Amateur and professional photographers are invited to participate in Downtown in Focus, a photo contest aimed at finding new and distinctive shots of our downtown. The City of Dayton, Downtown Dayton Partnership, Kaplan College and Dayton Daily News are sponsoring the contest.
"Epcot, Dayton (RTA Hub)" by Robin Feld won 2011's professional "My Downtown Favorite" and "Best in Show" categories.
One amateur winner and one professional winner will be selected in each of the following categories:
- Downtown Festivals: Images showcasing individuals or unique moments at any of downtown Dayton’s summer events or festivals.
- Active Downtown: Photographs featuring people participating in active lifestyle activities, such as biking, kayaking, dancing and running in downtown Dayton.
- Scenic Downtown: Creative images featuring buildings, architecture, skylines, parks, the river or any other picturesque view of downtown.
- Best in Show (selected by the judges)
Terry Orf's "To Be Young Again" won last year's "My Downtown Favorite" and "Best in Show" in the amateur category.
A panel of judges ― consisting of professional photographers, photography editors and instructors, and community leaders ― will select the winners in each category and award a $250 cash prize to the Best in Show winner in each division. Honorable mentions also will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. In addition, City of Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell will select one photo that best represents the City’s “Dayton Originals” motto. This photographer will receive a gift basket from the City of Dayton.
Contest winners will be recognized at the Sept. 14 Urban Nights, and all entries will be displayed in a special exhibit during Urban Nights.
From approximately 8 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, during First Friday, many of downtown’s buildings will be lit for photographers who would like to capture night shots of the city.
Debra L. Barnett's "Waiting for Fireworks" garnered the amateur award for "Downtown at Night" in 2011.
The deadline to submit photos is 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. There is no fee for application or participation. Photographers are not required to be Dayton-area residents, but winners must be age 18 or older. Photos must have been taken in Greater Downtown ― which includes the Central Business District, Oregon Arts District, Webster Station and the ring of neighborhoods that surrounds downtown ― within the past calendar year. Official contest guidelines and entry forms are available at www.downtowndayton.org and www.daytonohio.gov.
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