Pets in Winter Coats is the 25th photo contest on Lenzr. The challenge asks photographers to take pictures of dogs and cats and gerbils and ponies all wearing some manner of winter coat, besides the fur coat that God gave them. Show us dogs with short hair bundled up in Gortex jackets with four sleeves for their legs, or Poodles in knitwear, or boxers in banana yellow rubber rain coats! Any pet wearing some kind of coat will be acceptable.

Pets wear winter coats with pride.

The challenge launched Oct 1st, and let’s hope some pictures appear in this competition before voting begins on November 20th; the contest ends Dec 1st when the highest ranked image is declared the winner.

Win a snow blower – details -

snow blower technical specs

This is the prize! its a snow blower. There will be a link here to The Snowmen blog that details this prize in minute detail including favourable product reviews and why this make and model of snow blower was selected as the prize in this contest.

Don’t Let Winter Snowstorms Catch You Unprepared

The contest is sponsored by The Snowmen snow removal co that services, Markham, Whitby, Pickering and Ajax with expedient service at reasonable rates. This geographic area of South Eastern Ontario receives over 200 cm (75 in) of snowfall over an average winter. Winters are long and celebrated in Eastern Ontario.  The average temperature in January is -6°C (21 °F).

Ice storms are also relatively common in this part of Ontario, especially on lower terrain, down near the lake. The Great Ice Storm of 1998 caused vast power outages and affected the economy of  southern Ontario. The great storm  started at five pm on January 5 and lasted until 10 am on January 10, 1998.  For more than 80 hours, a steady freezing rain fell over an area of several thousand square miles of Eastern Ontario, centering on Ottawa and Kingston, but moving south and east to cripple southern Quebec, and northern New York, and then eventually northern New England. By the time it was over, and the sun reappeared on Jan 11th, the storm system had blanketed this part of the world with an average of two inches of solid ice. There was ice on everything, and in the resulting chaos thirty three Canadians lost their lives.

Water on Skin explores the physics of water in motion. The contest fuses art and science as Canadian photographers are tasked to capture streams of liquid, and make them solid with super fast shutter speeds. These images epitomize healthy human bodies because the art of capturing human bodies interacting with water streams, dripping and colliding in spray with millions of rainbow drops suspended in sun showers speaks to the essence of primordial life on planet Earth.
Water On Skin photo contest on Lenzr starts Oct 1st 2010, and voting begins Nov 20th and the contest ends Dec 1st 2010, at which time the highest ranked image will win $500 worth of Soya Boutique skin care products. More details coming*read their natural skincare blog.

The Soya Boutique offers a unique collection of natural skin care products.

The Soya Boutique is where “nature embraces science” and the beautiful sensibility of this soy skin care collection is the unquestionable performance, versatility and sustainability of the products and ingredients.

The Soya Boutique provides skin care solutions for all skin types that address a variety of common skin conditions such as sun exposure, acne, lines and wrinkles, eczema, blemishes, redness, rosacea, scars and uneven texture and skin tone.  You can find more great information about the company on SoyCult Facebook page.

Melani Chong is a remarkable woman. A model mother of two with an incredible and dare I say beautiful mind, body and spirit.  She’s the whole package; look what she’s done, all by herself. Five years ago Melani started her own cosmetics company. Now she has developed a personalized skin care service delivering truly holistic products with an alternative philosophy: to create an organic and naturally unique skin care collection that’s useful for the whole family.

Melani hand picks ingredients, all natural, organic, cosmetic grade, food grade and those that contribute to biodiversity. Here’s a glamour magazine quality shot of her with her son Cody.

Contest ends December 1st, 2010, the member that uploads the highest ranked photo wins the prize. Open to Canadians over the age of 13.  Contest not valid in Quebec.

Coloured Houses are found on the hippest streets, in just about every city and small town, all across Canada. When a commercial building is repainted candy apple red, or canary yellow, it’s usually because a new business has taken up shop selling something to the public. The owners hope to draw attention to their commerce… But when a personal residence is so transformed the motivation is different, and unique. Why do people paint their houses bright colours? Do they want everyone in town to talk about them?

Only rather eccentric people live in coloured houses, and their personality colours and sometimes defines an entire neighbourhood.

The Coloured Houses photo contest on Lenzr challenges members to upload images of brightly coloured homes and loud personal dwellings they have lensed along the way. The contest starts Oct 1st, and voting begins on Nov 20th; the member that uploads what becomes the highest ranked image wins the prize when the contest ends December 1st 2010.
Win an iPad courtesy of Vi-Lux PVC trim for the interior and exterior building finishes. PVC trim is the perfect material for exterior trim because it comes in a wide array of colours (for coloured houses) and is lightweight and easy to work with, and its closed-cell structure prohibits water absorption. This means the material won’t split, flake, chip, or bloat from weather extremes. PVC trim can be shaped, molded and cut with standard woodworking tools. These same qualities allow the product to be used on the building grade or in direct contact with masonry.

Here’s a history lesson, Polyvinyl chloride or PVC was first created by a German chemist named Eugen Baumann in 1872, but the guy never applied for a patent, and the stuff was pretty lumpy and not really good for anything until in 1913  when another German named Friedrich Klatte made a better formula. Now PVC can be used for almost any non-load bearing use, or what we might call decorative applications such as beaded ceilings, trim around windows and doors, column wraps and rake boards. PVC can also be used for creating soffits, fascia, battens, pilasters, frieze boards, wainscoting and other architectural millwork. Indeed the best coloured houses will probably have ornate porches and balconies ; PVC trim workers are limited only by their own imaginations, much like Lenzr members.

The Romans invented concrete and they used it to make many different and relatively amazing things, not the least of which was the Colosseum, and the  sophisticated system of aqueducts that siphoned water from nearby mountain streams down into the best neighbourhoods in the City of Rome.

Humanity has been working with concrete ever since the Classical Age and new inventions make it possible to fabricate even more amazing structures. What installations exist in your home town?

Can you digitally capture cement objects in your camera; can you make concrete beautiful?

Concrete Ideas is a photo contest on Lenzr that celebrates man’s capacity to create the enduring infrastructure of civilization. The digital quest showcases man’s many feats of engineering, in cities and towns all across Canada.  This web challenge was created to praise skilled artisans that work in cement.  Submit shots of concrete bridges with flying buttresses, bulkheads and abutments for fame and fortune on Lenzr.

The prize is an Apple iPad! Upload photos now and get ready to vote when the voting begins November 20th. The contest ends Dec 1st, and the highest rated photo wins an Apple iPad courtesy of an insulated concrete forms manufacturer, AmVic building system.

Insulated concrete forms are interlocking modular units that are dry-stacked (without mortar) and filled with concrete. The forms lock together  and serve to create a form for the structural walls or floors of a building. Because the insulation is already part of the wall, or floor this process speeds up construction time and reduces material expenses.

AmDeck® Floor & Roof System is a modular, lightweight insulated concrete form made of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and is used to construct floors and roofs for commercial and industrial buildings, and residential houses. We’ve come a long way since Roman times, and today concrete is mankind’s most popular building material.

The Concrete Ideas photo contest is open to all residents of Canada, age 13 ys and older. Contest not vaild in Quebec.

What animals live in your backyard? The Backyard Critters photo contest on Lenzr is sure to become a repository of Canadian wildlife photos,  including intimate moments with woodland creatures. From Moncton to Moosenee, and all across Canada, photographers are asked to please submit shots of wild animals in suburban settings.  This challenge solicits snaps of crafty chipmunks, and fearless raccoons. Any backyard critters can be exhibited, and that includes bugs, butterflies, and birds.

Is your house a habitat for homeless animals?

Voting begins November 20th, and the entire contest ends Dec 1st 2010, ten days later. The improved Lenzr vote collection mechanisms will declare the member that uploaded the highest ranked photo to be the winner. Contest open to all Canadians age 13 yrs and older. Contest not valid in Quebec.

Win an iPad! The winner is rewarded with a brand new Apple iPad courtesy of a metal roof company in Toronto and one of Canada’s leading distributors of aluminum shingles.

This is Eric C‘s prize winning photo Morning Rays
Contest: Morning Sunshine
Tags: rays, light, sun, sunrise, morning, trees
Current Score: 381.90
Total Views: 999
Uploaded on: 19 Sep 2010 @23:15

The August / September lenzr photo contest was indeed a strange session.

The new voting ritual certainly tested the vote fraud mechanisms and tested this Administrator’s own patience with humanity. But of course it was a blessing in disguise, and it taught us all a valuable lesson.  I’d like to report more, but this isn’t the place for that and the really juicy stuff will probably have to wait for the feature film about Lenzr.

Suffice to say that after the October / November photo contests have been announced there will be time to detail the new vote algorithm, and new vote fraud detection systems.  My apologies to anyone that’s disillusioned with the processes by which Lenzr collects votes – please keep an eye on this unique contest portal however, because  in the near future we’re introducing some really radical ideas including VIP voting with pin #s, and or a badge code honour system.

The Morning Sunshine photo contest was where most of the action occurred last month. There were 45 photos uploaded, and almost 2500 votes!  This challenge really captured the imagination of the membership and it was a hard fight between Morning Rays and Sunrise of my Heart.  We all thought for sure that ljclo was going to win, but then Eric C pulled ahead at the last moment.  It was an honest win that happened in the last six hours of the contest.  Indeeed Eric C won after he wrote the tender comment, “Thanks everyone for your votes and support. I was hoping to win the IPad to test and app for children with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome but it looks like I will have to get one another way. Thanks anyway guys!” This comment tugged at everyone’s heart strings, and most certainly affected other members and visitors, and in the end, that might have been what put him over the top! Congratulations Eric C !

The View From The Roof photo contest was the second most popular preoccupation of at least twenty different Lenzr members. The challenge enjoyed 34 image submissions and 1150 votes from members and visitors. It was a tough fight that was eventually won by ljclo

View From The Roof was sponsored by an industrial roofing company that’s owned by Dan Sheridan located in Toronto Ontario he services the GTA and most of southern Ontario. He was very impressed with the diversity, and the overall quality of all the imaginative submissions. The winner was… well it was unusual to say the least and roofing guys appreciate that particular view, even if it wasnt the most photographically breathtaking or beautiful vista.

A veteran Lenzr member and previous contest winner named Slimmswitch took first place in the People Building Things photo challenge. This contest enjoyed 22 photo submissions and over 700 votes. Whenever the contest asks for specific images like that, the numbers are always a little lower, and consequently the odds of winning are perhaps a little higher.

And finally its our great pleasure to announce that Slimmswitch is a multiple winner in this session! His photo Clubbing Conflict is the winner of the Conflict photo contest that was sponsored by Smojoe social media marketing in Toronto.  Congratulations Slimm, the prize is a Blackberry Bold 9700 smartphone which will no doubt only improve your already powerful social network.

Months after the reward voucher was issued, Debbie Watson of Hamilton Ontario, also known as Mommakoala,  (a formidable contester and multiple Lenzr prize winner) appeared in person at Chocolicks in Toronto to claim an outrageous prize.  She won over 50 lbs of Belgian chocolate and it came as five huge 10lb blocks – each one wrapped up like a big chocolate bar.  She received three milk chocolate bars and two dark chocolate bars, which I believe are unsweetened or semi-sweetened and could be considered antioxidants and therefore not entirely the kiss of death that healthy fifty year old people are looking to avoid. Click photos to expand views.

Outside Chocolicks on the morning of September 10th stands Tina Rogers of Tempo Toronto an online magazine stuffed full of stories and coupons and contests shaped for an over 50 demographic. That age group is hard to target, and even harder to please. Will they be amused by one of their own winning over 50 lbs of Belgian chocolate? Is it like watching a train wreck?

Besides being innovative and entertaining, Tempo Toronto is a very valuable resource for people living in the downtown core of the largest city in Canada.  On these digital pages readers will find good insightful Toronto restaurant reviews, theatre critiques and experiences and write ups on the latest books by bestselling Canadian authors. And of course there are recipes, coupons, links to other contests, and profiles of other cool fifty year old people, musicians and artists and investment bankers.

The 50 Going On 15 photo contest on Lenzr was destined to index the country’s most courageous 50 year old people acting like crazy kids and Debbie won the prize because she showed us a rare glimpse of herself, wearing huge green Elton John glasses and acting outrageous; here’s her Elton Johnish submission. True to form, Debbie started acting crazy again on September 10th after just a few bites of a big bar

Now she can enjoy over 50 pounds of pure chocolate, supplied by Chocolicks, Toronto chocolate located at 573 Eglinton Ave west in the heart of Forest Hill.

You might ask what Debbie plans to do with that much chocolate? We agree, it’s a problem. Perhaps thats why it took her three months to claim the prize. Now maybe she will sit on it for the rest of her life? Whatever the solution, it’s a nice problem to have.

Conflict is a photo contest on Lenzr, and story sauce on the internet.

The number one failure of boring public speakers, bad business presentations, and weak online storytelling is the lack of conflict.

Hero driven social media marketing is built on a dynamic relationship between two or more characters, and its most powerful when presented as a protagonist’s struggle against a formidable antagonist. The journey from problem to solution should be a storyful vessel filled with human emotion on a compelling character arc, cause that’s what people remember…

Smojoe Social Media Marketing in Toronto endeavours to do business without conflict, and all case studies proudly showcase positive and productive client relationships. But when composing good brand stories an Online Social Relevance Director, cognizant of his client’s best keywords, campaigns and community managers, should isolate and engineer the most interesting examples of ‘human business’ to achieve a myth making that fuels viral connectivity. And this should include conflict.

