IFES 2009 Photo Contest
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Contest Rules
One contest theme is drawn from a subject of special interest to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES); two distinct groups are eligible for entry, one open to the public and another exclusive to current IFES employees. As many as ten finalists and one winner will be recognized from each category. One winner from the Public Category will receive $400 (USD) and one winner of IFES’ Choice category will receive $400 (USD). All category winners and finalists will be highlighted on IFES’ website on or after March 16, 2010.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
Theme
Individuals supporting or participating in the electoral process or efforts that demonstrate the value of institutions of democratic governance and citizen engagement.
Who may enter:
Public Category: Open to photographers worldwide who are eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
IFES’ Choice Category: Only current employees of IFES are eligible.
Term
IFES Photo Contest (the “Contest”) begins January 29, 2010 and ends March 8, 2010 at 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time (EST). All digital entries must be received at IFES’ website by March 8, 2010 at 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Sponsor
The Contest is sponsored by IFES, 1850 K Street, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20006.
Agreement to Contest Rules
By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Contest Rules and the decision of Sponsor, and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Contest Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein in a timely manner. Please read these Contest Rules carefully before submitting your photograph(s).
What to enter
Using the online entry form on our website (complete a separate form for each photo submitted), submit a high-quality scans of non-digital photographs or digital photographs at the highest resolution possible in a .jpeg, .jpg or .tif format. Files submitted may not be larger than 5 megabytes. Finalists may be asked to submit a high-resolution file or an original negative, print or slide. Original photographs will not be returned to finalists.
Photographs must have been shot by the entrant within the past year (since January 01, 2009). Each online entry must also include, as requested on the form, a brief description explaining how that image is representative of the contest theme.
Cropped photos are eligible in all categories, but you may not submit photos that have been digitally or otherwise enhanced or altered. Minor adjustments, including spotting, dodging and burning, contrast and slight color adjustment or the digital equivalents, are acceptable. An entrant must hold, and affirm that entrant holds, all rights to the photograph(s); those that violate or infringe upon another person's copyright are not eligible.
How to enter
Submit no more than (3) photographs to the appropriate category online here. Sponsor will not accept than one entry contestant per e-mail address. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any person that violates the Contest Rules or tampers with or abuses any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor. Incomplete or late entries will be disqualified.
Judging
Contest consists of three rounds of evaluation for each category. In the first round, Judges will independently select as many as ten images among all eligible entries from each category based on that entry’s overall artistic merit, technical excellence, and relevance. All entries selected from round one will proceed to round two. In round two, Judges will independently review all entries from the first round and score each entry from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) for each category according to the criteria and formula below. The composite score will be made based on the following percentages:
- (50%) Overall Artistic merit - (for example - Does the photo evoke a response from the judge? Can the judge empathize with the subject? Is this response a response other viewers would feel?)
- (25%) Technical quality of Image - (for example - Does the photo present its subjects and ideas clearly? Did techniques such as flash or shutter speed improve the photo? Was time and thought given for the composition of the photo?)
- (25%) Relevance (for example - Does the subject matter fit the category? Does it present this idea in a new way?)
The composite scores from the three judges will be averaged together. As many as eleven entries per category with the highest value in each category will proceed to round three. In round three, the Judges will collectively select a Winner for each category.
Judging will be conducted by The Honorable Howard H. Baker, Jr. Director, Board of Directors, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Greg Whitesell, Photojournalist and Photography Editor and Pandora Todd, Director of Marketing at National Geographic magazine.
Winners will be chosen on or around March 15, 2010, and notified by email on or after March 16, 2010. Decisions of the judges are final and binding. Please do not contact us about the status of entries.
Winning photographs and selected finalists will be published in the April issue of IFES’ EXPRESS newsletter and on www.ifes.org.
Prizes
One winner will be selected for each category. The Public Category winner will receive $400 (USD). One winner of IFES’ Choice award will receive a $400 (USD). Selected finalists from each contestant category may at the Sponsor’s option receive additional noncash prizes with a total approximate retail value of $15.00 (USD). The odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Winners will be responsible for paying any taxes they may owe on a prize. No prize transfer, assignment, or substitution by winners is permitted.
General Conditions
Entry in the Contest does not transfer ownership of the rights in the images submitted, but constitutes the grant of the license below to Sponsor; moreover, IFES is under no obligation to, and will not, return physical photographs. All entrants must confirm their ownership of the photograph(s), that entrant holds all rights to the intellectual property that they received verbal consent from all individuals (subjects) depicted in the photograph (or no objection from the subject, who was clearly aware that the entrant was taking the photograph), that they have no reason to believe that the subject would object to the entrant’s entering the photograph into the Contest nor to IFES' use of the photograph as described in the license granted to IFES in the Contest Rules, that they are over 18 years of age, and that they fully understand and agree to the Contest Rules.
Entry in the Contest constitutes a grant to IFES of a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to display, distribute, reproduce, edit, and create derivative works of the entry photograph(s), in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any and all purposes, including promotional purposes. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit. IFES will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.
IFES reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant's identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Contest Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Entries also will be void if IFES determines the photograph(s) not to be original, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.
Failure by IFES to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights. IFES reserves the right to suspend or cancel the Contest or modify these rules at its discretion.
In the event that the selected winner(s) of any prize is/are ineligible, cannot be traced or does/do not respond within five (5) days to a winner notification as required by the "Contest Prizes" Rules above, or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and IFES, in its sole discretion, may choose whether to award the prize to another entrant.
Publicity
Participation in the Contest constitutes winner’s consent to Sponsor’s use of winner’s name, likeness, voice, opinions, and biographical information for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.
Release
By receipt of a prize, winner agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor, and its officers, directors, employees, agents and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, whether under a theory of contract, tort or otherwise.
Limitations of Liability
The Released Parties are not responsible for: (a) any inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants or printing errors; (b) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the Contest; (c) technical failures of any kind including, but not limited to, electronic malfunctions of any network hardware or software; (d) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; (e) lost, delayed, misdirected or undeliverable mail or electronic mail; or (f) any injury or damage to persons or property including, but not limited to, death, which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize.
Disputes
Entrants agree that this Contest shall be subject to and governed by and subject to the laws of the District of Columbia and the forum for any dispute shall be in the District of Columbia, United States of America. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or on connection with this Contest are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights.