Saturday, December 12, 2009

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest

Deadline : 28th February 2010
Entry Fee : $20.00
Prize : Exhibited and Cash Awards

Overview

To promote awareness and appreciation of the refuge, the Friends of the Loxahatchee Refuge is sponsoring its 27th Annual Photography Contest. Over $1,800 (US) will be given out in prizes for 7 categories and for a Grand Prize winner.

Winners and Honorably Mentioned photographs will be displayed at the refuge Visitors Center, published on the contest web site, and in the annual refuge calendar. Select photographs will also be made available for sale at the Visitors Center store.

The Everglades Photographic Society will coordinate and conduct the contest for the refuge.

Deadline

Entries will be accepted from Saturday, December 5, 2009 to Sunday, February 28, 2010. Entries sent by mail must be received no later than Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Rules

ENTRIES THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

The contest is open to all photographers except members of the Everglades Photographic Society.

All entries must be taken within the boundaries of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (ARMLNWR). Entrants are encouraged to submit images from the Hillsboro and 20 Mile Bend access areas.

Each submission is limited to a total of no more than 5 images.

Submitted entries must be the original work of the photographer, and the photographer must own the copyright to the image. The photographer retains the copyright of the submitted images but must agree to allow the Refuge to use and publish the submitted entries without further compensation to the copyright holder.

Photos that have won awards in previous LNWR photo contests may not be resubmitted. Photos that have been published or sold may not be submitted.

Photos containing recognizable images of people must be accompanied by a model release. A generic model release form is available to download from here.

Submissions must be digital, and they must be submitted on a CD or DVD. Photos that were taken with a film camera must be scanned in and submitted on a CD or DVD. Digital support is available if needed by contacting the Everglades Photographic Society.

High-resolution JPEG or TIFF images, measuring at least 2000 pixels on the longest side, may be burned on as many CDs or DVDs as needed. These will be the images used for final judging and publication/exhibition. If you prefer, you may simply submit the original JPEG image as taken by the camera.

Each image must be labeled with your first and last name, image title, and category it is to enter. For example: FirstLast-Title-Category.jpg.

Each CD or DVD must bear the photographer’s name, phone number, and e-mail address.

All photographs, except those submitted as Artistic, should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified. Acceptable: adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions. High Dynamic Range imaging is acceptable in all categories. Stitching is acceptable in Landscapes and Photo Essay. Unacceptable (except for Artistic): composites (combination of two or more photos, not of the same scene); the addition, duplication, deletion or moving of objects in the photos; artistic digital filters and effects. Examples of artistic filters and effects are watercolor, neon glow, posterizing, stained glass, and others which do not show the scene in its natural way.

Categories

Entries will be judged on technical excellence, originality, creativity, visual impact, and artistic merit. All decisions of the judges are final.

Wildlife - Animals in their natural habitat.

Flora and Macro - Flowers, trees, and shrubs in their natural habitat. Images of plants and animals taken with specialized equipment for macro photography.

Landscapes - Expansive and dramatic views of the land and its features. Photographs in this category may include images of people enjoying the refuge.

Artistic - Artistic compositions in nature both natural and manipulated in post processing (infrared, unlimited digital manipulation). Photographs in this category may include images of people enjoying the refuge.

Photo Essay - A sequence of three to six images that tells a story or spotlights a behavior. Each sequence of 3 to 6 images counts as a single image entry toward the 5 that you are allowed to enter. Photographs in this category may include images of people enjoying the refuge.

Point-n-Shoot – Photographs taken with small digital cameras, camera phones, and other small portable devices. Each photograph must fit into one of the categories above.

Youth - Any entry of up to 5 photographs by photographers under 18 years of age. Each photograph must fit into one of the categories above.

Entry Fee

A check or money order in the amount of $20 (US) must be included with your entry and made out to FRIENDS OF THE LOXAHATCHEE REFUGE. Friends of the Loxahatchee Refuge members and Refuge Staff may enter the contest for $10 (US). Participants in the youth category may enter the contest for FREE.

Entry Form

Each submission MUST be accompanied by a completed entry form with ALL information clearly filled out.

Submission

Entries can be dropped off or mailed to the Loxahatchee Visitors Center at:

Loxahatchee Photo Contest
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge 10216 Lee Road
Boynton Beach, Florida 33473-4797


The Visitor Center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on December 25th and Thanksgiving.

Prizes

If there are less than ten entries in any category, the judges may choose not to award prizes in that category.

One grand prize award of $250 (US) will be chosen from among the first place photos from each category. Winning photos will be printed and exhibited at the Refuge Visitor Center and other venues. Each category will be awarded:

* 1st Place - $100 and a ribbon.
* 2nd Place - $75 and a ribbon.
* 3rd Place - $50 and a ribbon.
* Three Honorable Mention Winners - ribbon.

Contest Tips

* Visit the refuge often to take your pictures. The more times you visit, the more likely you will be able to get the photograph you want.
* Submit photos to more than one category. You increase your likelihood of winning by entering photos in the less popular categories. Wildlife is the most popular category and is often crowded with similar entries.
* Read and follow the contest rules. If you are unsure about something, Contact Us for clarification.
* Try to come up with a unique image, and submit your best work.
* Study the winning entries of past competitions to get an idea about what the judges may be looking for.
* Make sure that your entries are in focus, sharp, and have good lighting.
* Do not wait until the very last minute to submit your entries. If you have a question about the contest, we may not be able to answer it in a timely fashion on the last day.
* Do not be discouraged if you don’t win. Try again the following year and enter other photography contests to gain some experience.

Judging

All submissions will be pre-screened before going into first round judging. If you submit your entries before January 17, 2010, we will notify you by e-mail if your images did not qualify during the pre-screening process. You will then have the opportunity to resubmit before the February 28, 2010 deadline. It is very important that we have your correct e-mail address with your entry so that we can contact you.

This year the contest judging will be closed. Closed judging will allow the judges more time to examine each entry carefully.

The judging dates and judges will be announced at a later date.

Workshops

The Everglades Photographic Society will conduct a workshop on post processing digital photos at the refuge Visitors Center in January/February of 2010. Attendance is by appointment only. Please contact us to make your appointment.

Contact Us

If you have questions pertaining to the photography contest, please send an e-mail to loxcontest@evergladesphotosociety.org or post a message in our flickr discussion group.

References

As stated by the National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest, with small modifications

Source : http://www.evergladesphotosociety.org/loxcontest/

Republish by : NORBERTUS CITRA IRAWAN, SP - www.competitions.co.nr

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