One month after winning the Haircuts and Hair Styles photo contest on Lenzr, the celebrated user Danielle-elise, who is Danielle Thompson in real life showed up at Donna Dolphy Yorkville hair salon to collect her prize(s) and agreed to a free haircut in exchange for letting me blog about it here.

Danielle Thompson is an attractive twenty three year old criminology graduate from the University of Western Ontario currently living and working in Burlington, paying back her student loans by working in a real estate property development firm as an administrative assistant.

She has three younger brothers and used to take pictures of them, and for them, chronicling their achievements in sports and outdoor adventures. At one point she had free use of the family camera, a professional grade Canon Rebel with assorted lenses, but an unfortunate incident with one of the younger brothers has eliminated this resource, permanently.

Now she meddles around with small digital cameras, I didn’t catch the name of her most recent tool, but I did get the sense that’s she’s looking for a high quality digital camera to continue her photography art and hobby. She dabbles with fashion and beauty images and puts them on her blogs, in support of her ideas and product research.

Danielle’s blogs include, My Heart on My Sleeve, and one even more fashion and beauty focused On Sugar blog, called Liner and Glitter and Glass oh my, and I’ll admit that name sounds a bit off center but thats actually the trend for blog names On Sugar, and when she told me the handle I smiled, because I know many other similar such destinations. However I cautioned her, just as I will remind all readers here, that blogs are best when you own the domain outright and use open source software such as WordPress which is downloaded free at wordpress dot org

On Oct 1st 2011 Danielle Thompson and her mom spent some quality time at Donna Dolphy hair salon in Yorkville, have a Lenzr prize winning experience.

Danielle Thompson at Donna Dolphy, Toronto hair salon

Here’s a photo montage showing the event with minor commentary where necessary,
Here’s where the day started.

I was reading my book and taking pictures of Donna’s shop which was super busy when Danielle and her mother, Marie Jo arrived in the salon. Donna greeted them both from her chair at the front window with a wide smile and big hello over the din of the already busy salon.

We waited upstairs until Donna could meet us. We talked and I took pictures

Then Donna came up, and she took us outside to her little rooftop oasis in the heart of the city.

We took some lovely pictures in the sunshine.

The sun was really shining and it was a beautiful afternoon.

After a few minutes outside we all went downstairs to the shampoo section where Donna Dolphy gave Danielle Thompson the full head washing experience, cold and hot water alongside some L’Oreal hair care products, I’m sure.


Marie Jo got a picture of Danielle getting her hair washed for her Facebook page.
Marie Jo got a coffee
Then came the actual hair cutting.

Donna took Danielle to her chair at the front of the salon.

At this point I asked Donna what she would do if she had hair like Danielle,

And she answered without hesitation, “I’d flaunt it. I’d do just what she’s doing, work it into long curls and show it off. It’s an eye catcher.”

Donna made Danielle look like the modern day Farrah Fawcett…

Danielle probably doesn’t know who Farrah Fawcett is. Everything that’s old is new again.

Lenzr Judges Make Final Decision

Four great summer photo contests have come to end this month.  And there have been so many wonderful images to select winners from.  The Lenzr Judges had their work cut out for them.   There were some challenging decisions to make from the top ten photos from each photo contests.   Each of the four contests had 10 amazing photos, but only one prize for each.   Everyone has their personal favourite photos but thanks to the Lenzr Judges there are now four prize winners!   Congratulations to each winner,  and all other entries for their time and effort!

Objects in Motion

The MetroCity photo, taken by kevyn2992, is the prize winner of a Sony laptop. The photographer described with his photo “The quickest way to downtown Vancouver is riding above the streets. Here the people move fast and the weather changes fast too, so you better be ready to act and adapt to keep up.”
The overall Objects in Motion contest received 157 entrees and over 3,500 votes.  Then out of the top ten rated the judges determined MetroCity the winner. One of the judges, R. Carmichael wrote  ‘something eerily retro, yet remarkably modern juxtaposed upon a dark, storm, almost surreal weather-scape that is Vancouver. “  Another judge explained, “the train caught coming into the station contrasts nicely with the stationary platform and tracks.  The ominous clouds adds a good touch, as well.”

Also, an honorable mention goes to mitchelbriones.   His photo was a close tie with his photo titled,  Let’s Move it’s Summer, which is another awesome photo.  However, the judges determined MetroCity the winner with each judge having a second choice option voting in it’s favor.

Toronto Tourist Attraction

The Flatiron photo to the right by silversurfer71 was voted the best Toronto Tourist Attraction image.  The top ten voted Toronto Tourist Attraction photos were a competitive challenge with 49 photo entrees and almost 1000 votes. This picture was described as,  “one of the most pretty buildings in Toronto and that it reminds one me of a piece of pie.”  “This building is a icon of Toronto that represents a time that is long gone but not forgotten.  The composition is lovely.  Surreal.”

