When photo contest participants become photo contest winners, they write kind letters.

Hi Rob!

Wow and reWow! Fantastic news this morning! I’m so happy! This is sooooo cool!!!

What a great honor when we’re considering the always getting better quality of the submissions in contests. I’m starting my telescopic mast photo business right now and this prize will be more than welcome. The site is getting better day after day Rob. The one only photo by member in the Top Ten policy is a great improvement. You have so much nice contests right now. I really like to see prizes involving licensing. This is a great way to have visibility and expand the finality of the site.

You know that I’ve always been interested by your site concept and will continue to be an active member. I’d like to see it becoming more social and less competitive. But with nice prices like that it’s gonna be difficult I’ve met very nice people and good photographers in the LENZR environment. I think it‘s a great way to learn from each other and become better. I want to thank you personally to have always been so encouraging. I know your a man of word and I respect that.

I eventually like to invest myself in your project and maybe help to find a way to promote your idea in Quebec. I’m sure they’re a lot of sponsors who will be interested and photography is a big market here.

I’ve never forget your judge offer too. Let me know if I can do something for you, it will be my pleasure. I’m very very happy about what’s happening and want to thank everybody at Lenzr, I know you’ve always been behind me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Martin

The Prize Winner – She Even Snaps Dalton McGuinty and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Christie S.,  known as username movieminx, from East York, works in Technical Services at Mars here in Toronto. She’s just won a Fuji XXX, in the Lenzr “Best Cottage Moments” photo contest. It’s quickly apparent when talking to Christie about the camera that her passion lies in photography. Describing herself as an avid photographer or “occasional professional,” Christie loves shooting portraits, weddings and events whenever she gets a chance. She even has snaps of Dalton McGuinty and Arnold Schwarzenegger in her portfolio.

Shutterbug by Nature

Christie is admittedly quite the perfectionist when it comes to taking photos. “My husband patiently waits for me to line up shots on vacation, and I’ll keep trying until I get that perfect shot of an iguana. That’s the beauty of digital! I can take hundreds of pictures to get that one great shot.” It’s not surprising that Christie is such a discerning photographer seeing as she comes from a long line of photographers. Her family owned a 1hr Moto Photo before Walmart, Costco and the digital age took over. “I’m a shutterbug: always have and always will be. I used to use up a roll of film every weekend back when it was still called film.”

This Camera Prize Would have Been Perfect to Get Photos of the Sex in The City Stars

A self-proclaimed “contester,” Christie browses the web for prizes she really wants to win. Christie entered the Lenzr photo contest after seeing a link on Facebook. “I’d originally seen a dance themed contest first, and then bookmarked it, keeping my eye out for another prize.” She once also won a trip to New York to see the Sex and the City II premiere. “This prize would have been great to have back then,” she says, “since I had a much lower zoom and was seated too far away to get a good shot of Sarah Jessica and Kim Cattrall.”

New Kids on The Block Concert Dream

The camera she won came in handy for the New Kids On The Block concert she saw shortly afterward in Toronto. She was dying to see them back in 1991 when she lived out West in Edmonton, but at the time her mother wouldn’t allow her go. However, on Thursday, June 9^th her dream was lived out, and with her 10x optical zoom Fuji camera by her side.

The Prize Winning Photo For Best Cottage Moments

The prize winning shot that won Christie a new camera, courtesy of a muskoka cottage, was taken at her family cottage on Moira Lake, which her family has owned since 1973.  It was taken using a telephoto zoom on a Canon 30D, which she had gotten a week before going to the cottage and was super excited to use. The winning picture came from a series of images of her cousin about to bail while wake boarding, and shows him contorting in mid air, with the lake water sprayed out into tiny droplets around him.  “It’s definitely not a re-creatable photo! It was totally a one time shot,” says Christie.

Votes from as far as England and Florida

After she had uploaded the pic to the contest, she had Facebook messaged her cousin telling him he’ll soon be famous. Looks like she was right, as her picture had a winning number of votes. How did she promote the contest photo to get so many votes? She says she spread word about her photo using Facebook, Twitter, tons of emails, and a family support group who sent the word out to their friends and networks, with votes apparently coming in from as far as England and Florida.

