Colchester Carnival Photo Competition

Are you a budding photographer with an eye for something different? We are inviting you to capture the individuality of Colchester Carnival on 30 June 2012.

We would like submissions from everyone so we have three age categories: 11 years and under, 12 to 15 years and 16 and over. The winning photo from each category will be published in the Colchester Gazette. We are looking for photographs that show the carnival from a different angle: the fun, quirky, strange or beautiful. Show us something new or different. We want to see images that capture the mood, excitement and colour of the day.

Photographs must be digitally uploaded to http://www.flickr.com/groups/2018843@N22/ by 11.30 pm on the 8th of July. Representatives from Signals, Colchester Carnival and Gazette will judge all entries, in all age categories.

If you are interested in entering the Colchester Carnival Photo Competition, here is a little bit of information on how to take the best photo possible and upload it to our photo pool. The following photography tips should help you take a good picture regardless of what camera you are using.

1. Get close – try to take your photo so that the subject fills the frame.

2.  Be quick – keep your camera on and ready so you’re not fumbling around with buttons whilst the action happens or your subject moves. 

3. Think about composition – there are lots of tips and tricks in photography to help your picture look aesthetically pleasing and balanced, generally your horizon should be level and you can utilize the Rule of Thirds. You can read more here: http://www.betterphoto.com/exploring/tips/thirds.asp

4. Move around – try to take your photo so the bits you may not want i.e. overhead cables, streetlights etc are not in your shot. Crop out the bits you don’t think are interesting or don’t add anything to the photo.

5. Focus – Make sure your camera is in focus. If you’re not sure how to do this, most cameras have an ‘Auto Focus’ setting. If you can play around with it manually, try to take your photo so your subject is crisp and sharply in focus, but the background looks very soft and blurry. Playing around with the depth of field will add drama and a sense of perspective to your photo. You can read more here: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm

6. Shutter Speed – if your camera allows you to play around with the shutter speed manually, this can produce some interesting results. From capturing a moment in a fraction of a second, to creating long exposed shots, you can read more about how to achieve good results by adjusting the shutter speed here:
http://digital-photography-school.com/shutter-speed

7. Lighting – how is your subject lit? If the sun is behind your subject it might mean they come out very dark in the photo. Being mindful of the light will help you to get good results first time around.

8. Look at the weather -  if it’s very overcast, it’s best not to take a shot so that a lot of the sky is in the picture. If it’s sunny, make the most of it!

9. Keep it simple- sometimes you don’t need every lens and accessory in your kit to take a good photo, the best photos are the ones that capture the immediacy of a moment. However, if you have one, a tripod will solve any camera shake issues.

10. Be brave - try to take a photo that seems original to you. Ask permission before you take someone’s photo and be careful photographing wildlife.