About

2011 Photo Contest Rules

Official 2011 Wildflower Magazine
Photo Contest Entry Rules

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: The Wildflower Magazine Photo Contest is open to ALL photographers worldwide, except employees and directors of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, their immediate families and individuals living in the same household as such employees. Photographers under 18 must submit their entries in the Under 18 category. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, winner eligibility.

CATEGORIES: Photographers must enter each image in one of the following 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, simply delete that photo and upload it again in the other category. Judges reserve the right to switch images to other categories.

1. Botanical
2. Landscape
3. People and wildflowers
4. Black and White
5. Under 18

WHAT PHOTOS TO ENTER: We are seeking stunning images of wildflowers - close-ups, in the landscape and being enjoyed by people - from anywhere in North America.
These images may show native wildflowers in any season on the roadside, in the garden, water, nature reserve or in the wild. Do not include photographs of houseplants. Plants photographed in public botanic gardens or research facilities are acceptable.

Photos previously published may be entered; however please include information about place and date of publication. Winning photos from other competitions may also be entered, but include the name of the contests and the years they won.

There is no entry fee. THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE IMAGE MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH EACH ENTRY. Photographs of invasive plants as well as exotic plants will be disqualified. Photographer must attempt to identify to the best of their abilities and knowledge the plants in their submitted photographs (for example, Texas bluebonnets or Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis.) Photographers must indicate location of photograph.

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; 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 that do not show the scene in its natural way.

DEADLINE: The final date for submitting photos is June 15, 2011. The Wildflower Center anticipates notifying winners in October 2011.

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.

Winners may be viewed beginning late November 2011 at http://www.wildflower.org/photocontest. A list of winners is also available by emailing cprocop@wildflower.org.

PRIZES: Winners in each category will receive a prize of $100 plus a family membership to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, a $70 value. Second place winners will receive $50 plus a family membership to the Wildflower Center and honorable mentions will receive family memberships. The Wildflower Center 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 Wildflower magazine and on the www.wildflower.org, and used for promotions of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center including, but not limited to, publications from the Wildflower Center 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 Wildflower Center 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. The Wildflower Center 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 the Wildflower Center shall be final and binding.

By entering, participants release and hold harmless the Wildflower Center, its affiliated organizations, and each of their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives (collectively, the "Organization") from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or related to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center photo contest, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by the Wildflower Center, the warranties participants make, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any Wildflower Center Photo Contest-related activity, or participation in the photo contest.

If, for any reason, the WCPC 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 organization that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the WCPC, the Companies reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the WCPC.

HOW TO ENTER: All entrants first create their contest account, providing name, phone number and email address as well as the location of the image and, to the best of an entrant's ability, the names of the plants in the images.

Entrants can upload photos at any time during the contest. You do not need to upload all photos at once; you may return to your upload page at any time using your email address. You may add new photos at any time up to the deadline.

Photos may be in color or in black and white for the black and white category.

Prepare Your Photos: Camera-made digital images or scans of slides or prints must be uploaded as jpg files. File size cannot be more than 10 mb. Winning images must be suitable for publication at 5x7 inches at 300 dpi (2100x1500 pixels). Original slides or negatives for scanned photographs must be available on request, but do not send them unless requested by Wildflower Center. 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.

HOW TO CONTACT US: Questions and inquiries regarding contest rules or technical matters, including problems uploading photos, can be emailed to cprocop@wildflower.org.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is not responsible for lost, damaged, late or misdirected photographs, or for uploading connections, garbled transmissions, unauthorized intervention or technical malfunctions.