New Contests and Easy Voting System

When asked whether she’ll be entering again, her response was, “Absolutely yes! The thing I liked best about this contest is that it didn’t appear fixed. It didn’t take too much effort from friends, since it didn’t ask for them to register or create a password. I’ve entered photo contests before which required emails in order to vote. No one wants junk mail, so that was appreciated, and it made it easier for my friends and family to vote for me. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for new contest subjects and prizes on Lenzr.”

On Stage At Home Contest Winner !!

On Stage At Home was a perfect photo opportunity for Sweater Eyes to enter her “Kit Girl” photo. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that she actually won the prize. The competition was set high with a large amount of photo submissions. She originally had her photo posted on a photography project blog:
http://sweatereyes.wordpress.com.   She made a typo and her photograph was named “Kit Girl” when submitted to Lenzr but it was actually intended to be named “Hit Girl”.  She gives photo credit for this image to her partner, Korpolfr.  She was kind enough to send Lenzr a kind of silly, promotional shot of the prize winner Sweater Eyes with her catopus creations that she mentions later.  They are not the technical zebra print rug that was the original prize offered, but she was thrilled with the prize alternative non the less.  The prize money allowed her to create her own whimsical creations for her budding new innovative business.

Here is what Sweater Eyes had to say when we asked for verification that she received her contest prize and how she felt about being a Lenzr contest winner:

“I heard about Lenzr and the contest on a photography network site, someone posted in the forums, a website that had photography contests that were only open to Canadians. I was pretty excited, but really skeptical… there had to be a catch, or an entry fee.. something… but there wasn’t. I think I actually entered 3 or 4 contests on Lenzr during that time period. When my picture was in the final top 10 in the At Stage At Home contest, I didn’t really expect to win. I thought that my photograph “Hit Girl” (oh by the way, I realize I made a typo way back when and said “Kit Girl” instead.. but it is “Hit Girl”) was too abstract from the theme, and then there was the fact that people were confusing my photograph with being an actual movie screen shot. I almost didn’t even get the first e-mail from you asking if the photograph was an original, as it was sent my junk mail. I’m definitely happy that I noticed it, and that I replied right away (hence the messy spelling). But I was really excited when I found out that I won, although I must admit that I felt really awkward too.. I wasn’t sure the proper way to react, and I’m actually a really shy person. I was also really nervous that people would be angry, thinking that I didn’t deserve to win. When the “critiques” were posted on the Lenzr blog, it made me feel better because I knew that my photograph won because of various reasons, and no one seemed angry (I’m probably just paranoid).”

Prize Making Catopus

Sweater Eyes had more to say about her prize.  “When you asked if it was okay to send me money instead of a rug, to be honest I was a little relieved. I made good use of my prize, and it could not have come at a better time. Since January I had been working like crazy to launch my personal business at the beginning of April, at a horror convention in London, Ontario. As a multi-media artist, I work primarily in photography and hand-sewn soft collectible sculptures. My favourite, and I suppose “trademark” (although it is not actually trademarked) items are a chimera creatures called a catopus (it is half cat and half octopus). This prize allowed me to properly launch my business: I have my own domain name for my official website, I ordered professional business cards, and I’m currently in the process of registering my business with the government of Canada. Those things would not have been possible this quickly if it had not been for Lenzr, so Thank You. This puts me more than half a year ahead of my original business plan and schedule. It has always been my dream to be able to have my own business, so that I can continue making art, and this entire experience has been such a great help.”

Open your refrigerator and take a really good look at what’s hanging around in there. Search for interesting food matters and photo compositions coloured with cold cuts, condiments and leftover chicken dinners. Lenzr hopes to peek inside your fridge and nourish its members with glimpses of your own gourmet art. Show us stories from the shallows of fast food living, or glimpse the depths of good nutrition and an active lifestyle.

What’s in the Fridge photo contest is a fantastic opportunity to get creative with your camera in the kitchen.  Let’s face it, the fridge is the place where people gather at a party.  Its a social magnet. Step outside the box and consider how to make your fridge look ridiculously appealing, or unappetizing or beautiful or ugly.  What do you do right after you go grocery shopping? Do you arrange your fridge? Is there a pattern based on expiry dates? or the order of estimated consumption? Or is it just a question of finding space? Show Lenzr an artistic arrangement of groceries in a living breathing refrigerator.

