FOTO FEST BEGINS SATURDAY

Photos of children at play, breathtaking landscapes and flora have already made their way into the entry boxes for Foto Fest 2000.

The amateur photography contest begins Saturday, and nearly 30 photographs have already been entered.

The contest is open to residents of the Southeast Missouri counties of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott, Perry, New Madrid, Stoddard and Madison and the Illinois counties of Union, Pulaski and Alexander.

It is sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. Other sponsors are Schnuck's, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Mac's Smokehouse and the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

The contest will run six consecutive weeks, with entries being judged each week. A panel of area judges will review the entries and select four semifinalists.

Joyce Hunter, marketing director at the mall, said there isn't an exact definition of what composes a winning photograph. Each panel of judges selects something different.

Winning photographs will be published each Wednesday in the Southeast Missourian. All the photos will be displayed at the mall throughout the contest.

Entries are not limited in number or size. Contestants can enter as many photographs per week as they would like. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. each Friday. The final date for entering is 5 p.m. Aug. 11.

Semifinalists will receive a $10 gift certificate from the mall and a certificate of recognition. Chick-fil-A has offered coupons to every contest participant. Coupons can be picked up at the Shoppingtown customer service desk and several drop-off sites.

Photos, which can be taken with a digital or standard camera in color or black and white, cannot be returned because of the volume expected in the contest. Negatives and disks cannot be accepted.

Hunter suggests people with "one-of-a-kind" photographs make color copies of the picture in case they can't find a negative for reprints.

"I know I throw all my negatives away," she said, but not having a negative doesn't mean you can't enter, "and that's an improvement from times past."

Previous photo contests required all entries include negatives, which often limited the entries, Hunter said.

Drop-off sites include the Southeast Missourian offices at 301 Broadway or 108 S. Hope in Jackson and the Banner-Press, 103 Walnut in Marble Hill.

Entry forms are being printed in the Southeast Missourian and are available at all drop-off sites.