The World Firefighters Games 2008 photo contest is open to keen photographers of all ages. The competition challenges photographers to create images they think will amuse, inspire and enlighten. There are four different categories - Operational Incidents, Vehicles and Equipment, Previous World Firefighters Games and Heat. There are two age categories (under 16s and over 16s), and submissions are now being accepted, with an entrance fee of £10. The closing date is 12pm on June 1, 2008, with the winners being announced on August 24, 2008.

WFG08 Games Press Release

HEAT IS ON FOR WFG08 PHOTO COMP

Amateur photographers are being invited to put their skills to the test in a new global photography competition as part of the World Firefighters Games 2008.

The fire-themed contest is open to keen photographers of all ages. There are four categories to choose from and exclusive prizes up for grabs – so get entering now!

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is proud to be hosting the 10-day WFG08 spectacle in Liverpool as its contribution towards the city’s European Capital of Culture celebrations. The Games will take place in and around the city between August 24 and September 2, 2008.

The photography competition is open to everyone and participants do not need to have a direct link with Fire and Rescue Services. The contest is sponsored by Sigma photographic equipment, the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP), and the British Professional Photographers Association (BPPA).

The competition has been created with a specific vision – to challenge photographers to create images they think will amuse, inspire and enlighten. The four categories are:

1 - Operational Incidents. Photographs of firefighters or other Fire and Rescue Services staff doing their jobs, for example attending buildings on fire, road traffic collisions or water rescue.

2 - Vehicles and Equipment. Photographs of Fire and Rescue Service vehicles or equipment in use or on standby, for example fire trucks, cutting equipment, hoses or fire rescue boats.

3 - Previous World Firefighters Games. Photographs taken during previous World Firefighters Games. These images will show a wider audience the diversity and fun of a WFG event, bringing firefighters together from around the world, for example events, competitors, venues or visitors.

4 - Heat. This category has an open interpretation and is sure to prove popular with entrants. Here are some suggestions for photographs - desert sand dune, a child eating an ice-cream on a hot day, open log fire in winter, or the passion and determination of a competition. So let your imagination loose and see what you can come up with.

The winners, runners-up and second runners-up in each age group will be awarded with a genuine World Firefighters Games 2008 medal, plus the competition sponsors have donated a number of outstanding prizes including a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG MACRO Standard Zoom Lens (worth £349.99 from Sigma), and full membership to the SWPP and BPPA (worth £99).

There are two age categories (under 16s and over 16s), and submissions are now being accepted. The closing date is 12pm on June 1, 2008, with the winners being announced on August 24, 2008. There is an administration fee of £10 to enter, which allows competitors to submit a maximum of four photographs, which can focus on one category or be spread across the four categories.

Please note, as this is a worldwide competition entries must be made online. The details entered in the registration process must be yours and you must be the photographer who actually took the pictures submitted. There can be NO third party entries.

Dave Robinson is WFG08 General Manager, he commented: “This is a great opportunity for all photographers to make a contribution to the Games. The categories are wide and varied, ‘Heat’ is such a broad theme and we are looking forward to seeing the many interpretations and creations that people come up with.

“This competition is the very first event of the Games and is going to be a key way for us to build excitement and enthusiasm. It is also the only event which will be finished before the Games even get underway - which means the winning entries will take centre stage for the competitors and spectators to enjoy.”

So charge up your batteries, polish your lens and get out there and start taking what could be prize-winning images.

For full competition rules and to enter online visit www.wfg08photo.com now!

Photo Credit: Pictures by Chris Phillips

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