Rules

GRASSY WATERS PRESERVE 2020 PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Sponsored by
City of West Palm Beach and Grassy Waters Conservancy

This contest is to showcase the natural environment in Grassy Waters Preserve (Preserve). Images should reflect the diversity of the Preserve including wildlife, natural habitats, animal behavior, plant life, water, weather, seasons, and relationships between people and nature.

1. Entries may be submitted beginning February 1, 2020 and must be received by February 28, 2020.
   
   
2. All entries must be submitted through the contest website grassywaters.org
   
   
3. Each photographer may submit up to ten (10) images.
   
   
4. The entry fee is ten dollars ($10) per image and is a tax-deductible donation to Grassy Waters
   
   Conservancy (GWC).
   
   
5. All submitted images shall be in digital JPEG format (minimum 8MP).

1. There will be four (4) categories (The judges may move an image to a different category.):
   
   
   1. Landscape (plants, scenic, water and weather)
      
      
   2. Wildlife (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects)
      
      
   3. Black and White (landscape and wildlife, not creative)
      
      
   4. Creative (the artistic category for digitally enhanced or manipulated images beyond standard techniques.)
      
      
2. Standard techniques include cropping; minor color, saturation, and contrast adjustments; and sharpening.
   
   
   1. HDR and Stitched images should be entered in the "Creative" category.
   2. Panorama or stitched images creating panorama images are not acceptable.
3. Judging will be by the Preserve and GWC staffs and a professional nature photographer.
   
   
4. A Grand Prize winner, a winner in each category, and a number of additional recognized images will be selected by the professional judge,
   
   
5. One "Nature Center's Choice" will be selected by the Preserve staff.
   
   
6. The above winning and recognized photos will be printed and exhibited beginning March 2020.
   
   
7. The Grand Prize winner will receive a framed award.
   
   
8. The above winning and recognized photographers will be awarded a group Preserve photo excursion. Date to be determined.
   
   
9. The photo selected "Nature Center's Choice" will be used on the Preserve's annual poster.
   
   
10. In addition, one "People's Choice" winner will be selected from all the entries by your votes. The "People's Choice" winner, the entry with the most votes, will be announced and displayed on the Conservancy website. There is no limit to how many times you can vote for an entry, and each $1 vote is a tax deductible contribution to the Conservancy.

1. By submitting an entry the photographer affirms that it was taken in the Preserve.
   
   
2. Entries must be taken by the photographer and not previously submitted in a Preserve contest.
   
   
3. The contest is intended for amateur photographers only. A professional is considered someone whose primary income is from photography.
   
   
4. By submitting entries the photographer is granting perpetual rights to the City of West Palm Beach (WPB) and GWC to use the submitted images without compensation. Reasonable attempt will be made to credit the photographer. The photographer retains their copyright for other uses.
   
   
5. WPB and GWC take no responsibility for lost or damaged entries.
   
   
6. Preserve staff, GWC team involved in the contest, and contest judges are not eligible to enter. Preserve volunteers, contractors, and GWC members are eligible to enter.
   
   
7. An entry deemed ineligible at the sole discretion of the judges, will be disqualified and the entry fee not refunded.
   
   
8. By submitting an entry the photographer agrees to abide by all contest rules, and waives all claims of any kind against the organizers and judges of the contest.
   
   

All photo contest questions should be emailed to gwcphoto@grassywaters.org