TAMRON ANNOUNCES WINNER OF MY TRAVEL EXHIBIT PHOTO CONTEST 2011

"MY PHOTO EXHIBITS" Lois Settlemeyer wins contest from hundreds of entries posted on Tamron's MyPhotoExhibits.com as 3D Travel Photography Exhibitions in Virtual Galleries
Tamron USA, Inc. announced that Lois Settlemeyer of Camas, WA, was named the winner of Tamron's My Travel Exhibit photo contest as judged by American Photo editor Scott Alexander. Settlemeyer's breathtaking images of the fabled Antelope Canyon in Arizona are featured in a two-page spread in the September/October issue of American Photo magazine and she receives a Tamron 18-270mm Di II VC PZD all-in-one zoom lens.
	About the Winning Exhibit Lois' exhibit entitled Waves of Light features twelve stunning images of Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, at precise moments that illustrate perfectly the photographer’s skillful use of perspective and light. Viewers are rewarded with nuances of warm color, rich textures and striking contrasts. The simple exhibit space, with its flat dark bench, marble floor and non-overhead lighting offers a minimalist setting that showcases the dark-framed work beautifully against a deep green wall. Lois captured her winning images with her Tamron SP 17-50mm F/2.8 Di II zoom (model A16). Read more about Settlemeyer in the September/October issue of American Photo.
About the Contest The My Travel Exhibit photo contest kicked off the launch of Tamron’s MyPhotoExhibits website, an innovative and engaging virtual destination that enables photographers to showcase their favorite images in a gallery setting—free of charge. The inaugural My Travel Exhibit contest drew hundreds of 3D virtual exhibits featuring images from around the globe—captured by skilled US photographers using their Tamron lenses. The winning exhibit was selected by American Photo editor, Scott Alexander, who based his difficult decision on overall image quality and originality of the photographer’s collection entry.
	About MyPhotoExhibits.com Unlike traditional static online galleries, Tamron's SoHo-styled MyPhotoExhibits interface, available at http://myphotoexhibits.com, allows users to create customizable gallery exhibits with a vibrant interactive experience. “Tamron’s MyPhotoExhibits offers a new and creative way to transform the way images are viewed and shared” said Stacie Errera, Chief Marketing Officer at Tamron USA Inc. “Photographers simply set up a user avatar and bio, upload their favorite high-resolution images and create their personalized on-line gallery space.” After organizing the exhibit and captioning the photographs, users can put finishing touches on their exhibit, designing the gallery space. Choosing wall and floor textures and colors, photo frames, furniture, and lighting, photographers are invited to extend their creativity and show their work in complimentary settings. It’s easy to go back into the MPE interface at any time to add more photos, tweak presentation specs, or create an unlimited number of new exhibits that feature travel pictorials, special events, projects, and more.
Spreading the word about these custom  exhibits is another way in which MyPhotoExhibits stands out from other online galleries. Once an exhibit is ready to “open” it’s easy to share it with friends. Users simply send invitations from the website or iPhone app to Facebook or other social media platforms. Invitations can also be sent  by email, directing friends to their exhibit, which can be viewed by invitation only or remain open to the public. Visitors can sign the photographer's guestbook, choose favorite exhibits and follow exhibiting photographers. Visitors can check out all available public exhibits on the site or browse by category. Tamron will also suggest favorite exhibits for further photographic inspiration — users can even submit their own exhibits for consideration in this coveted Featured by Tamron category. In addition, special Tamron-created exhibits will be prominently featured, contributing to the MyPhotoExhibits experience with instructive examples. Companion iPhone App for On-The-Go Viewing and Sharing An iPhone application for photography enthusiasts on-the-go will further enhance MyPhotoExhibits convenience and user-friendliness. The complimentary app, available at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tamron-mpe/id420404201?mt=8 offers easy mobile access to MyPhotoExhibits. Through their iPhone, users can browse through all available MPE exhibits, view their own exhibits, check out other photographers and share exhibits by sending out invites to friends. About Tamron Tamron is a leading manufacturer of photographic lenses. Among its many optical and mechanical innovations since the founding of the company in 1950, Tamron's development of mass-produced hybrid Aspherical elements paved the way for today’s compact high power all-in-one lenses when, in 1992, this technology was incorporated into the ground-breaking 28-200mm. Tamron continues to lead in this category of lenses with the new 18-270mm Di II VC PZD — the world's smallest and lightest 15X zoom lens featuring Tamron's proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) system for blur-free hand-held shooting of photos in low light and at telephoto settings and PZD (Piezo Drive) autofocus system for fast and quiet AF operation. Tamron has garnered international acclaim for its extensive line-up of professional and consumer lenses.