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ELIGIBILITY

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The Lake County Council on Aging’s (LCCOA) 2020 Photo Contest (“Photo Contest”) is open to all professional and amateur photographers who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry.

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SPONSOR

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The LCCOA’s 2020 Photo Contest is sponsored by The Lake County Council on Aging, 528 Main Street SW, Ronan, MT 59864 (“Sponsor”).

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ENTRY PERIOD

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The Photo Contest begins at 6am MST on March 1, 2020, and ends at 11:59pm MST on April 15, 2020 (the “Entry Period”). Entries submitted before or after the Entry Period will not be eligible. Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Photo Contest.

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WHAT TO ENTER

Images will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.

To ensure functionality on our submission platform, please submit files no larger than 4032 x 4032 pixels and no more than 4 MB at the time of entry. High resolution-original files will be requested should an entry make it into the final round of editing to be considered for an award or prize of merit.

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All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (cropping, spotting for dust, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.

Entries may originate in any format—including but not limited to digital files, digital prints, color transparencies, color prints, or black and white prints—so long as they are submitted electronically in a .JPEG .jpg, or.png format. HDR images are acceptable.

Previously published material for which non-exclusive rights were granted may be entered as long as you maintain the right to grant us a license (see "Your Rights" below). You must be able to disclose when and where the photo appeared previously to LCCOA upon request.

You are responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted, and must be able to provide copies of those releases to LCCOA upon request.

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Submissions may be watermarked if desired, but the watermark should be inconspicuous enough to not interfere with the judging of the photo. A watermarked photo might not be honored by the competition (at the judges’ sole discretion) if the photographer is unable or unavailable to provide a pristine, watermark-free version of the image when asked.

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The following submissions are ineligible:

  • Photos that violate or infringe upon another person's rights, including but not limited to copyright and photographs of persons without the necessary consent required by law in your jurisdiction. LCCOA reserves the right to require entrants to submit evidence of the subject’s legal consent to be photographed for the submitted photograph, which may include a signed waiver from the subject. NOTE: Waiver requirements vary by jurisdiction, and the entrant is responsible for obtaining a legally enforceable waiver from any photographed subject.

  • Photos that contain sexually explicit, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content.

  • Images that involve putting any individual in danger.

LCCOA shall determine entry eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion.

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HOW TO ENTER

Images may be submitted by dropping a zip drive off at the office (528 Main Street SW. Ronan, MT 59864), emailed to coa@ronan.net, or sent to us as a message on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyCOA/. Please also let us know you name, email address, and phone number. It is your responsibility to call and confirm that we have received your submission.

Entrants will be asked to provide the following information in the contest entry process:

  • Title of the photo

  • Caption: Describe who is photographed, where it was taken, and what they are doing

You may enter an unlimited number of photos.

Sponsor reserves the right to reject any additional entries or entries that do not comply with these Official Rules. By entering, you indicate your unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of, these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding. You cannot win a prize unless you comply with all requirements in these Official Rules.

Entrants may be asked to supplement their submission with more explanation about the photo or to provide a higher resolution version of the photo anytime during the contest period.

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SUBMISSION CATEGORIES

A category must be selected when submitting an entry to the Photo Contest. Entries will be considered from the following categories:

  • Cities and Nature: Connecting with nature where we live

  • Landscape: A sense of place, with or without people

  • People and Nature: Recreation, adventure, people enjoying the outdoors

  • Water: Above, below, or in between

  • Wildlife: In the wild or in our backyard

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AWARD CATEGORIES

Winning submissions will be selected for the following award categories:

  • One (1) Grand Prize winner

  • One (1) People’s Choice winner

  • Five (5) Category First Place winners, one (1) per category

  • Five (5) Category Second Place winners, one (1) per category

  • Five (5) Category Third Place winners, one (1) per category, and

  • Five (5) Category Honorable Mentions, one (1) per category.

JUDGING

Judging will be conducted by a panel of photo editors to be selected by the Sponsor at its sole discretion (the “Panel”). Photos will be judged by the Panel on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit and subject matter relevance to humans and nature.

