This document announces Canon's 2009 photo contest with the theme of "bridging the gap", sponsored by the magazine Trains. The contest invites submissions of photographs depicting how railroads bridge gaps, whether physical, temporal, social, or generational. Photographs can be color slides, black-and-white prints, or digital files. Minor adjustments to digital photos are allowed, but elements cannot be added or removed. The grand prize is a digital camera and trip for photo review, while other prizes include cash and magazine subscriptions. Submissions will be judged based on artistic representation of the theme within the rules.

1. FANTRIP By KATHI KUBE
Mind the gap
Trains and Canon’s 2009 Photo Contest: Bridging the Gap
Bruce Barrett, Trey McDowell, Zach Green, Larry Green, 2008 Grand Prize Winner Sam
Dickey, Kathi Kube, Canon’s Brian Matsumoto, and Joe Brice gather for a group shot in
the Feather River Canyon following Winterail 2009. Above, Bruce Barret t; right, Tr a i ns : Kathi Kube
Railroads and railroading bridge many program, but elements of the image (such
types of gaps, land and water being the most as power lines) may not be removed. Like-
obvious. But there are many other exam- wise, elements may not be altered to add to
ples. An overnight passenger train bridges the image, such as “turning on” a head-
the gap of time, and rail transit connects light, or introducing “props.”
people of different socio-economic demo- Color manipulation, burning and dodg-
graphics. Older equipment, whether run- ing, and adjustments to highlights and
ning on main lines or resting on museum shadows are permitted. Just remember:
rails, can transcend time, and railroading We’re looking for an artistic yet realistic
itself, both as profession and passion, can representation of the theme, and will be
bring generations of friends and families judging accordingly.
closer than most other jobs or hobbies. When submitting your digital images
Speaking of friends, the railfan com- for judging, please send an original, un-
munity itself draws together people of in- modified JPEG or RAW image, as well as a
numerable backgrounds. The point is JPEG with your desired manipulations. The
that railroads and railroading bridge print should look exactly as you’d like,
many gaps that can be clearly and artisti- since that’s what we’ll be judging.
cally represented in photographs, which As far as prizes go, Canon will send
is why we chose “bridging the gap” as the the grand prize winner an EOS 50D
theme for our 2009 photo contest, co- 15.1-megapixel digital camera with an
sponsored with Canon. EF 28-135mm zoom lens. This year Brian
The rules are basically the same as last Matsumoto from Canon and I had such a
year’s: Send five of your best images de- great time with 2008 winner Sam Dickey
picting the theme and taken between at Winterail that we’ve decided to do it
Nov. 1, 2008, and Oct. 31, 2009. We wel- again. Canon will fly the winner to Stock-
come original color slides (35mm or larg- ton, Calif., to attend the 32nd Winterail on
er, preferably in clear plastic pages), Saturday, March 13, 2010, and spend Sun-
black-and-white prints, and digital im- day railfanning with us.
ages on CDs with accompanying prints. The first-prize winner will receive Can-
To be considered, digital file entries must on’s EOS Rebel T1i, a 15.1-megapixel digital
be at least 300 pixel-per-inch resolution camera with full HD video capture, and an
and 4 x 5-inch size or larger with accom- EF-S 18-55mm lens. The second-prize win-
panying 81 ⁄ 2 x 11-inch prints. Please be ner will receive $300, and five runners-up
sure to include your name on your CD or will receive a three-year subscription to
slides, and print it clearly on the back of Trains magazine.
any prints — but not on the front, or they Complete details will be in an ad in next
will be disqualified. month’s issue, so for now, consider the
Like last year, you may adjust the image many gaps railroads and railroading
slightly in a photo processing computer bridge, and send us that winning shot.