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ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS OF UNIQUE PHOTO CONTEST SPONSORED BY TAMRON AND PROMOTED IN CREATING KEEPSAKES, A LEADING SCRAPBOOKING MAGAZINE

Professional Photographer and Contest Judge Andre Costantini Selects Winner and Twenty Favorites Now Posted in Tamron’s On-Line Gallery

December 19, 2006, Commack, NY—What makes a great photograph great? First and foremost, that it effectively captures and conveys human emotion. In short, the best photographs are those that generate a strong emotional response in the viewer. With that simple but profound concept in mind, Tamron, acclaimed for outstanding lenses, and Creating Keepsakes, a fine magazine geared toward the emotional art of scrapbooking, got together and came up with an entirely new kind of photo contest—An Emotional Appeal. Instead of being based on the usual subject categories, we asked all entrants to submit their pictures that best articulate the broad-based theme of human emotion and emotional interaction. The rules were equally broad—entrants did not even have to use a Tamron lens. Not surprisingly, we received well over 1300 entries, including the outstanding images presented here. The lucky grand prizewinner will receive a superb Tamron AF18-200mm Di II zoom, a lens that is bound to extend her pictorial—and emotional—range considerably. The winner and twenty favorites can be viewed at http://www.tamron.com/galleries/photographerinfo.asp?id=36&cat=15&item=0

The Grand Prize Picture: “Love & Laughter”
Sarah Ward of Grove City, Ohio convincingly captured a magic moment in this uninhibited joy-filled grab shot of a friend and her fiancé taken at a local park. “They’re just a bubbly couple who are very much in love and I think this picture really captures their personalities as well as their beaming smiles,” says Ward. “I like candid expressions and shots that are spontaneous, and I knew this was a good one the instant I pressed the shutter release. Right afterwards I gave them both a big hug!”

Ward, who took a photography course in high school, and has been shooting pictures seriously for about 4 years, took the winning shot with a digital Canon EOS 20D. She’s also into creating keepsakes by scrapbooking, using images of her family and friends. “I’m really thrilled to win a contest my first time out, and I think the prize of a Tamron 18-200mm zoom lens is awesome! I plan to use my new lens to shoot children in sports and other sporting events and a long range telephoto zoom will certainly come in very handy.”

Honorable Mentions
Andre Costantini, a professional photographer living in New York City, judged the photo contest. “Andre loved so many of the 1,300 entries that he had to work incredibly hard to choose just 20 favorites,” stated Stacie Errera, Chief Marketing Officer for Tamron. “Images ran the gamut from tears of joy and frustration, to grins of all sorts and much more. This was one of the most fun contests that Tamron has run.”

“The Kiss”
Wendy Sue Anderson of Heber City, Utah took this heartwarming picture of her parents in a loving embrace on the porch of their home. “Any kid wants to see that your father and mother really love each other,” observes Anderson, “and that feeling doesn’t stop just because you grow up. I think the late afternoon light also helps enhance the romantic mood that makes this a successful picture,” she notes. It is also a fine example of following the classic photographic rule: Move in close and eliminate extraneous detail.

Anderson, who has been taking pictures for a few years, took the shot with the Nikon D50 she acquired only six months ago. Involved with scrapbooking, she learned about the Tamron Emotional Appeal Contest on the Creating Keepsakes magazine website. “I know that I’m a relative beginner but digital photography is a great way to learn because I’m not afraid to make mistakes. I’m certainly pleased that this warm, fuzzy picture of my folks earned some recognition, and I’m sure it makes them happy too.”

“Crying Baby”
Joanna Bolick of Fletcher, North Carolina captured this priceless shot of her bawling 1-1/2-year-old daughter Harper sitting on the family bed. “The instant I placed here there she was happy and smiling.” says Bolick. “Then I said the magic words ‘let me take your picture’ and she immediately started to cry. The picture makes us smile because we know it presents Harper as she is—so dramatic and changeable. I took the shot with a Canon EOS 20D at ISO 200, taking advantage of the soft natural light coming in from two windows at the sides.”

Bolick has been taking pictures for about 4 years “since my son was born” and shares her hobby of photography with her husband “who has taught me many of the technical aspects.” The picture is a great example of “going with the flow.” The lesson: If you don’t get what you want, take the picture anyway—it may turn out even better than what you had in mind.

“Two Sisters”
Martina Luna-Liranzo of Snellville, Georgia took this compelling, very professional looking double portrait of her two 3-year-old twin daughters posed against a black velveteen background. “You could call it a classic example of the emotional appeal of non-cooperation,” she wryly observes. “This happens when kids get tired. Sofia, on the left, is making fun of me with the camera by making ‘goggle eyes’ while Isabella on the right is pouting in response to my request to ‘make a happy face.’ I think the picture captures their distinctive personalities.” We agree.

Luna-Liranzo who recently acquired her first digital SLR, the Canon Rebel XT used to take this picture, is also into scrapbooking and read about the Emotional Appeal Contest in Creating Keepsakes magazine. “The fact that digital SLRs have come down in price certainly influenced my decision to buy one, and I’m glad I did,” she says. “This is the first contest I ever entered and I’m sure happy I placed. I plan to continue shooting and scrapbooking and getting more lenses for my camera.”

“Daddy’s Little Girl”
Kris Nelson of Westminster, Colorado took this beautifully composed iconic picture of her husband and young daughter holding hands while walking along a pier, and then output the image in sepia tone using Photoshop. “To me this picture conveys the true love of a daddy for his little girl,” observes Nelson, “and it even suggests a later event, when a father walks his daughter down the aisle.” She used a Nikon Coolpix 4300.

Nelson is into scrapbooking and learned about the contest in Creating Keepsakes magazine. “I like my point & shoot,” she says, “but I am now looking at getting a digital SLR to expand my photographic horizons.” Her poignant picture, whose emotional appeal is enhanced by not showing the subjects’ faces, indicates that she has a great eye and considerable talent.

Tamron is a leading manufacturer of lenses for photographic, industrial, laboratory, video, digital and scientific applications. Among its many optical and mechanical innovations since the start of the company in 1950, Tamron's development of mass produced hybrid aspherical elements in 1997 paved the way for high magnification zoom lenses. The technology was incorporated into the ground-breaking 28-200mm and continues with today’s 18-200mm developed exclusively for use on digital SLR cameras. Tamron has won more awards for its high magnification zoom lenses than all other lens manufacturers combined.

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12/06