Becton, Dickinson and Company (“BD”) is a medical technology company that serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. It is launching a photo competition titled “Hope for a Healthy World Photo Competition.”

There are NO ENTRY FEES for this Competition.

COMPETITION AWARDS BY CATEGORY
Best Global Health Story: $5,000 cash
Best Global Health Image: $2,500 cash
Best Global Health Multimedia: $2,500 cash

All Winners Will Receive:

PhotoServe Portfolio ($860 value)
1 year subscription to PDN
2012 PDN PhotoPlus Expo Gold Expo Pass
All-Access Big Love Pass to the 2012 LOOK3 Festival

All winners work will become part of the Hope for a Healthy World Photo Exhibition, a traveling Global Health exhibit sponsored by BD that will debut at LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, VA June 7-9, 2012.

All winners’ work will be placed in the contest gallery hosted on PDNonline.com and represented in the PDN Photo Annual, June 2012.

The Global Health Story must be related visually and have no more than 10 images.

Multimedia submissions should not exceed three minutes in length. Multimedia projects can include videos, video stills, and web-based creations. You can submit a URL to a website or video hosting website. The video hosting website can include youtube, vimeo or any website that can display your multimedia project.

Deadline: February 29, 2012

Note that in the FAQ, there is mention of an entry fee, but we understand there is NO entry fee [NEVER pay to enter any competition].

Also, here is the relevant copyrights information:

Will my images be sold?
No. You retain copyright to your photograph and the Sponsors may not sell your photo entry for a fee. All entries may be posted online so that viewers may view all competing entries. Winning entries may be used in connection with the Competition and promotion of the Competition for a period of 24 months from the date winners are notified.

Perfect: you retain the rights to your own photos and the sponsors get to use them to promote the competition only and for only 2 years.

Read the rules and enter the Hope For A Healthy World Photo Competition.

The Hunt - © Stefano Pesarelli

National Geographic has published the Winners of its Photo Contest 2011 in the People, Nature and Places categories. More than 20,000 images were submitted by professional and amateur photographers from more than 130 countries. Shikhei Goh won the $10,000 grand prize for his Splashing picture of a dragonfly weathering a rain storm. The Hunt by Stefano Pesarelli (above) of a big cat hunting an impala was obtained by panning the camera. It wonderfully evokes speed and drama.

via pdn

The researchers are Christopher Sprigman, a professor at the University of Virginia’s school of law, and Chistopher Buccafusco, an assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law.

We went through part of it and it seems to be a pretty interesting subject. But we did not go through the whole thing so we don’t know what “ethical” stuff you may encounter down the road (after all, they specialize in intellectual property and apparently had to clear the study with the UVA’s Internal Review Board, aka research ethics committee).

So if you have a couple of minutes to spare, a nice landscape photo, and don’t mind some possibly convoluted outcomes, why don’t you give these two professors a hand in their study?

To participate, click here.

via PDN

Sony World Photography Awards 2012 Last Call for Entries

www.worldphoto.org

Today, Wednesday 07 December, the World Photography Organisation, issues a last call for entries for the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards, the world’s most comprehensive photography competition. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 04 January 2012 giving photographers from across the world just four weeks left to enter.

The Sony World Photography Awards is free to enter and open to photographers of every ability, whose work will be judged by an esteemed panel including such international experts as curator & writer Susan Bright (2012 Chair of Judges) and Jon Jones, Director of Photography for the Sunday Times Magazine. The winner of the L’Iris d’Or/ Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year Award will receive $25,000 (USD) and the overall Open Competition winner, $5,000. All category winners will also be presented with Sony’s latest digital imaging products.

All shortlisted and winning images will be exhibited at a major exhibition at London’s Somerset House, to coincide with the award ceremony in April 2012. Furthermore, all winners will receive the invaluable support of the World Photography Organisation with their work featuring across the WPO website, in international exhibitions and inside the annual Sony World Photography Awards book, offering unparalleled exposure.

The competition has made a significant impact on the careers of many photographers around the world. 2011 L’Iris d’Or/ Sony World Photography Awards Professional Photographer of the Year, Alejandro Chaskielberg from Argentina, said:

‘The Sony World Photography Awards has had an important effect on my career, and since winning the award my work has been published worldwide. I was honoured to receive L’Iris d’Or this year and I would strongly encourage photographers everywhere -whatever their ability – to enter the competition.’

Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photographer Organisation added:

‘Over the years, we have had the pleasure of watching winning photographers at various stages of their careers move forward with incredible success. This award can truly be a spring board for photographers who claim the recognition and capitalise on all the benefits and support it comes with.’

The 2012 Sony World Photography Awards is more comprehensive than ever before – with an extensive range of awards, appealing to photographers of different levels. In addition to the Professional and Open (amateur) competitions across categories ranging from travel and current affairs, to still life and people, other competitions include the Moving Image and 3D Award, Student Focus competition – for higher education photography students aged 18-28, and new for 2012, the Youth Award.

For a second year running the hugely successful festival, World Photo, London, and Sony World Photography Awards exhibitions will be held at Somerset House in London in April – May 2012. Billed as the global photographic event of the year, World Photo, London, and the Sony World Photography Awards, celebrates the very best in photography from around the world, from the next generation of emerging photographers through to the established masters of the art.

The opening weekend of World Photo, London, will be held at Somerset House from 27 – 30 April with selected events and the Sony World Photography Awards winners exhibitions, continuing through to 20 May 2012.

The annual Sony World Photography Awards ceremony and gala dinner will take place on 26 April at the Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane, where 2012 L’Iris d’Or/ Sony World Photography Awards Professional Photographer of the Year and Open Photographer of the Year will be announced.

Full details about the World Photography Organisation and Sony World Photography Awards can be found at: www.worldphoto.org

• The competition closes for entries at 11.59:59pm (GMT) on Wednesday 04 January 2012
• All competitions are free to enter and all images submitted must have been shot in 2011
• Photographers may enter either the Professional or Open competition, it is not possible to enter both

About Sony
Sony is a leading global innovator of audio, video, communications and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. Sony is renowned for its audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA™ LCD high-definition (HD) television, Cyber-shot™ digital camera, Handycam, camcorder, “α” (pronounced Alpha) digital SLR camera, and Walkman MP3 player as well as its VAIO™ personal computers and 3D HD professional broadcast equipment. Offering a complete end-to-end 3D value chain and with its electronics, music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is one of the world’s leading digital entertainment brands, employing approximately 170,000 people worldwide.

Win a life’s worth of concerts! On December 5th, the ultimate Rock experience is back! The reference for online musical games in augmented reality is back in a totally new version.

Sponsors of the operation the guitarists Nono (Norbert Krief) and MattRach invite themselves into the game!

Check also the Jam Session: http://youtu.be/dBrZ1Ty0-cI

Samsung MV800

“Designed to be easy-to-use, flexible and fun. Measured solely by these three key credentials it scores well.”

We’ve added a new Samsung MV800 [QuickPrice Check] review to our Reviews Matrix.

TrustedReviews has published their review of the Samsung MV800, an ultra-compact with 16.1MP resolution (on a 1/2.3-in. CCD image sensor), 5x wide-angle optical zoom (26-130mm equiv.), Optical Image Stabilization, 3.0-in. Flip-Out Touch-screen LCD (288K-dot), Smart AUTO, P, Night Shot, Live Panorama, Magic Frame, Picture in Picture, Smart Filter, Effects, 3D Photo, Pose Guide, Zoom Noise Reduction, Intelligent Portraits, and HD 720p Movie 1280×720 @ 30fps.

You can read the Samsung MV800 Review @ TrustedReviews.

Related Links:

• Samsung MV800 Press Release
• Samsung MV800 Technical Specs

There are three categories: People, Places, and Nature.

Enter the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011.

You can also download many of the pictures to use as background for your desktop, iPad or iPhone.

View a sample of the submissions at: theatlantic.

Google is teaming up with Saatchi Gallery, London to offer student photographers around the globe a chance to showcase their work on the worldwide stage. If you are a student aged 18 years or older then this contest is for you. Pick from one of 10 categories and submit up to 8 of your best shots by January 31, 2012.

The 10 categories are:
Me
Food
Travel
Fashion
Action
Street
Sport
Night
Sound/Silence
Point of View

For some unmentioned (probablt legal) reasons, students from the following countries are not eligible: Brazil, Quebec, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, Libya, Liberia, Zimbabwe, or Myanmar (Burma).

