(Or, for you folks in the southern hemisphere, the Winter Photo Contest.)

Things have been a little quiet around here this week. That’s partly because I’m lazy but also because I’ve been preparing for this contest. There were nearly 200 entries in the first contest. That’s an impressive turnout but I’d like to see a lot more people entering this time around. The more people that enter, the better the prizes will become, so please spread the word!

Contest theme and judging

I like the idea of having themes for contests and I got a lot of great suggestions for themes this time around. My goal is to have a theme that can be interpreted in many different ways but gives you something to focus on and possibly challenge you. It’s also important that the theme doesn’t exclude anyone from participating. With that in mind, the theme of this contest is: Adventure (suggested by Photodoto member Andrew).

Adventures can be big or small, in exotic locales or in your own back yard. Interpret it however you wish. Remember that the judges have to “get it” or we won’t consider it a match for the theme. At the same time, don’t go for easy—challenge yourself. I love clever.

Judging art is a subjective process so we’re going to choose the photos that we like the best. Of course, technical excellence and adherence to the theme are important factors. But the most important factors will be how the photo moves us, how it commands attention, and immediate and lasting visual impact.

Prizes

If there are fewer than 400 entries on the contest end date, the prizes will be:

1st place: A $150 B&H Photo gift card.
2nd place: A $75 B&H Photo gift card.
3rd place: A 1-year subscription (or renewal) to Flickr.com, the best photo-sharing application in the world.

If there are 400 entries or more the prizes will be:

1st place: A $250 B&H Photo gift card.
2nd place: A $150 B&H Photo gift card.
3rd, 4th, and 5th place: A 1-year subscription (or renewal) to Flickr.com, the best photo-sharing application in the world.

As a bonus, regardless of the number of final entries, bloggers who write about and link to the contest will be entered in a drawing for a 1-year Flickr Pro account. Spread the word! I bet we can get 400 submissions in no time at all.

How to enter/Official rules

1. Submit a great photo that best represents the theme to the Photodoto group at Flickr.com by adding it to the photo pool. The photo must be taken and owned by you. Register for a free Flickr account if you don’t already have one.
2. Tag your photo with the tag: PhotodotoContest2
3. Submitted photos must be appropriate for all ages.
4. No professionals. A professional is someone who earns at least 20% of their annual income from photography.
5. One entry per person.
6. Photoshopping is allowed, but remember: this is a photo contest.
7. Entry deadline is Friday July 28 at 9 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Winners will be announced on July 31.
8. Photos will be judged by a panel including myself. None of the judges are professional photographers and will simply select the photos that they like the best.
9. Winners’ photos and honorable mentions will be posted online at Photodoto.com.

Good luck!