Click Clip Deals is the New Best Choice For Printable Coupons

Check out ClipDeals printable coupons in Canada. The company has recently developed social coupons that are built to share.  These coupons are developed to travel the internet and get in front of your customers.

ClipDeals is a network that rewards members for distributing amazing coupon deals on hundreds of websites, blogs, contests and social networks with award points and prizes.

The Prize is $500 shopping spree in a local supermarket. This is a great prize to win, so that you can keep your fridge and belly full of nourishment. From now until June 1st the stage is set; this contest on Lenzr is ready to receive images snapped from inside refrigerators.
Contest begins  April 1st 2011
Voting begins    May 15th 2011
Voting ends       May 25th 2011     Top Ten advance to Judges
Contest ends    June 1st 2011 .     Contest open to all Canadians age 13+ 

On the 10th of Dec 2010 Melani Chong of The Soyaboutique met Seattle Dredge the winner of the Water on Skin photo contest on Lenzr.

While Lenzr admin took pictures and made notes, Melani Chong of the Soyaboutique natural skin care gave Seattle Dredge over $500 worth of organic soy beauty products

Seattle’s picture The Dive won the contest. There were 28 pictures uploaded and 338 votes.

She also talked a lot about natural skin care products and generously donated one hour of her knowledge and dozens of valuable beauty tips specific to these innovative, organic products.

Beautifying Prize Winner

Seattle Dredge was delighted to win the $5oo dollars worth of Soyaboutique products. Although Seattle has relatively youthful looking skin, she received all natural skin care moisturizer that is a organic serum and comes complete with the hydrators people have been requesting. Seattle was encouraged to use the moisturizer to preserve her younger looking skin and keep it wrinkle free in the future.

Melani helped Seattle come up with her own skin care routine. The products will certainly help her keep that young and healthy looking appearance even when she travels. These green water based cosmetic products were made for women of all ages and skin types. When you hear the sound of the “pop” on the SoySilk can – know that it’s a unique designed  lid that helps ensure its clean and sludge-free.

Seattle definitely had thoughts of other ladies in her life that would benefit from these natural beauty products and their straight forward simple use. The prize package consisted of aromatherapy healing balm. If you are tired and want to boost your energy these products will also help boost your immune system. Enclosed in the Lenzr contest prize was also was cream cleanser, which compared to grandmas cold cream is very gentle. Make no mistake this is a tear free foaming cleanser, emulsive cleanser, and is indeed an “instant face Lift” – tightening serum, repairing serum. Its a spray toner which is a mildly scented refreshing spray that is a fantastic disinfectant for yoga mats and other equipment. These vegan cosmetic products are sometimes milky in colour. Not to worry, these cosmetics are not clear due to the natural qualities. It’s like keeping the pulp in your juice. The nutrients such as vitamin C remain.

Products That Heal

Some of the other things included in seattledredge’s prize package was a series of healing products from their line for sensitive skin. The hypersensitive cleanser and moisturizer are hypo-allergenic and great for younger looking skin without causing irritation. The latter is more of a serum, to be applied at night while the skin repairs itself. It provides maximum hydration and won’t clog pores because they’re water-based. With health-savvy shoppers now recognizing that  oil-based products can use cheap ingredients and can damage the skin, soy moisturizer and other natural beauty products have been all the rage. Designed by Donna Bishop, a friend of Chong’s who also designed cosmetics for professional models,  these products are fresh, organic, and natural.

A Simple Skincare Regimen Without All The Fuss

When asked about her skincare routine, Seattle is like many of us – a minimalist with little time to spend on excessive facials. With her hectic days, there will be times when Seattle would just wash her face with water and not remove her makeup. For busy, on-the-go gals like Seattle, Melani recommends the Makeup Emulsion Cleanser, which is great for all skin types and makes life a little simpler by being hypo-allergenic. What exactly does this term mean? It means that it’s unlikely to cause an allergic reaction and because it’s tar-free, non-scented, and very mild, it’s safe enough to use around the eyes.
Seattle can take the healing process one step further by using Soya Boutique’s Aromatherapy Healing Balm. For those long days, this balm’s energizing scent will combat fatigue and boost energy levels, while — get this — also helping to boost your immune system. The health benefits of this product are so impressive that they are even used in some movie sets.

