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I grew up in a family of photographers. My grandfather used to love to tell the story of how he made his first pinhole camera, and how he stole developing paper from one of the merchants at the Sunday market, and how the owner called after him Ill box your ears in, young lad, Ill box your ears in. I spent hours in my youth, posing for still photographs in the garden, with my brother and sister. It was my sister that inherited his passion and went on to graduate from a photography diploma course, having successfully photographed over 100 door knobs in black and white. Take a nature hike with her and shell stop to photograph unusual plants (she also likes to steal clippings from peoples gardens and replant them!).

Here are a few tips of how to take or appreciate photographs:

1: Follow the natural eye movement from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. This ones from my grandfather, who at my sisters request wrote a how-to guide to take a good picture, for my sister, in his painstakingly meticulous hand-writing. The other day, in the doctors waiting room I tested the reverse, and concluded that I seldom look right-to-left. The idea is to put the focus of attention in the top right-hand corner.

2: Ask permission afterward. About a year ago, I went into a hole-in-the-wall bar/cafe with Richard, a photographer friend of mine, who proceeded to show me a stack of, literally hundreds, of photos, for a business project in mind. He then got out his camera and took the bartenders photo. The bartender was actually not at all pleased with this, and had to be placated. My best people pictures have been taken when the persons not aware that Im about to take their picture. Its more natural, and a lot more fun.

3: Take a cerebral snapshot first. Seasoned globe-trotter and travel writer, Paul Theroux, wrote how once he was in Italy and he saw a dozen white doves spill out of the eaves of a cathedral, but he didn’t have a camera with him to capture the moment. He invites people with cameras to try capture the picture in their mind, and to see if its story-worthy. If you can imagine taking out the snapshot and talking animatedly with friends or other photographers about what you managed to capture, then you’ve got something.

I may not have inherited my grandfathers passion for taking pictures, but I do like the eye for colored doors of quaint town cottages, and for a face of someone who’s lived an interesting life.

If you spend any time at all outdoors with a camera, you should try your luck in one (or all) of these contests. Even though the competition may be daunting, it’s always worth a try, and there are some really nice prizes up for grabs.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year This year marks the 45th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held by the National History Museum in London and BBC Wildlife Magazine. The 12 categories (9 main and 3 special) are open to both amateurs and pros, and there are also 3 youth categories. You may enter up to 3 images for a fee of 20, and the jury selects one winner and one runner-up per category, all of whom receive cash prizes (500 and 250 respectively for the adult main categories).

Those under 18 may submit up to 10 photos, at no cost, in the youth categories (“10 years and younger”, “11-14 years”, and “15-17 years”). Acceptable subjects are wild animals, landscapes and plants, and the winner and runner-up in each category are awarded 250 and 100, respectively. The “Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year” gets to spend a day out with an acclaimed wildlife photographer, and also receives a cash prize of 500.

In the three special awards, the requirements are a bit more specific. For The Gerard Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife award, you need to submit photos of species listed as critically endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened on the 2008 IUCN Red List. The Eric Hosking Award is open to photographers aged 18-26, and participants are required to enter a 10-image portfolio. The One Earth Award focuses on conservation, and they are looking for images that encourages respect for nature. The winner of each category is awarded 1,000.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner gets 10,000, presented at a ceremony at the National History Museum in London. Deadline for 2009 is March 27, but if you don’t make it, don’t worry. Remember, it is an annual event, so you always have next year.

Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards Named in memory of photographer and conservation advocate Windland Smith Rice, this annual contest, held by Nature’s Best Magazine and the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, is open to amateurs, pros and youths (under 18). The 16 categories include some that you don’t see in every competition: People In Nature, Small World Spectaculars, Zoos & Aquariums, Creative Digital, and Camera Club, where your club enter the contest as a group. The Grand Prize winner, category winners, and “Highly Honored Images” receive cash prizes and their photo(s) included in an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. For an entry fee of $25 you may submit up to 20 photos, and the deadline is May 4, 2009.

National Wildlife’s 2009 Photo Contest Open to everyone over the age of 17, this annual competition is looking for photos of mammals, birds, people & nature, backyard habitats, landscapes & plant life, other wildlife and global warming & wildlife. Pros, amateurs and youths are judged separately. The winner of each category is awarded $1,000, and two Grand Prize winners receive $5,000 each. You can enter up to 20 images for $15, and that also gives you a year’s subscription to National Wildlife Magazine. The deadline for 2009 is July 20.

The Great Outdoors by PDN and National Geographic Open to both professionals and amateurs, this contest has a broad range of categories: Insects & Gardens, Outdoor Sports & Activities, Beaches, Underwater, Islands, Parks & Safaris, Animals, Plants, and Scenes of the Natural World. The cost to enter (per photo or photo essay consisting of up to 6 images) is $35 for pros and $12 for amateurs. There is one Grand Prize – a five-night stay for two at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico – and several other prizes, including a digital camera, gift certificates to B&H, etc. The deadline is April 20 (with an extension to May 4 for an extra $10/image).

EuroNatur In this contest – “Nature Treasures in Europe” – they are looking for photos of European animals, plants or landscapes. It’s free to enter and you may submit up to 5 photos. Prizes include trips and camera equipment, and the winning pictures will be part of an exhibit at Schloss Wolfstein (a castle in Bavaria, Germany) and printed in EuroNatur magazine and in a wall calendar. The deadline is March 31 2009.