Canon Offers Second Annual Football Photography Contest

It’s football season, and that means it’s time for Canon’s second annual “Why Do You Love Football?” photo contest.

Co-sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nationwide amateurs-only contest features two entry categories: Action and Feature. The Action category focuses on any image that captures football action during game play, while the Feature category comprises any football imagery outside of game action on the field. Canon says it’s looking for anything from a playful catch in the backyard to organized youth and school games.

Judges will include Sports Illustrated photographer Peter Read Miller, Associated Press photographer Mark Duncan, U.S. Presswire photographer Craig Melvin, Cleveland Browns team photographer John Reid III, freelancer Tony Tomsic and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning. After the judges determine a group of 14 finalists, the voting will be turned over to football fans, who will crown a first-place winner in each of the two categories and a grand prize winner in early January.

"This is the second straight year that Canon and the Pro Football Hall of Fame have conducted an amateur youth football photo contest," Canon U.S.A. Inc. Senior Vice President and Consumer Imaging Group General Manager Yukiaki Hashimoto said. "We are pleased to once again recognize the best youth football photos taken by amateur photographers across the United States."

Each first place winner will receive a Digital Rebel XTi camera, while the grand prize winner will be awarded a trip for four to attend Super Bowl XLI in Florida and will have his or her photo displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Additionally, the winner will receive a trip for four to the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Celebration in August 2007.

Photographers can submit up to 10 images by the November 27 entry deadline. Details and rules are at www.usa.canon.com/nfl. The web site also features a great Day in the Life video showing how Miller shoots a game, and another video offers tips on how to shoot football.

Copyright 2006