A Thousand Words A Kodak blog about photography

One Hole Left in the Kodak Challenge

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (TinaClark) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

This week is the finale of the Kodak Challenge, where a winner will be crowned on hole #17 at Disney's Magnolia Course at Children's Miracle Network Classic. From the start at the Mercedes-Benz Classic, through 29 of the most beautiful holes and memorable moments in golf, players have carded scores hoping that their best 18 will be enough to win the $1M prize and the historic title of the very first Kodak Challenge winner.

With the Viking Classic cancelled, Kevin Streelman goes into the finale with a very strong 2-stroke lead, looking likely to be that winner. Hole #17 on Disney's Magnolia golf course hasn't seen an eagle in years, so there's a very good chance Kevin will be the one grasping the spectacular Kodak Challenge trophy, designed by Tiffany. The trophy won't be revealed until the winner is crowned - and will have a special added "Kodak" touch - but here's a sneak peek:

Kevin has had some very memorable moments this year, most recently with a dramatic a 41 foot putt for eagle on hole #16 at TPC Summerlin at the Justin Timberlake Shriner's Hospitals for Children Open. That eagle allowed him to retake the Kodak Challenge lead from J.J. Henry, who had eagled #16 during round 2 to tie Streelman at 14-under-par. Earlier in the week, Kevin had stopped by the Kodak Fan Photo Zone to visit with fans. Check out the interview with Kevin from the booth. Since then, Kevin extended his lead at Frys.com Open.

Hole #17 at Disney is a very difficult Par 4. I had the opportunity to walk the hole earlier this year, so here is a little video overview of the hole:

Along with the finale action at CMN, Kodak will have a Kodak Fan Photo Zone on Hole #17 where fans can get free souvenir pictures. Fans can also pick up a Kodak lanyard for chances to win prizes during the tournament.

Back at home, be sure to tune in to the action on Golf Channel, where fans can play the Photo Challenge and Text-to-win for chances to win great prizes from Kodak, Disney and Golf Channel.

Visit the website, fan us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter to stay up on all the action.

Beautiful Holes and Memorable Moments in Golf

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (homepage) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

The Kodak Challenge, with 30 of the most beautiful holes and memorable moments in golf, wraps up this week with the finale at the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disney. Throughout the season, Kodak photographers Steve Kelly and Brian Wilder have captured some spectacular shots. This week the Kodak home page features a very small sampling of some of their favorites.

Steve Kelly
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West

Steve tell us, "the dessert courses out west are beautiful, where else do the mountains come right up to the fairways?" He captured this shot early in the morning when the light was low which allowed for the definition of the mountains which, in midday sun, would look flat. This pic as shot with a telephoto lens that allowed the mountains to look closer.

Brian Wilder
Hole #16 at FBR Open

This photo was taken during Brian's first trip up into the Blimp.

Brian Wilder
Magnificent beauty of hole #14 at Torrey Pines for the Buick Invitational.

Steve Kelly
Hole #18 at Pebble Beack

Steve tells us that hole #18 is the most beautiful of all he's photographed. This picture, where the players are at a distance, allows for the landscape shot to capture the beauty and the action of the event.

Brian Wilder
Fans line one of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes.

This photo captures another key element of the Kodak Challenge - the fans.

Read more about the Kodak Challenge and this week's finale.

More Kodak Gallery features & Thanks Man keeps at it

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (JennyCisney) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Last week even more great features were added to the new Kodak Gallery!

- Big Beautiful Full Screen Slideshow
- Facebook Sharing - cool!!!
- New photobooks and a new way to make them

Check out this blog post over on Plugged In to get the scoop on these new features.

Thanks Man is still working hard giving out a million free $15 gifts in 21 days as a thank you for everyone's help in making the Kodak Gallery better.

Here is the latest chronicle of his progress.

We have been amazed at the outpouring of love for Thank Man. We have seen comments on YouTube such as...

"Thanksman for president!!!"

and

"Thanksman is my hero!"

The hard working Thanks Man is nearing the end of his mission, so you better hurry to get your free photo gift from the Kodak Gallery.

Make a Connection and Make Someone Smile!

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (MikeMayfield) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:03:11 EST

In today's world, we are all increasingly time-starved and geographically dispersed from the people we care most about -but we still have an intrinsic need to connect. It's a human need that when properly fulfilled, can elevate the spirit and revitalize the human condition. Although advances in technology like social networking sites have revolutionized the way we connect with one another, the connections often have little meaning.

But we believe our products can help bridge this gap. The Kodak brand has always been about helping people strengthen relationships and sharing memories through the power of photography. Our broad range of products help deliver on this promise in many different ways. From cameras and digital video cameras, to frames, printers, photobooks, and kiosk gift products, there are many different ways Kodak can help connect people and make them smile - whether they are in the same house, down the street, or halfway across the world.

To show the many different ways memories can be shared with the help of Kodak products, check out the new Experience Kodak site. It's a new interactive experience that let's you see how a moment can be captured and shared with the help of a wide array of Kodak products. You'll see a grid with 9 characters. Click on one to see how a moment is captured. Then, click on one of the 4 arrows at the end of the scene to see how the moment is shared with another character and the Kodak product they use. After a few passes of the memory through a few Kodak product uses, you'll complete the scene - and make your character smile! (If you explore all 9 characters, you'll see a nice little surprise at the end too.)

And as we head into the holidays, keep an eye out for some our TV commercials that talk about these products too.

