Evening star., 1950-04-23
Camera Angles
Amateurs Prepare for Snapshot Contest
By Alexander J. Wedderburn
cvrsssr Of Photography
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We may be jumping the gun q !
bit. but today We are coming up
with a feed-box tip for our friends
Of amateur lens league. It's about
the brand-new 1850 model of The |
Stars Annual Snapshot Contest.
Official rules and regulations will
be printed in The Sunday Star of
May IA but Wen give you enough
advance information today to have
you we'll on your marks when the
starting gun goes of on May 81.
AS you probably will remember
from previous years pictures en-
tered in this contest will be judged
on a weekly basis. You may send
in as many as you wish during
the contest. which closes this year
on Saturday. September 8. Any
picture taken after October /.
l94s. will be eligible. except color
prints and transparencies and
shots made on glass plates. III
you are using glass plates, it's
high time. anyway. that you get
hold of a more modern camera.
There are very few restrictions.
You may use any make of camera.
Aim. paper. or chemical. This Is
important for so many picture
contests limit you to the goods of
particular maker. Because none
of the entries will be returned,
they should not be mounted or
framed. The longest dimension
of print should not in any case
exceed 10 inches and no photo
montages, multiple prints. COM
posites or retouched photographs
will be accepted. Professional
photographers are ruled out.
The contest will run for a Pc
riod Of 16 weeks. The Star will
publish the first group of winners
in the Pictorial Magazine Of June
Is. One winning print from each
Of four classes will be selected
each week. From these, one will
receive an award of $40 and two
others will win IS prizes. The
fourth print will be published as
an honorable mention. Then, at
the end of the local contest, The
Star will award $25 grand prize
20 the four best pictures. The
grand prize winners will also be
published in The Pictorial Maya
zine and will then be sent on for
entry in the 18th Annual News
paper National Snapshot Awards
to compete with similar winners
from other newspapers in the
United States and Canada for
cash prizes totaling $4,000.
Four Glasses Cover Field.
No matter whether you spe-
cialize in one type of photography
or cover the entire field, shooting
pictures here and there wherever
you go. you will find one of the
four classes or categories of the
contest in which to place your en-
try. They are: /. Babies and
Children; 2 Young People and
Adults; 3. Scenes and Still Life
and; 4. Animal Life.
The first class. Babies and Chill
dren, is a popular one and the
competition will be keen. Any
picture Of one or more children
will be acceptable and an adult
may be in the scene If not the
principal interest. Our town, as
you know, is loaded with q cute
collection Of kiddies and you will
really have to be on your toes to
win a prize in this group. So,
instead of sending in q casual
snapshot this time, we suggest
that you really put forth an effort
to get something a bit different
or on the unusual side. This may
be portrait study or a shot
OF children engaged in one of the
many childhood activities.
AS a rule. posed pictures Of
children seldom win out in a con-
test of this kind. The camera
fan who keeps his eye peeled forI
natural, imposed action Of chill
dren doing those interesting
things that children do and who
can shoot what he sees in a hurry
is usually the lucky man. Try
to avoid self-conscious express
sions which are a dead give-away
Of the posed picture.
Animal Shots Appealing.
If you are a beginner you may
have an easier time with your
animal life shots. Animals are
not. as rule. self-conscious and
they are constantly up to some
trick or other that will make an
appealing picture. Most of us
have a pet dog. cat. bird or other
animal. If not. a trip or two to
the Zoo will provide subject mat
ter to keep your camera busy as
long as your film supply holds out.
Farm animals and wild life that
abound in the nearby countryside
are other excellent sources for
you to choose from. If you decide
to enter this phase Of the competi-
ton.
Young people and adults, for
the purposes of this contest, will
include all Of high school age or
older and one or more may appear
in the picture. You may try your
hand at portraiture or if you fancy
yourself as an action photog-
rapher. pictures Of people at work,
at play. engaged in sports or
hobby activities. all are fair game
for your camera. AS ! recall, this
classification had fewer entries
last year than any one Of the
others so. if this pattern is re-
peated again this year it would
seem that the odds in your favor
might well be greater If you keep
trying to win in this class.
The Scenes and Still Life group
usually brings a deluge Of en-
tries. People who have taken