“Saba Through Your Lens” Photo Competition

During the last months of 2016, the Saba Tourist Bureau held its first “Saba Through Your Lens” Facebook photo competition, which was open internationally. The competition consisted of 10 categories, which were: Nature, Underwater, Cuisine & Cocktails, Attractions, Culture & Heritage, Architecture, Sights to See, Travel/ Transportation, Shopping and Special Events. Interested persons had the opportunity to submit a maximum of 3 photos per category from October 7^th until December 30^th 2016, to an email address which was monitored by Desiree Soares-Johnson, the Assistant Director and marketing person of the Saba Tourist Bureau.

After ensuring that the photos submitted met the requirements of the competition, they were then posted on the Saba Tourist Bureau’s Facebook page. The Facebook community could then start voting for the photos of their choice by using the “Like” button. The voting period occurred from October 7^th until January 16^th, with the three photos in each category with the most likes winning the competition. This resulted in a total of 30 winning photos, from a total of 158 photo entrees. The photographers of the winning photos are:

• Maria Christina Firme,
• Chris Meijvogel,
• Connie van Amsterdam,
• Mitchell Wathey,
• Stefan Pieterse,
• Jim Mihalic,
• Ryan Drewes,
• Alexander Giraldo Franco, and
• Duco van Grieken.

Some photographers had multiple winning photos. The photographers with winning photos will receive an $80 Amazon Gift Certificate per winning photo.

The Saba Tourist Bureau hosted this photo competition with the intention of gathering images that will be used to promote Saba, while also showcasing Saba’s unique beauty. The winners of this competition are granting the Saba Tourist Bureau the permanent use of their images for promotional use only. The photos will be placed on Saba’s image bank, where writers who are drafting articles about Saba can see the selection. When the photos are used, the photographer will be given photo credit. The Saba Tourist Bureau aims to hosts similar competitions in the future, which will encourage locals and visitors to display their talent and differing perspectives of the island dear to everyone’s heart.

GIS Saba