Proof Positive

Dwarf Brew 2010: Recipe Contest

sidekick — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:18:10 +0000

Deadline: September 21, 2010

The idea behind Fantasy Brewmasters is to create authentic, real life, fantasy beers. We are currently on a push to release our first pilot batch of beer this coming October/November, and we’re on the hunt for the ultimate dwarven beer recipe! Enter your take on a dwarven beer for a chance to win $1000!

The purpose of this contest is to create the the recipe for this dwarven brew. Something that you would expect to see coming out of the Burdisson clan’s dwarven brewery.

Eligibility: USA (excluding Puerto Rico), 21
Entry Fee: Free

Winning brewer will receive a one-time royalty of $1000.

For more information please visit Fantasybrewmasters.com

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Photography secrets from one of the world’s top shooters

sidekick — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:28:08 +0000

THE FIRST BOOK WITH ONE FOOT ON THE COFFEE TABLE, AND ONE FOOT IN THECLASSROOMJoe McNally, one of the worldâ��s top pro digital photographers, whose celebrated work has graced the pages of Sports Illustrated, Time, and National Geographic (to name a few), breaks new ground by doing something no photography book has ever doneâ��blending the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of a coffee-table book with the invaluable training, no-nonsense insights, and photography secrets usually found only in those rare, best-of-breed educational books.When Joeâ��s not on assignment for the biggest-name magazines and Fortune 500 clients, heâ��s in the classroom teaching location lighting, environmental portraiture, and how to â��get the shotâ�� at workshops around the world. These on-location workshops are usually reserved for a handful of photographers each year, but now you can learn the same techniques that Joe shares in his seminars and lectures in a book that brings Joeâ��s sessions to life.What makes the book so unique is the â��triangle of learningâ�� where (1) Joe distills the concept down to one brief sentence. It usually starts with something like, â��An editor at National Geographic once told meâ�¦â�� and then he shares one of those hard-earned tricks of the trade that you only get from spending a lifetime behind the lens. Then, (2) on the facing page is one of Joeâ��s brilliant images that perfectly illustrates the technique (youâ��ll recognize many of his photos from magazine covers). And (3) you get the inside story of how that shot was taken, including which equipment he used (lens, f/stop, lighting, accessories, etc.), along with the challenges that type of project brings, and how to set up a shot like that of your own.This book also gives you something more. It inspires. It challenges. It informs. But perhaps most importantly, it will help you understand photography and the art of making great photos at a level you never thought possible. This book is packed with those â��Ah ha!â�� momentsâ��those clever insights that make it all come together for you. It brings you that wonderful moment when it suddenly all makes senseâ��that â��moment it clicks.â��

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Playa Esterillos Oeste La Dolce Vita Photo Contest

sidekick — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:53:38 +0000

Deadline: September 16, 2010

The Photo Contest “Playa Esterillos Oeste – La Dolce Vita” is a photo award competition open to photographers anywhere in the world who love Esterillos Oeste and Costa Rica. The primary objective of this initiative is to promote Playa Esterillos Oeste and its beauty.

Theme: Esterillos Oeste:

All the photos submitted by participants must be taken in Esterillos Oeste

Categories/Subject:

People
Nature
Beach
Daily life
Surf, etc.

Eligibility: Open to anyone worldwide
Entry Fee: Free

Prizes

Grand Prize: Three (3) days free Bed & Breakfast at La Dolce Vita.
Second Prize: Two (2) days free Bed & Breakfast at La Dolce Vita.
Third Prize: One (1) day free Bed & Breakfast at La Dolce Vita.

For more information please visit ResortlaDolceVita.com

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Today’s World Photography Contest

sidekick — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:46:25 +0000

Deadline: September 15, 2010

Submit up to 10 photos showing your point of view of today’s world.

Theme:

Ourpresent life
What is around us
What affects our daily lifestyle.

Eligibility: USA
Entry Fee: $3.99

Prize:

Top 50 images will be published in the hardcover book: Photo “Today’s World” Photography Book. First Prize appears in the cover.

