If you live or work in Lone Tree, enjoy photography and if you like to win prizes, the city has a contest for you.
Through Aug. 31, photo submissions are being accepted for the annual city of Lone Tree Calendar Contest. From the submissions, the best 12 are selected to form the 2006 city of Lone Tree community calendar.
Seth Hoffman, project administrator for the city, said “any photo taken in Lone Tree” is acceptable for submission. Landscape photos are not the only types of photos they are looking for, Hoffman said. He said he would personally like to see more “people” shots.
As with any contest, there are a few rules to follow. To enter the contest, you must either live or work in Lone Tree. You can enter a maximum of six photographs, in color or black-and-white, and the photos must have been taken in Lone Tree.
“Rather than have a lot of landscape shots that people shot on vacation...all our photos are something you can see in Lone Tree,” Hoffman said. “...It makes it more interesting.”
To enter your photos, write your name, address and phone number on the back of each photo and drop them off at Mike’s Camera, located at 9197 E. Westview Road in Lone Tree.
Lone Tree has been conducting the calendar contest for around six years, Hoffman said.
There will be 12 winners selected -- one winner for each photo selected which best represents each month of 2006. And the prize? Each winner will receive a $250 gift certificate from Mike’s Camera.
Hoffman said applicants have a better chance at winning if they can portray seasonal settings and accurately match up a photo to a particular month.
It would be ideal, Hoffman said, “if we could have a snow photo in December or an outdoor photo in the summer.”
Other considerations for winning are photos with a clear and sharp resolution and photos that are clearly identifiable to the city, such as the portrayal of landmarks.
Lee VanRamshorst, who lives and works in Lone Tree, has been taking photographs for 53 years. He was one of the winners for 2005’s calendar. His photo of a dove perched on his back porch railing won for the month of June.
“You have to be basically ready,” VanRamshorst said on taking spontaneous nature photos, “and you have to know what you’re doing.”
VanRamshorst said the contest is a way for photographers to participate at a local level.
A total of 113 photos from 27 photographers were submitted in last year’s contest.
Hoffman said the judges lay all the submissions on a table, face up, so as not to look at the submitters’ names.
Approximately 3,000 calendars will be printed for 2006 and mailed automatically to Lone Tree residents.
For more contest information, contact Seth Hoffman at 303-708-1818, or via e-mail at seth.hoffman@cityoflonetree.com.
YourHub.com wants to see your photos, too. Although we’re not holding a contest, per se, you may look at it as a way to compete for your photo to be published in our Thursday print edition. Post your photos of nature, landmarks, people or anything else in Lone Tree on YourHub.com today.