Although Seattle already has great, youthful skin, Melani Chong reminded her that she can maintain that youthfulness longer by using serum at night. This helps to lock in the moisture and keeps skin hydrated, which is essential for that youthful, dewy look. Using emulsion serum locks in moisture and tightens the skin – it’s like a face lift in a bottle. While Seattle does not have acne, Chong advises that she can indeed combat that occasional breakout by using a vitamin C serum instead; “it’s a great moisturizer and your skin will drink it up” Melani says.

With a big basket of goodies to bring home, Seattle can either use them all herself or share with her friends; the products are versatile because these water based soy cosmetics are balanced for so many different skin types. Soyaboutique gives each user the power to customize their own skin care regimen.

We hope that Seattle Dredge will enjoy her grand prize and enjoy all the benefits of Soyaboutique’s natural skincare products!

On Weds, 20th October 2010, Rob Campbell of Lenzr met Slimmswitch (Helder H) and his wife CheeslyC at Balzacs, outside the art gallery /coffee shop in the historic Distillery District complex at 55 Mill St Toronto.

On that happy occasion Rob presented Helder with two prizes donated by last month’s Lenzr contest sponsors, a Blackberry Bold 9700 and an Apple iPad courtesy of a Toronto area deck building company.

How does Slimmswitch win prizes in Lenzr photo contests?

After we handed Slimmswitch the goods,  we asked him about his ‘winning process’.  Much to our collective surprise, Helder told us exactly how he incentivizes friends to come to Lenzr and vote for his images.

Slimmswitch, like so many other Lenzr winners, harnesses a network of ready voters on Facebook, and on Twitter and he even takes the bold step of individually emailing his real friends and acquaintances to ask for their help and participation on his behalf.  And now, long after the contest has ended, he’s still paying them back. When they post pleas for help, he comments and clicks on their written pieces, he spends half an hour a night paying them back with ‘thumbs up’, comments and votes. Its a time commitment to his growing ‘friend network’. Amazing eh?

Helder holds the Lenzr prizes, a Blackberry Bold 9700 smart phone courtesy of Smojoe Social Media Marketing, and a brand new Apple iPad.

How Helder became Slimmswitch?

Years ago, when he first signed up for internet service over the telephone Helder was speaking to phone rep for AOL (America On Line) and he was asked to pick a user name. The handle had to be something other than his real name, and hard pressed Helder looked around his home office for inspiration and found it stamped on the SLIM SWITCH printer switch that channeled information to a series of interconnected printers.

As an AOL user, Helder built quit a reputation as Slimmswitch in online contest forums – this is where he built the network of friends and supporters that help him today.

This is Helder’s third and fourth prize on Lenzr

Helder has won two prizes on Lenzr before.  Most recently, some readers might  remember that Slimmswitch won the rechargeable battery powered Nueton CE6 lawnmower in the How Green are You? photo contest.  And of course Lenzr members might also remember that these winning pictures really aren’t anything special. And we mean that in the kindest possible way.  But its true, even the most eccentric judges would probably not have selected Helder’s photo(s) as winners  – yet he won.  He won on Oct 1st 2010 because today the appraisal system on Lenzr is a purely numeric accounting program; the greatest number and quality of votes always wins the prize(s).  Sure its easy to game, but only by doing what the sponsors want most; by collecting friends and sending referrals to vote on their images, the individuals promoting their pictures are encouraging participation on Lenzr as a whole.

Now is that fair? Not entirely. Where is the photography art appreciation in collecting friends?

Please be patient with Lenzr. Its growing and getting busier. Soon it’ll be as big as the ocean, and then it’ll be real hard for one contester to colour it purple.  Indeed there’s some mind blowing  stuff coming down the pipe.  We are designing an entirely new social interface that will distribute sponsors coupons while tracking and measuring each user’s honour.  No insight into release date yet … but there is a surprise coming for Nov 1st 2010.

There was some  controversy at the end  of the May June 2010 photo contests, but the  official results in the Lenzr machine are as follows:

Crowded Places had the most participation with 46 PHOTOS UPLOADED | TOTAL VOTES 1828.

