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Old 06-23-2009, 09:30 AM
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Default Ducks Unlimited Canada Seeks Your Best Shot

Ducks Unlimited Canada Seeks Your Best Shot

Your best shot may be all that’s needed, but Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is giving Albertans a chance to win prizes in return for submitting up to 10 of the best nature photographs they snapped between July 2008 and September, 2009.

The province-wide nature photography contest celebrates the way Albertans take photographs to record and preserve the natural beauty of Alberta wildlife, waterfowl, wetlands and natural habitat. The photos can include people of all ages enjoying what these spaces offer.

A memorable link to nature
The lasting value of nature photography is old hat to contest judge Darwin Chambers, a conservation program specialist with DUC. “I grew up with a close connection to the land. We did lots of fishing, hunting and hiking in the mountains and by the time I was in my teens, taking pictures was a natural way for me to document our trips and preserve the memories.”

With trial and error as his first formal teacher, Chambers experimented with everything from shutter speed to light and aperture. A few years ago, he switched to digital technology, a format that makes it easier (and less expensive) to experiment with technique.

Now based in DUC’s Red Dee office, the accomplished amateur photographer is rarely without a camera. While the single-lens reflex (SLR) is Chamber’s favourite, “I do carry a smaller point-and-shoot camera on longer hikes or days when the bigger camera is just too much to carry.”

Besides using the photos to jog his own memory about favourite sites and important habitats, Chambers shares his pictures with landowners as a way to help them understand DUC’s interest in particular pieces of land. “It’s definitely a way to connect with people about what you’re talking about,” says Chambers, who spends a lot of his working day talking to landowners about how the distinctive features of their land benefit local and migrant wildlife and waterfowl.

And there are times when digital photos play pivotal roles in those conversations. Being able to show a landowner a photograph of a rare bird on his land opens the door to a deeper understanding of why a particular piece of habitat may be so important in terms of its connection to the larger ecosystem, explains Chambers. (To view samples of his work, visit http://habman12.smugmug.com.)

Contest details
Contest winners will be chosen by a judging committee and the judges’ decisions will be final. The first-place winner will receive a DUC-framed, limited edition print. Second prize is a DUC decoy and a DUC gift bag will be awarded to the third-place finisher.

All photos must be submitted in high resolution digital format by 4:30 p.m. MST, September 30, 2009. Colour photos are preferred, with a minimum 300 dpi. The contest is open to all Alberta residents and all photos must be submitted via CD by the individual who took the picture.

Each submission must clearly indicate the photographer’s name and contact information (daytime phone number, email and mailing address). All photos submitted become the property of DUC and winners must agree to have their names published. They may also be asked to have photos taken of them being awarded their prize. These photos may be used in various DUC publications or DUC websites.

Contest participants can submit photos on a CD by mail to:
Ducks Unlimited Canada
c/o Alberta Outdoorsman Reader Photo Contest
#200, 10720-178 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5S 1J3

For more information about the photo contest, contact Kristina Dembinski at (780) 930-1240 or email k_dembinski@ducks.ca.
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