Children's Photo Contest, Photography Tips

The 26th annual Lane County Children’s Photo Contest begins in February with a benefit for Birth To Three. The contest continues through March, with awards announced in 38 categories on Saturday, May 8. The contest judges expression, photography skill and the story told by the photo. It is not a beauty contest.

            Birth To Three will receive $25 of each photograph session conducted by Friday, March 5. Book your session now! The three professional photographers are Bruce Berg (541-726-6119; www.bruceberg.com), Richard May (541-688-2565; www.richardmay.com) and Joy Taubner (541-345-5745; www.momentsbyjoy.com). To make an appointment, call one of them directly.

            Parents of children ages 3 months to 12 years are eligible for the special rate of $45, which includes the photo session, a 4”x6” print and a 4”x6” entry in the contest. Categories include:

                 Six age categories (3-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-5 years, 6-12 years and siblings)

                 Two style categories (traditional and story telling)

            Winners will be announced at Valley River Center the day before Mother’s Day. One special category is the Birth To Three Award; the winning photo is framed and displayed at Birth To Three for a year, then given to the family of the photo subject.

            Adults taking photos of children may find better results by using these suggestions from our contest photographers:

• Get up close – fill the frame
• Use the flash, even – perhaps especially – in brightly lit situations
• For more control, learn the programmable settings of your camera
• For planned photos, get acquainted with the child first and work fast in the actual session
• Cut the digital camera’s shutter lag in half by prefocusing the picture. Push the shutter button halfway down, then click it the rest of the way at the right moment.