Smithsonian magazine’s 10th Annual Photo Contest by Ann

 

Photo Contest Rules

Term:
Smithsonian magazine’s 10th Annual Photo Contest begins March 1, 2012 and ends November 30, 2012, at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). By submitting an entry, each contestant agrees to the rules of the contest and states that they are 18 years old or older.

Who may enter:
Photographers 18 years old or older—except for individuals affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, including employees, emeriti, Regents, trustees, interns, volunteers, fellows, research associates and their immediate families (children, siblings and spouses) and others living in their households—are eligible. The Smithsonian will determine winners’ eligibility in its sole discretion.

What to enter:
The five contest categories are drawn from those subjects of special interest to the Smithsonian magazine:

Americana—Events, objects or activities connecting the American people to their history or their cultural heritage.

The Natural World—Animals, plants and landscapes; geological or climatological features; and scientific processes and endeavors.

People—Individuals from all walks of life.

Altered Images—Photographs manipulated for artistic purposes by applying digital and/or traditional special effects (i.e. colorizing, toning, collage, photo composites, HDR, etc.).

Travel—Locales, peoples or activities in the United States and abroad that convey a sense of place.

Photographs must have been shot by the entrant since January 1, 2010.

Cropped photos are eligible in all categories. We do not accept digitally or otherwise enhanced or altered photos, except for those entered in the Altered Images category. Minor adjustments, including spotting, dodging and burning, sharpening, contrast and slight color adjustment or the digital equivalents, are acceptable for all five categories. If the judges determine that a photographer has altered his or her photo, they reserve the right to move the photo to Altered Images or to disqualify it.

For a photo in which a person is recognizable, you must secure a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subject’s parent or guardian and provide it to the Smithsonian upon request. A sample release is available at Smithsonian.com/photocontest/modelrelease.

Photographs that have won any other contests or have been published in magazines and newspapers (except online) are not eligible. We define winning as having won a grand prize or 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place overall. Photos that violate or infringe upon another person’s rights, including but not limited to copyright, are not eligible.

Editors' Note:
For technical reasons the monthly photo contest has been suspended indefinately. We'll post an update when it resumes.

How to enter:
Please submit photographs and requested information on-line through our web site at Smithsonian.com/photocontest. We do not accept photographs submitted through the mail. Submit no more than seven (7) photographs per category. We do not accept more than one contestant per e-mail address. You must affirmatively check the provided box to submit your annual contest entry to the monthly competition.

High-quality scans of non-digital photographs are acceptable. Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible. Use the on-line entry form on our website. Complete a separate form for each photo submitted. Photographs must be in a .jpeg, .jpg or .gif format. Files submitted may not be larger than 2,048k (2Mb). The 50 finalists will be asked to submit a high-resolution file or an original negative, print or slide. Original negatives, prints, or slides will be returned to finalists.

The Smithsonian Institution reserves the right to disqualify incomplete entries and/or contestants who are unable to submit, upon request, a high-resolution photograph of at least 300 dpi at 8 x 10 inches or an original photo negative, print or slide.

By entering the contest, entrants grant the Smithsonian Institution a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to display, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any educational, promotional, publicity, exhibition, archival, scholarly and all other standard Smithsonian purposes. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible. The Smithsonian Institution will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.

Entry deadline:
All entries must be received through the Smithsonian magazine web site by 2pm Eastern Time on November 30, 2012.

Judging:
Judging of the annual contest will be conducted by the editors of Smithsonian. Winning photographs will be announced on Smithsonian.com in summer 2013. Decisions of the judges will be final.

Five category winners will be selected, one for each category. The grand prize winner will be chosen from 50 finalists.

Please do not contact us about the status of entries.

The 50 finalists for the reader’s choice prize will be notified of their status by February 28, 2013 and will appear on our web site on March 1, 2013. At that time, the public can vote on our web site for one readers’ choice winner, which will be revealed online in summer 2013.

The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. The Smithsonian reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at its discretion. Decisions of the Smithsonian will be final.

Prizes:

Grand Prize:
The grand prize will receive $2,500.

Category Winners:
The winners of each of the five categories will receive $500.

Readers’ Choice:
The winner of the online Readers’ Choice award will receive $500.

Monthly Contest Prize:
The winner of each monthly contest will receive $100.

Winners may receive additional noncash prizes.

Winners must sign a release and license and will be responsible for paying any taxes they may owe on a prize.