This was another hard decision for judges due to the amazing photos to choose from.  The photo to the right titled, Who is there?? by mr_slava came close to winning as well.  A judge wrote “the baby picture made me take a second look at exactly what was happening here.  I questioned myself as to what I was seeing.This in itself makes for a great picture as it keeps the viewer’s attention, making the guess what is happening.  Nicely done.”  Once again so many great photos to choose from.

Fireplaces and Furnaces

So many beautiful photos were entered into this photo challenge.  Even though the  Fire Places and Furnaces photo contests only had 27 entrees, it received over 530 votes.  Out of the top ten photos the judges determined the photo to the left, Summer Bonfire by Lefthook 25 the best photo and the prize winner of another Sony laptop.  The judges admired the capture of colours.  The use of blue hues is incredible.

Another photo mention in the photo contest goes to Hello Summer by Dasha for it was another almost tie with the winner, and This Band is Hot by j3ckl3r.  Both of these near misses images gave off a warm mood.   All the photos, especially the top ten, were incredible.

Haircuts and Hairstyles

Donna Dolphy was very impressed with the quality of Haircuts and Hair Styles that were uploaded into the contest. Her Yorkville salon is always interested in seeing new fashions and testing new hair styles on different shaped human heads. This contest was something akin to research for herself and her stylists.

This contest received 56 photo entrees and almost 800 votes.   The judges had a few favourites once again.   However, a final decision had to be made, and not everyone could win, so the winning photo is Colourful Braid by danielle-elise of Burlington.  “I liked the ponytail partly because of the cropping of the photo. It captures the purpose of the picture, which focuses on the hair.  The composition along with the nicely highlighted hair makes me give this one the thumbs up.”  judge Taku wrote.  Another judge liked the subtly of it.

Once again another mention goes to another close second silversurfer71 and his photo  Hawk and the Scarlet Dove, with comments from judges, “nice head what do you feed it!”   Another judge gave this feedback, “Nice job Silver Surfer.  The hair is great. The gritty dirt is awesome, the reflection in the sunglasses is almost out of this world.”

Lenzr judges were pleased with many of the photos that they had to choose from to pick from.   The competition was high.  Congratulations to all the finalists in each of the four contests.  Each photo deserves a mention of some kind for their creative risk taking and photographic skills.

Lenzr member seattledredge stopped by Lenzr headquarters in the Distillery District today to claim the highly-coveted prize she won last month in Lenzr’s What’s in the Fridge? photo contest: $500 in groceries! This contest was generously sponsored by a new printable coupons website that’s making waves in the Toronto area.

It was a popular contest and even resulted in a photo finish–a three-way tie! Since the Lenzr Judges cast their votes remotely, Rob Campbell and the Lenzr staff took the three final images to the streets and found four qualified and willing volunteer judges to come up with a tie-breaker (watch the video).

Two out of four of our street judges picked “Chilling in the Fridge” by Seattle (that’s her real name) featuring Taco, her pet rabbit, as her answer for “What’s in the Fridge?”

Seattle, who just moved into downtown Toronto on July 1, is studying geography at York University, and is an avid traveler. She writes about her many travel experiences and gives tips, particularly for female travelers, on her blog Seattle’s Travels. Check out her blog for travel advice and of course, exceptional photography–she’s headed to Iceland next month. In addition to her studies and travels, Seattle runs her own wedding photography company. Seattle’s quite a girl.

She says she was “excited and surprised” when her photo won. She had been expecting a third victory for last month’s double winner Silversurfer71, and really felt the real-time excitement Lenzr hooked her up with in watching the tie-breaker video.

At the No Frills by King and Parliament Seattle is in a unique position: nothing is too expensive for her today. But instead of filling her cart full of filet mignons or pulling chip bags off the shelves with wild abandon, she makes a very composed beeline for the produce section and begins to examine the lettuces, celery and carrots.

Taco, after all, sat in the fridge, looked cute, and won the votes of Lenzr members and judges–it’s only right that he have first dibs–and no one knows Taco’s preferences better than Seattle.

This isn’t the first Lenzr photo contest Seattle has won. A veteran Lenzr member, she won a trip to Vegas in the Portable Luxury contest back in July 2010 with her photo Portable City. One might think that a travel freak such as Seattle would have booked her trip the very next day, but Seattle’s a generous woman–she gave the prize to her mom for a 50th birthday present.

“I would still like to do Vegas,” she admitted. Her mom hasn’t redeemed the trip yet, but Seattle’s going to have her share her photos with Lenzr when she does.

She had to rush off to a job interview but not before posing with a grin in front of the Toronto skyline. Despite all the places she’s seen, Seattle includes Toronto in her top five favourite cities, along with Vancouver, Sorrento, Barcelona and Istanbul. Congratulations again, seattledredge!

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.”

This is the ghost photo contest. This lonely challenge has been haunting the Lenzr blog widget feeds for two months, but when you checked on the website, it didn’t appear in the line up.  It’s a mystery cruise, a whodunnit.  And now again it’s a ghost ship, set adrift in the night, a vessel without a sponsor to captain the storytelling. I remember how it all came about…

Lenzr is excited about summer in Canada. The clouds parted one day and it was warm outside. the Shafts of Sunlight photo contest triggers thoughts of summer fun exploring caves and crevices, old buildings and barns and dirty basement windows on really bright summer days. The inspiration for this contest came to us during a hard day at the office back in February. Let us paint you a picture of the gloomy start to that great ending day. It was raining and muggy outside. The offices of Lenzr are filled with beautifully detailed giant windows. We were all writing, clicking, and watching our computer screens. While our eyes were glued to our work, the rain stopped and rays of light creeped in through the windows to brighten the walls and hardwood floors . Rob was reminded of the beautiful Dutch paintings during the renaissance, and he will probably write about the Calling of St Matthew by Caravaggio? Is that right? But now we’re walking around with smiles on our faces because of the hot sun beaming in and the weather is finally becoming enjoyable. So I suppose its a celebration of the summer season.

The challenge is making a shaft of sunlight look solid. You want to make it look like a tangible object that you can reach out and hold in your hand. A talented photographer understands the task requires atmosphere. It’s not easy to photograph sunlight. And this is not about recording a sunny day, but rather an exercise in making sunlight tangible, and the true focus of the image.

Complete Home Concepts is a building contractor that specializes in the design / build of custom sunrooms and patio enclosures to bring sunlight into your domicile. They are experts at creating both residential and commercial sunrooms.

The prize is a Sony DSCH70 Camera (color subject to change) courtesy of a clever company.

HOW LENZR WORKS: There is a ten day Voting Period that begins July 15th and ends July 25th. During that time, people will be prompted to rate the pictures. The Top Ten photos advance to Lenzr Judges on July 25th – The winner is selected based on their preferences , their comments are often published in the Lenzr blog. The winner is announced in the Lenzr Blog on or before August 1st 2011. Good Luck! Contest open to all Canadians excluding Quebec (wink) Canada only – must be 13 yrs or older

An office party can be a lot of fun. It can be more awesome than a party with friends or a wedding occasion simply because it’s such a departure from the regular daily affairs that happen in the same space.  If you see the boss wheeling in a karaoke machine, or a DJ setting up in the lunchroom, you know what’s about to go down… It’s time to dim the lights, fire up the kitchen and find that stack of red plastic cups in the back of the stockroom closet from last year’s party—we’re looking for pictures of your Best Office Staff Party!

How does your office celebrate the good times? Do you have a dancing mascot pull people up onto a make-shift dance floor? Or perhaps a simple pot luck dinner? Are guests and spouses also invited to your company parties? Show us Christmas schmooze-fests and networking mixers, and Halloween theme parties in big offices are the best. James Bond theme is so cliche, but everyone has the costume.

This is a fun photo contest and we’re expecting to see a lot of humour in the submissions. Show us the perks and pitfalls of partying on the factory floor. Show us mild manner it staff, Javascript junkies, coders, developers, and Flash programmers stepping outside their shells and going crazy on the company’s dime. And remember, no one wants to be the person who had the most drinks at their staff party, but inevitably, someone’s got to do it. Please, just make sure that the subjects in your photo are okay with your entry before you submit it. We are NOT liable for any trouble you cause.

Stafflink IT Staffing Company Specializing in Recruiting, Placing and Staffing Technology Specialists

Stafflink is a Toronto IT staffing agency located right in the heart of downtown core. They are leaders in staffing IT analysts, developers, programmers and technical specialists in the GTA and beyond. Stafflink keeps at the front of the advancements in the technology industry, writing informatively on new tech topics on their interesting it staffing blog. If you’re looking for a job in IT, or hoping to hire technology talent for your company, look no farther than Stafflink.

The prize is a Sony laptop that’s perfect for information age vocational training.

Contest begins  June 1st 2011
Voting begins    July 15th 2011
Voting ends       July 25th 2011          Top Ten advance to Judges
Contest ends     August 1st 2011       Contest open to all Canadians age 13+

This contest is about using water as a medium of reflection. Don’t think just swimming in a pool of water, but instead think about how to use the pool to create a reflection of shimmering lights.

What you need to know:

The objective of this contest is for you to take pictures of water reflections. Think under water lights, or the beautiful sunset on the beach. The main things needed for Reflections in Pools are water, reflection and a light. It can be rain trickling down a window with the reflection of a person on the inside watching. Be creative and surprise us with your shots. A pool of water must be the source of your image.

