Smithsonian.com

Photo Contest Rules

Term:
Smithsonian magazine's 6^th Annual Photo Contest begins July 1, 2008 and ends Monday, December 1 at 2pm 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 and older.

Who may enter:
Photographers ages 18 and over—except for individuals affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, including employees, Regents, trustees, interns, volunteers, fellows, research associates and their immediate families (children, siblings and spouses) and others living in their households—are eligible. Smithsonian magazine will determine winners' eligibility.

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

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. hand coloring, toning, bleaching, collage and photo composites, 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 within the past three (3) years (since January 1, 2006).

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, contrast and slight color adjustment or the digital equivalents, are acceptable for all five categories. If our judges see that a photographer has obviously 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 Smithsonian upon request. A sample release is available at http://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/v6/6th-ModelRelease.doc.

Photographs that have won any other contests or have been published in magazines and newspapers (except online) are not eligible. Photos that violate or infringe upon another person's copyright are not eligible.

How to enter:
Please submit photographs on-line through our Web site at photocontest.smithsonianmag.com. We do not accept photographs submitted through the mail. Submit no more than three (3) photographs per category. We do not accept more than one contestant per e-mail address.

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 Web site. 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 2,024k (2Mb). The 50 finalists may be asked to submit a high-resolution file or an original negative, print or slide. Original photographs will be returned to finalists.

Smithsonian judges reserve the right to disqualify contestants who are unable to submit, upon request, a high-resolution photograph of at least 300 dpi at 5 x 7 inches or an original photo negative, print or slide.

By entering the contest, entrants grant Smithsonian Institution a royalty-free, world-wide, 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 Smithsonian Institution purpose, including, but not limited to advertising and promotion of the magazine and its Web site, exhibition, and commercial products, including but not limited to Smithsonian Institution publications. Photographs may appear on the Smithsonian Journeys Web site as well as in Journeys publications. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit.  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 digital entries must be received at Smithsonian's Web site by 2pm Eastern Time, Monday, December 1, 2008.

Judging:
Judging will be conducted by the editors of Smithsonian. Winning photographs and selected finalists will be published in a summer 2009 issue of Smithsonian. Decisions of the judges will be final.

On a weekly basis, Smithsonian judges will post the best of the incoming entries on a photo gallery, Picture This, on our Web site.

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 will be notified of their status by February 28, 2009, and will appear on our Web site on March 2, 2009. At that time, the public can vote on our Web site for one readers' choice winner, which will be revealed online in summer 2009.

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

Prizes:

Grand Prize: A four-day, three-night Smithsonian Journeys Grand Canyon Weekend Adventure for two from July 17-20, 2009, or the wholesale cash equivalent.

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.Winners may receive additional noncash prizes.

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