launched! And with over $20,000 in prizes to be won, you’re definitely going to want to take part.

What does Canada mean to you? Can you freeze-frame it one shot? We challenge you to try. And, with the entire country to work with, the possibilities are endless!

Capture Canada’s distinct personality in an awe-inspiring photo and you could walk away a winner!

One Grand Prize will be awarded to the best overall photograph, and that talented photographer will take home:

• Epson Stylus Pro 3880 Printer
• Nikon D90 Dual Kit with AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR DX and AF-S 55-200mm f/4.0-5. 6G VR DX IF-ED Telephoto Lens
• Nikon SB-900 Speedlight
• Elinchrom Ranger Quadra To Go Speed “A” Case Set
• Canson 13″x19″ Baryta Photographique 310gsm – 25 Sheets
• Canson 13″x19″ your choice
• UltraChrome Print 16″x24″

Category Prizes (First, Second & Third) will also be awarded to the most outstanding photographs submitted in the fields of Photojournalism, Fine Art, People, Sports & Black and White.

In addition to the sweet prize packages up for grabs, winners will have their work showcased in Vistek’s in-store galleries in January 2011 (bragging rights, anyone?!)

Photos are being accepted now and will be until December 10. Judging will start almost immediately after.

So don’t rest on your laurel, folks… there are a LOT of prizes up for grabs.  Don’t you want to claim a few for yourself?

Get all the details and enter TODAY!

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As part of  its For days like today™ campaign, Canadian Tire recently launched its 100 Golden Opportunities Contest.

They’ve created 3 Limited Edition ‘Money’® Coins that depict various Canadian outdoor family moments and invite photographers to submit their own moments.

A grand prize winner will have their “moment’ used as inspiritation for the next Canadian Tire Money’® Coin as well as the 3 February Coins in a collectible Limited Edition golden (not really… it’s brass plated, but that’s not the point) set. Ninety nine other winners will also snag a set.

And for every photo received, Canadian Tire will donate $2 to Jumpstart®  – a community-based charitable program that helps kids in financial need participate in organized sports and recreation.

The deadline for photo sumbissions is March 11, 2010 and judging is set to begin the following day.

Get all the details here.

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The 2009 Carl Zeiss photo contest launched yesterday (Dec. 15) and runs until Jan. 15 – inviting photographers to submit their best interpretation of this year’s theme: Digital Culture.

Photographers and photo enthusiasts are invited to explore and capture this broad theme from their own unique perspective. And the contest is open to everyone with any kind of camera, provided you’re also using a Carl Zeiss lens (you can even use your camera phone if it’s got a Zeiss lens!)

An international jury will assess the images on their creativity and technical execution. Highest points will be given to photographers whose images have been created before and during the shutter release, with as little revising and adapting of the image as possible (ie – Photoshop wizards need not apply their skills). Ten winners will be selected after January 15 and the first place winner walks away with their choice of ZEISS SLR lens.

Check out all the details & submit your photo HERE!

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Indeed it could… Olympus is going to send one lucky Canadian to on a 12-day photo excursion – and it could be you!

How can you make that happen, you ask? Quite simply, actually. From now until December 31, 2009 Olympus wants you to capture an image with their new E-P1 (the new Micro Four Thirds digital camera announced earlier this summer) and compose your very best Haiku to accompany said photo.

Absent from English Class the day they taught Haiku Poetry? We’re here to help. In the simplest of terms, a Haiku is a form of Japanese Poetry consisting of 17 syllables (technically “moras” – but syllable is the closest translation) traditionally in three metrical phrases (lines) of 5, 7 and 5. English Haikus can typically run 10 to 14 syllables… so test your artistic mettle and dazzle the judges! Need an example?

Over the wintry
forest, winds howl in  rage
with no leaves to blow.
~ Soseki (1275-1351)

Entrants can only submit one (1) photo entry – supported by his or her original Haiku. Submissions can also include a supporting video. You can check out full submission guidlines here. And you can vote for your favourite photo and haiku here!

What will you create?

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Resorts of Ontario is running a photo contest that’s open to all 2009 guests of any one of Resort of Ontario’s 100 member resorts and country inns. They’re looking for original photos taken during the 2009 season that showcase your Ontario resort experience. And the total prize giveaway is valued at $1,500.

Contestants can submit up to ten photos and they can pretty much be anything related to your Ontario resort stay (sports, resort images, shots of guests with a resort property visible in the background etc.)

The contest runs until September 15 and winners will be chosen by October 1, 2009.

Images 5MB or less can be emailed in jpg format to photos@resortsofontario.com.

Check out the full contest details.

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Every year, the Hasselblad Masters celebrates the best in both established and rising photographic talent. This year, though, the voting process will be handled a little differently: they’ve reserved one of the jury spots for the Hasselblad public, allowing photographers and other photo professionals to cast a vote. The combined public vote will be combined with the official jury’s votes to determine who will be the Hasselblad Masters winners for 2009.

Photographers from China, Japan, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, India, Canada, the United States, Italy, Australia, Germany, and other countries have captured images that reflect 10 categories: architectural, editorial, fashion/beauty, fine art, general, landscapes/nature, portrait, products, upcoming, and wedding/social.

The top 100 finalists been selected and their images are now online for viewing and voting. Note:  you will have to register as a jury member in order to cast your vote.

The 10 winners will be announced January 1, 2010.

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