Capture the Colour Photo Contest

After a successful run last year, Travel Supermarket is holding another Capture the Colour travel blogger photo contest and I’m happy to be a judge once again.

The judges are given a colour category to judge; Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, or White. Last year I judged the blue category and this year I’m judging… Sweet, delicious, awesome YELLOW!

Woooot!

In the 2012 Capture the Colour Photo Contest we received over 3000 beautiful entries and we’re doing it all over again!

This contest is open to travel bloggers and the idea is simple. Publish a blog post showcasing five of your favourite travel photographs which best capture the colour of our five categories: red, blue, green, yellow and white. Previous entries have showcased the beauty of our planet’s natural landscape, impressive man-made wonders and exotic cuisine, as well as animals, friends and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But, feel free to take a picture of pretty much anything you feel best encapsulates your travel experiences.

The five individual category winners will receive their choice of:

• 128GB iPad with Retina Display (Wi-Fi and Cellular)
• Fujifilm X-E1 Digital Camera Kit withXF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS Lens
• £750 to spend with Arc’teryx

One overall winner will receive a huge £3,000 travel fund – perfect for taking many more captivating images.

See below the photos for the full description on how to participate, qualify, and win!

 My Sample Post

 YELLOW

Yellow ribbons tied around trees in Savannah Georgia

While yellow is not the predominant colour in this photograph it truly is the most important one. While walking around in Savanna’s historic district, I came across this scene and wanted to capture it for posterity as it reminded me of an old song.

In the 1970s, the song “Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree” recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn was a popular hit.

The yellow ribbon was also used during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979 as a symbol of support for the hostages that were being held at the US Embassy in Tehran. During the 1990s the yellow ribbon became a symbol of support for troops fighting in the Gulf War.

 

WHITE

Wreaths on the graves at Arlington national cemetery at Christmas

Each year at Christmas time restart placed on the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington national Cemetery near Washington DC.

The 5000 wreaths are donated each year by Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine. In 1992 the company had a surplus of wreaths at the end of the holiday season and with the help of a Maine senator and many volunteers plans were made to deliver the excess wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery and have them placed on graves in the older less visited areas of the cemetery.

RED

High-speed train at Milano Centrale

Milano Centrale is one of the busiest train stations in Europe, with over 330 000 daily passengers on 500 or more trains. That adds up to over 120 million people a year passing through this terminal that was opened in 1931. The style of the station is somewhat Art Deco, but there are hints of Art Nouveau as well. It features a facade designed by architect Ulisse Stacchini, that is modeled after Washington D.C.’s Union Station. The interior is stark and a bit ominous, save for the numerous sculptures that adorn the station’s cavernous interior. Milano Centrale has even been described as an “incongruous envelope of stone” by the Touring Club Guida di Milano. This type of architecture was rather commonplace during fascist and totalitarian regimes, as in this case under Mussolini’s rule in the 1930′s.

GREEN

Moss covered lava fields in Iceland

Iceland is one of the most incredibly beautiful places on the face of the planet. That’s one of the reasons why I run a couple of photography workshops a year over there. The landscape is ever-changing and all you have to do is drive for five minutes from the jaw-dropping stunning location that you’re at to get to the next even more awesome spot to photograph.

The landscape keeps changing and you never run out of the variety of things to shoot. From raging rivers to hundreds of different kinds of waterfalls, to exploding geysers, to ice formations littering a black sand beach. These are just a few of the things that keep bringing me back to this land of enchantment.

When I stopped at this location to get some photos close to sunset, I was amazed at how thick this moss was that was covering the jagged volcanic rock. I have been to a lot of fields in other parts of the island where there was no moss and those areas were not nearly as hospitable. Walking gingerly along the top of the rocks, the moss cushions each footstep as if you were walking on memory foam. The green extends from the tips of your toes to the edge of the horizon. What a happy place in such a fascinating country. I can’t wait to be back in a few weeks.

BLUE

Skeppsholmen Bridge and Chapman hostel ship – Stockholm, Sweden

 There’s nothing quite like photographing at blue hour just after the sun sets. This was no exception in Stockholm when I was able to capture this shot of the Skeppsholmen Bridge last year. It took a little patience to make sure that I would have nobody in my shot crossing the bridge. Yes patience can be quite a virtue.

I only had a couple of days to photograph this beautiful city and this was definitely one of the shots that I’ll remember for a very long time. Being at the right place, at the right time, with perfect cloud cover, and perfect weather; these were all factors in getting the shot done right.

 

Capture the Colour 2013 information

The first thing that I should mention is that this is a contest for travel bloggers only. There are no stipulations on how long you’ve been publishing so long as you have travel as the main theme of your blog.

While you don’t have to submit a photograph that represents each of the five colours, you do stand a better chance of winning a prize if you submit a photo in all five colour categories. Please note that only people who do submit photos and all five coloir categories are eligible for the grand prize of £3000.

While attempting to bribe me as an official judge is highly frowned upon, please don’t let that stop you from sending me treasure chests full of Spanish doubloons and rare gemstones. ;)

You can see the official winners of last years contest here: Capture the Colour 2012 Winners

Capture the Colour Photo Contest official site

Capture the Colour on Facebook

Capture the Colour on Pinterest

Travel Supermarket on Twitter (@travelsupermkt)

The official hashtag of  Capture the Colour for 2013 is #CTC13

If you want to know more about the contest or if you have any questions please get in touch via either Twitter (@travelsupermkt) or email (capturethecolour@travelsupermarket.com)

 My Nominations

Wandering Earl – One of the best travel blogs out there… Time magazine agrees with me.

Hecktic Travels – Canadian duo Dalene and Pete sold everything they owned and now travel the world full time.

The Blonde Abroad – Typically spotted with camera in hand, wind in hair and bikini on bum.

Expert Vagabond – Matt’s goal is to inspire you with entertaining stories, useful advice, & interesting photos from around the world.

EuroTripTips – Marie-Eve is always on the lookout for a good exotic meal, a culture-filled stroll in a new city or a well-deserved R&R session in a luxury spa.

Just to be clear: you don’t need to be nominated to submit an entry to Capture the Colour.

Best of luck to all the participants. I can’t wait to see the entries.

Enjoy more travel photos and stories: