I have been so busy lately that I’m late (though not too late!) in sharing the latest photo contests on Lenzr. Lenzr is a cross-Canada amateur photo contest that awards amazing prizes. In their last contest, which I entered but unfortunately did not win, there were prizes like iPads, laptops and portable solar kits!  Sometimes I struggle with promoting Lenzr challenges because I want to win so badly that the idea of someone beating me out because I tipped them about the contest is a little…hard to swallow. But I welcome the challenge; at the end of the day, more Lenzr members means more contests and of course, more prizes!

This session’s photo challenges are:

BEST COTTAGE MOMENTS

Participants in the Best Cottage Moments contest are asked to submit photos illustrating easy livin’ at the cottage.

The great thing about Lenzr is that if you have an existing photograph you took in the past that fits with the current theme of a contest, you can use it, provided you can prove it’s yours. Through the years, Brian and I have had some of the best moment of our married and family life at his parent’s Muskoka cottage. Me being the shutterbug that I am (“Mom, hurry UP,” Sam complains when I’m setting up a shot, and April is starting to follow suit, naturally…) I have documented many wonderful cottage memories. I have a great shot of Sam standing on the dock gaping at the snapping turtle (that’s just as big as he was at the time) floating beside the dock in the water. Now I just need to find it.

The prize is a Sony CyberShot H70 Digital Camera.

WEATHER THE STORM

Participants in the Weather the Storm photo contest are asked to submit storm imagery.

I thought this might be fun for April and I to do together as she’s frightened of thunder and lighting. I suggested the challenge and she started to cry, so I told her we’d wait until she felt more comfortable with storms. I also told her that some people spend their lives studying storms: photographing, chasing and reporting them. She seemed a little intrigued, and I realized I was a bit premature in asking her to face her fear. Remember ‘Bloody Mary’? When I was a little girl I used to scare myself silly going into the washroom, turning out the light, and calling her name just twice (three times brought her out of the mirror to haunt you.) I had sufficiently terrified myself and my sister with tales of Mary when my dad grabbed me by the arm, dragged me into the washroom and said it was time for me to see that Mary wasn’t real… He was right, and I was silly to be afraid, but that didn’t make the experience any less traumatizing. Needless to say, April can face the fears that accompany her namesake’s showers at another date.

The prize is a Sony CyberShot H70 courtesy of a commercial roofing company.

WHAT’S IN THE FRIDGE?

Participants in the What’s in the Fridge? photo contest are asked to submit photos of the contents of their fridge!

I am going to put this out there: I REALLY want to win this one because the prize is $500 in groceries! (You know you’re a mom when…) I also think it’s a really funny, quirky concept for a photo contest and can’t wait to see all the finalists in this category. Maybe I’ll try this one today when Sam gets home from school. I’ll clean the fridge in the meantime and let April do the stage blocking

The prize is $500 worth of the groceries of your choice, thanks to my favourite new printable coupons website.

SHINY METAL SURFACES

Participants in the Shiny Metal Surfaces photo contest are asked to submit images of metallic materials reflecting the sun, moon, or artificial light sources.

I think I’m going to photograph my blow-dryer! Hopefully that gets me points for originality.

The prize is a Sony CyberShot H70 Digital Camera made possible by a Canadian metal panels manufacturer.

Lenzr Members begin voting on submitted photos on May 15, 2011. Then the top ten photos advance to Judging on May 25 and the winning photo will be announced June 1, 2011.

Good luck, everyone. And I do mean that.