Tamanend Park Photo Contest Underway

Area amature photographers have the chance to participate in the "Taken at Tamanend" 2011 Photo Contest.

The Friends of began accepting submissions Sept. 1. Ray Schwegel, a member of the Friends of Tamanend, said this is the third contest sponsored by the Friends and New York Camera & Video.The contest has three categories—natural scenes, wildlife and people—and candidates can submit up to three photos in each category.

There will be a panel of judges, which in the past has consisted of the New York Camera & Video photo lab manager, Karen Hassinger and other “local experts,” Schwegel said.

“[Hassinger] has a great eye for composition and helps us stick to the contest’s guidelines for judging,” Schwegel said.

He said her expertise keeps everyone in line with the rules, eliminating the risk of overlooking quality photographs. Hassinger and her fellow judges worked together to make sound decisions in past contests.

“We all kind of discussed what we thought,” she said.

The photos submitted can range from images of plant life, landscapes, people in nature, wildlife, or features or facilities throughout the Park. The judges focus on certain criteria when considering entries such as originality, composition and arrangement.

“Composition was the main thing; subject matter… how the photo was composed,” Hassinger said.

Schwegel hopes that the contest will encourage the locals to stop and see what Tamanend Park has to offer.

“The contest was developed with the thought of getting the local community to go out to their park and just look at all of the beautiful things that are there,” he said.

Rich Weaver, New York Camera & Video sales and education associate, gave three important tips on capturing the aesthetic landscapes of Tamanend Park. First, he advises against shooting photographs in the high noon sunlight. The position of the sun directly overhead provides an unflattering light. Other times of day, however, offer a more dramatic lighting, he said.

“Early morning and late afternoon are usually the best times,” Weaver said.

Second, he said to use a low ISO setting. The ISO number tells how sensitive the camera sensor is to light. The higher numbers use less light to produce an image, however Weaver said that a lower ISO number ensures a tighter grain and a more defined picture.

“Avoid unnecessarily high ISO settings,” he said. “Don’t automatically set it to a really super high ISO just because you can.”

His third tip was to not shy away from using a tripod. A tripod adds extra stability for the photographer in order to get a sharp, crystal image. He stressed that using a tripod is important when using telephoto lenses, which are longer lenses that bring far objects or subjects closer to the eye.

“Don’t overlook using a tripod,” he said. “Many professional landscape photographers will only shoot with a tripod.”

The winning photographs will be displayed in the Park Office at Tamanend, New York Camera & Video, and the during the winter holiday season.

Each of the three age classes have a grand prize winner. The winners receive a $100 gift card to New York Camera & Video. The judging panel will also award first, second, third and Honorable Mention ribbons to individuals in each class. The three age groups are 12 and under, 13 to 18 and over 18 years old.

Candidates have until Oct. 31 to submit their photographs. Entries are to be securely matted or mounted upon submission and glass and frames are not permitted. The minimum dimensions of the photograph must be at least 8” x 10”. Submissions are accepted at the Tamanend Park Office on weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.  

Winners of the “Taken at Tamanend” 2011 Photo Contest will be notified by Nov. 22.

“It’s great, because it gets people involved in something other than their daily routine,” Hassinger said.

Further information and instructions can be picked up at the Park Office at Tamanend.