1ST PLACE
$300 WINNER Part-time hair stylist Cheryl Molennor, 47, dreams of going on a photo safari in Africa. But she didn’t have to travel for this great egret—she saw it during mating season at a pond behind a strip mall in her hometown of New Port Richey, FL. See more of her work at www.passionartphoto.com.
TECH INFO: Canon EOS 40D with 300mm f/2.8L Canon lens and 2X teleconverter. Exposure, 1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO 640. Background burned in with Adobe Photoshop CS2; noise reduced in Imagenomic Noiseware.
2ND PLACE
$200 WINNER This picture-within-a-picture required both luck and skill. Los Angeles-based attorney Ben Hattenbach, 39, framed the window in a beached iceberg in Jökulsárlón, Iceland. Then he battled freezing temperatures and fading light waiting for another chunk of ice to float by. For more, visit www.flickr.com/photos/benh1.
TECH INFO: Tripod-mounted Hasselblad H3D with 50–110mm f/3.5–4.5 Hasselblad HC lens and B+W polarizing filter. Exposure, 1/8 sec at f/25, ISO 50. RAW conversion in Hasselblad FlexColor.
3RD PLACE
$100 WINNER Zeb Andrews, 31, has a knack for breaking the rules and getting it right. The camera-store employee from Portland, OR, nabbed this macro shot in the harsh midday sun at a dahlia festival, and last year he won this contest with a trippy, blurry forest scene. Check out www.zebandrews.com for more.
TECH INFO: Pentax 6x7 with 200mm f/4 and reversed 90mm f/2.8 Pentax lenses. Exposure, 1/250 sec at maximum aperture. Kodak Portra 160VC film scanned with Nikon Super Coolscan 9000 ED; dust removed in Adobe Photoshop CS3.
Your Best Shot Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How do I enter?
A: Send digital images -- JPEG files of up to 1MB -- to YourBestShot@bonniercorp.com.
Q: How many photographs can I enter each month?
A: You may submit up to 5 digital images each month.
Q: Do you only accept "straight" photos, or can I manipulate my images?
A: Either is fine but be sure to tell us what you did. We expect you to make your photos look as good as you can through ordinary techniques such as cropping, color correction, and contrast adjustments. If you're submitting a composite image, please inform us when you send it. But if you're more into photo illustration, check out our annual Digital Wizard contest instead.
Q: How exactly should I name my files?
A: Please use your name as your file name, and if you're making submitting multiple files, number them consecutively. So if your name is Paul Jones and you're sending three photos, name your files pauljones1.jpg, pauljones2.jpg, and pauljones3.jpg.
Q: What kinds of photos win?
A: Our editors love all kinds of photography, so take a look at our web galleries of Your Best Shot winners and finalists. We want to see the best you have to offer. But we don't publish nudes, so keep it clean.
Q: Are there any special file requirements?
A: Yes, if accepted for publication, a 3MP or higher (9MB file size, uncompressed) image will be required. The bigger the better. Click here for more instructions. Also, you can help us keep track of your submission by naming your files after yourself (see the next question).
Q: Can I send slides or prints?
A: No. You can only e-mail digital images.
Q: Will you acknowledge receipt of my entry?
A: Sorry, but with the large volume of entries, that is not possible.
Q: What can I win?
A: If your photo is selected for First Place you will receive $300; $200 for Second Place; $100 for Third Place; and $50 for Honorable Mention. And your photo will be published in Popular Photography magazine and may be showcased in a gallery on the Pop Photo website.
Q: Are there any other chances to be selected?
A: Yes! Your photo could be selected for The Fix, a feature that shows how to make good pictures even better. In that case, you will receive $100. If we run a small version of your photo in the magazine -- in a camera’s LCD screen, for instance -- we’ll give you a photo credit but no payment. Also, some runner-up photos may be showcased on the Pop Photo website. There is no prize money for that.
Q: What information should I send with the photos?
A: Your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Also, any technical information you can supply about the photo -- camera, lens, settings, film, software, and printer. Submitting a composite? Tell us! If you win and we need more material, we will contact you.
Q: Is there anything else I should know?
A: Yes! It's all in the "Official Rules."
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