In an effort to document all Emanuel County has to offer for the Georgia Film Music & Digital Entertainment Camera Ready program, the Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring “Emanuel in Pictures” photo contest.  The contest will take place four times per year.  At the end of each 3 month contest, a winning photograph will be selected and featured on the Chamber website.  The Winning photographer will receive $25.00.  “We hope by doing this, we can begin to build a large archive of photographs that could eventually lead to our county being selected for a motion picture or documentary.  Film Companies look for a variety of interesting areas when preparing for an upcoming film and it makes sense to have photographic evidence of what Emanuel County has to offer,” said Shanna Taylor, photo contest chair.

            Schedule of the contest will be as follows: December through February, winter months; March through May, spring months; June through August summer months; and September through November, fall months.  Deadline for entering will be the last day of the last month within the season’s contest.  Photos should reflect the contest season you are entering as well as compliment and show off our beautiful community. 

            Emanuel County was designated as ‘camera-ready’ by the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment office in a special ceremony in Atlanta on October 7, 2010.  “As one of the few designated counties in Georgia, we hope to use this opportunity to show others what a beautiful and special place we live in.  Although there is no guarantee we will be chosen by a film company, by documenting photographs through the photo contest participates we hope to improve our chances substantially,” said Bill Rogers, Jr.

           

            While the theme is open to interpretation by the photographer, the following lists some scenes requested by the film commission. Think about these and about what would make a good photo for the contest:

 

1. Towns, main streets, town squares
2. Residential districts, especially period ones (19th and early 20th century)
3. Anything closed, or partially used:   Prisons, Hospitals, Institutions, Schools (especially period)
4. Interesting geographic areas: quarries, lakes, rivers, creeks/streams, meadows (without houses/lines/towers), mines, gorges, waterfalls, mountain tops with vistas, fields of crops or orchards
5. Homes: mansions (all architectural styles – period is always better), antebellum mansions, Victorian homes on acreage, period homes on lakes or rivers, “shacks”, mill houses, farms/barns, low end farm houses, two story farm houses, row houses, decrepit homes on property, factories, mills, large manufacturing plants (one could shoot in), closed plants, cotton gins, old water wheels
7. Roads (car commercials), Country roads (no lines), old bridges, curvy mountain roads, roads through wild flower fields, roads through row crops or orchards, roads through expansive flat lands 

 

 

            Our second “Emanuel in Pictures” is already underway.  Photos should follow the theme of Summer Time in Emanuel County.  We encourage you to capture the theme in unique and interesting ways that showcase Emanuel County's best scenery.   

            The public will judge the 2011 Summer Photo Contest through Facebook. Members of the online community must first become a fan of “Swainsboro Chamber," then, each member will have access to the photos to view and vote! The photos receiving the most "Likes" will be named the winner! Not all photos submitted will be posted publicly on the Swainsboro Chamber facebook page; the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce staff will use their discernment to determine the best photos to be displayed online.

            All entries should be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2011.  There is no limit on the number of pictures entered or the age of the photographer.  Each photo must be submitted with the entry form, which includes permission to reprint form. All submitted photos may be used in various media formats for an unlimited amount of time and at no cost to the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce. Photos can be entered by e-mail to chamberassistant(at)bellsouth.net or a disc can be mailed to Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce, “Emanuel in Pictures,” 102 South Main Street, Swainsboro, GA  30401.  For questions contact Shanna Taylor, 478-237-6426 or chamberassistant(at)bellsouth.net.