Epson Named Official Printer Sponsor for Fourth Annual Audubon magazine Photography Awards

LONG BEACH, Calif., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson America has been named the official inkjet printer sponsor of Audubon magazine's fourth annual photography awards. In association with Nature's Best Photography Magazine, the contest is open from May 16 through Sept. 5, 2012, for professional-, amateur- and youth-level photographers. Winners' photos will be featured in the Jan./Feb. 2013 issue of Audubon and in Nature's Best Photography magazines, and the winner of the amateur division will win an EPSON Stylus® Photo R3000 inkjet printer.

Audubon's photography awards result in more than 10,000 photo entries each year. Entries are reviewed by Audubon's photo editor, Lila Garnett, Kevin Fisher, design director for Audubon, and Steve Freligh, editor and publisher of Nature's Best Photography, before finalists are determined. Winners will be announced later this year.

"The goal for Audubon's photography contest is to inspire photographers of all levels to think beyond their skill level and creativity," said David Seideman, editor-in-chief of Audubon magazine. "We feel strongly that in order for photographers to be successful in expanding their skill set, they need the right tools. This partnership with Epson demonstrates our commitment to motivate aspiring photographers with the tools they need to bring their creativity to a larger platform."

Designed for professionals and serious advanced amateur photographers, the EPSON Stylus Photo R3000 draws from the advanced technology of EPSON Stylus Pro-series printers to deliver stunning black-and-white output and vivid color prints. This printer also includes features such as high-capacity individual ink cartridges, advanced media handling to support a wide range of paper types, as well as Ethernet and wireless-N connectivity. Featuring Epson UltraChrome K3® with Vivid Magenta ink technology, the R3000 produces exhibition quality prints on a wide variety of glossy, matte and fine art papers up to 13-inches wide using advanced media handling capabilities. With its professional control, the Advanced Black-and-White Photo Mode easily creates neutral or toned black-and-white prints from color or monochrome images. Its innovative pigment ink set delivers an extremely wide color gamut with more dramatic blues and violets, while AccuPhoto™ HD2 image technology provides smoother color transitions along with better highlight and shadow detail.

"Epson's innovative, industry-leading printing technology enables photographers to showcase the true color and intensity of their photographs," said Richard Day, group product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc.

Audubon is the century-old, award-winning flagship magazine of the National Audubon Society. The bi-monthly publication is targeted toward nature enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers and socially conscious consumers who wish to discover and be inspired by the natural world's extraordinary beauty and diversity. For more information about the contest, visit www.audubonmagazinephotoawards.org.

About Epson

Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader whose product lineup ranges from inkjet printers and 3LCD projectors to sensors and other microdevices. Dedicated to exceeding the vision of its customers worldwide, Epson delivers customer value based on compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies in markets spanning enterprise and the home to commerce and industry. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 75,000 employees in 97 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates. To learn more about Epson, please visit http://global.epson.com.

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Note: EPSON, EPSON Stylus and EPSON UltraChrome K3 are registered trademarks and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. AccuPhoto is a trademark of Epson America, Inc. All other product brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.

SOURCE Epson