Winners will be selected by judging panel based on creativity, quality and originality of their photos.

For more information please visit Viewbug.com

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Celebrating Record Traffic

Melanie — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:18:00 +0000

Over the years, traffic at proofpositive.com has continued to gradually grow and grow. We stalled out at about 1000 visitors a day for well over a year. Then I decided to install the blog. The blog generated a whole new group of visitors. My challenge was to get the contest database visitors to realize that there was an entire blog filled with info, articles, reviews and more.

In August we broke all of our records for both traffic and page views and I’m absolutely thrilled! I want to thank YOU for being a part of it all.

ProofPositive.com gets an average of 1200 visitors a day. This month we broke through several barriers and had 3 days with over 1500 visitors and then we went even higher for a day with over 1600 visitors.

We also hit a record 103,000 page views in August. This may not seem as high as it could be, but we have found that some visitors will literally sit on one contest database page for an hour or more as they browse through the contests. They will leave to look at a contest and come back to the database page a half-dozen or more times. Our stats program only counts this as one page view.

My goals for September are to continue breaking records!

My September targets are:

one or more days with 2000+ visitors
five or more days with 1500+ visitors
over 40,000 visitors
over 125,000 page views

You can help by stumbling, digging, tweeting and letting your facebook friends know about us. Come back often and be sure to add your news, views and comments.

Melanie

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Lights, Camera, Capture: Creative Lighting Techniques for Digital Photographers

