Photography Contest

Photo by Stacey Flowerdew

WINNERS ANNOUNCED HERE

Prizes:

• 1st Prize: $500 + photo published in Fremontia
• 2nd Prize: $300 + photo published in Fremontia
• 3rd Prize: $200 + photo published in Fremontia
• Honorable mention and People's Choice Award winners will be published in a future edition of Fremontia.

Subject & Criteria

"California Native Plants"- Photos must be taken in California (or California Floristic Province) and feature plants native to the state. Images may be species specific macro shots, wide angle landscape photos, or pictures of people or animals interacting with the natural environment of California. Photos may be of- but are not limited to- rare or common plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, bryophytes - surprise us!

Digital or Film: Photographer's Choice, however entry forms must be accompanied by high resolution digital copies of photos on CD.

Deadline for Entries: October 14, 2011. Please send entry form, payment, and CD with a high resolution copy of your entries in .jpeg format to CNPS. Please do not send a physical copy of your entry at this time.

Contest procedure: The panel of judges will vote on all entries received to determine the winners for cash prizes and honorable mentions.

The People's Choice award will be decided by fans of CNPS on Facebook and conference attendees. All entries received by October 10, 2011, will be uploaded to the CNPS Facebook page for People's Choice preliminary voting. The photos with the most "likes" by CNPS fans by November 15 will be People's Choice finalists and eligible to be displayed at the CNPS Conservation Conference in San Diego. Finalists will be contacted that week and asked to send a physical copy of their photo to CNPS headquarters by December 20. Please note that being selected as a People's Choice finalist is not a requirement to win a cash prize or be an honorable mention.

Erigonum kennedyi
Photo by Stephen Ingram

Deliver/Ship to the state headquarters of CNPS at the following address:
CNPS Photo Contest
2707 K Street, Suite 1
Sacramento, CA 95816

Size and Format: 5x7"or 8x10" photos. (Slight variations in size will be accepted.) Please- no frames, no glass. Your photo may be matted for display, but please limit mat width to no more than 4" on any side. Photos must be mounted on foam core or backing mat board and enclosed in a clear poly envelope or shrink wrapped for display at conference. (Note: no entry will be refused if it is not enclosed in a poly envelope, but CNPS takes no responsibility for any blemish or damage your photo may sustain before, during, or after judging or display at the Conference if you choose not to do this.) Please mark back of entry legibly with title of the piece, name of photographer, and contact email or phone number.

Entry form specifics: Please type or write legibly on entry form. All fields must be completed. Please complete form for each entry submitted.
Download Entry Form (139kb PDF)

Entry fees: $20 per entry or $10 per entry for conference attendees. One check can be written for multiple entries, payable to The California Native Plant Society.

Submit with entry: Entry form (one completed form for each entry), CD of high quality digital images of entry (entries) for potential use in Fremontia, and a check for entry fee(s). Please be sure to name the digital files with the same title used for photo entries on CD and to label the CD with the photographer's name.

Finalists who will be displayed at the conference may also enclose a self-addressed, postage paid manila envelope if they want their photos mailed back after the Conference. Please note: SASEs that do not have the correct postage will not be returned.

Photo Pick Up and Return: Photographers wanting to pick up their work may do so at the CNPS state office during business hours January 20-February 20, 2012. Photos not picked up after 30 days will not be returned. Finalists who enclosed postage paid return envelopes with their entries will have their work mailed back to them during this time.

Awards: Winners will be announced at the CNPS 2011 Conservation Conference in San Diego, January and posted on the CNPS website. First, second, and third place winners will be mailed checks in January 2012.

Right of Use: Photographers will maintain copyright of their work, however the CNPS reserves the right to use winning entries and runners-up for publicity and advertising. Winning photographers relinquish any right to royalties from CNPS or any form of reimbursement other than contest awards. CNPS cannot guarantee the quality or appearance of your photo on digital media or in print. Photographer credit will be given whenever possible, but is not guaranteed.

Castilleja densiflora obispoensis
Photo by Aaron Sims

Castilleja miniata
Photo by Ree Slocum

Panel of Judges

Stephen Ingram – Stephen Ingram is a photographer and writer specializing in the botanical treasures and landscapes of California, and is the owner of Stephen Ingram Nature Photography, a small stock and fine art photography business. Stephen's first book, Cacti, Agaves and Yuccas of California and Nevada, was published by Cachuma Press in 2008. His photos have also been published in numerous books, calendars, field guides, note cards, and in magazines such as California Wild, Nature's Best, Outdoor California, Sierra, Sunset and others. Visit Stephen's website at www.ingramphoto.com.

Ree Slocum – A former photojournalist in the 1980s, Ree Slocum began her business, Arcadian Images, in 2003. She specializes in macro flower photography and documentary/photojournalism. Her studies of flowers invite us to visit the rich micro worlds around us. Ree enjoys being in nature and working with natural light to create her images which sometimes touch on the ethereal. Visit Ree's website at www.arcadianimages.net.

Aaron Sims – Aaron joined CNPS in 2010 as the Rare Plant Botanist. Prior to joining CNPS in June of 2010, Aaron worked in environmental consulting and as a biologist for California State Parks on the Central Coast. In addition to his enthusiasm for field botany, Aaron enjoys hiking, backpacking, travel, and photography. You can see some of his images at the CalPhoto site: http://tinyurl.com/3hrxn96