Here are the relevant rules governing copyrights:

11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

As between you and Sponsor, each entrant shall retain ownership of all intellectual property rights in the entry (including moral rights) subject to these Official Rules. However, by entering the Competition, and to the extent allowed by law, entrant grants, but solely in relation to the promotion and/or advertising of the Google Photography Prize or Google+ service only, to Saatchi Gallery, London, Google and Google’s affiliates, licensees, promotional partners, developers and third party marketing entities (“Permitted Users”) a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to modify, rearrange, copy, reproduce and adapt the images only to fit the format required for product web pages and marketing materials, and to publish and use the Photographs themselves and the content of and elements embodied in the Photographs, including any names, locations and likenesses, for the duration of the rights, in any and all media, including but not limited to digital and electronic media, computer, and audiovisual media (whether now existing or hereafter devised), in any language, throughout the world, and in any manner without further review, notice, approval, consideration, or compensation. Google will not commercially exploit the Photographs and all such rights of commercial exploitation remain with entrants.

Enter the Google Photo Contest.

Vistek is running a photo challenge for Canadian [only] photographers in 5 categories: Solitude, Courage, Joy, Hope and Mystery. In all, there are over $12,000 in prizes to be won. The contest runs from November 9, 2011 to February 24, 2012 and the winner will be announced on March 5th, 2012.

Here are the relevant rules pertaining to your rights:

All files are © to their respective owners

and

• Files may be used in relation to marketing this contest or the contest for next year.
• Winning photos may be displayed at various Vistek Locations.
• Prints of the winning files will be displayed and sold for charity.

Kudos for Vistek for a great example of not doing a rights grab of photographer’s photos.

Enter the photo challenge at: Vistek.

PocketWizard® Announces Make It Possible™ Photo Contest

PocketWizard Photo Products partners with SmugMug to create the first PocketWizard Photo Contest

So. Burlington, VT – November 8, 2011 – LPA Design, manufacturers of PocketWizard radios, the world leader in wireless control and synchronization of cameras, flash lighting and light meters, announces the “Make it Possible” Photo Contest. Starting today, photographers are invited to show PocketWizard how they “Make it Possible” using PocketWizard Wireless Triggering systems by submitting a photo taken with a minimum of one off-camera flash triggered using PocketWizard radios.

The “Make it Possible” contest winner will receive one PocketWizard MiniTT1®, two FlexTT5®’s and one AC3 ZoneController for either Canon or Nikon plus a PocketWizard G-Wiz Trunk bag and a 1-year SmugMug Pro Subscription and photo website customization. First- and second-place runner-ups will also be awarded prizes. Contest submissions will be accepted from now until December 30, 2011.

Final judging will be done by commercial-fashion photographer Mark Wallace. Mark is the face behind numerous PocketWizard video tutorials as well as the host and creator of the web-based video series “Digital Photography One on One” and “How’d They Do That?”, sponsored by AdoramaTV. Mark is also the co-founder of Snapfactory Studios.

“We are very excited to launch our first ever International PocketWizard Photo Contest and we look forward to the submissions we’ll receive from photographers of all levels who understand the benefit of shooting with off the camera flash. And having Mark Wallace as our contest judge brings it all together. As a photographer he’s technically proficient, as a teacher he’s first-rate and as a judge he’ll be suburb,” said Heather Ambrose, Marketing Manager at LPA Design.

PocketWizard Photo Products partnered with SmugMug, the industry-leading professional photography site display, sharing and protecting solution, to power the contest. “SmugMug’s unparalleled customization and powerful platform enables us to showcase world-class entries in its best light and makes sharing easy. The branded photo galleries will be the perfect complement to the entries we expect to receive,” stated Ambrose.

To enter the contest visit www.PocketWizard.com/inspirations/contests.

About PocketWizard
Incorporating the latest radio technology, PocketWizard (www.PocketWizard.com/) products exceed the demands of the working pro and photo enthusiast with durability, ease of use, advanced capabilities and legendary PocketWizard reliability.

PocketWizard products, including the PLUS® II, MultiMAX®, MiniTT1®,FlexTT5® and AC3 ZoneController are made by LPA Design, based in South Burlington, Vermont and sold by distributors around the world including the MAC Group (www.MACgroupUS.com) in the USA.

