THE SOUTH TEXAS PRO CLASSIC PHOTO CONTEST PROJECT
PROJECT SUMMARY: Photo Bound Tours, L.L.C., has been awarded funding to create, organize and conduct a professional-level, summer 2010 wildlife photo contest. Funding for this photo contest was made possible, in part, by a grant from The Valley Land Fund through the Robert L. Townsend Endowment. For more information about The Valley Land Fund, please visit the VLF online at www.valleylandfund.com.
Contest Description: The 2010 South Texas Pro Classic photo contest, also known as the "Pro Classic" for short, is a conservation event and digital nature photography contest. The contest is designed to portray, through the eyes and cameras of professional-level photographers, the value and beauty of the natural world, results of sound conservation practices, and the culture, history and use of South Texas lands.
Contest Period: The Pro Classic takes place June 1, 2010, through July 31, 2010. The contest is geared toward, but not limited to, professional photographers. All photographs must be taken within the contest region, defined below. A special, separate division of the contest, the South Texas Open, also known as the "Open Division," allows entry of older photographs taken between January 1, 2008, and July 31, 2010.
Contest Region: All photographs must be taken anywhere in the eight-county region of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, including Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr, Willacy and Zapata. Photographs may be taken on privately-owned and public property, including nature centers, birding centers, wildlife refuges, state, county and city parks, and now the zoo.
Photographer Eligibility: Photographers may be any age and skill level, from youth to professional. An entry consists of images entered by one photographer or a pair of photographers working as a team. "Photographer" refers to one photographer or a pair of photographers submitting one portfolio of images. Please note that youth participants may not enter photographs they submit to the 2010 youth photo contest being conducted by the Valley Land Fund and Quinta Mazatlan.
Photo Contest Classes: Both the Pro Classic and the Open Division are divided into the following classes.
Portraits I: Birds, Mammals
Portraits II: Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish & Marine Life, Invertebrates
Portraits III: Flora - Trees, Shrubs, Plants, Cactus, etc.
Scenes I: Scenes Including Birds, Mammals
Scenes II: Scenes Including Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish & Marine Life, Invertebrates
Scenes III: Scenes Including Flora - Trees, Shrubs, Plants, Cactus, etc.
Skies & Water: Skies, Water in any Form - Water, Waterscapes, Waterways, etc.
The Land: Land in any Form - Land, Landscapes, Brush, Open Spaces
Culture & History of the Land: Cultural Practices & Traditions, Historical Use, Farm & Ranch Life, Farm & Ranch Operations, something to do with the land from the past
Allowable Photographs: Questions about the eligibility of any photograph for the Pro Classic and/or the Open Division should be directed to the Photo Contest Director prior to entry.
All photographs must be taken on privately-owned or public property such as farms, ranches, nature centers, birding centers, wildlife refuges, state, county and city parks, and now the zoo. Photographers are not required to partner with landowners as in past contests. Photographers are not restricted to one property and may take photographs anywhere in the contest region.
In all classes, images with the same subject photographed at essentially the same time, in the same lighting, at the same location, with the same background, at the same angle of view, and with the same or similar focal length lens are considered similar. Only one image from any series of similar images is allowed.
In all classes except for the Culture & History of the Land class, no photographs of domestic or exotic animals, livestock, pets or other tamed animals are allowed in this contest.
Images in the Portraits I and II and Scenes I and II classes must include wildlife. Images of unrestricted animals are preferred. Small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates may be carefully restrained for purposes of taking a photograph. Subjects must be released unharmed, where they were found. Restrained mammals species are limited to small ones such as rats, mice, moles and shrews. Birds may not be trapped or restrained.
Images in the Portraits III, Scenes III, Skies & Water, The Land, and Culture & History of the Land classes are not required to include wildlife. Examples include landscapes, waterscapes, stars, trees, plants, cactus, flowers, sunrises, sunsets, farm and ranch operations, etc. A high level of preference is given to trees, plants, cactus and flowers native to the Rio Grande Valley.
Photographs entered in the Open Division may have been entered in prior photo contests, including VLF contests, provided they are taken between January 1, 2008, and July 31, 2010, and have not been published or won an award or prize of any kind.
Registration: The minimum number of photographers registered in the Pro Classic is 25, with no maximum limit. Participants must register for the contest in writing or online. Registration forms are available online on the Photo Bound Tours website within the Register tab, and also the Valley Land Fund website. Printed registration forms may be requested by contacting the Photo Contest Director in writing, 2010 South Texas Pro Classic, Photo Contest Director, PO Box 3, Linn, TX 78563.
Registration is open from May 14, 2010, through June 15, 2010.
Entry Fees: The appropriate entry fee must be included with a participant's registration form. Photo Bound Tours, L.L.C., will confirm receipt of entry forms and fees to participants.
An entry fee includes entry in the Pro Classic, as well as the Open Division. Entry fees are as follows:
$300.00 for one Photographer (a single photographer submitting one entry)
$500.00 for one Photographer Team (a team of two photographers submitting one entry)
Non-photographic Assistance: Photographers may have non-photographicassistance from one person per photograph. The assistant may be a photographer, photographic assistant, biologist, friend or advisor. The assistant may provide technical advice and/or handle captive animals for the photographer. The assistant may not touch or handle the photographer's camera, set up shots, adjust equipment or settings, or take a picture for the photographer.
Common Sense and Safety: Common sense and practicing safe photographic techniques should dictate what photographers do at all times. Before entering any private property, obtain the landowner's permission for access to the land. When photographing roadside, be sure to pull your vehicle onto the shoulder of the road.
