The 2011 Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown returns to Whistler Conference Centre
The 2011 Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown is returning to the Whistler Village in Blackcomb, Canada, on 21 April. The contest will feature action sport photography by the skilled action sports and lifestyle photographers from all around the world. The winner
will take home US$10,000, while four runner-ups will receive US$1,500 as an appearance fee.
The contest will be held at the Whistler Conference Centre during the 2011 TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF). The WSSF has already kicked off from 15 April and will continue till the 24 of this month.
Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown is regarded as the paramount action sports photography event in the world. This year, the contest received submissions from 40 photographers. These included entries from Australia, Germany, Spain, Japan, America, etc.
A panel consisting of five judges selected six finalists from the 40 entries. The photographers selected for the final include Blake Jorgenson, who is Whistler’s local and a previous winner of the contest. Other photographers making their way into the finalists
list include Bryn Hughes, Russell Dalby Mike Yoshida, Steve Lloyd and Re Wikstrom.
Wikstrom is the first woman to have made it into the finalist list since the inauguration of the contest. This is her second year of participation in the event. Last year had turned out to be relatively disappointing, but she was convinced that she would
be able to secure a place in the final in the next five years. However, she was not expecting to progress to the last stage in just her second year.
Expressing her feelings about getting selected as the finalist, Wikstrom said, “It is a crazy mix of nervous anxiety, major excitement, and supreme honour just to be a finalist and have the opportunity to show my photos at this event.”
The Utah-based photographer, Lloyd, is also ecstatic over making it to the finals in his very first year. “I am excited because it is a competition of work that you have already done,” Lloyd says. “You put together your best work from what you have already
shot and make a nine-minute slide show and enter it. So it's basically your portfolio.”
The six photographers will showcase their best photography in a nine-minute slideshow on 21 April at the Whistlers Conference Centre. The slideshow will show images of action sports, namely snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding, mountain biking, etc. The photographer
with the most mesmerizing slideshow will take home the grand prize of US$10,000.
The Pro Photo Showdown will also be awarding the People’s Choice Award to the photographer chosen by the 1,800 spectators through voting. The winner will take home a prize cash of US$1,000.
The contest in indeed a tribute to the craft of action sports photography. It is playing a vital role in not only acknowledging the talented photographers who capture the thrilling action in still images, but also encourages the photographers by celebrating
their talent, dedication and unfailing passion.
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