Melanie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:26:59 +0000

Learn to achieve the best possible images with minimal lighting equipment Author Bob Davis is a photographer whose high-profile clients include Oprah Winfrey and Eva Longoria, and whose work has appeared in Time, O Magazine, and People. Along with his invaluable professional advice, this beautiful full-color book includes a DVD featuring portions of his workshop curriculum. He covers the elements of lighting and shares his two-strobe technique that will enable you to create studio-quality lighting anywhere with only minimal equipment. High-profile photographer Bob Davis is especially known for his lighting techniques; this book shares his advice on lighting for professional photographers and serious amateurs Covers all the key elements of photographic lighting, with informative illustrations and lighting grids Details the author's pioneering two-strobe technique that reduces the amount of equipment a photographer must carry to a shoot and dramatically lowers equipment costs Features professional tips and stunning full-color images 60-Minute DVD includes video from the author's three-day lighting and photography workshop Lights, Camera, Capture: Creative Lighting Techniques for Digital Photographersoffers your professional advice worth many times the cost of the book. Top 10 Lighting Tips Amazon-exlcusive content from author Bob Davis 1. Become a seeker of light. My lighting improved leaps and bounds once I began to notice and study light and how it creates mood, shapes, and defines textures. Itâ��s all about light. I take mental notes when light catches my eye. I love the way the sunlight reflects off my stone counter tops and creates beautiful patterns on the kitchen cabinets. I then think of how can I emulate that. 2. Take visual notes using your cell phone camera. I love using my iPhone for this. Most people have a camera on their cell phone; itâ��s great for capturing those wonderful moments when the light catches your eye. Later, practice recreating that light with any type of light source, flashlight, shop light, strobe or video light. 3. Practice, practice, practiceâ�¦ I use a teddy bear and a flashlight to see how the light and shadows change as I move the light around the teddy bear. Then, I try to create that same look using an off-camera flash. 4. If you find using an off-camera flash a challenge because you canâ��t see the light, try using a flashlight as a modeling light. Point the flashlight in the same direction as your flash head. For a long time, I used a Mag light rubber banded to my Speedlight until I became comfortable using my flash. 5. Use a diffuser over your flash and, if at all possible, bounce your flash. Even the pop-up flash on a point-and-shoot can be diffused using facial tissue. If your flash has an adjustable head, try bouncing it off the ceiling by pointing the flash head upwards, or even to the side if there is a wall near by. Review your results, and make a mental note. 6. Whenever possible, get your flash off-camera. You can create depth and dimension by getting one flash with a bounce diffuser about 45 degrees to the left or right of your camera. This creates a nice modeling light to shape your subjects, and looks more natural than direct on-camera flash. 7. Read you camera and flash manual. I know they read like bad stereo instructions written for engineers, but if you read one page, and then practice what youâ��ve just read with your camera and flash, soon you will master all of the functions of your flash. 8. Use fresh batteries; even better, use rechargeable high capacity batteries. This alone will greatly improve your overall flash consistency. 9. Use flash outside on a bright sunny day to fill in the shadows under the eyes, hence the term â��fill flashâ��. Photograph people in open shade to avoid them having to squint, and remember to turn on your flash to fill in their face with light. Almost all point-and-shoot cameras allow you to use your flash outside. Give it a try, and see how it puts that sparkle in their eyes. 10. You donâ��t always need a flash, I love lighting people using a reflector. There are many types of collapsible reflectors. You can use anything as a reflector. I once created a reflector in a pinch by using a paper plate and covered it with aluminum foil. It works! Remember itâ��s all about the light. Have fun, there is no wrong way to light; there are no rules written in stone. Create the light you want! Tips for Using Strobe Lights Strobes give you an incredible sense of flexibility in your approach to light, largely due to the many different ways you can manipulate and adjust their output. Your flexibility increases significantly if you are able to move the flash away from the camera's hotshoe, because you can position it exactly where you would like it. Add more flashes to the mix, and youâ��re straying into more creative territoryâ�¦ This is your cue to take control of your lighting! Create the light you want anywhere. I envisioned a romantic taxi cab ride, but I wanted to capture that feeling of motion, twilight and love. I like to think outside the box, literally! For this picture of the newly engaged couple, I mounted a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, in aperture priority mode, with a 16 â�� 35mm wide angle zoom lens at 18mm, 1/8th sec with f/4.0 at ISO 160. Hereâ��s where it gets fun, so hold on and lets go for a ride. I mounted the camera on the outside trunk deck of the taxi using a Delkin Fat Gecko suction cup mount, and triggered the camera using a Pocket Wizard remote control. I used a Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter and Radiopopper transmitter and receiver to fire the remote Canon 580EX II Speedlite, in ETTL II mode, inside the cab. The Speedlite was diffused using a Lightsphere light modifier, creating the light I wanted. I choose aperture priority because of the changing available light as we drove through the streets of Chicago. I knew the camera would choose a slow shutter speed because of the low ISO, giving that sense of motion I had in my mindâ��s eye. Iâ��m always trying to tell a story through my pictures. I did the formal, â��safeâ�� pictures of the bride and groom first, and then I asked if they were up for something a little more creative. I got the green light, so I quickly changed from soft light-modifiers, such umbrellas or Lightsphere, to hard light. Using creative hard light, you can create a dramatic mood. I was feeling a little Casablanca; you know the old, classic black-and-white film with Humphrey Bogart? I had only a few minutes to create the look. I placed the groom in the background, and put spot light on him with one Canon 580EX II in ETTL II mode in group A. I modified the light using a HonlPhoto Snoot to vignette the light: focusing it on him, not the background. Next, I gave the bride the yellow flower, and asked her to give me a little attitude. I had her look into the second Canon 580EX II in ETTL II mode in group B, modified with a small beauty dish. The beauty dish creates a softer light than a snoot. I used a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV in manual mode, with a 70 â�� 200mm IS II lens at 70mm, 1/250th sec with f/2.8 at ISO 200. The Speedlites were triggered using a Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter and Radiopopper transmitter and receivers. I choose the long lens to compress the space, and an aperture of f/2.8 focusing on the brideâ��s face for a shallow depth-of-field blurring the groom. I loved the image and so did the bride and groom.

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2010 Mezzetta Make That Sandwich Contest

sidekick — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:14:05 +0000

Deadline: September 6, 2010.