Here's one that spotlights KODAK Gallery Photobooks.

This one shows our new S730 frame - a great gift!

Sure to be a hot item this holiday, this is one for our Zi8 pocket video camera.

You can see more of these on our YouTube brand channel. It really is Time to Smile!

Kodak on The Tonight Show... tonight!

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (JennyCisney) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Tonight, Kodak returns to The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. The last episode of The Tonight Show with Kodak involved photos of sharks, sand castles and Conan in swim trunks! Tonight is going to be just as exciting as the first appearance so make sure to tune in to The Tonight Show on NBC at 11:35 pm EST/PST, 10:35 pm CST and see what goes down!

Kodak Picture of the Day: Spooky House

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (PictureWednesday) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Photographer: Hilda Burke
Country: United States

"I took this photo last Halloween as my kids were crossing the street to go Trick or Treat at this house. The house was the best in the neighborhood; it looked very spooky with the fake smoke all around it.

The relation to the theme is obvious, it's a spooky photo taken on Halloween ;)

It's a KODAK Moment because it makes the viewer understand and feel instantly what's going on in the photo without any explanation."

.......................................................

You can enter your own Kodak Picture of the Day.

National Women's Conference

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (SusanTousi) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

We just got back from spending an inspiring two days with 25,000 female architects of change - world leaders, scientists, journalists, humanitarians, celebrities and many entrepreneurs who run small and medium size businesses. It was the National Women's Conference 2009, organized by California's First Lady Maria Shriver.

The Kodak brand and our unique Inkjet value proposition of quality, save on ink and ease-of-use were extremely well received in our booth, where we showcased the ESP 7, 9 and 5250 AiO printers. With all of the energy at the event, it was gratifying to see how busy our booth was and how our products and messages resonated with the crowd. Women are looking for economical ways to manage their lives, and their interest in pictures was obvious, with many telling us how they treasure photos of family and friends. For example, we heard stories of women who wanted to print without breaking the bank or put them on the fridge without having them fade.

It was a phenomenal experience both in terms of getting our message out to a very receptive audience who trust and love the Kodak brand, as well as being personally inspiring, offering an opportunity to meet and listen to women who have and will continue to change the world. A personal favorite and photo I will cherish is with Madeleine K. Albright, our former Secretary of State whom I had the opportunity to meet briefly at the conference. You can read more about the conference (now in its sixth year) and view keynote sessions with such notables as Sir Richard Branson, Susan St. James, Lisa Ling, Dr. Jane Goodall, Alicia Keys, Katie Couric, Candace Bushnell, Jillian Michaels, Elizabeth Smart and more at www.californiawomen.org

What Makes You Smile?

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (homepage) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

This week we have a homepage guest contributor, Leslie Dance. Leslie Dance is the VP of Worldwide Brand Marketing here at Kodak. Leslie has a wonderful enthusiasm for our new marketing campaign, we hope you will as well.

Over the last year the economy has been bleak, we all know that. We're searching to find that bright spot everyday. Here at Kodak we believe we can help with our new marketing campaign "It's Time to Smile". This marketing campaign is dedicated to strengthening and deepening relationships. We want to remind everyone that "It's Time to Smile"

The Kodak brand has always been about human connections and capturing and sharing important moments. It is now up to us to leverage these attributes to help consumers improve their relationships. Over the holiday season you will be seeing our campaign through many advertising channels focusing on the relationships and moments that define our lives.

Join in by sharing with us "What Makes You Smile?" in the comments section below.
For more information visit our page about the Kodak Smile Campaign

- - - - - - - - - - -

Title: She Got Him to Smile
Photographer: Eric Yagoda

My father is a pretty stoic guy, but put him around his grandchildren, and he is all smiles :-)

Title: Real Life...Captured
Photographer: Megan Peck

I love the expressions, especially of the baby. I took this in my garage-on the floor with blankets and a black backdrop, so the lighting is all natural. It was taken in July 2007.

Title: Brunch
Photographer: Dave Mello

Picture taken: Carrboro, North Carolina. January 2009.

Title: Young and Beautiful
Photographer: Sulejman Omerbasic

I took this picture during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony of festival ¨Sarajevo Winter.¨ In sub-zero temperatures, it didn't bother these girls, standing for hours, they had fun. I just love the look in their eyes.

Title: Jude
Photographer: Mohammad Malak

I took this picture in the end of 2005 summer. It is so beautiful to show people the way you see beauty in your eyes...

www.malakimage.com/main

Halloween Photo Pumpkin

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (JennyCisney) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:00:00 EDT

Here is a really easy way to carve your pumpkin for Halloween. Just clean out your pumpkin like you usually would but then instead of a scary face, cut a window into the front of your pumpkin and pin a photo on the inside of it.

There are more detailed instructions on the Kodak Tips & Projects Exchange.

It's a great way to show off a favorite photo. Happy Halloween!

Kodak and YouTube's For Mom: Your online survival guide

undisclosed@1000words.kodak.com (JennyCisney) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 EDT

Kodak is working with YouTube on a great destination for moms - For Mom: Your Online Survival Guide. The For Mom site features lots of great videos with tips, advice and inspiration for moms, from moms. You can find videos under topics like "In The Home" and "Health and Beauty".

We also added a few videos with advice for moms... from kids. You have to take their words of wisdom with a grain of salt, but they are very funny and very cute.

And don't forget to enter the True Colors Video Portrait Challenge for a chance to win some great prizes like a trip to see The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.