Competition: win a cameraphone every week in The Irish Times/Sony Ericsson cameraphone photographic competition
Sony Ericsson and The Irish Times Magazine are running a competition to find the best cameraphone photographer in Ireland, with a weekly prize of either a Sony Ericsson K750i (a camera, phone and digital music player), or a K800i (a Cyber-shot digital camera and a 3G phone in one).
You don't have to be a pro to enter. In fact, we welcome images from amateurs. Sometimes, the making of a great photo is simply being in the right place at the right time, or being on hand to capture a funny moment, a sporting victory or a piece of beautiful scenery.
ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THREE CATEGORIES:
1. Nature (including landscape, environment, animals and pets)
2. People (including fashion, friends, celebrities)
3. Life (including sport, culture, recreation and social activity)
To enter, just snap a photo (it must be taken with a cameraphone) and text it to 087-6650685. Include a text with your name, contact number and a photo caption. For best results, set your phone to the highest resolution or quality. The highest-resolution images are the ones that print best and will appeal most to our judges, who will include the Irish Times picture editor.
A weekly winner will be published every Saturday in The Irish Times Magazine starting on August 5th. Winning photos, runners-up and photo gallery will be available to view on www. ireland.com\promotions\mobilesnapper. where you can also see full terms and conditions.
Later in the year, an overall winner will be chosen from Irish Times entries. This person will win an all-expenses paid trip to a European city, and will also spend a day shadowing a member of the Irish Times photographic team, getting insights into the world of photojournalism. The national winner will also represent the country in an international competition. Send your first entries in by midnight on Sunday July 30th.
For best results, follow these tips for producing winning cameraphone images.
1. Check whether your cameraphone has a quality or "resolution" setting. If so, set it to "high" for maximum quality.
2. To avoid blurring, hold your phone steady when taking a photo. Rest against a wall or put your elbows on a table to steady your arms.
3. Get closer - you'd be amazed how much more interesting your shot will be.
4. Think about your background - a plain one will show off your subject better.
5. If you're using your cameraphone at night, turn on the photo light, flash or "night-mode" for best results, but remember to switch to "daylight mode" for better results when you're outside during the day.
6. If you have a data cable for your cameraphone, always transfer your favourite photos to your computer for backup.
7. For great action shots try using the "burst" effect if you have it on your phone. This enables you to take lots of shots at once.
8. Don't be shy. Take lots of pictures to make sure you get just the right shot - you can always delete unwanted photos, so get snapping.
9. Experiment by taking pictures from different angles. Your subject doesn't have to be in the middle of the shot. Moving to the side might make a more striking image. Don't restrict yourself to horizontal shots. Turn your cameraphone sideways for a different view.
10. Don't always assume you need a wide angle for landscapes - a detail might be more interesting than the whole vista. Landscapes in general are more interesting with something to focus on in the foreground, for instance a tree, a person or a flower.