Ve3bnw Bill Watson wins the brand new Blackberry Curve courtesy of Innate Media Group for having submitted the first place photo in the Crowded Places photo contest. Bill’s aerial photo of the Rockton Worlds Fair is quite interesting and was well received, collecting 270.2 points, the most in category.  The image was clearly taken from the sky, and so is most likely a product of Bill Watson’s remote controlled helicopter gunship and budding aerial photography business. This smart phone will certainly come in handy for the high flyer.

50 Going On 15 was won by Mommakoala, AKA Debbie Watson, Bill Watson’s wife. This long standing member of Lenzr is a Hamilton resident and part time nurse and passionate photographer. She takes imaginative pictures and has a knack for writing good titles and captions. Her ‘No Pesky Neighbours’ photo won the first Ontario Tourist Attractions photo contest on Lenzr on November 1st 2009.

Portable Luxury was won by Seattledredge when Mommakoala’s photo was deleted by admin with only 15 minutes left in the competition.  It was indeed an ugly finish to what had been a close struggle. This strange but not unwarranted eventuality is explained in great detail in What Happened to Mommakoala’s Candy Stash? The account proferred along with an apologetic  explanation and rare glimpse into the world of the Lenzr admin. Remember we are all trying to achieve something that has never occurred before, a perfectly democratic contest community where business sponsors art.

The contest itself collected a lot of very strange and amusing ideas relating to our human notions of luxury, and what it means to move your comfort zone. There were 17 PHOTOS UPLOADED | TOTAL VOTES 680.  The Portable Luxury photo contest started late and that’s why the numbers were relatively low, but the prize is the greatest gift that has ever been shared by the site admin on the behalf of Lenzr’s most generous sponsor to date.

Seattledredge plus one guest have won three days and

two nights in Las Vegas courtesy of a portable toilet rentals business in Toronto ItsMyPotty.com

16th photo contest on Lenzr launched May 3rd 2010 has already become a busy space with a couple dozen photos, several hundred votes and sixteen comments.

Crowded Places has become a rich media repository for images relating to really popular recreational activities. Here’s an inside look at unpleasant traffic jams, and pedestrian bottlenecks in rush hour.  There are many geographic variables and circumstances that make popular places that spawn crowded spaces.

Like all photo contests on Lenzr this web challenge is specifically designed for Canadians.  Yes of course anyone may upload photos and participate, but the prize may only be won, and will indeed only be shipped to residents of Canada.

Just as the name Crowded Places implies traffic and commerce, so too has the odour and intensity of competition become manifest in this online photography event. Behold photos of Olympic torch athletes and fish ponds, raves and transit problems.

Everyday the whistle blows and you hear the alarming sound of the municipal rooster in the morning – just watch the people start moving forward on sidewalks, streetcars and subway cars. The same whistle blows all through our history, at meat packing plants and on factory floors. It issues forth from the subway cars and the whistle also sits in the dry mouths of the brave captains who urge their men over the top.

Innate Media Group is a full service web, media design, application development and internet marketing company that consistently provides effective solutions for global business. They make websites that perform well in search engines and this makes crowded places on the internet.

PS everyone at Lenzr just loves the photo of Smojoe submitted by Ampfoto.  The picture was taken at the IABC conference on May 12th at Ryerson in Toronto. The image captures the moment when Rob Campbell announces to the audience that Smojoe stands for ‘social media optimzation’ joe. You can read all about the seminar in Smojoe blog. There was a crowd of at least forty people in the room, and so it does indeed qualify as a crowded place.  The Toronto web developer that sponsored the Crowded Places photo contest is sitting at the laptop with his back to the window.

It’s March 1st 2010 today. Three photo contests ended on Lenzr at 12:01 am this morning, and now three more photo challenges are set to begin.  It wasn’t the smoothest contest we must admit – the changes to the voting algorithm caused severe problems when the votes were finally collected.  But all issues have been resolved, and now the website voting, grading and ranking mechanisms are well oiled and twice tested.

So let’s have a look at who won the last contests, how and why…

The Kids in Action photo contest was a real battlefield last month. With 27 photos uploaded and 851 total votes there was some competition for the prize , an advanced NiteWhite teeth bleaching kit courtesy of a Toronto dentist.

