NEWSPAPER, MALL TO BRING BACK LOCAL FOTO CONTEST

Get out your camera, start snapping pictures and get those photos developed because Foto Fest 2000 will officially begin July 1.

Foto Fest is an amateur photography contest being held by the Southeast Missourian and Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

"It's a fun and exciting contest that gives people a chance to show off their talent and creativity," said Joyce Hunter, marketing director at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park and contest coordinator.

The mall and the Missourian worked together with Kodak on a local photography contest in 1997 and 1998. But Kodak stopped sponsoring such contests in 1999, so no contest was held that year.

"The excitement of the contest was sorely missed, so we decided together we would bring it back," said Hunter about the sponsorship from the mall and the newspaper. Other sponsors are Schnuck's, Southeast Hospital, Mac's Smokehouse and the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

The contest officially begins July 1, when contestants can begin turning in their entries. The contest runs for six consecutive weeks, with the last day for entries 5 p.m. Aug. 11.

The contest is open to any amateur photographer (less than 5 percent of income earned from photography) who is a current resident in the Missouri counties of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott, New Madrid, Stoddard, Perry or Madison or Illinois counties of Alexander, Pulaski or Union.

"We are keeping this regional because we want it to be a contest for people of our community," Hunter said. She also noted there is no age limit in the contest.

"Photography transcends age, sex, race. Everyone can take pictures," Hunter said.

People who can't enter are employees of the Southeast Missourian, Westfield Corp. and their subsidiaries and independent contractors and their families.

No purchase is required.

The entries can be taken with a standard or digital camera and can be color or black and white. Entries must be a print on photo paper, though any brand of film or processing paper will be accepted. Negatives and computer disks will not be accepted.

Subject matter is only limited by people's imaginations, Hunter said.

Finalists in the 1998 contest ranged from David Baltzell's abstract image fireworks illuminating the St. Louis arch and courthouse to Mary Cobb's candid photograph of three children eating Popsicles.

Here's how the contest will work.

All entries received by 5 p.m. Friday each week of the contest will be judged by a group of independent judges. Each week four semifinalists will be selected. Winners will be announced and the photos printed in the Southeast Missourian the following Wednesday.

Weekly semifinalists will each receive a $10 Shoppingtown gift certificate and a certificate of recognition.

After the final week of the contest, six finalists will be selected from the 24 weekly semi-finalists. The six finalists will each receive a $25 Shoppingtown gift certificate, a 13-week subscription to the Southeast Missourian, a comic umbrella and a framed 8-by-10 copy of their photo entry.

From the six finalists, the grand prize winner will be selected. The winner receives one night's hotel accommodation in St. Louis, a $50 Shoppingtown gift certificate and a one-year subscription to the Southeast Missourian.

The grand prize winner and finalists will be announced and the photos printed in the Southeast Missourian Aug. 23.

In addition to judges voting on winners, area residents will also get to vote for their photo favorites in the People's Choice category.

All the photos entered in the contest will be displayed at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. Entries in the contest will be added to the display after judging each week. Then from Aug. 23 to Sept. 5, visitors to the exhibit can vote on their favorite. The People's Choice Award winner will be announced and the photo published in the Southeast Missourian Sept. 6. The People's Choice winner will receive a $50 Shoppingtown gift certificate, a six-month subscription to the Southeast Missourian and a comic umbrella.

Hunter said she's looking forward to seeing the entries if they are anything like the ones entered in past contests.

"The quality was really phenomenal," she said.

Entries will start being accepted July 1.

To enter, complete an entry form, which will be published throughout the contest times in the Southeast Missourian. The entry forms also will be available at drop-off points, which include the Customer Service Center at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park or at Southeast Missourian offices at 301 Broadway in Cape Girardeau; 108 S. Hope in Jackson; Scott County Signal, 113 S. Main in Chaffee; and Banner Press, 103 Walnut in Marble Hill. Entries can also be mailed to Foto Fest 2000, c/o Westfield Shoppingtown West Park, 134 West Park Mall, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.

Photographs entered in the contest will not be returned.

Official contest rules will be displayed at all locations receiving entries.

"We're starting vacation season now, so everyone should keep their camera close by and start taking pictures to enter," Hunter said.