I am going to have to rein in the editorial horses for this one, as the temptation to use expressions like " Snakes Alive!" and " Hissing Syd" is nearly irresistible. Once you start to introduce reptiles into a conversation dignity flies out the window - much as when you introduce them at the dining table...
In any event, the Western Australian Herpetological Society would like you to go to the Reptile Expo 2013 at the Cannington Exhibition Center on Sunday, the 19th of May. The exhibition will run between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM but the bit that interests photographers is between 10:00 and 4:00.
You see they are running a photo competition and we are amongst the sponsors who are providing prizes. There is a proper set of rules to be seen at the following website:
http://wahs-expo.wix.com/2013
But I can give you a précis here:
Must be a picture of an Australian reptile. Not a newspaper proprietor, a real reptile...
Must be mounted on matt board - max dimension of the matt board is 40cm x 50 cm
Must be submitted for judging and exhibition at the center on the day - entries close at 10:00 AM.
There will be announcement of he winners and presentation of prizes at 12:00 and you can collect your pictures back again between 4:00 and 5:00. If you don't collect them after some long time they will donate them to a school.
You must be an amateur photographer. Not a professional photographer - they even say in the rules that you can never have been a professional...I'm not entirely sure how that idea will go if someone somewhere once paid you for a picture... any rate be careful. Remember what happened to Jim Thorpe.
The WAHS says they intend to reserve the right... to reproduce any of your photos for future publications but promise to give you accreditation. I am not quite certain how this works if you are going to collect them at the end of the day, but I'm sure they will work this out.
The prizes for the winners of the competition are:
1. 1st prize is your art work reproduced on a 12 x 18 canvas and a Cullmann tripod and bag.
2. 2nd prize is a photographic session with Houndstooth Studios.
3. 3rd prize is a Cullmann monopod - very valuable if your next wild reptile encounter is conducted in thick undergrowth...
Alex Cearns, wildlife photographer extraordinaire, will be doing the judging. Saul Frank, camera salesman extraordinaire will be presenting the Cullmann prizes.
Apparently I, Uncle Dick, hack writer extraordinaire will be doing some form of a little talk on photographing reptiles. If they put me near the frogs and lizards I will be using English and if they put me near the poisonous snakes I will be using Anglo-Saxon. That'll be me - perched on the top of a step ladder with a forked stick and a Colt .45.
