by Ruth Miller

What do you see when you think of biking in Oakland?

Scraper bikes and stunts? Families on the Bay Trail? Hardy commuters lined up on Broadway? Or the view from the bike lane over Lake Merritt at sunset?

The City of Oakland is holding a photo contest to showcase bike-friendly Oakland. The winning photos will be displayed in City Hall and made into postcards and distributed on Bike to Work Day. The winners will demonstrate Oakland as a bicycle-friendly community, and have been taken in Oakland.

A winner will be selected from each of five categories.

• Landscape - A view that higiilghts the best of Oakland's natural beauty and bicycling environment.
• Portrait - A close up of a person, people, bicycle, or other subject (or object).
• Abstract/artistic—You’ll know it when you see it.
• Bicycle “facilities”—Bikeway, bike parking, or other physical feature that supports bicycling for everyday transportation and/or recreation.
• Community—Highlighting fun, advocacy, or both.

The contest runs now until 5 pm, March 31. Contestants may enter no more than three photographs per category, and all submissions must be made electronically in .eps, .gif, .jpg/.jpeg, or .tif formats. Submissions should be 300 ppi at 4.25" by 5.5" or higher, but not more than 3 MB each.

Winners will be announced on April 11.

Read the official contest rules to learn more about the submission procedure and the consent form (if your pictures include recognizable people).

Good luck!