The Panel will evaluate all valid entries and make daily selections into a group of Judges’ Favorite images, (“Judges’ Favorites”). All winners will be selected from the Judges Favorites. Judges’ Favorites will be notified of their status and appear on nature.org/photocontest on September 1, 2019.

All judging decisions are final. Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER

One (1) People’s Choice winner will selected by the public from the Judges’ Favorites published on nature.org between September 1 through September 8, 2019. The People’s Choice winner will be determined by online voting.

VOTING PERIOD

Voting for People's Choice begins at 12:00am on September 1, 2019, and ends at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time on September 8, 2019 (the “Voting Period”). Votes submitted before or after the Voting Period will not be eligible. Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Photo Contest.

RESULTS

All winners will be announced on nature.org/photocontest by 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time on September 13, 2019. The Conservancy will notify the winners via the contact information provided at the time of entry.

To request a winners list by mail, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your request to The Nature Conservancy, Photo Contest, 4245 N Fairfax Dr. Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203. Requests must be received by October 1, 2019.

PRIZES

All award winners will receive mention on The Conservancy’s digital presences. In addition, The Conservancy will award the following prizes:

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive:

  • $2,000 Delta gift card

  • Camera kit from brand of choice. Estimated value: $4,000 USD

Total value: $6,000 USD

One (1) People’s Choice winner will receive:

  • $1,500 Delta gift card

Five (5) Category First Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

  • $500 Delta gift card

Five (5) Category Second Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

  • $250 Delta gift card

Five (5) Category Third Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

  • $100 Delta gift card

Five (5) Category Honorable Mentions (one (1) per category) will receive:

  • Certificate of Recognition

To the maximum extent permissible by law, all winners are responsible for paying any taxes and any and all other costs and expenses associated with claiming the awards, including but not limited to customs fees, taxes, and any other administrative costs, if applicable. If the prize value equals or exceeds $600, prior to the award of any prize the winner will need to complete, sign and return an IRS W-9 form and/or any applicable tax forms for awarding the prize in the winner’s jurisdiction. Any prize details not specified above will be determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion. A prize may not be transferred and must be accepted as awarded. A winner may not request cash or a substitute prize; however, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion.

POTENTIAL WINNER REQUIREMENTS

Except where prohibited, a potential winner may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility, including proof of age and liability/publicity release within 10 calendar days. If a potential winner fails to return these documents on time, an alternate potential winner may be selected in his/her place.

YOUR RIGHTS

Your photographs help The Conservancy protect Earth’s amazing diversity of wildlife, people, plants and habitats. Thank you for helping to further our mission through your photography.

You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit—including ownership if applicable.

If you submit a photograph to the Photo Contest, you grant The Conservancy and its related entities such as affiliates and subsidiaries a royalty-free, non-exclusive right in perpetuity to:

The Conservancy will endeavor to credit all photographs with the credit "Person's Name" when the full name is available.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Photo Contest is impaired in any way, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Photo Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Photo Contest; or (b) award the prize(s) from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify and seek damages from any individual who tampers with the operation of the Photo Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike manner. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an online entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter will be deemed to be the owner. The Photo Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, their respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Photo Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Photo Contest; (b) technical errors; (c) printing errors; (d) late or undelivered mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Photo Contest; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property. You waive the right to claim any attorneys’ fees and any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

E-SUPPORTER

When you enter, you will automatically become an e-supporter of The Conservancy. This includes special event invitations, digital messages, text and a monthly e-newsletter. You may cancel and unsubscribe at any time.

PRIVACY AND PUBLICITY

Any information you submit as part of the Photo Contest will be used in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. The information you provide when you enter is provided to Sponsor. Except where prohibited, you consent to Sponsor’s use of your name in any list of winners (if applicable) and/or for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

DISPUTES

You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Photo Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Virginia. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Sponsor in connection with the Photo Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Virginia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Virginia or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Virginia.

QUESTIONS

Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to photocontest@tnc.org.

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