Conflict really will occur when voting begins on September 20th 2010;  its then we’ll see professional photographers and contesters line up their social networks to vote for their favourite pictures.  There will be elaborate vote fraud detection systems running right up until the contest ends on Oct 1st 2010. The highest ranked photo wins a Blackberry mobile phone.  Take pictures of conflict and upload them to Lenzr and you could WIN a Blackberry BOLD* 9700

Smojoe social media marketing uses Lenzr photo contests as a tool in their quest to build high quality social capital for their clients. The firm also authors Canada Blog Friends, and does blogger outreach through multiple channels in Canada and the United States.  This company authors compelling stories that intrigue humans and satisfy search engine robots.  Smojoe social media marketing always improves client search engine rankings – each story funnel is a punch of online social relevance.

Located in Toronto, EcoDeckBuilder is an environmentally sustainable deck building company that uses all manner of green building solutions both on and off their job sites. Their energy efficient trucks pull equipment trailers adorned with solar panels. These solar ‘work units’ are fully equipped with emission free, battery powered tools. The sun’s energy propels the team’s battery powered saws and drills, compressors and other construction devices. These guys really are friendly space age builders with great deck designs and powerful imaginations.

People Building Things photo contest is an old idea that stems from a natural fascination humans have watching other people work, especially if they are building something interesting. The contest reminds us of a story about how the final stages of the CN tower assembly used to stop traffic in downtown Toronto as citizens admired the helicopters installing the uppermost sections of this monolithic structure.

Construction sites are even more interesting when they happen at home, in the backyard, or on the driveway in front of the garage. Show us people building parade floats and fishing boats, or doing an interesting home renovation. Perhaps you have pictures of people building a tree house? or putting in a dock, or constructing a veranda or even building new homes and cottages?

Ontario photographers submit your own pictures of People Building Things and tell us the story behind the picture. Be sure and mention what’s being put together. Tell us all where the picture came from and when, and you could Win An iPad courtesy of Eco Deck Builder, an Ontario deck building company. Voting begins September 20th 2010 and the highest ranked photograph automatically wins the prize when the Contest ends October 1st, 2010. Must be 13yrs old or older to enter, open to all Canadians, excluding Quebec.

Eco Deck Builder job sites are quieter than your neighbours’ pool, and their green building techniques let everyone enjoy nature.

Citizens of Planet Earth, stop using gas and diesel generators! Solarline Power strongly objects to anyone mixing oil and gas to make the blue smoke exhaust in dirty two cycle engines.  With very few exceptions, two cycle engines should not be used for any reason! Solarline Power makes and assembles portable solar power generators (PSG’s) that are quiet and deliver clean renewable power. These units charge batteries that can replace small engines as a power source on a great many industrial tools.

SolarLine’s Mobile Solar Work Units deliver remote power for outdoor rock concerts, field hospitals and remote construction sites. This company works diligently to make solar powered battery charging systems for the next generation of power tools and battery powered devices that will replace gas and diesel generators, and banish all two cycle engines to the history books.

Green power is affordable, especially solar power because of the low maintenance costs and lengthy product guarantees – each solar panel on a Solarline Mobile Solar Work Unit is guaranteed for 25 years, and the batteries are guaranteed for 8 years by their manufacturers.  So when consumers factor in the long term costs of fuel and upkeep, solar powered systems and devices are good investments.

Solar powered calculators and wrist watches have been with us for many years.  The future will bring many more such handy solar powered devices to  North American households.

Morning Sunshine photo contest on Lenzr – Ontario photographers are asked to capture people and objects in the early morning sunshine. Voting begins September 20th 2010, the highest ranked photo will automatically Win an Apple iPad prize when the web challenge ends October 1st 2010, must be 13yrs old or older to enter, open to all Canadians, excluding Quebec.

Special thanks to Michael Reichmann, the Ontario photographer who generously allowed us to use his  Sunrise_Barn photo for the primary contest plate, here’s the host Ontario photography gallery where we found this beautiful gem.

Cinematographers call late afternoon the ‘Golden Hour’ and Hollywood movie scenes are sometimes lensed in the hours just before sunset – Thelma and Louise for example, can you remember Sigorney Weaver’s glowing hair in those the driving scenes in their stolen convertible car? That’s a great example of golden hour photography. By contrast the early morning light is called ‘Magic Hour’ and although not as popular, its often even more spectacular because of the beautiful light that first trespasses through the Earth’s cool atmosphere at dawn. Those first rays of light glow the fresh morning mists and ignite the dew drops on the leaves; they celebrate the dawn of a new day.