Submit your original recipe, your recipes must use at least two (or more) of the following products: Mezzetta® Brand (specialty peppers, olives and gourmet foods), Mezzetta®
Deli-Sliced (sliced specialty peppers), Napa Valley Bistro® (specialty pasta sauces and olives) or Kona Coast® (teriyaki and BBQ sauces).

Recipes may be submitted in three categories:
Cold Sandwich
Hot Sandwich
Vegetarian Sandwich

All sandwiches must be served on bread products such as rolls, buns, wraps, biscuits, sliced bread, focaccia, etc. Sandwiches may include any combination of ingredients; in the
Vegetarian category, the ingredients must exclude meat and fish, but may contain vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, egg and dairy products.

Eligibility: United States and Canada
Entry Fee: Free

Three Finalists (one in each category) will be selected by the Judging Panel. One Grand Prize Winner will be selected by the Judging Panel from the Three Finalists.

(1) A Grand Prize Winner who will receive a cash prize of $25,000 plus trip to Napa Valley.
(2) Two finalists who will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

Total Make That Sandwich™ Contest cash prize awards: $27,000 (Twenty-seven Thousand Dollars) Value of trip is approximately $2,500.00.

For more information please visit Makethatsandwich.com

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2010 Narrative Magazine’s Spring Story Contest

Salad A Day Online Recipe Contest

sidekick — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:39:04 +0000

Deadline: September 4, 2010

Submit your original salad recipe. The recipe must include fresh, frozen or canned fruit, recipe must contain a retail salad dressing. Dazzle us with your creativity and you just
might be the one to win the cash prize.

Theme: Fresh & Fruity Salads
Eligibility: USA
Entry Fee: Free

One Winner will receive $500.

Only recipes submitted via the online form will be considered.

For more information please visit Saladaday.org

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Scubadive West, Ireland, Photo Competition

sidekick — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:34:36 +0000

Deadline: September 8, 2010

Scubadive West’s 2010 Photo Competition celebrates the best in Irish amateur photography.

Theme: Digital
Eligibility: Open to all amateur photographers living in Ireland.

This year participants can compete in Three categories:

The Best of Ireland Underwater: Macro (close-up) Category
The Best of Ireland Underwater: Wide Angle Category
The Best of the West: Connemara Overwater Category

Scubadive West’s 2010 Photo Competition will be judged by internationally acclaimed photo journalists and dive industry experts.

The Best of Ireland Underwater, Macro Category Prizes

1st Prize         Scubapro MK25/A700 Regulator
2nd Prize        Scubapro/UWATEC Tec 2G Dive Computer
3rd Prize        Scubapro Twin Jet Max Fins

The Best of Ireland Underwater, Wide Angle Category Prizes

1st Prize        Suunto Vyper Air Computer & Transmitter
2nd Prize       Fourth Element Ozone Outer Layer System
3rd Prize       Oonas Divers £100 holiday voucher

The Best of the West: Connemara Overwater Category Prizes

1st Prize    Renvyle House Hotel: voucher for a weekend break for two people
2nd Prize    Scubadive West Discover Scubadiving for two people
3rd Prize     €100 Portwest Outdoor Store voucher
Entry Fee: Free

For more information please visit Competitionssdw.com

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Best Business Practices for Photographers

Melanie — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:48:21 +0000

When you started up your Photography Business little did you know that marketing and developing the “business” would take way more time than you ever dreamed. You started the business because you love photography right? The problem is you have to do all the other stuff right too!

The following book not only covers all aspects of copyright and licensing your photographs. Whether you are a service and assignment photographer or a stock photographer, this book will give you much of the business information you need to start and build a successful photography business.

A follow-up to the successful and acclaimed "Best Business Practices for Photographers", this updated and expanded edition serves as an even more comprehensive guide to achieving financial success and personal satisfaction in your business as a photographer. Included in this new edition are sections on licensing your work, making the career change from a staff photographer to a freelancer, surviving an IRS audit, and more. This book includes best practices in interacting with clients, negotiating contracts and licenses, and business operations. "Best Business Practices for Photographers, Second Edition" is the key to a successful career in photography.

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