National Geo's International Photo Contest

I must've been asleep at the switch since I had forgotten about the 2008 National Geographic's International Photo Contest. The contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, United Kingdom, Canada (excluding the province of Quebec), Australia, Republic of Ireland, India, South Africa, and New Zealand.

The Categories for entries are: (1) People, (2) Places, and (3) Nature. National Geographic's lawyers must've had fun preparing the legal documents required from contestants, including PDFs of Personal Release, Artist's Release and Location Release. Sarcasm aside, these are useful documents to have just in case one needs them whether entering the contest or not, and are available from the contest's Rules section.

Note: As a general comment, and as in the case of all similar contests, make sure you carefully read the terms and conditions, especially since misunderstandings between organizers and contestants can sometimes occur.

Photographers in Focus: Colin Finlay

The monthly Photographers in Focus video interviews by LiveBooks feature photographers who share their personal vision, inspiration and beliefs. According to LiveBooks, these "enrich the photo community by providing a means for one photographer to share knowledge with others."

This month’s interview is with documentary photographer and photojournalist Colin Finlay.

A self-taught photographer, Colin Finlay is a four-time “Picture of the Year” award winner who has photographed wars, conflicts, genocide, famine, environmental issues, disappearing traditions, and has filmed several television documentaries. He’s circled the globe 27 times seeking compelling images that make a difference. When doing photojournalism, he often shoots with two camera bodies, using a 28mm lens on one and a 35mm lens on the other. He uses a Canon 1DS Mark II lately, along with Canon EF lenses, 35mm f/1.4L, 50mm f/1.2L, 24mm f/1.4L, and occasionally a tilt-shift lens.

However, he maintains, “the 35mm f/1.4L is how I see the world.”