UPDATE: prize giving rules have changed. Winners will select their own prizes starting with the first place going down.

Almost three years ago today, I posted the first article on DIYP. It was about creating a Lumiquest like softbox for a hot shoe flash. What started as fun and sharing three years ago grew up to be fun and sharing, three years later.

To celebrate the 3 years DIYP anniversary with the great community that evolved I am throwing the best photography contest ever. The DIYPhotography 3rd Anniversary Photo Contest - D3A. We have cool sponsors, with great prizes, a great judge and kick ass spirit to start the show. Read on for full details.

Sponsors & Prizes

I know that this is the first thing that everybody wants to see when a contest is announced, so I won't keep you holding your breath.

Actually, there is a bit of a wait, but this wait is definitely worth it. Over the next few days I will announce the five sponsors for the contest. Each was generous enough to provide a kicking prize plus shipping to anywhere in the world. This means that everyone is welcomed to join. If you want to make sure you get all prize announcements, you may want to subscribe to DIYP's RSS feed.

Rules Of Engagement

To enter the contest, simply submit your photoes to DIYP's Flickr pool. All the images that are submitted to the pool are automatically entered into D3A contest. That is all the images that were submitted from a year ago today - Feb 25th, 2008. Each Image that is entered to the pool until March 25th will also be entered into the contest.

At the first five days of April, I will announce the five lucky winners.

For this contest, we have the coolest ever photog judge - Chase Jarvis. (I am sure Chase will rebuke me for calling him the coolest Photog, but really, with all the ninja's, Kong fu mojo, James Bond bags and all, I had no choice). Chase will select the five top places for D3A. Those selections will be based upon 10 pre-finalist picks by me.

Images will be selected based on their creativity, originality, and guts. It's not that we don't like pet pictures - just make sure it is an original pet image :). And of course usage if DIY photography gear provides extra points - please, do share this info on the image description. 

Once winners are announced, they will need to contact me in one week, via the Flickr mail system, or via the contact form. to let me know their prize choice. Once the first winner makes a pick, I will move to the second winner, and so on.

If contact is not made within a week winner moves to the end of list. If contact is not made by the fifth week, the 6th runner up gets to make a pick.

I will hook up the winner and sponsor by mail.

Sponsors contribute prizes and shipping to any place in the world. Taxes and duties are the responsibility of the winner.

Images will be displayed on DIYP blog. Image rights stay with photog.

Have fun and Good Luck!

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