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Outdoor Photo Contest

Outdoor Recreation Center, Pullman, WA 99163 View location in Google Maps
Submissions Accepted Sept 15 - Oct 15

About the event

Show us your skills as you capture the beauty of the outdoors! The Outdoor Photo Contest and Exhibit is an annual event sponsored by WSU’s Outdoor Recreation Center and Student Entertainment Board. This contest is open to any amateur photographers.

Submissions will be accepted September 15 through October 15 (images submitted before or after the posted dates will not be accepted). No more than four submissions per participant.

Judging Criteria

The Outdoor Photography Contest aims to highlight human or naturally powered outdoor recreation. The photographs are judged by presentation and appropriateness of category, as well as by technical skill with the camera and visual framing of the subject. Leave No Trace principles will also be considered. The contest organizers reserve the right to refuse entries that do not meet these criteria. All photographs must be entered in a specific category.

The categories are as follows:

  • Landscape: Photographs of large-scale scenes of nature as one might see while participating in human/natural powered outdoor recreational activities. No man-made structures.
  • Action Adventure: Photographs of people participating in human/natural powered outdoor recreational activities.
  • Wildlife & Still-Life: Photographs of wild animals in natural settings or close-up/isolated photographs of small-scale plants or natural scenes in natural surroundings as one might see while participating in outdoor recreational activities.
  • Cultural: This category includes adventure travel photographs that illustrate the cultural significance of another society. This category can also include domestic photographs that picture wilderness settings with historically or culturally significant structures.
  • Washington Agriculture: A leading agricultural state, with a leading agricultural university (Go Cougs!), this category just makes sense. The beautiful rolling Palouse, giant apple orchards, and that nutrient rich volcanic soil. Let’s see some great photographs capturing one of our state’s superlative attributes.

Photo submission instructions

For photo submissions, follow these easy steps below.

  • Create a Flickr account at flickr.com (if you don’t already have one).
  • Upload your photos to your Flickr page.
  • Find and Join the group WSU Outdoor Photography Contest by typing it into the search toolbar, or using the following link: https://www.flickr.com/groups/wsuoutdoorphotographycontest/
  • Give your image a title, and list the name of the photographer
  • Tag the category that your photo(s) fall under
  • Submit your photos(s) to the group.…then you’re done

The top 5 photographs in each category will be displayed on the ORC Gnome Facebook Page, as well as the Student Entertainment Board Gallery in the Compton Union Building. Winners of each category will be announced after the show is on display. The people’s choice award will be announced on the last day of the semester.

Rules

  1. All entries must be submitted prior to the close of the contest on October 15, 2020, at midnight PST.
  2. All photographs that you submit must be your own work and you must own the rights to distribute the entry.
  3. All eligible entries must have as their subject, the Title of the Photograph, then the First and Last name of the artist.
  4. Any entry including a recognizable image/photograph of an individual must be accompanied by a photo release.
  5. No more than four submissions per participant.
  6. If your photo is selected you will be required to provide a signed release form for any identifiable individual in your photograph.
    1. Sample model release form available via the Flickr/Getty Images collaboration contribute.gettyimages.com/producer/help
    2. By adding your entry to the 2020 WSU Outdoor Photography contest, you authorize Washington State University to:
      1. Use your entry for any educational and informational purposes in perpetuity.
      2. Crop or manipulate your photograph or edit your text.
      3. Use your name as the creator of the entry and state of residence.
      4. While it is our intent to use images for non-commercial, educational purposes and with photographer credit, we make no warranty regarding use or credit once photos have entered the social media stream.
        1. Photographers maintain all other rights to your entry.
  7. Washington State University is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected or incomplete entries, or technical or submission errors.
  8. Judging will be at the sole discretion of Washington State University.
    1. Judging is based on image quality and visually expressing the experience of visiting and experiencing the outdoors.
    2. Upload the highest resolution image possible (less than 10MB).
    3. The winning image may be used in various contexts and a hi-res image ensures the best quality.

Contact

Matt Wagner
Coordinator, Outdoor Programs
matt.wagner@wsu.edu • 509.335.0104

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