Anyone can take a cool snapshot these days; technology has really converged into allowing us all to up our game. Better cameras mean fewer bad shots, or at least the ability to delete them before anyone notices anyway.
One happy consequence of this is that there are, more than ever before, opportunities to really shine as a photographer and it is those who have embraced the new possibilities engendered by the relentless march of the microchip who have access to a wider world indeed.
One exploration of this is the Cayman Islands National Festival of the Arts Photography Competition, for which online voting takes place between Friday, 4 May and Friday, 18 May. Kaitlyn Elphinstone tells Weekender that the competition was open to all ages.
“We have a special youth category for those 17 and under. However anyone under 17 could also enter into any of the 12 categories. These are landscapes, nature and wildlife, macro, portraituer, lifestyle, underwater, photo-journalism, commercial and campaign (including fashion), arts and culture and conceptual.
“Our bonus category this year is titled ‘Share and Discover’ sponsored by the Cayman Islands Yellow Pages. This category will have a Facebook component where individuals who ‘like’ Yellow Pages on Facebook and vote by ‘liking’ their favourite ‘Find and Discover’ photograph will be entered into a random prize draw,” Kaitlyn says.
Natural beauty
The standard and breadth of entries was amazing in 2011, she said.
“Stylistically speaking what stood out in my mind was the huge range of nature shots submitted highlighting Cayman’s natural beauty. There were some really great shots of iguanas also.
“Because of the high quality of the images submitted we decided that the competition really needed to go digital. By moving the competition online we hope that more photographers will be able to submit work and that more individuals will be able to view the work of Cayman’s talented photographers.”
Photography, Kaitlyn tells us, is one of the most popular creative outlets in Cayman.
“There is a tremendous amount of talent in the Cayman Islands and we hope this competition will showcase this. “Natural beauty is one of many influences that can inform the visual arts. We hope this competition will encourage photographers to explore a variety of forms, themes, influences and inspirations.”
All participants and their guests will be invited to an event at the Harquail Studio on Friday, 25 May where winners will be announced and presented with Cayman National Cultural Foundation certificates. The Cayfest event will showcase the work of Cayman’s top photographers and have informative discussions on photography in the Cayman Islands.
Related Videos
