Pro Photographer Search

WHISTLER, BC, February, 2003 – The 5th annual Pro Photographer Search held during Whistler’s legendary TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival in April, has announced its call for entries. And for the first time in the history of the Festival’s multimedia events, the qualifying shows will be produced in digital format.

The expansion into digital will make the Pro Photographer Search more accessible to young and upcoming photographers looking for their first big-time exposure, as well as opening the competition to professional photographers who are increasingly making the shift to digital. Photographers will be able to submit their work in digital or as scanned slide images.

To be held April 14-15, the Pro Photographer Search invites already published, or yet-to-be-discovered photographers from around the world to enter the Search for a chance to gain valuable exposure within the action sport industry. The winner of the Search is invited to the Pro Photographer Showdown on April 17 to present alongside legends in the action sport photography industry. The entry deadline for the Pro Photographer Search is March 4.

The Pro Photographer Search forms part of EXPOSURE – the culmination of the Pro Photographer Search, Pro Photographer Showdown, the Filmmaker Showdown, photographic workshops and the Whistler Photographic Society Silent Auction. Taking place during the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival between April 14-18, the EXPOSURE events will deliver an action sport multimedia showcase like no other.

In previous years, the Pro Photographer Searches have catapulted the careers of many photographers and have been a platform for inspiring action sports photographers.

For last year’s Search, Ilja Herb (Whistler, BC) took the limelight, winning the title of 2002 Search Best of Show and going on to exhibit his work beside legends Ace Kvale, Kevin Zacher and Dave Heath at the Showdown.

“Each year, the calibre of entries for the Search keeps climbing – for fledgling and well-known photographers alike. This Search clearly shows how photography is such a crucial part of elevating the profile of the action sport industry to ever-increasing heights,” says the Festival’s Managing Director Doug Perry.

“With the talent and diversity of all the Search photographers, the Search is an amazing vehicle for the action sport industry representatives who are in Whistler for the Festival to view the depth of talent in their midst,”Perry said.

The Pro Photographer Search takes place during the 8th TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival – a 10-day high-energy event fusing sports, music and action, April 11-20. The Festival features highlights such as the Ripzone Snowboard Invitational, the free DKNY//JEANS LIVE Outdoor Concert Series, the Garnier Fructis World Skiing Invitational featuring Salomon Big Air and SuperPipe, Super Demo Days, the annual Whistler Dog Parade, the Saab Crossmax Series presented by Salomon and the Kokanee Freeride.

Please note the following technical aspects and logistics.

Entry Procedure and Overview
– All interested action sport photographers are asked to submit 20 images of their work.
– Submissions can be either in digital format on a CD or a slide page, however, the photographer must choose either format. Any submissions combining the formats will not be considered.
– All slides or disks must be free from any identifying features including photographer and /or company name. An independent panel outside of the Festival or Producer’s offices will be selecting finalists based on images alone. Staff will remove any identifying features before sending submissions to the selection committee to guarantee anonymity.
– Any slides submitted must be duplicates as they may not be returned to the photographer. Images will not be published without prior consent of the photographer.
– Submissions will be judged on their ability to capture the essence of actionn sport on film, and should leave the committee wanting to see more.
– Artificially manipulated images or digital enhancements are prohibited and any such finding will result in an immediate disqualification of the photographer.
– A selection committee comprised of key industry figures will choose six finalists to present 12 minutes of their work in Whistler during the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival on April 14th and 15th, 2003. Entries should be indicative of the show that they would present.

Entries and inquiries should be directed to:
Tamsyn Morote
Multimedia Events Coordinator
C/o Inspired Group
18 – 1005 Alpha Lake Road, Whistler, BC V0N 1B1
Tel: 604.905.2799
Fax: 604.905.2593
Email: tam@inspiredgroup.com

– Deadline for submissions is March 4, 2003 at 5pm. Late submissions will not be considered.
– Finalists will be notified on March 14, 2003.
– Once notified the finalists have 24 hours to submit a short bio and a head shot for promotional use.
– Travel and accommodation in Whistler will be the responsibility of the photographer, although preferred rates will be available.

Special Note:
A scanning standard for slide images is available should a finalist wish to scan images on their own. It is strongly recommended that the finalists submit their work to be scanned by the show producers to ensure a consistent quality. The submissions are not affected by the scanning standard.

Media Note:
A photo from Ilja Herb’s winning presentation from last year’s event is available via email in high or low resolution. Please call or email Regina Titelius.

Media Accreditation:
Media Accreditation Request Forms for covering the events of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival are available under the NEWSROOM at www.livelarge.ca.

Media Contact:
Regina Titelius
Media Relations Manager
W1 – Producers of TELUS World Ski &
Snowboard Festival
Ph: 604-938-3399 ext 7
Rtitelius@w1.ca