About SmugMug
SmugMug is an independent company devoted to nothing but your priceless photos. Professional photographers, passionate amateurs and photo lovers get unlimited uploads and big, beautiful and customizable online galleries for easy sharing, printing and archiving. For more information visit http://www.smugmug.com.

OLYMPUS LS-20M® RECORDER VIDEO CONTEST FEATURES AUTOGRAPHED JOHN MAYER MARTIN GUITAR AS GRAND PRIZE

Contestants must submit their best Olympus LS-20M original video – the five videos with the most “likes” will be reviewed by a panel of expert judges

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., October 24, 2011 – Olympus, manufacturer of the popular LS-20M handheld HD video and PCM audio recorder, has launched the “Olympus Gets You Discovered” talent contest. Anyone who has purchased and registered an LS-20M device can submit their best video for a chance to win an autographed OMJM John Mayer Special Edition Martin Guitar courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.

“There are so many talented individuals who love their Olympus products, especially the LS-20M recorder, which caters to musicians and individuals who like to create their own studio-quality videos,” said Amy Leslie, senior marketing and business development manager at Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Whether you enjoy comedy, music, singing, art or dance, this contest will give you the chance to showcase your talent to the world – and win an incredible $4,200 acoustic guitar signed personally by John Mayer.”

Contestants have until Sunday, December 3, 2011, to submit their best LS-20M video. The five videos with the most number of “likes” on YouTube will advance to the final round, where a panel of expert judges will decide the ultimate winner.

There are no artistic boundaries to what can be submitted – creativity is king and may make you a winner as long as videos abide by the rules, guidelines and standards of Olympus and YouTube. Click www.getolympus.com/getdiscovered to access the official contest rules and regulations.

Here’s how to enter the LS-20M recorder video contest:

Step 1:
Register your LS-20M recorder with Olympus HERE.

Step 2:
Use your LS-20M recorder to capture an original performance and then post your video to YouTube. Title your video submission “Olympus LS-20M Get Discovered,” followed by your name (Ex: Olympus LS-20M Get Discovered – John Smith).

Step 3:
Complete and submit the official entry form at www.getolympus/getdiscovered.

The more “likes” your video receives, the higher your star will rise. Each week through the end of the submission period, Olympus will showcase the top “Like Leaders” in its gallery HERE.

The grand-prize winner will receive a signed OMJM John Mayer Special Edition guitar ($4,199 value for the guitar alone). Second place will win an Olympus PEN® E-P3™ digital camera ($899.99 value) and third place will receive an Olympus PEN E-PM1™ digital camera ($499.99 value).

The LS-20M recorder is the first Olympus recorder that captures and edits 1080p HD video while recording 24 bit/96 kHz Linear PCM stereo sound. Combined with four optional Magic Movie special effects features, the LS-20M recorder enables users to create home movies that look and sound like professional productions in a device that’s so compact it fits in your pocket.

ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.
Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional markets.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. works collaboratively with its customers and its ultimate parent company, Olympus Corporation, to develop breakthrough technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality that enhance people’s lives every day. These include:

• Digital Cameras
• Professional and Interchangeable Lens System Cameras
• Related Underwater Products and Accessories
• Digital and Microcassette Recorders
• Digital Media
• Binoculars

Olympus Imaging America Inc. is responsible for sales in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For more information, visit: www.olympuscanada.com.

Scientists take the most beautiful photos, as can be seen from the entries to the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. Dr. Igor Siwanowicz of the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried, Germany won the 2011 1st Prize with his “Portrait of a Chrysopa sp. (green lacewing) larva (20x).”

Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. For over 30 years, Nikon has rewarded the world’s best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science.

Deadline for Entries: April 30, 2012

Here are the relevant rules concerning copyrights:

12. If your entry is selected by Nikon as a winning image, you will give non-exclusive rights to Nikon to use your name and the image in connection with the competition. You also certify that you hold the rights to grant such permission. Winning images will only be used in connection with the Nikon Small World Competition and accompanying publicity and will include appropriate photo credits.

13. Contestants will be notified regarding image usage rights should Nikon be approached with any commercial opportunities related to a submitted image or images.

Enter the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.