The photo named Soccer Stand by a rather prolific user named  seattledredge (why does nobody ever capitalize their username?) garnered the most votes.

Uploaded on: 27 Jan the image was a late addition and still managed to win with a score of 215.80 points.

The Total Votes:      116
Popular rating:        8.4 (99 votes)
Registered rating:   7.1 (17 votes)

Congratulations seattledredge !

The Everyday Tangled Web photo contest got the most attention, and to some extent it went viral as phone service technicians called each other and shared their most horrific case studies with the public.  There were 28 photos uploaded into the competition, and these images accrued 1680 votes.  The classic pictures uploaded by members Tialdone and Phonemaster were exceptionally good, real pictures of everyday tangled webs clogging telephone service rooms and data racks.  This is what the sponsor most wanted the public to see as this is the particular type of mess they specialize in curing.

Not surprisingly however the winner was a much less technical image that caught the hearts and tickled the minds of voting patrons.

The photo of a colourful stuffed animal lost in the wires and cables that was uploaded by a user named mroy won the challenge with humour and grace. Her picture, This Looks Yummy carried the storyful caption: “My twin grandsons hid this toy for me to find. Took me 2 hrs to find it, hidden behind my computer.”  The image with caption earned a total score of  573.30 points.
Total Votes:             247
Popular rating:      8.5 (189 votes)
Registered rating: 7.4 (68 votes)

Congratulations mroy ! You win the Plantronics Voyager wireless headset courtesy of an office phone systems provider in Markham Ontario!

And finally,

The winner of the Best Gourmet Food photo contest was Berry Delicious!, a photo uploaded by another very prolific photographer, member named sausma1 that she snapped at her friend’s wedding.

The caption reads, ‘There’s nothing like the taste sensation of squeezing seasonal fresh berries in your mouth. These are Mini-Creme Brulee with fresh berries.’

The very attractive and informative picture scored of 119.30 points

Total Votes:              47
Popular rating:       6.9 (32 votes)
Registered rating:  6.3 (15 votes)

Congratulations sausma1 ! This talented shutterbug will now be joining myself (and last session’s Macro Photos of Life contest winner Bill Watson plus guest) and The Wine Ladies on the Locaboire Eastern Ontario wineries and breweries tour

Stay focused on the Lenzr blog for stories about the winners as they receive their prizes.

On September 28th 2009 at a Starbucks in Mississauga Steven Prentice the CEO of Bristall Morgan Inc met a Toronto photographer named Mario Pirraglia who was the winner of the Emergency in Toronto photo contest this summer.

Mario Pirraglia (mpirra on Lenzr) is a business executive in the natural gas vehicle industry who travels extensively for business. A passionate shutterbug his job gives him the opportunity to expand his travel photography portfolio.

Mario’s photo, Firefighter saving lives carried the caption, “Toronto Firefighter returning from a fire” and soon collected 55 green thumbs up to win the challenge on August 31st 2009.

When I asked Steven Prentice to describe the encounter and Mario (as well as obtain the photos seen here) he wrote this terrific account,

It was a really great experience. Mario and I met at a Starbucks in Mississauga and chatted for an hour and discovered we had a great number of things in common, including a love of cars, playing music, photography, and expensive watches. I was truly fascinated to learn about his business and about alternate sources of energy (sounds like I’m writing a grade 8 essay here), but given that we were complete strangers at the start, I really felt it was an hour well spent, and hopefully Mario is someone with whom I can keep in touch.

To use a photographic analogy that I have used for many years, it’s what I call the “Polaroid effect.” When you meet someone for the first time, the slate is quite blank and can remain that way, but as you talk, the colours appear…  That’s one of the great things about meeting people and about taking the time – in the true spirit of Time Management – to slow down and enjoy a slice of their life.

I enjoyed the whole experience of sponsoring this contest, and hopefully Mario will be coming out to see one of my band’s performances, and maybe taking a few pix. After all, he’s well qualified.

On the job training is better than schooling, and academic teaching jobs in higher education require a time savvy person of chronologically cognizant of their endeavours.

Lenzr agrees. He wins the grand prize, seen here, an Esquire Verve 2020 mens’ watch.