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2013 PHOTO CONTEST INFORMATION

ABOUT THE PHOTO CONTEST RETURN TO TOP


The 2013 Florida State Parks and State Trails Photo Contest allows visitors to share their experiences at state parks and on state trails. Do you have a great photo taken of your family and friends at the beach, hiking, canoeing or cooking your favorite meal during a recent camping trip? Register and submit your favorite photos for a chance to win a Florida State Parks Passport.

REGISTER FOR THE 2013 PHOTO CONTEST RETURN TO TOP


Each photographer must register and receive a Photographer ID number to participate in the 2013 Florida State Parks and State Trails Photo Contest. After receiving your Photographer ID number, you may begin submitting photographs to the contest. If you were registered for previous Photo Contests, you will not need to register again.

When a photographer registers, the next screen conveys the photographer number. If you do not receive or forget your ID number, please e-mail Ann Shuck or call (850) 245-2100 to inquire.

ELIGIBILITY RETURN TO TOP


Contestants must be 13 years old or older. If the contestant is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must complete and sign the Release by the Photographer portion of the Photograph Entry Form.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection employees are not eligible to participate in the 2013 Photo Contest.

PHOTO REQUIREMENTS AND CATEGORIES RETURN TO TOP


Digital photographs must be a minimum resolution of 1024x768 (or higher) pixels. Formats that are accepted are .jpg, .eps, .psd and .tif.

Photographs may be color or black and white. Photographs may be either vertical or horizontal.

Submitted photographs must be taken within one of the Florida's state parks or upon its waters, on one of the state trails (see list below).

Florida State Trails

  1. Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway
  2. Blackwater Heritage State Trail
  3. Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
  4. General James A. Van Fleet State Trail
  5. Nature Coast State Trail
  6. Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail
  7. Palatka to St. Augustine State Trail (coming soon)
  8. Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
  9. Withlacoochee State Trail

Please name the photos using the following pattern:

Park or Trail Name_contest_Photographer Name_Title of Photo.
Example: Honeymoon Island_contest_Joe Smith_Family at Beach.

While sometimes pretty and novel to see and present in state parks and trails, photos of invasive exotic species (plants and animals) will not be included in the Photo Contest. Examples of invasive exotic species include Australian pine trees, Brazilian peppers, iguanas, armadillos and feral hogs.

Minor digital enhancements for cropping, red-eye removal, filters and corrective functions are permitted, but images that have been altered significantly will be disqualified. Contestants are not permitted to place borders, frames or backgrounds around their images or to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images onto photos.

SUBMITTING A PHOTO RETURN TO TOP


Each photo submitted by a registered photographer must be accompanied by a Photo Entry Form, signed by the photographer. This form includes a Release by the Photographer granting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Friends of Florida State Parks the royalty-free and nonexclusive right to distribute, publish and use the photograph(s) in publications to promote Florida's state parks and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Registered photographers may submit up to 10 photographs each month. Judges may select up to 10 photographs per photographer for each Monthly Contest.

In the case a photograph includes any recognizable people it must be accompanied by a signed Model Release Form before the photograph will be accepted into the Photo Contest and displayed. A parent or guardian must consent for people under 18 years old.

There are two ways to submit photographs. Please do not send prints.

  1. Contestants may email their digital photos (up to 5 MB) to Photo Contest. Completed Photograph Entry Forms with Release by the Photographer and Model Release forms may be scanned and emailed to the same email address. Forms may also be faxed to (850) 412-0444. Please do not send inquiries to this email address or fax number.
  2. Contestants may submit photographs digitally by mail on a CD or DVD. Please do not send prints.

    Florida Department of Environmental Protection
    2013 Photo Contest
    3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, MS 30
    Tallahassee, FL 32399

Contest entries, including all signed forms, must be received by email or regular mail no later than 11:59 p.m., on the 20th day of each month to be included in the next month's contest.

PHOTO CONTEST JUDGING RETURN TO TOP


Judges will base their decisions on the following qualities: focus, lighting composition, impact, creativity and storytelling.

Monthly Photo Contest

Photos received are reviewed by a panel of Florida Department of Environmental Protection staff for basic qualification before posting on FloridaStateParks.org and FriendsofFloridaStateParks.com. Qualifying photographs will be judged by website visitors throughout the month in which they are entered. Each monthly contest will feature up to 40 photographs. Voting will be conducted by an online visitor's poll and a winning decision shall be a result of that poll. The photograph that receives the most overall votes will be considered the winner for that month's photo contest.

Annual Photo Contest

The 12 winning photographs from the monthly contests will be entered in the Annual Contest. The photos will be judged by a panel of professional photographers. The winner of the Annual Photo Contest will be announced on or before January 20, 2013. The contestant will be notified by email.

The decisions of the judges are final.

PRIZES RETURN TO TOP


Monthly winners will receive a copy of the Florida State Parks … the Real Florida Passport.

The First Place Winner of the Annual Photo Contest will receive a Family Annual Entrance Pass to Florida's state parks. Prizes for Second and Third Place Winners will be an Individual Annual Entrance Pass.

USE OF PHOTOS RETURN TO TOP


Entry materials will not be returned.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Friends of Florida State Parks, Inc. has non-exclusive rights to crop registered photographs for display purposes, if necessary, and for other needs as required or as they see fit.

In the event that ownership of any photograph submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is contested in any manner, Florida Department of Environmental Protection reserves the right to discontinue use of said photograph and disqualify the photograph from the contest.

Entries that fail to comply with the Contest Rules will be disqualified.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection reserves the right to change the Contest Rules as necessary. Any rule changes will be announced on the Photo Contest main page.

The Department of Environmental Protection and Friends of Florida State Parks, Inc. has non-exclusive rights to use and publish the photographs on their website or in publications in conjunction with this contest. The Department and Friends of Florida State Parks, Inc. also may use the photographs in other Department or Friends publications to promote Florida State Parks, State Trails, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Friends of Florida State Parks, Inc., such as on their website, in state park brochures, in magazines, distribution of Desktop Wallpaper, and for other marketing and promotional uses. The Department recognizes that the photographer owns the image and the copyright to the photograph. Photographs may be shared with the media.

FORMS RETURN TO TOP