by John Hawkins, Club CEO
How to enter:
Do you love to take pictures? Submit your photos to the Picture Perfect contest. Once a month, the best pics are selected for publication. If your photo is published, you’ll receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card! ENTER PICTURE PERFECT CONTEST
See Contest Rules below the pictures.
Pandemic Hobby
“I picked up hiking as a healthy, fun hobby. During the beginning of the pandemic, even our beach was closed, and it was my go-to for morning walks. I had to find another way to stay fit. It also allows me to keep up with photography.”
– Rose Serrato, LAPD
John’s comment: Hiking is a great activity for a pandemic, Rose. And I like your image – taking a break in wide-open nature. (And nice boots.)
“It started with one cactus and one succulent. I found it therapeutic to reduce stress and promote calm feelings growing these plants – and now I have 30-plus collections of cacti and succulents!”
– Christine Isidro, LAFD
John’s comment: The horticulture hobby really, well, grows on you! The more I gaze at your cacti, the more calm and relaxed I am. But it’s more than the flora themselves — I love your photo of them, too, as if the shelves had been art directed. Beautiful!
“While last year with all of its COVID restrictions was a perfect time to hone your gardening skills, master the challenges of home-baked sourdough bread or take that Zoom pottery class — why bother with all that stuff when the default option for a good time never disappoints? Especially in the company of a fishing buddy that never chews your ear off.”
– Yves Didier, Airport Police, on the Ventura Pier
John’s comment: Hilarious, Yves! I love the perspective of this, making the gull look like the subject. The gull could have made the submission! Anyway, we all needed more laughs during the pandemic, and this fit the bill. Thanks!
“I spent this pandemic exploring and learning this new hobby of mine, riding the Electric Unicycle, EUC for short. This is one mean machine, compact and powerful. It operates like a Segway but has more power, speed and range. I always look forward to riding my EUC up in the mountains and hills of Lakeview Terrace. The feeling and excitement is incredible.”
– Glenn Abellanosa, Retired, LAPD
John’s comment: I love your approach, Glenn. Stay inside and quiet, or attack the pandemic with passion and adventure (and social distancing). I like how your photo uses vignetting in the corners, to add sort of a classical feel to a very non-classical activity. And the long lens adds to the classical feel … and makes me want to give it a shot, too. Thanks for the inspiration!
PICTURE PERFECT CONTEST RULES:
- Please submit the full, original digital file (up to 3 megs file size).
- The contest is open to all Club members in good standing. Non-members are welcome to submit, but only Club members are eligible to win the monthly prize.
- Photos can be of any subject matter: vacation, portraits, families, landscapes, still lifes, pets, etc. Subject matter must be appropriate for Alive!
- If your photograph does not win, you are welcome to re-submit.
- Winners are chosen by Club staff. All decisions will be final.
- You must certify (if asked) that you indeed took the picture. No ringers!
- The contest is all in good fun: The Club cannot be responsible for delays in delivering Alive!, or for delays in the transmission of responses.