Our sponsor:

Pro Green Landscaping design is sponsoring this contest. They specialize in swimming pool and landscaping design. They are known for their great customer service and 20 year experience. Pro Green stands behind every project and design they work on.

The Prize:

Alright all you photography fans, you are going to go gaga for this prize. Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8800 underwater camera courtesy of Pro Green. The Olympus camera is virtually indestructible. Make with Breakthrough features like Dual Image Stabilization and Tap Control make it hard to hurt. A revolutionary system of waterproof seals and gaskets keeps water out so you can take pictures as deep as 33 feet underwater.

Voting starts March 15^th 2011 and ends on March 25^th 2011. From there our judges will deliberate and the winner will be announced April 1^st 2011. Check out our post on our judges to learn more about what impresses them. Lenzr is open to all Canadians, contest not valid in Quebec.

Getting a great shot of soapy bubbles is a lot harder than one can expect. For The Soapy Foam and Bubbles contest try to capture the fluffy soft angle of this contest. Don’t just think soap bar, but think, heroic bacteria killing item that has rescued you from harmful infections. Capture the inspiration behind your favorite hard working soap.

What you need to know:

This shot must tell a story. Think outside the box. It can be a young boy washing his dog, or a child washing their hands after playing in the sand. Try to capture the beauty of cleanliness.

Our Sponsor:

SilveRboard Rigid Foam Insulation is sponsoring this contest. Rigid foam insulation is a flat-sheet insulation material that’s coated with a layer of BASF reflective lamination on both sides and made from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). When these materials are combined they become a highly effective insulation barrier offering a higher r-value per inch compared to traditional flat-sheet insulation, plus a built-in moisture and air barrier which eliminates the need for house wrap.

The Prize:

The prize is a Sony laptop. I know, we always do have the best prizes attached to a funfest of contests. So lather up in enthusiasm and get in the groove of photo taking. Voting starts March 15th 2011 and ends on March 25th 2011. From there our judges will deliberate and the winner will be announced April 1st 2011. Check out our post on our judges to learn more about what impresses them. Lenzr is open to all Canadians, contest not valid in Quebec.

Don’t forget to have fun!

Exciting stuff is happening here; make sure you stretch before you get into this competition. Dancing the night away can build passionate memories that will last a lifetime. Submit shots of sensuous moments and you could win two pairs (mens and ladies) of Supradance professional dancing shoes. Dancing means different things to everyone; it can be ballroom, jazz, salsa or hip hop. Capture and contribute images of People Dancing for this photo contest and recreate the joy people receive when dancing in synchronicity with their partners.

There are many different types of dance in this world. There’s Latin dancing and Eastern European Polkas, Waltzes and now Hip Hop dances, break dancing, and classical ballet. Here at Lenzr we sometimes get Swing Dancing, and I’ve been known to dance a jig, on the absolute happiest occasions.

Danceology is a unique Toronto dance studio that helps improve people’s relationship with the art of dance. Marla Silva believes that dancing classes don’t have to be hard or stressful if a person gets to learn in a fun and forgiving environment.

The Prize:

The gentle soul that uploads the best photo wins two pairs of dancing shoes. The best picture will probably be a moment that tells a wonderful story and at the same time conveys the art and rhythm of dancing. Voting starts March 15^th 2011 and ends on March 25^th 2011. From there our judges will deliberate and the winner will be announced April 1^st 2011. Read this blog post about Lenzr Judges to learn more about what impresses them, and then have fun doing your favorite dance.

Everyone at Lenzr is eagerly anticipating the pictures in this photo contest. An Unlikely Marriage is certainly one of the hardest photo contests yet. It asks the challenging question, “Do opposites really attract?”.  Participants are asked to compare and contrast the marriage of unlikely people, animals and objects. Photograph two things beside each other that don’t normally belong together. It can be a cat and a dog, an elephant and a mouse, or even Batman having coffee with the Joker. Think of two crazy things that would never be considered a match, and you have an unlikely marriage.

The NEXT Program in Toronto.

Better than Couples Therapy,  the uniquely customized “Next” program helps people rediscover their relationship & empowers them to move forward together. The NEXT Program is specially designed for couples and individuals who are struggling in their relationships or considering a separation. Through The NEXT Program, they gain access to the knowledge, tools and capabilities they need to make crucial choices and create a healthy environment for themselves and their children.

The prize in an Apple iPad

How great is that? The Apple iPad is one of those amazing pieces of technology which has a very high perceived value.  This incentive is provided get your creative juices flowing. Start thinking up a storm of high contrast marriages – cerebral photo shots. Voting starts March 15th 2011 and ends on March 25th 2011. From there our judges will deliberate and the winner will be announced April 1st 2011. Check out our post on our judges to learn more about what impresses them.