Submission Guidelines: A complete, detailed set of rules and submission guidelines for the Pro Classic is available online to all contestants.
An entry consists of up to 50 images in the Pro Classic and up to 25 images in the Open Division.
In all entries, three sets of images are required: the original, RAW files captured from the camera; high-resolution TIF files processed directly from the RAW files; and JPG files with certain attributes for judging.
Minimal, "global" adjustments may be made to images, at the discretion of the photographer. This includes cleaning (dust), levels, curves, color, saturation and contrast work, applied to the image as a whole. Minimal cropping is allowed, limited to the removal of up to 10% of the original image captured by the camera. The photographer is responsible for the adjustments, whether or not s/he performed the image processing of the entry.
Judging: Double-blind judging is used. Neither the judges nor the volunteer staff will have access to the names of the photographers whose images they are handling.
In the Pro Classic, all eligible entries are judged individually by a three-judge panel. Each judge views all eligible images and assigns a numerical score to each image, based on his/her assessment of the image's technical quality, composition, content (story), originality and aesthetic appeal. The three judges' scores are added for an accumulated score for each image.
The five highest-scoring images in each of the nine classes are declared winners of the Pro Classic, creating a collection of 45 winning images. Bonus points and a cash prize of $200 are awarded to each of the 45 winning images. From these images the judges will choose Best of Contest, and bonus points and a cash prize of $250 are awarded to Best of Contest.
The three portfolios of images with the highest accumulation of points are declared First, Second and Third Grand Prize winners and awarded $2,500, $2,000 and $1,500, respectively. A total of $15, 250 in cash will be awarded.
Photographers have better chances for winning a Pro Classic grand prize by entering a 50-image portfolio. Entering fewer than 50 images reduces the chances for winning a grand prize award.
In the Open Division, all eligible entries are judged individually by a three-judge panel. Each judge views all eligible images and assigns a numerical score to each image, based on his/her assessment of the image's technical quality, composition, content (story), originality and aesthetic appeal. The three judges' scores are added for an accumulated score for each image.
The three highest-scoring images in each of the nine classes are declared winners of the Open Division, creating a collection of 27 winning images. Bonus points and a cash prize of $100 are awarded to each of the 27 winning images. From these images the judges will choose a Best of Division, and bonus points and a cash prize of $150 are awarded to Best of Division.
The three portfolios of images with the highest accumulation of points are declared First, Second and Third Grand Prize winners and are awarded $1,000, $750 and $500, respectively. A total of $5,100 in cash will be awarded.
Photographers have better chances for winning an Open Division grand prize by entering a 25-image portfolio. Entering fewer than 25 images reduces the chances for winning a grand prize award.
Prizes: As described in the Judging section above, the Pro Classic provides cash prizes of $200 each to 45 winning images ($9,000 total), $250 to Best of Contest and $2,500, $2,000 and $1,500 to First, Second and Third Grand Prize, respectively ($6,000 total). The Pro Classic payout totals $15,250. All prize money is awarded to photographers. (There are no landowner contestants.)
As described in the Judging section above, the Open Division provides cash prizes of $100 each to 27 winning images ($2,700 total), $150 to Best of Division and $1,000, $750 and $500 to First, Second and Third Grand Prize, respectively ($2,250 total). The Open Division payout totals $5,100. All prize money is awarded to photographers. (There are no landowner contestants.)
Payout to winners of the Pro Classic is $15,250. Payout to winners of the Open Division is $5,100. Total payout to the winners from the Pro Classic and the Open Division is $20,350.
Additional prizes of equipment, gift certificates and other items may be awarded at the awards event scheduled for late September or early October. All prize donors receive recognition in printed materials such as the awards event program, soft-cover book of winners, photo DVDs, Photo Bound Tours and VLF websites and other venues.
Awards Event: The South Texas Pro Classic concludes with an awards event celebrating nature and wildlife photography, good conservation practices and the success of the photographers.
Photographers entered in the South Texas Pro Classic will be admitted to the awards event at no charge, as part of their entry fee. Spouses and family members, friends and other guests will pay a fee to attend the awards event. Budget permitting, transportation and lodging for out-of-town Grand Prize winning photographers will be paid by Photo Bound Tours, L.L.C.
Soft-cover Books and Photo DVDs: Displaying and celebrating winning contest photographs are important facets of conducting a contest such as the South Texas Pro Classic. A discount will be given to individuals and organizations placing advance book and DVD orders, from May 15, 2010, through August 1, 2010. No discounts will be given on any orders placed after August 1, 2010.
Schedule of Events: The following schedule of events is subject to change.
May 14, 2010, Registration opens
May 22 & 23, 2010, Pre-contest meetings at 2:00 p.m., at Bentsen State Park, Mission, TX (photographers choose and attend one meeting, although the meeting is not mandatory)
June 1, 2010 - July 31, 2010, Contest period for the South Texas Pro Classic (photos for the South Texas Open Division may be taken January 1, 2008, through July 31, 2010)
June 15, 2010, Registration closes
July 31, 2010, Contest period ends at midnight
August 16, 2010, Entries due at the end of business day (5:00 p.m.)
August 27-29, 2010, Contest judging
October 2, 2010, Awards event (Cactus Creek Ranch in Rio Hondo, Texas)
December 4, 2010, Soft-cover books & photo DVDs of winners, released in time for the holidays
To register for the photo contest, simply fill out the form on the Registration Page and submit your information. Payment can be made through PayPal or by mailing a check.