Official 2009 National Wildlife Photo Contest Entry Rules
WHO IS ELIGIBLE: The National Wildlife Photo Contest (NWPC) is open to ALL photographers worldwide who are at least 13 years of age, except employees and directors of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), their immediate families and individuals living in the same household as such employees. NWF reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, winner eligibility.
DIVISIONS: Photographers must enter their images in one of the following divisions:
- Pro — Full or part-time professional photographers who receive all or a major part of their income from nature photography.
- Amateur — Beginning or amateur photographers at least 18 years of age, and experienced photographers who do not receive a major part of their income from nature photography.
- Youth — Young photographers ages 13 to 17. Young photographers 12 and under, please enter our Ranger Rick Photo Contest.
CATEGORIES: Photographers entering in the Pro and Amateur divisions must enter each image in one of the following categories. Photographers entering the Youth division do not need to specify a category, but images must follow the subject matter of one of the categories. The same photo cannot be entered in more than one category. If you wish to move a photo to another category after you have uploaded, simple delete that photo and upload it again in the other category. Judges reserve the right to switch images to other categories.
- Mammals — Portraits and Behavior
- Birds — Portraits and Behavior
- Other Wildlife — Portraits and Behavior (includes underwater life, reptiles, amphibians, insects, spiders and more)
- Backyard Habitats - Wild Creatures, Native Plants and Natural Settings in Your Yard
- Connecting People and Nature — People Enjoying the Outdoors
- Landscapes and Plant Life - Scenic Views and Native Plants in Wild Settings
- Global Warming and Wildlife - Portraits and Behavior of the following specific species:
American alligator
American lobster
American robin
American pika
Baltimore oriole
Bengal tiger
bighorn sheep
caribou
coral (any species)
coral reef fish (any species)
Edith's checkerspot butterfly
gray jay
gray whale
great tit
horned puffin
lesser snow goose
loggerhead sea turtle
Mexican jay
moose
Nashville warbler
northern elephant seal
penguins (Adelie, emperor, Magellanic and rockhopper)
pine siskin
polar bear
prothonotary warbler
red squirrel
red-winged blackbird
resplendent quetzal
ringed seal
rufous hummingbird
sockeye salmon
spectacled eider
tufted puffin
Pacific walrus
yellow-bellied marmot
WHAT PHOTOS TO ENTER: We are looking for striking images of nature — on land, in the air and beneath the water’s surface—from anywhere in the world. These images may show animal behavior, portraits of wildlife in natural habitat, plant life, natural landscapes, or people interacting with nature. Do not include photographs of pets or domestic animals. Images of captive animals photographed in game farms or roadside zoos will be disqualified. Captive animals photographed in major zoos, wildlife research facilities or rehabilitation centers are acceptable. Clearly label animals as wild or captive in the caption information. Previously published photos may be entered; however, please include information on when and where the photos appeared. Winning photos from other competitions may also be entered, but include the name of the contests and the years they won.
Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person or submit images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment by the photographer.
If you wish to donate any of your images to the National Wildlife Federation for its continuing educational and conservation efforts, please click the appropriate button during uploading. Donors retain ownership of their photos and grant NWF only permission to use the images for its educational and conservation work. NWF greatly appreciates all image donations.
Digital Alterations: All photographs 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 are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions; and use of HDMI (high dynamic range imaging), where multiple exposures of the same scene are combined for a greater tonal range. Not acceptable are photo composites (combination of two or more photos, not of the same scene); the addition, duplication, deletion or moving of objects in the photos; or the use of 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.
DEADLINE: The final date for submitting photos is at July 20, 2009, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. To avoid uploading delays, please do not wait until the final days of the contest to enter. In past years, the large number of entrants trying to upload their photos just prior to deadline caused technical problems which left them unable to enter. NWF anticipates notifying winners in early October 2009.
JUDGING: Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit. All decisions by the judges will be final and binding.
Judges: From the staff of National Wildlife:
John Nuhn, photo director
Jillian Stanley Leach, associate photo editor
Mark Wexler, editorial director
Thuy Senser, art director
Winners may be viewed beginning late November 2009 at www.nwf.org/PhotoZone. A list of winning entrants is also available by sending a request and self-addressed, stamped envelope to NWPC, National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190. Vermont residents may omit return postage.
PRIZES: Cash prizes totaling $25,000 will be awarded, along with other prizes as described below. Cash prizes are made possible by the entry fee; no NWF funds are used for these prizes. All winners will appear on NWF’s website at www.nwf.org/PhotoZone. NWF will also select and publish certain winners from any category in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of National Wildlife. NWF will send two copies of that issue to the winners who are published in it. Various finalists as determined by NWF may also appear on NWF’s website at www.nwf.org/PhotoZone.
Two Grand Prizes, 15 First Place prizes and 15 Second Place prizes will be awarded as listed below. NWF will also award Honorable Mentions as the judges deem appropriate.
Grand Prize, one each for Pro and Amateur divisions (2): Cash Prize of $5,000 each First Place, one for each category in both Pro and Amateur divisions and one in Youth Division (15 total): Cash Prize of $1,000 each Second Place, one for each category in both Pro and Amateur: One Complete Set of NWF Field Guides
(Birds, Trees, Insects and Wildflowers), Total Value of Each: $79.80 Honorable Mentions (awarded at discretion of judges): One NWF 2010 calendar, Total Value of Each: $15.99
NWF reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event the offered prize is unavailable. No substitution or transfer of prizes permitted except as provided herein.
YOUR RIGHTS: Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of the photographs they enter except for the following: Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs—and your name, occupation, city, state and country of residence—to be published as winners or finalists in National Wildlife magazine and on the NWF website, and used for promotions of the NWPC including, but not limited to, publications from NWF and other organizations, exhibitions, a photo contest calendar, a compilation book or electronic collection of photographs, online photo features and contests, and web pages and emails providing NWPC information, updates, rules and photography tips.
LEGAL CONDITIONS: By entering this competition, you agree to these entry rules and the following legal conditions:
By entering, participants warrant that his or her entry materials are original, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party’s property appears in the photograph. NWF reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true. Decisions of NWF shall be final and binding.
By entering, participants release and hold harmless NWF, its affiliated organizations, and each of their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives (collectively, the "Companies") from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or related to the NWPC, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by NWF, the warranties participants make, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any NWPC-related activity, or participation in the NWPC.
The contest is governed by the laws of the United States and is subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved with the Companies, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the NWPC, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, before a court of competent jurisdiction located in Fairfax County, Virginia, which court shall apply the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia without regard for rules of conflicts of law. In any such dispute, participant shall, under no circumstances, be entitled to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any) associated with participating in the NWPC. Participant hereby waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
Any attempt by an entrant or other individual to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the NWPC is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, the Companies reserve the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.
The Companies are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the NWPC, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions to the NWPC, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors. The Companies assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, photographs. The Companies are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer equipment, servers, providers, computer on-line systems, software, or failure of email on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, including injury or damage to participant’s or to any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating or uploading images or information in the NWPC.
All federal, state, and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prize packages are the sole responsibility of the winners. Winners may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form. Return of any prize and/or prize notification as undeliverable or failure of any entrant to comply with any Official Rules may result in disqualification.
If, for any reason, the NWPC is not capable of completion as planned, including, but not limited to, by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Companies that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the NWPC, the Companies reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the NWPC.
In no event will the Companies, their advertising and promotional agencies, or their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of participant’s access to and use of the Companies’ websites, or the downloading or uploading and/or printing of material from said sites. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the Companies’ sites is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Some jurisdictions may not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so some of the foregoing limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. Check your local laws for any restrictions or limitations regarding these limitations or exclusions.
Your contact information may be shared with other NWF departments. You can opt out of this service.
HOW TO ENTER: All entrants first create their contest account, providing contact information and a password for their personal entry page. Entrants are then taken to a payment page where they must designate whether they are a professional, amateur or youth to be entered in the appropriate division, and select a name for their entry. A fee of $15 is charged to each entrant. This fee is used to provide the cash prizes; no NWF funds are used for these prizes. Payment is made on a secure web page using a major credit card. No photos can be uploaded until payment is accepted. With payment of the entry fee, non-members will receive a year’s subscription to National Wildlife.
With a password and an entry name, entrants can upload up to 20 photos at any time during the contest. If you wish to enter additional photos, create a second entry name and pay an additional fee. You do not need to create another account. You do not need to upload all photos at once; you may return to your upload page at any time using your password and entry name. You may delete photos or add new ones at any time up to the deadline.
All photos must have complete information attached, including their subjects, locations, stories, digital adjustments and camera equipment. The judges use this information to help them select the winners. Not providing this information may hurt your chances of winning.
All images must be digitally uploaded. We are no longer accepting mailed or shipped entries. Entrants encountering technical problems while uploading may request permission to submit their photos on a non-returnable disk or as non-returnable prints via mail or courier; please request such permission by July 19, 2009, at info@nwf.org. NWF will not accept any such requests made on the day of the deadline (July 20) or afterwards. Disks or prints thus submitted by mail or courier must be postmarked or dated by July 23, 2009.
Photographers may enter all images in a single category or select different categories as long as the total submission does not exceed 20 photographs. Photos may be color or black and white.
Prepare Your Photos: Camera-made digital images or scans of slides or prints must be uploaded as jpg, gif or png files. Photos should be no smaller than 5 x 7 inches at 72 pixels/inch. File size cannot be more than 2 mb. Original files of camera-made digital photos must be 3 megapixels or larger. Original slides or negatives for scanned photographs must be available on request, but do not send them unless requested by NWF. If you do not have digital scans of your slides or negatives, or the capability to make them, inquire at your local camera store or photo lab. It is quite easy and inexpensive to make digital files of your photos. For further information on editing and resizing your photos, see our page on Preparing Your Photos.
HOW TO CONTACT US: Questions and inquiries regarding contest rules or technical matters, including problems uploading photos, can be emailed to info@nwf.org.
The National Wildlife Federation is not responsible for lost, damaged, late or misdirected photographs, or for uploading connections, garbled transmissions, unauthorized intervention or technical malfunctions. Void where prohibited.
Removal from mailing list: Any individual may elect to exclude his or her name and address from all lists used by NWF to mail skill contests by submitting a removal request to NWPC, National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190.
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