Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands 8 th Annual Photo Contest Sponsored by the Friends of Green Cay Nature Center, Inc. CONTEST RULES ENTRY DEADLINE FEBRUARY 13, 2017 Entries will be accepted from January 2, 2017 through February 13, 2017. Except as set forth herein, all entries and accompanying material become the property of the sponsor and will not be returned. Although the entrant retains copyright to the entries, the Friends of Green Cay (FOGC) may use, reproduce, publish and display the images without compensation to the contestant. WHO MAY ENTER The contest is open to amateur photographers only. For this contest, a professional is defined as anyone who derives more than the lesser of $5,000.00 annually, or more than 10% of their total annual income, from photography or has marketed work in the past, or anyone who is presently marketing work or copyrights images with the intent of marketing them. DEVICE CLASSIFICATIONS Photos will be divided into two camera classifications, and will be judged separately. DSLR Classification: Cameras with interchangeable lenses. POINT & SHOOT/MOBILE DEVICES Classification: Cameras with non-changeable lenses, phones, tablets, etc.
PHOTO CATEGORIES BIRDS Portrait or behavior ANIMAL LIFE (Wildlife) Mammals, reptiles, insects, fish, etc., portraits or behavior GREEN CAY (Scenic) Landscapes, flowers, people interacting with nature, man-made objects and plants. YOUTH Entrants up to the age of 16 years. AWARDS The contest winners will be announced and awarded at a presentation on April 1, 2017, beginning at 1:00 PM, at the Nature Center. After an introduction, the winning photos will be displayed one at a time, and the winners will be called up to receive their prize money. BEST OF SHOW $150 ADULT ENTRY PRIZES FIRST PLACE: $75 in each photo category per device SECOND PLACE: $50 in each photo category per device THIRD PLACE: $25 in each photo category per device YOUTH ENTRY PRIZES FIRST PLACE: $75 SECOND PLACE: $50 THIRD PLACE: $25 Entrants can only receive one (1) award in any photo category. Therefore, in the event that after the judging is complete an
entrant has more than one (1) photo in the top three places in any given photo category; they will be awarded the highest placed award. HOW TO ENTER Each entry will consist of an Entry Fee, Personal Registration, and up to 5 Images. The Registration is completed on-line after paying the entry fee on the Friends of Green Cay web site. Photos can be uploaded after completing the initial registration form, which may be easily completed using your Facebook login or name and email address. Registration begins at (http://friendsofgreencay.org/photo_contest.html). Registration and photo uploading has been made easier this year through online services. Please contact the contest webmaster at contest@greencay.org should you have upload issues. ENTRY FEE Adult Members of FOGC: $10 per person Adult non-members: $20 per person Youth up to the age of 16 years: $5 per person Each adult entrant may submit a TOTAL of up to five (5) images, with no more than three (3) images in any one-(1) photo category. Youth images will be judged separately from adult images. Each youth entrant may submit a TOTAL of up to five (5) images, with no more than two (2) images in any one (1) photo category. Entry may be completed as follows: Access the FOGC website listed above Click on the 2017 Photo Contest Pay the required entry fee, via PayPal Complete the on-line Entry Form Upload your Images
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS All images must have been taken within the boundaries of the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands. The entrant must have taken the image(s) and have all rights to its/their distribution and use. Images that were awarded a prize or honorable mention in a prior FOGC Photo Contest will not be accepted. All digital files must be in JPEG format, and should be a minimum of 1064 pixels in the longest (horizontal or vertical) dimension. No visible watermarks or signatures are permitted. Standard optimization techniques such as removal of dust, cropping, minor adjustments to color and contrast, saturation and sharpening, shadows and highlights, are allowed. Deviations from this rule will result in disqualification. CONTEST GUIDELINES Submission of image(s) unconditionally grants the FOGC the right to use, reproduce, publish and display the photographs without further notice, permission or compensation to the entrant. The digital image submissions become the property of the FOGC, and will not be returned. The images submitted might be used in any manner the FOGC deems appropriate without further notice, permission or compensation to the entrant or to any person or persons who may appear in them. The FOGC reserves the right to modify, postpone and/or cancel this contest. In the event of cancellation, all material and entry fees will be returned.
JUDGING Using the criteria described below, a panel of FOGC selected experts (the Judges) will judge the images in each of the photo categories and device classifications. If necessary, the judges will collectively review submissions to break any ties in any of the 1 st, 2 nd, or 3 rd place images. The judges reserve the right to move images from one category to another, and all decisions of the Judges are final. Judging Criteria: Color/B&W: Brightness, contrast, light, saturation. Clarity: Focus, sharpness, detail, depth of field. Composition: Tells a story, draws the eye in, balance, visual impact. Overall Appeal: The overall impact/impression of the image. Please contact Green Cay Nature Center for questions or additional information at (561) 966-7000.