Calendar Winners Congratulated, Criticized

Editor,

I recently was made aware of the list of winners of the Arizona Game & Fish Department 2008 Calendar Photo Contest.

As I do every year, I look forward to obtaining a copy of the annually beautiful calendar, and I join others in congratulating the winners.

However, I must register my disappointment with a couple of things: 1) that one person, albeit an excellent photographer, has won six spots on the calendar, and 2) that there are no winners from out-of-state.

Surely there were others of the 600 entries that were at least equal to the winner’s photos. Since this is a contest, I believe that there would be more interest if so many spots were not won by a single person.

I know that this has discouraged me from entering next year’s contest. If this one photographer is so much better than the other 115 entrants, why not just hire him and spare us the contest?

It is discouraging to amateurs, in my opinion.

Also, I think it is a mistake not to include at least one winner from outside Arizona. Our visitors would be more encouraged to participate, I believe, if there were a possibility that their snapshots of what they have enjoyed in our state had won at least one spot on the calendar.

Although I do congratulate the winners in 2007, I will not be entering the 2008 contest for the above reasons.

John Benson

Queen Creek