tybs “Take Your Best Shot”
Member Photo Contest

2011-12 Official Rules

California Waterfowl invites members to participate in the fourth annual “Take Your Best Shot” Member Photo Contest, celebrating the beauty of the state’s migratory bird population and the role of hunting in a balanced and healthy ecosystem. The contest will highlight photos of wetland wildlife, dogs in action, waterfowl hunting, and wetland landscapes.

Who May Enter:
Any California Waterfowl member may enter, including youth members. Entrants must be current California Waterfowl members at the time of entry. Employees of California Waterfowl and their immediate family members are not eligible to win.

What to Enter:
California Waterfowl is looking for striking photos that illustrate the beauty and drama of waterfowl, wetlands, and waterfowl hunting. We are especially interested in photos that depict waterfowl hunting, dogs in action, wetland wildlife, and wetland landscapes.

By entering a photo, you are verifying:

The image is your own;
The photo has not been altered beyond standard optimization;
All people pictured in the photo have granted permission for contest use, including California Waterfowl’s unlimited right to reproduce the photo into perpetuity;
The photo is not subject to any third party agreements;
And no laws were violated in obtaining the photo.

Photos should accurately reflect the original image. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (cropping, color, contrast, etc.) will be disqualified. This includes the digital addition or deletion of objects in the photos. Photo eligibility is the sole discretion of the contest judges.

Photos may originate in any form but must be submitted electronically. A low-resolution version may be uploaded to the contest Flickr page, but a high resolution image must be available at California Waterfowl’s request. If a high resolution photo cannot be provided, the entry will be disqualified. Photos may also be watermarked if desired when uploaded to the contest Flickr page, however: the watermark should be inconspicuous enough to not interfere with the judging of the photo and a clean, watermark-free version of the photo must be available at California Waterfowl’s request. If a watermark-free version cannot be provided, the entry will be disqualified.

Please do not include photographs that display more than the legal limit of game per person; display overt kill (i.e. piles of dead birds, or game lined up on a bumper); or involved illegal means to obtain the photo (i.e. trespassing).

How to Enter:
Internet access is required to participate in the contest. Participants must review the full rules before entering any photos. Photos must be submitted electronically via Flickr. There is no entry fee to participate.

Flickr is a photo sharing website made up of many individuals and groups. To submit your contest photos via Flickr, logon to Flickr.com. If you do not have a Flickr account, you can create an account for free. You can also use your Yahoo!, Google, or Facebook login to access Flickr. After logging in, use the “Upload” feature to upload photos to your Flickr page.

Next, you will need to join California Waterfowl’s Flickr group page. Visit the link http://www.flickr.com/groups/californiawaterfowl/ and click on “Join this Group?” You will be prompted to accept the official rules before allowed to join.

Browse through the photos you wish to submit for the contest, and use the “Send to Group” feature to add your images to California Waterfowl’s group page.

All photos added to the California Waterfowl Flickr group page should have a title, author, and caption. These can be added using the fields beneath the photo. It is important to make sure authorship is clearly labeled with each entry (especially if your Flickr account is not set up under your official first/last name), so California Waterfowl can: a.) properly credit contest photos when utilized in promotional media; and b.) notify winners and send prizes if applicable.

If you have trouble using Flickr, please consult their online help files. California Waterfowl is not responsible for any issues or problems you encounter while using Flickr or attempting to upload a photo.

California Waterfowl reserves the right to remove any entry from the Flickr group page if it is deemed inappropriate or does not adhere to contest guidelines.

Judging:
California Waterfowl will review each photograph received and will accept only those entries that meet the official requirements outlined in these rules. A panel of California Waterfowl staff and contributing magazine photographers will review accepted entries and select the winning photos. Selected photos are not official winners until high resolution, watermark-free versions are provided to California Waterfowl. If such a version cannot be provided, an alternate winner will be selected. The decisions of California Waterfowl and the contest judges are final.

Winners:
Winning photos will appear in the summer 2012 issue of California Waterfowl magazine, tentatively set to release on May 25, 2012. One Best of Show winner will also receive a professionally framed print of his or her winning entry.

Deadline:
Entries must be uploaded to the contest Flickr page by March 15, 2012, 11:59 PM.

Your Rights:
By participating in the contest, you hereby grant California Waterfowl unlimited, non-exclusive, irrevocable permission to publish and reproduce your image in media including but not limited to the magazine, website, and promotional materials into perpetuity. You retain all other applicable ownership rights to the photo. California Waterfowl agrees to properly credit photographers whenever their photos are used. California Waterfowl reserves the right to exclude any photo from the contest.

Questions:
Direct any questions about the “Take Your Best Shot” Member Photo Contest to Courtney Ashe, Editor, at (916) 648-1406 x127 or cashe@calwaterfowl.org.