ScoopYourself Photo Contest 2012
From April 11 to May 18, 2012, Odyssey fans were given a chance to participate in the third annual ScoopYourself contest to win a free copy of Album 55: The Deep End, among other prizes. Much like the popularity of our first ScoopYourself in early 2010 and 2011, our 2012 edition proved to be even more popular than the one before with a total of 89 photo entries submitted. All 89 entries were narrowed down by three judges, with overlapping favorites chosen as winners and honorable mentions.

What is ScoopYourself?
In each ScoopYourself challenge, visitors have the opportunity to incorporate themselves into a unique contest entry and be the most creative to win exciting prizes!

The Challenge
We wanted to see fans' Adventures in Odyssey collections. We wanted to find out who would come up with the most creative display of their Odyssey albums, books, videos, DVDs, action figures, T-shirts, and more!

Judging Entries
The quantity of items in fans' collections had no effect on the chances of winning. We were interested in the quality of entries submitted, regardless of how many Odyssey items contestants had. We were looking for the use of props, camera angles, and lighting to create the most creative display. We weren't looking for just simple displays of Odyssey items on a background. We were looking for entries that stood out as a cut above the rest, entries that went that extra mile. The ultimate ScoopYourself contestants.

Of course, a contest like this is very subjective, and our opinion may differ from yours. But that's okay. We enjoyed looking at every photo we received and are confident that you will too.

It was extremely difficult to judge the entries (it's difficult every year!). It was so much fun seeing the creativity expressed, much like years past. All three of our winners will be receiving a free copy of The Deep End and an Adventures in Odyssey poster. In addition, our first place winner will also receive all six titles of the Passages book series! A big congratulations to our three winners and even our honorable mentions! Winners, be watching your email in the days ahead as we're excited to get your prizes out to you!

If we could, we'd give you all a prize for the effort you put into this contest. Thanks to everyone who entered! And now, our winners!

Each winning entry is featured below. Click on each photo to read our review and commentary. We've included a separate photo gallery showcase of all the contestants' entries. Be sure to check them out!
 

Winners

Tanya R., age 11 (Ontario, Canada) -- We thought that Tanya's entry was the most creative and certainly the best of the batch. In the history of our ScoopYourself contests, we've never actually had a fan re-create the soda shop of Whit's End, and even include Whit for good measure. This entry, no doubt, took a lot of planning and time. We especially liked the specially-created Mr. Whittaker, the Whit's End menu, and the beautiful ice cream sundaes included in the piece. Tanya also showcases her Odyssey collection very creatively. Congratulations, Tanya! You are our 2012 ScoopYourself winner! 1ST PLACE: Tanya R., age 11 (Ontario, Canada) Prizes Earned: Album 55: "The Deep End" Passages, Books 1-6 Adventurers in Odyssey Poster

Cody J., age 10 (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) -- Winning 2nd Place, Cody J's entry is a wonderful tip-of-the hat to Odyssey's favorite mailman, Wooton Bassett. Cody's awesome arrangement of Adventures in Odyssey items, especially on the wagon, makes his photo great. In addition, Cody included extra details to make his photo special, including the writing on the mailbox, his Odyssey T-shirt, and even his mailbag which holds some Adventures in Odyssey books. We also like his showcase of Odyssey postcards on the top left. These tie in with the postal them. Congratulations, Cody! You certainly deserve 2nd Place! Oh, and Odyssey on this wagon really is a rolling delight. 2ND PLACE: Cody J., age 10 (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) Prizes Earned: Album 55: "The Deep End" Adventurers in Odyssey Poster

Emily H., age 15 (Rochester, Minnesota) -- Emily's entry definitely gave us that nostalgic feel we were looking for in ScoopYourself entries. She successfully captured exactly what goes on in the lives of loyal Adventures in Odyssey fans over the years. All the kids pictured are sharing their Odyssey items, and the photo even took us back to different eras of the show. The cassette player, CD player, computer, and even television with Odyssey videos made the piece very nostalgic. And we loved the fact that the kids are begging their parents for the next AIO album. What AIO fan doesn't do that as a kid? Congratulations, Emily, on your winning 3rd Place! 3RD PLACE: Emily H., age 15 (Rochester, Minnesota) Prizes Earned: Album 55: "The Deep End" Adventurers in Odyssey Poster

 

Honorable Mentions

Addie C., age 6 (Olathe, Kansas) -- We felt that Addie's entry deserves Honorable Mention because of the intricate detail in her entry. No one has recreated the Whit's End floor plan and interior workings before. She used her Odyssey collection to build Whit's End, with the various rooms we all know and love. We especially like that some of Whit's inventions are included in her display. No doubt Addie put a lot of work into her design. Addie C., age 6 (Olathe, Kansas)	Matthew G., age 17 (Swartz Creek, Michigan) -- Matthew's entry puts Odyssey into a juggling act. We definitely loved the creative display of Odyssey items as the focus of the photo, with the girl juggling 11 items. We especially like the use of the backdrop to give the impression that the piece is outside. Good job, Matthew! Matthew G., age 17 (Swartz Creek, Michigan)	Gideon R., age 7 (Tulsa, Oklahoma) -- We thought Gideon's entry was unique because he immerses himself in the world of Odyssey. We loved how he printed out some of the desktop wallpapers we provide on our site and used them to add interest to his photo. Great job, Gideon! Gideon R., age 7 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Lena P., age 13 (Thousand Oaks, California) -- Lena amazed us with her life-size Whit, which, no doubt, took a long time to color and put on display. Interestingly, we're still trying to figure out how she suspended those Odyssey items in Whit's hands as he stands on a mound of Odyssey. We're impressed by your work, Lena. Great job! Lena P., age 13 (Thousand Oaks, California)

Contestants' names, ages, and location are
documented underneath each photo.

A big thanks goes out to everyone who participated in our 2012 ScoopYourself Photo Contest. Again, we would award prizes to everyone if we could. We continue to be amazed at the creativity that we see each year.

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