I’m a huge fan of Lenzr, run by my friend Rob Campbell. Where else can you find a free-to-enter site for budding Canadian photographers, a place where they can actually win prizes for their photos? People like you submit photos on a theme, others vote, and you can win – simple!
Looking over past winners, you can see that there’s a wide variety, so everyone has a chance to get their photos picked. And to make it even more interesting, this group’s contests have expanded – instead of four contests, there’s now five – and they span a wide range of topics, so there’s something for everyone.
In no particular order, here’s the contests:
- Backyard Critters
annoy us, cheer us up, and are a source of wonderment to our children (unless the critters are very, very big, or very, very nasty). If you’ve ever had a deer feeding in your back yard, or watched a family of raccoons troop through the grass, then those are memories you’ll carry all your life. Share the memories, and get those photos of furry critters onto Lenzr. Or, not so furry – the contest IS “Backyard critters” after all, so hummingbirds and snakes count, too! The contest is sponsored by Classic Products Roofing, a company that supplies metal roofing, and it’s for a very simple reason – not all those backyard critters are polite. With a metal roof, you can keep the whole lot of those varmints at bay, animals that would ordinarily just invade your home from the roof down. As someone who actually had raccoons drop by my fourth-floor apartment years ago, I can tell you: where’s there’s a will for these animals, there’s a way. A metal roof means they stay out of your house, and remain in the backyard. Oh, and by the way, you get a super-long roof life, energy savings, and real protection during our Canadian windstorms! - Concrete Ideas.
And what better to go with your new metal roof than an insulated concrete home? It’s no coincidence that Amvic Building System is sponsoring a contest on concrete – they already know the benefits of a design material that has been used by the Egyptians and Romans, and is now more popular than stone for building. Plus, with their customizable insulated concrete forms, you can reduce construction time, have fewer worker injuries, and reduce construction site waste, all with a product that combines the benefits of concrete with a built-in layer of insulation. So support the contest by showing more examples of concrete – concrete structures that are truly striking, like the Olympic stadium in Montreal – and let the world see how truly beautiful concrete can be! - Pets In Winter Coats.
Cats in cardigans. Dogs in parkas. Parakeets in boots. If you take your animal friend out into the Canadian winter, be sure to bring your camera along. Lenzr wants to see how your pet braves winter, and what he or she wears while doing it. You can already check out the contest to see how things are shaping up, and get your best friend’s photo up there too! And of course, while the snow gets ready to blow just about everywhere in Canada, The Snowmen stand ready to help with snow removal. Based in the Markham, Ontario, region, they provide the kind of snow removal service that previously only the “big boys” could afford: year-long protection of your yard from snow, whenever it occurs, by a fully insured company. For a low price they keep your driveway clean – and if you’re not home, they’ll even email you a photo so you know the job’s done! Winter’s coming, so it’s time to get those photos (and snow cleaners) ready. - Colorful Houses.
We’ve all seen them – the house that really “stands out” from the rest. The house you see from anywhere on the street, and that everyone knows by description, not by number. Color is great when it’s done right, and a house like that can really help a neighborhood stay vibrant, or even revitalize it. But the color needs to be long lived to stay vibrant, and that’s the tie-in with the sponsor, Vi-Lux. They provide a wide range of PVC trim products specifically for homes. PVC has great color retention, long, long life, and makes a perfect addition to any home. All this means your home stays lovelier longer, and maintenance goes way, way done. So go out and celebrate those vivid houses in your neighborhood, and send in a picture of them! - Water On Skin
means just that: a contest where you photograph water on skin. From looking at past contests, I’m very interested to see how this one turns out, because it takes a competent photographer to get a good “water in motion” shot on the skin. Of course, that’s not the only kind of photo you can submit, but you do need those two ingredients. And speaking of ingredients (smooth segue, huh?), water and skin are components near and dear to this contest’s sponsor, The Soya Boutique, a company committed to high quality products for natural skincare. How committed? They even run their WEBSITE using 100% renewable power (wind and solar) – THAT’S commitment! And it reflects in their products, which use high quality, natural ingredients, and reduced packaging to help the environment. This results in products that make you and your skin feel good – in more ways than one!
Five interesting companies, five interesting contests, and a great way to get exposure for your pics – so get started! Your pictures can get you prizes, from iPads for three of the contests, to a $500 selection of SoyaBotique products, to a genuine snowblower! But besides winning a prize, there’s the recognition: anyone can win a free contest, but imagine showing your friends the prize you won for your photo – NOW you’ll get some respect! But seriously, you get thousands looking at your photos and voting – for a budding photographer, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Drop by Lenzr.com, check out the contest rules, check out your competition, and get started. And if you aren’t already a member, join ASAP, and get your camera clicking. The contests are open now, and voting starts November 20, so you have time to get your “picture perfect” entries in. But don’t wait – “snap to it” as soon as you can!
Watching the show gave me an itch to replace my old plastic horizontals with something nicer – and not coincidentally, the options are much better (and much greener) that when I first purchased my blinds.